Routing, Routers and angles

[morpheus83uk]

Hello,

I am looking at purchasing a router but I am not entirely sure what to go for. So please could you let me know what type of router would be good? Good routers, things to look for etc?

I am looking at doing a few things with the router such as plunging holes and creating large holes in wood (some decorative work but maybe later on). Creating 22.5 and 45 degree cuts along the length of some wood to make squares and octagons and maybe other shapes such as these.

How would I keep the straight lines down the length of the wood?

Would a router be good for this type of work? If so what sort of bits would I need? Are there good sets?

Would I need a table for it as I have a black and decker workmate currently (https://www.leekes.co.uk/index.php/black-decker-wm825-workmate?gclid=CI_8nN2ulNACFU0aGwod_6YCzA) so would this be sufficient for the tasks I am thinking of currently?

Thank you for the advice in advance.

James

 

[Roger928]

I'd sooner make a bench than use a contraption like that.

 

[morpheus83uk]

Thank you. What sort of bench would you recommend so I can visualise something?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

A plunge router can do that sort of work for you with the appropriate router cutters. For example the bevel cuts you are talking about can be done using cutters such as these from Wealden Tool. A tilt abor table saw can also be used to do that sort of work. With the router it is far easier and safer to do that sort of work with the router held (inverted) in a router table. A router table can be home-made for under £20 and is little more than a four sided box with some bracing (screwed together from MDF or Contiplas), with a hole in the top (for the router cutter), another 8mm hole over near one edge to take an 8mm coach bolt, washe and wingnut and a piece of 3 x 2 planed softwood (drilled for the 8mm coach bolt) and a G-clamp for a fence:

They take under an hour to make if you get your materials cut to size.To use the router table it is clamped onto the top of a bench or table with two G-clamps

I'm in full agreement on the point made about Workmates as benches - they are far too small and unstable for use as a bench in most cases. For the use you envisage why not knock yourself up a couple of quick and dirty trestles from 3 x 2 or 4 x 2 CLS with sheet material (plywood, chipboard, Contiplas, etc) corner braces - anything from 10mm to 22mm thickness will do:

A basic bench can be made using these with either an old flush door screwed to the top or with three 3 x 2 CLS pieces screed to the top bridging the trestles and onto which a piece of chipboard, plywood, MDF or Contiplas can be screwed to form a workbench. This type of trestle bench can be made up to 8ft long for little cost and with a fairly minimal tool kit and will break-down for storage quite easily

Edit: BTW the way to route in a straight line down wood is to use the router's side fence.

 

[morpheus83uk]

Thank you.

I have had a look at the table saws as well that you reference. Since I only have very limited space in my garage I would be looking at something like this maybe?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/scheppach...Window-_-Editorial+Content-_-DeepLink-_-58258

Is that the sort of thing you were referring to?

Also if I understand you correctly the router in a router table as per your description would be the best and safest way of making the long cuts and angles?

Many Thanks

James

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Is that the sort of thing you were referring to?

Basically, yes. Routers are all very well for the odd chamfer cut, but as soon as you start doing lots of them they can become tedious to use. In addition, carbide tooling doesn't last forever. This is why some people do all the rough dimensioning and bevel cuts on the table saw and finish with a router or even a sharp hand plane

Also if I understand you correctly the router in a router table as per your description would be the best and safest way of making the long cuts and angles?

If you are starting out with only a router, then certainly, yes.

In terms of either a table saw or a router I'd recommend that you set-up some form of dust extraction facility. It could be a simple as an old vacuum cleaner bought from the flea market for a tenner. Both of these tools produce prodigious anounts of dust and you need to try to capture that at soure for the sake of your own health. Finally, buy some ear plugs or ear defenders! Routers in particular are very, very noisy

 

[morpheus83uk]

Thank you. I have been reading around and people are saying that table saws are the heart of the wood working workshop.

I am not disregarding your post far far from it just doing some of my own research as well. So I was thinking maybe get a small table saw initially as you say for multiple cuts routers can be tedious to use and when I was looking through the pictures of things I am going to make there are a lot of long angle cuts to be made. So I presume that the table saw would be best. I can then think about a router at a later stage as I have been learning about dado cuts and they would be good for some of the stuff I am wanting to make and that's one of the jobs for the router I think but they would be at a later stage.

Sorry just thinking out loud now if I were to make an octagonal tunnel could I then dado the lengths to fit them all together without the need for glue or would it just fall apart given weight within the tunnel? (I am thinking something similar to this: http://www.oocities.org/forchinatechins/images/WoodTunnel2.jpg)

Thank you for the tip about dust extraction would this be something like an old Henry hoover or something similar?

Thanks

James

 

[Deleted member 174758]

So I was thinking maybe get a small table saw initially as you say for multiple cuts routers can be tedious to use..... So I presume that the table saw would be best.

Yes indeed

I have been learning about dado cuts.....
.....and that's one of the jobs for the router I think but they would be at a later stage.

Housings or grooves in the UK, dado is American - but that said, yes, a router is good for those. You'll struggle to get a low cost saw which can take a trenching/dado head in the UK, though. They are pretty much frowned upon in terms of H&S

....if I were to make an octagonal tunnel could I then dado the lengths to fit them all together without the need for glue or would it just fall apart given weight within the tunnel?

That's what is often referred to as a "coopered joint" and there are no "dados" (housings) involved at all. All the joints are "shot" or planed flat and true and the structure is held together with glue (although they might be strengthened wiuth loose slips let into the edges). To produce such joints you'd normally require a table saw, a jointer (or overhand planer - a jointing plane could be used instead on smaller pieces) and a fair degree of skill. Granted it isn't curved like a coopered barrel, but if you get the chance take a look at a video of a cooper at work and you'll get some idea of the amount of accuracy involved.

Thank you for the tip about dust extraction would this be something like an old Henry hoover or something similar?

I use a time expired Dyson DC02 at home which is held together with gaffer tape. It cost £10 off the flea market. It can get overwhelmed at times but it's far better than no extractor at all. So your Henry would probably suffice in the same way.

 

[morpheus83uk]

Thank you again.

I am looking at this Table saw (previously posted):

http://www.screwfix.com/p/scheppach-hs80-210mm-tilt-arbor-table-saw-240v/44937

As it looks good and like it would fulfil my needs and is only small and has some good reviews in various places such as Amazon, Screwfix and a couple more I cant think of right now. What do you think? Is it a good make etc?

I will have a look at the joints you suggested as I was hoping to make them but it may not be fesable so I may have to do other ones like Hexagonal ones or something if they are simpler.

With regards to dust extraction the above table saw has two ports for this do both of them need to be connected and then extracted at a lower level as I have seen what looks like this on other table saws. Does it also need a different type of connector or as you say will gaffer tape just do for holding it in place?

I have found things like these you see which I think will work but I am unsure. A review from toolstop states that the table saw has extraction on the crown guard and also at the back. So would I need to attach the one from the crown guard to the bottom and then attach this to the hoover?

http://www.mtmc.co.uk/product.aspx?...e=googlebase&gclid=CNfOsKOgodACFc8y0wodv4ICJA

The review I am on about is here:
http://www.toolstop.co.uk/scheppach...v-complete-with-sliding-side-extension-p64143

Thanks

James

 

[morpheus83uk]

Sorry just thinking about the Table saw again can I purchase any saw blade which is 210mm x 30mm bore as I have found out that this is the saw blade which is included with the Table saw upon purchase?

Thanks

James