What is a router?
The router spins at high speed to cut, shape and trim wood to produce perfectly finished corners and edges. Routing a piece of work improves its overall design.
These tools are used most often to create wood patterns, such as rounding off the edges of worktops, adding detail to cabinetry and picture frames, and many other things. They elevate plain wooden edges to a new level.
Wood routers can do so much more than shape and cut wood, believe it or not.
Make sure you have a sharp edge
You can place the guide against your workpiece’s edge or against a attachment to your workpiece.
Before you start, make sure to inspect the edge where the guide will ride. You need to make sure the edge is free from chips and dents. These will transfer onto your workpiece when the guide moves across them.
It’s important to back it up
You can attach a second piece to the edge of your workpiece if it isn’t thick enough for the guide.
By manually moving the router bit by hand along the workpiece, you can verify.
You want a smooth spin
If you are using a guide bearing, instead of a pin, make sure it spins smoothly on its axis. Guide pins do not rotate.
When you start cutting, problems can arise if the bearing becomes stiff or clogged.
Do not press too hard
Use a pilot bit with a guide pin to avoid pressing too hard on your material. This could stop it from moving freely and may even cause your material to be damaged.
It takes practice and time to get a feel for the right pressure and speed.
Practice on scrap material first if you aren’t an experienced user.
Post time: Nov-24-2022
