Although I normally cut dovetails with a Japanese saw and a set of quality chisels, I talk to a lot of woodworkers and I realize that the tedium of chopping dovetails by hand is not for everyone, particular those who have a large volume to cut with a deadline to meet. So I wanted to…
Here’s a new addition for the popular Bosch Colt trim router; a plunge base, $99.00. The base offers a very fine depth of cut adjustment system, a clear sub-base, and a 7-position depth stop, two of which are adjustable. This base is a great addition to a very nice router. In addition to being sold…
Here’s the situation: Lumberyards and hobby/hardware stores often sell lumber S2S, which means the wide surfaces are jointed and planed, but the edges are rough from the sawmill or follow the shape of the tree. Do you pass these boards up because you don’t have a jointer? If you own a router, start buying that…
I was working on a project that required a 1-7/8″ forstner bit, and the only size close to this that I had was a 2″ย bit. Unfortunately this was not close enough, so I needed a solution, and no stores were open. I decided that the best approach would be to use my router with…
I know circle cutters aren’t a lot of money. But the thought of a steel arm swinging around at face level with a knife makes me nervous. Besides, that single blade tends to tear up the grain around the hole. Buying a dedicated hole saw for every size you may need is an expensive proposition.…
A simple jig and a pattern cutting bit make big dados a small concern. My friend, Tim, showed up recently with the need to make a sign frame out of 4 x 4s. In order to make the frame for the sign rock solid we wanted to cut dados into the vertical posts to received…
Trim routers are great for small operations. I wanted to make some precisely fitting holes for flower pots, but the circle cutting jig for my full-size router was too big. So I decided to make a small version for my trim router. Additionally, I wasn’t thrilled about the fence that came with my trim router,…
If you’re looking for a hardware-free way to hang picture frames or plaques on the wall, you need a keyhole router bit. Set up is simple, and results are great.When I make a picture frame or plaque, my preference for providing a way to hang it on the wall is to use a keyhole router…
In part one of this article I showed you how a half-blind router dovetail jig works, and how to size your drawer parts for routing in the jig. In this final installment, I will explain using the jig to rout the joints, and then how to assemble the drawers. Boards must be correctly oriented and…
This is a two-part story. The focus is on drawers with mechanical slides. In this installment I will explain how a half-blind dovetail router jig works, calculating drawer parts sizes, and where to locate drawer bottoms for drawers with side-mount slides or undermount slides. Part two will be about using a dovetail router jig, and…