Whether used freehand or mounted in a table, a router is possibly the most useful power tool in the woodshop. But working with a device that spins sharp carbide-tipped bits at dizzying speeds can be quite hazardous, unless you follow good safety practices each and every time you rout. Here are a dozen tips for
Looking for a rock solid way to join drawers that doesn’t require a dovetail jig? If you’ve got a router table, you can easily make a sliding dovetail and get many of the strength advantages a half-blind or through dovetail would provide. You’ll only be able to use sliding dovetails for drawers on which the
Here’s an easy way to create a rabbetted drawer lock joint, using only a 1/4″ slot cutter. One set up will do all the joinery and allow you to cut the grooves for the drawer bottom. It’s easy and it’s fast. Here we go! The Bit. This process relies on a 1/4″ slot cutter router
Select from these router bit types for your next project. A router is one of the most versatile tools you can have in your shop, and there are MANY different router bits available. Here’s a guide to the seven bits I find most useful, and what I typically use them for. 1/8″ Round Over Bit.
Question: I am starting to build a wood shop, and plan to do some cabinet making. I have been pricing out router tables. By the time I figure in the cost of a lift, another router, and the table, it wouldn’t cost much more to just buy a shaper. What are the pros and cons
Even with dust collection on my router table, it seemed I always had the same problem. I’d open the doors on the cabinet below the table and find a mountain of sawdust. The biggest problem was that somewhere below that sawdust were my router wrenches, collet, and other tools I needed for the router table.
Handy Label Holders: Make a Bunch Using Simple Production Techniques. I’ll admit it… I’m an organizing freak! Every tool, screw, nail, etc. in my shop, has a designated and labeled home. I designed these wooden label holders to accept 1/2″ wide labels I made and printed on the computer. They’re a great addition to my
Using a Router and Template to Make Creative Designs. I would like to share some thoughts about creating repetitive designs with a router and a template. To make a template, we embrace the skills of our ancestors – the pattern makers. I am referring to the folks who carved patterns by hand, before the age
If you own a router table, you have what it takes to create perfect edges for glue up. And thanks to carbide cutters, a router table can joint the edges of abrasive man-made materials like MDF and particleboard, something that can’t be done on most jointers (those with steel knives) without ruining the cutters. Woodworkers
Whether you’re a seasoned woodworker, or just starting out, these router safety tips will help you work safer in your shop. I’ve been a woodworker for 30 years, and trust me… I’ve made every mistake told here at least once. Fortunately, other than bruised pride and wasting some wood, I haven’t been hurt. Keep yourself
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