Router

[Dragon]

Went to LeeValley in Ottawa yesterday for a beginner router seminar. Absolutely loved it. It was an all day hands on workshop.
If I can't scroll right now at least I can route.....
Diane

[Gill]

Routers are fabulous tools; you can do so much with them. I'm pleased you enjoyed the seminar.

Gill

[workin for wood]

You got that right Diane. But you can do so much more if you partner the scroll saw with the router. you have a bushing set for cutting templates on your router? Too bad your saw isn't working, when's that problem going to be fixed?

[Bill Wilson]

Diane,

Good for you, going to a seminar. Routers can be pretty dangerous, so getting some of the basics in that kind of setting is very wise. Like most woodworkers, I'm self taught and often wish I had taken more opprotunities to learn at the hands of those more experienced.

[ozarkhillbilly]

Sounds like a day well spent Diane. Glad you enjoyed it.

[Mackem]

Nice one Diane, the router is such a valuable tool in the trained hand, a router table as well is even better, i got a small one a few year ago and it was'nt to expensive( none of my tools are)lol, but even a "cheap" tool can still produce nice work as well as fire-wood.

[Randy Huckeby]

I envy you. I got a Bosch Colt router a couple of months ago & have used it to round over some edges & to do some free hand lettering on a sign. I can see some real potential with it for carving or removing background for relief carving, trim, etc. but I have never used one before & wish that I could attend some classes & learn more about them & tables,etc. Keep us posted with your projects!

[Dragon]

What I have is a basic router, an old Sears one. I do have a table and I now will have to mount it to the table. The table was a birthday present last year and is still sealed in the box. I didn't know how to use the router and was a bit scared of it. Now I am confident. Well a bit more anyway.
I am not sure what you mean Jeff by a bushing for a template. I guess that wasn't covered in the workshop.
The class was worth taking. I've been there before for beginner and intermediate scroll saw and they are great. It cost me $40 CDN for the day and that includes the wood to practice on and the lunch. There were only 10 people in the class. I reserved my seating in November because the classes are always sold out in no time at all. Was well worth the drive over. I am 3-1/2 hours from the place, take off 15 minutes when someone else drives... I'm happy I took it and now I have to practice.
Of course they sell all kinds of stuff there and one never walks away empty handed. Bought myself a keyhole bit because I thought it would be useful for things that I scoll for the wall.
Diane

[unixpro]

Templates and bushings

A template is like a pattern. It's an outline of the form you're going to route. You put a bushing on your router so that it can follow the template. Templates, therefore, are usually slightly larger than the design you're routing.

An example would be a letter template set like this one from Rockler. You'd put a Bushing Set onto your router and then follow the templates to make the letters in the wood.

If you use templates, make sure that they're held very tightly to the wood you're routing. If they aren't, the torque from the router when you turn it on can take it out of alignment and screw things up. Not that anything remotely like that has ever happened to me

[earlinjax]

Gee! $40 for an all day class. That sure is a deal. Plus, I envy you to be able to go to a Lee Valley store. It would cost me a whole bunch if I walked through the door. I get out their catalog and drool once in a while.

EarlinJax

[PuzzledMoose]

Their courses do sound like a good deal - and I've only heard good reports of the ones at their Halifax branch.

I've never seen a router one there but I almost signed up for a pen turning one - just wasn't quick enough - they sell out very quickly!

Sounds like they keep their classes down to a sensible size too.

[Dragon]

We did not cover the template part but I know that my router cannot accomodate this. From the picture I see the two rods that go into the router and mine does not have the holes to hold this. I was told that mine is very good for using with a table. I will mount it and leave it as is. Eventually if I find that I use it a lot and need another one then I would invest in a plunge router.

Ian
I checked and there was a router basics on February 22 on Halifax. Is is only a 3 hour class but is also only $20. Keep looking for upcoming ones.

Diane

[Gill]

Hi Diane

It's possible to fit stepdown rings that fit over the hole in the baseplate of your router and which have a lip on them that is concentric with your router bit. You can run the lip of this ring against the edge of a template and make an exact (albeit larger) reproduction of the template. These rings are commonly known as 'template bushes'.

You can also buy router cutters that have bearing guides mounted on the top or bottom of the cutter and by running the cutter around a template, you'll get an exact copy.

Gill

[PuzzledMoose]

Ian
I checked and there was a router basics on February 22 on Halifax. Is is only a 3 hour class but is also only $20. Keep looking for upcoming ones.

Diane

I missed that - must be going blind or senile ..lol

[Bill Wilson]

Diane,

Check out Pat Warner's website. I forget the url, but if you Google Pat Warner and or Routerman, you should find it. He has router accessories for sale. If you ever wanted to you could probably get a new sub base for your router that would accept template bushings. Just something to consider. The best reason to check out his website is that he has lots of information and tips on routers and their various uses and applications. Drop him an e-mail if you have any specific questions. He's a good guy and considered the router guru on another woodworking forum I frequent.