® Te c h n i q u e • C o l l e c t i o n Router Techniques A Publication of August Home Publishing Routed Profiles You don’t need a drawer full of router bits to create interesting profiles. Make all of these and more with just three basic bits. Bearing can be removed for deeper cut !/2" roundover bit !/4" roundover bit !/2"-dia. core box bit 1 Woodsmith.com COL011 Over the years I’ve accumulated a lot of different router bits. The “workhorse” bits that have standard profiles get used over and over, while the more exotic “big money” bits usually just gather dust. This led me to the realization that you don’t need a drawer full of expensive bits to rout complex profiles. Just Three Bits. The photo above illustrates the point. Each of the molded edges shown (all examples are 3⁄ "-thick stock) can be made using just three common 4 router bits. These are bits you’ll find in just about any woodworker’s collection. And as you can clearly see, the possibilities for putting them to use are pretty varied and impressive. The three bits (shown at left) that I used to make these examples are a 1⁄2" roundover bit, a 1⁄4" round-over bit, and a 1⁄2"-dia. core box bit. © 2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. One bit, several cuts. Here, and on the next two pages, you’ll see how to make seventeen of my favorite profiles. There’s really no great secret to the process. First, I try to avoid getting stuck on the idea that a single router bit can only make one type of cut. The truth is that many types of bits can produce a variety of shapes depending on how you put them to use. To make some of the profiles shown in the main photo on the opposite page, I used different parts of the bit or changed the depth or height of the cut. For example, a core box bit (or cove bit) can be used to create a wide, shallow cove or a deep hollow. Multiple Bits. Some of the simple profiles you see in the main photo were made using only a single bit. But to create the more complex shapes, you’ll need to use a combination of bits. For instance, a 1⁄ " roundover along with an accurately cut 1⁄ " cove 2 4 creates a large reverse ogee. Accurate cuts. One of the keys to success is to make the cuts carefully and accurately. Two or three (or more) light cuts will often yield smoother results than one deep cut. This is more important than doing the job quickly. And finally, a little fine sanding is often needed to “blend” multiple cuts into one smooth, seamless profile. How-To: 17 Easy Profiles One Setup 1 2 3 Designing Profiles As you can see, the layout tools I used to design these profiles are pretty basic. A section of 1⁄2"dia. dowel is a great template for a 1⁄4" roundover or a 1⁄4" cove (1⁄2"-dia. core box bit). And a 1"-dia. dowel is my 1⁄2" roundover bit. Chances are, if you can draw it on paper, you can find a way to make it with a few common router bits. 4 5 2 Woodsmith.com COL011 © 2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. 6 Two Setups 7 8 9 10 11 3 Woodsmith.com COL011 © 2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. 12 13 Three Setups 14 #/4 !/2"-dia. core box bit #/16 15 16 17 4 Woodsmith.com COL011 © 2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. Flush Trimming Tips Get more from your router by following these simple tips and tricks to make perfect parts. Regular Flush Trim Bit Spiral Flush Trim Bit Shaping accurately sized parts sounds like a simple process. Just rough-cut the piece a little oversize and trim it flush with a template, router, and flush trim bit. However, my first flush trimming experience didn’t go so well. The bit began to grab and take huge, ugly bites out of the wood. The results weren’t pretty. Since then, I’ve learned a few tips that guarantee better results. Different Angle on Bits. Speaking of bits, using the right one can make a big difference in the quality of cut. You can see three commonly available bits in the left margin photo. A standard flush trim bit has cutters that are straight. This results in a chopping cut that can leave noticeable ripples. To soften the cutting action, you can use a shear-cutting flush trim bit. The cutting edges on this bit are skewed slightly. This creates more of a slicing cut that leaves a much smoother finish. TSmooth Template. LLess is Spend a few extra minutes shaping the template to get smoother finished parts. More. Stay as close as you can to the layout line to make the flush trimming easier. Shear-Cutting Flush Trim Bit 5 A third type of flush trim bit is a spiral flush trim bit. The flutes wrap completely around the bit to provide the smoothest cutting. Router Table is Better. Besides the bit, the method you use can improve the outcome. When possible, I do my flush trimming tasks on the router table instead of using a hand-held router. Overall, I have better visibility using the router table and it’s more comfortable to stand upright. The large table also Woodsmith.com COL011 © 2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. a. LThick Template. A thick template allows you to raise the bit so the cutting edge trims the entire edge of the workpiece. WASHER WASTE b. THIN TEMPLATE WEB OF MATERIAL CAN WEDGE BETWEEN BEARING AND BIT BEARING DOUBLE-LAYER TEMPLATE { Tape It Down. Attach the template to the workpiece with strips of double-sided tape. provides support for all but the largest workpieces. Less is More. Before you start routing there’s another important thing to keep in mind. It has to do with the amount of waste material you need to remove. This was the main problem in my first attempt. To avoid spoiling the part, I cut too far to the waste side of my layout line. Then I tried to remove all the remaining waste in one pass. This puts a lot of stress on the router and bit. And taking such a big bite can cause the wood to split and tear. The solution is simple. When cutting pieces to rough size, aim to leave just 1⁄16" to 1⁄8" of waste, as shown in the lower right inset photo on the previous page. This amount is easily handled by the router and bit. And it actually saves time because cutting is quicker than routing in most cases. Sometimes, you’ll stray from the layout line and end up with more material to remove. In these situations, I like to take skim cuts to knock down the high spots before running the bearing along the template to complete the cut. A Template for Success. The whole point of flush trimming a piece is to make a precisely shaped workpiece using a template as a guide for the router bit. So it stands to reason that the result is only as good as the template. Any irregularities in the template will be transferred to the edge of the workpiece. So it pays to take 6 WASTE extra care and make the template as smooth as possible, as you can see in the lower left photo on the opposite page. One often overlooked consideration is the thickness of the template. I like to use 1⁄4" hardboard to make templates because it’s easy to shape and has a fine consistency. The key here is to make sure it’s at least 1⁄4" thick. You can see the problem with a thin template in the photo and drawings above. There’s a small gap between the bearing and cutting edges on a bit. A thin template may not allow you to raise the bit high enough to make a full cut while still keeping the bearing in contact with the template. My solution is to glue two layers of thinner hardboard together. The result is a template that’s still easy to shape and provides a wider reference edge for the bit. Curves & Grain Direction. The proper setup for flush trimming will take you a long way toward getting a smooth result. Another part of the equation is paying attention to the grain direction of the wood as you’re flush trimming it. You can see what I mean in the photo at right. On certain sections of a curved workpiece, you may find yourself routing “uphill” against the grain. Because the wood fibers aren’t supported, the wood can tear away as the bit trims away the waste. There are a couple options for Woodsmith.com COL011 dealing with this situation. The first is to take light, freehand passes. This reduces the chance of the bit tearing out the material. Pattern Bit. A better option is to switch to another type of trimming bit. Instead of a flush trim bit, use a pattern bit. On a pattern bit, the bearing is on the shank of the bit (right margin photo). To use this bit, you need to flip the workpiece and template over (photo below). This means you’ll approach the cut from the opposite direction and the wood fibers will be supported during the cut. When you make these tips part of your woodworking routine, you can get smooth accurate results when flush trimming. The payoff is better-fitting parts and betterlooking projects. BIT CAN BE RAISED HIGH ENOUGH TO TRIM THE ENTIRE EDGE Pattern Bit { Change the Bit & Direction. In tight curves, switching to a pattern bit and flipping the workpiece can stop tearout in its tracks. © 2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. flush-fitting joints Without the Fuss One of the tricks I keep up my sleeve to create seamless joints and tight-fitting assemblies is to start with parts that are slightly oversize. Then, after assembly, I trim the parts smooth and flush. You can see a good example of this in the photo above. Gluing > Flawless. In a minute or two, you can trim hardwood edging perfectly smooth and level. 7 Woodsmith.com A router and this simple jig can tackle all kinds of trimming tasks. hardwood edging to a plywood panel is easier when the strips are slightly wider than the thickness of the plywood. The catch is you need a method for trimming parts smooth and flush that’s quick and reliable. For that, I often turn to my router and a specialized jig. Simple Jig. The reason for the jig is shown in the drawing at right. A standard baseplate will catch on any protruding edging. The stepped design of this jig solves that problem. A portion of the base is elevated to provide clearance to trim excess material. While I made this jig to fit a compact router, you could easily make one to accommodate a standard-size model. COL011 ROUTER BASE RISER STRAIGHT BIT STOP WORKPIECE BIT TRIMS EDGING FLUSH WITH WORKPIECE LIP EDGING In the exploded view drawing that is shown on the following page, you can see the details for the jig. But I want to point out a few highlights. First, I used Plexiglas for the main part of the base. This increases the amount of light and visibility around the bit during use. But you can also use 1⁄2" plywood as a less expensive alternative. © 2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. The second thing is the base is considerably larger than the stock router baseplate. This extra size gives the router a more stable stance in use. Finally, I included a reversible stop on one end. When trimming along an edge, the stop acts like an edge guide to limit the travel of the bit. For trimming tasks away from the edge, you simply flip the stop over and it provides support so the router won’t tip. Straight Bit. You can get good results with almost any kind of straight bit. But I’ve found that bits with flutes running straight across the end “plane” the surface and leave it much flatter (right margin photo). Some types of straight bits have a V-shaped end that may leave swirl marks on the workpiece. The Setup. It only takes a little work to get the bit and jig ready for use. First, you need to adjust the depth of the router bit. Ideally, you want the bit perfectly flush with the surface of the bottom of the jig. A small straightedge is a great tool for getting you in the ballpark, as you can see in the upper right photo. But it’s always a good idea to do a quick test cut. Next, I set the stop at the end of the baseplate. It’s positioned so the inside edge of the bit is flush with End of bit is flat, not V-shaped { Set the Bit. A metal ruler makes a handy gauge to set the end of the bit even with the bottom face of the riser. Make a test cut on some scrap to double-check the setting. the edge of the plywood panel (drawing on facing page). The Technique. Once the bit and baseplates are set up, you’re ready to start routing. There are a few things to keep in mind. The main thing is to apply firm pressure on the handle. This prevents the router from tipping and spoiling the cut. Unless the edging is thin, I like to remove the waste in several light passes, as in the main photo GLUE !/4"-DIA. x #/4" STEEL PIN INTO BASE STOP exploded view (1!/4" x 4" - !/2" Ply.) HANDLE #/4 (6" x 4%/8" - #/4" Ply.) 1#/8 %/8"RAD. COUNTERBORE FOR CARRIAGE BOLT ON TOP FACE OF STOP (1&/8" x 5!/4" - !/4" Hdbd.) NOTE: !/4"-20 THROUGH KNOB FOR HANDLE PATTERN, TURN TO PAGE 9 { Trim Plugs. Use a sweeping motion to nibble away screw plugs flush to the surface. 2"-dia. straight bit on the previous page. Finally, rout in the opposite direction (right to left) to get a clean cut and prevent the edging from tearing out on the exposed front face. This setup can be used for more than just trimming edging. The lower left drawings show a couple other examples. The small amount of effort spent in making the baseplate will pay off with smooth surfaces and perfectfitting assemblies. HANDLE CHEEK PROUD SCREW PLUG 1⁄ MATCH HOLES TO ROUTER BASE !/4" ROUNDOVER 4!/8 2#/4"DIA. RISER 45° (5" x 7#/8" - !/2" Ply.) BASE (5" x 12" !/2" ACRYLIC) PROUD DOVETAIL PIN 4#/8 5"-RADIUS LIP (1!/4" x #/4" !/4" Hdbd.) { Dovetails & More. The router makes quick work of leveling dovetails, box joints, and rabbets. 8 Woodsmith.com #8 x 2" Fh WOODSCREW COL011 !/4"-WIDE SLOT, 2!/2" LONG BOTTOM VIEW !/4"-20 x 1!/4" CARRIAGE BOLT © 2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. router jig Handle Pattern NOTE: SAND HANDLE FOR COMFORT AFTER ASSEMBLY !/4" HARDBOARD CHEEKS #/4" PLYWOOD HANDLE SAND !/4" ROUNDOVER ON CHEEKS BEFORE GLUING TO HANDLE { Shop-Made Handle. The handle for the router jig on page 8 is easy to make. Use the pattern to cut the parts to shape. Then, round over the edges of the cheeks before attaching them. 9 Woodsmith.com COL011 © 2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.