Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I’ve never used a hand router before so I’ve been reading a “How to use a router” on-line booklet I found. First conclusion I have come to is that this one can hurt you in a hurry as well as messing up a project if you are not careful. So another delay in setting up my profile pattern while learn how to use it and get some practice by making a pattern of some arcs and trimming some scrap pieces of 3/4" pine.

I have been given a 1 HP, 25,000 Craftsman router that uses ¼” shank bits and seems to have all the features I need but only a ¾” diameter straight cutting steel bit of unknown sharpness.

I looked at the MLCS website for bits and found several different types of bottom bearing bits like Steve shows in his Shop Manual for use with a pattern to make the frame at

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite ... tom_anchor

Has anyone tried the shear angle flush trim bits shown below the straight ones? Are they any better and worth the extra cost?

Also, if anyone can point me to a guide to using a router they found helpful I'd appreciate the link... Gene

http://www.routerforums.com

Here's a forum dedicated to routers, and based on the show "The Router Workshop" which uses their table setup and jigs. But the forum has tons of info on most popular routers, jigs, bits etc...

I have never used the shear angle router bits. Just the straight shank bits. The secret to safe routing is sharp bits and keep both hands on the tool. I use a D handle Porter Cable router. Get yourself a mat made for placing your work to be sanded or routed. It keeps the work piece from sliding around. Make your master template. Then cut your duplicate slightly larger then the template. About an 1/8" or so. Clamp the 2 pieces together and run the bearing on the template below. By not trying to plow through so much wood you will save yourself your router and maybe your fingers. Each additional piece will be an exact copy of the original. Works great for making the sides and the hatch ribs perfect copies. Good luck. You can make so many things with a router.

Gene...depending on your router usage, I would recommend carbide bits...last a lot longer than the HSS ones...and Ken...I really like your avatar...you look a lot like "Bubbles" and if anyone hasn't seen Trailer Park Boys, it's definately worth a watch..one of my favorites...Doug

Gene,

Yes routers can hurt you in a hurry only if you are in a hurry. I am talking from recent experience (currently typing with one hand because I took a shortcut I knew I should not have. What I did, on my router table, was not clamp my work to the coping sled while cutting the tenons for some raised panel doors and the bit grabbed the wood and pulled my fingers into the bit. The good news is I did not lose any bone and no skin grafts needed.


To stick your pattern to your wood go to your local woodworkers stor and get some double stick tape that you can use on the lathe for securing wood to he lathe for turning. It is a cloth tape that amazing holding power. I have turned a few bowls on my lathe using this stuff.
Moral to the story is do not rush anything, like trying to remove too much wood at one time, think about saftey from all angles, you will be happier in the long run

Thanks for the tips guys ... tomorrow I am planning to make a 1/8 scale pattern of my profile, put it on the workbench as a pattern and start routing a plywood version.

Turns out the local Lowes carries 1/2" straight carbide tipped bits with the bearing on the bottom to ride on the pattern. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks again ... Gene

Gene... Sounds like you have it well in hand. And, you are right to make a few practice runs on scrap. I wish you all the best with your project. I'm kind of a router nut... I have about 30 of them. Some darn good ones, and a few not so good that have their own quirks.

So, I might add one thing about some of the Craftsman routers from a few years ago... They were somewhat less than fondly known in the woodworking realm for their "self adjusting feature?" If you have one of the red & black ones with the red plastic adjusting collar; I'd keep an eye on it. They just had a way of slowly "re-adjusting" themselves, usually downward. This was not good... because the pilot bearing would drop below your pattern and allow the bit to eat into the pattern and your work.

And yeah... I got a couple of 'em. I just use them with the same bit all the time, like a roundover... and added a big hose clamp around the motor so it can't drop down. I got mine free too. And I think I know why.

Podunkfla wrote:Gene... Sounds like you have it well in hand. And, you are right to make a few practice runs on scrap. I wish you all the best with your project. I'm kind of a router nut... I have about 30 of them. Some darn good ones, and a few not so good that have their own quirks.

So, I might add one thing about some of the Craftsman routers from a few years ago... They were somewhat less than fondly known in the woodworking realm for their "self adjusting feature?" If you have one of the red & black ones with the red plastic adjusting collar; I'd keep an eye on it. They just had a way of slowly "re-adjusting" themselves, usually downward. This was not good... because the pilot bearing would drop below your pattern and allow the bit to eat into the pattern and your work.

And yeah... I got a couple of 'em. I just use them with the same bit all the time, like a roundover... and added a big hose clamp around the motor so it can't drop down. I got mine free too. And I think I know why.

Brick, I have one of those and I was wondering about that. Now I have an excuse for all my screw ups.

Shoot... I don't need a reason to screw up... I do it a lot. Over time I have just learned how to fix my boo boo's so the customer never sees them.

I've borrowed one of those routers before. I noticed this and tried to tighten them to prevent it. No matter how tight I tightened the clamping nut, they would always creep down on me. Now I know it wasn't just me.

I thought it was just me! When I was doing the lap joints for the walls and floors I found that I wasn't able to make a cut of consistent depth. At first I thought it was poor operator technique. Then I realized that it was things were actually moving. I kept having to readjust the depth over and over again. In the end I found that I had two parts going out of adjustment. First, the bit was moving in the collet. Surprisingly it would try to work its way out of the collet resulting in the cut becoming deeper and deeper. The second issue was the actual depth adjustment of the router in the router base, as you were talking about. I finally used pliars on the thumbscrew that locked the depth.

I won't talk about the Sears bushing set (collar?) that flexed into the router bit destroying the bushining. That wouldn't have bothered me so much except the bit then cut into the pattern and material I was cutting, ruining them both.

Maybe I'd be more fond of routers if I had more success with it.

Joanne

Podunkfla wrote:
So, I might add one thing about some of the Craftsman routers from a few years ago... They were somewhat less than fondly known in the woodworking realm for their "self adjusting feature?" If you have one of the red & black ones with the red plastic adjusting collar; I'd keep an eye on it. They just had a way of slowly "re-adjusting" themselves, usually downward. This was not good... because the pilot bearing would drop below your pattern and allow the bit to eat into the pattern and your work.

Podunkfla wrote:
So, I might add one thing about some of the Craftsman routers from a few years ago... They were somewhat less than fondly known in the woodworking realm for their "self adjusting feature?" If you have one of the red & black ones with the red plastic adjusting collar; I'd keep an eye on it. They just had a way of slowly "re-adjusting" themselves, usually downward.

... and added a big hose clamp around the motor so it can't drop down

I have a "self adjusting" Craftsman also. Thanks for the hose clamp tip!

I am starting the Generic BenRoy. I have changed the outer arc (radius) dimensions to be a little different. The front arc radius has been lengthened to 22" (up from 19") and rear arc radius to be 36" down from 48". The rear joining arc will be the 22" up from 19". All other dimensions will be as per the plan sheet.
I use a piece of 3/4" x 45" x by 8" MDF that has plastic coating on both sides as an arc beam. I drew a centerline the length of the 45".
I came in 8" from one end a drill pressed a 5/16" hole on the centerline.
I measured in 22" from that hole and drilled another 5/16" hole and then another 14" (for a total of 36") and drilled the final 5/16" hole.
My router base is 6" diameter so I routed out a 6.25" diameter recess HALF way into the MDF ,removed the router base and mounted the router directly to the MDF.
A trip to Ace for some mini millimeter screws of the correct length. The screws had to be recessed on the other side and the 5/16" hole enlarged to accommodate the router bit. A piece of 5/16" dowel followed me home too.

Since I could not see a way to pivot the arc beam (MDF) down, I drill pressed a 5/16 hole into the center of a 4 foot 2x2 and screwed two scrap pieces of MDF (4" x 8" + or -) under each end of the 2x2 to raise it 3/4" above plywood that will become the side.
I align the 5/16" hole in the 2x2 directly over the + mark where I want to use as a pivot. Clamp the 2x2 via the scrap MDF pieces to the workpiece. Slide the arc beam under the 2x2, insert a piece of dowel through the 2x2 and into the arc beam.
Cutting these arcs is the most fun I've ever had with a router. I only cut 1/4" depth on each pass with a 1/4" bit .

Measure in 22" from the top/front, put a tape mark, measure down 22" and + mark the spot. I use a 1/4" bit, so this mark is 1/8" too far away from both edges. Make both marks at 21 7/8" and you should cut from the edge of the plywood to the edge of the plywood on the other side. this allows you to come out even with the front vertical and the top horizontal.
You should be able to start your router and NOT have the bit engage any material.

For the rear major arc, measure down 36" ( - 1/8") from the top and about 31" ( no need to subtract 1/8th here as the arc swings off of the back vertical) in from the back. (31" is about 85% of 36". The same ratio as the Generic BenRoy plans.)
Use the 22" radius arc to connect the back vertical and the 36" radius arc.
Google search "router circle jig" and you'll get Rockler, Amazon and the DIY site. Th DIY site is the one you want. they used 1/4" plywood. Too thin for my tastes, so I used 3/4" MDF, it started out life as a shelf, but I had to recess my router down into the circle end. When I figure out pictures, I'll add one.

I am a lightweight, having only six routers. For, at least 20 years, I have stayed away from Craftsman power tools. They are, typically, a homeowner, hobbiest tool. Quality is OK, but I would recommend spending a few dollars more for professional grade power tools. You can't go wrong with Porter Cable (I have 3 of them). Most of the imports are pretty good also, though Ryobi, IMHO, is on a par with Craftsman. HSS bits are worthless, especially if you are cutting plywood, MDF or OSB. The glues in the manmade stuff will kill a HSS in a heartbeat. Buy carbide. Take light cuts, at first, until you are comfortable with the tool. Most cuts are made from left to right. Right to left is a climb cut and can be dangerous, though a light climb cut can be carefully made as a final cut when dealing with figured woods that tend to chip or splinter. Once you become a router pro, you'll wonder how you lived so long without one. You can make pattern cuts, you can slap on your skin and rout out all of the cutouts for windows, etc. You can make a simple router table and cut moldings, dados, rabbets, grooves, decorative stuff, all of your cabinet pieces, trim the laminate on your counter, etc.