![]() ![]() This is akin to pushing a piece of wood against the blade of a table saw, although on a smaller scale. In the case of a router table, it’s the wood that is pushed against and past the router bit that rises up above the table surface. Using a guide of some sort, usually homemade, such as a straight-edged wood clamped to the piece being routered, the handheld router is simply run along the line of the guide with the bit cutting the edge of the project piece. The size of the bit you’ve chosen will be based upon both the cut you want to achieve and the size of the wood being routered. They all have their use, provide aesthetic design value to your projects, and make strong joints (think dado and dovetail), enhancing the finished look of your pieces. Round over (likely your dining room tabletop edge).The rpm for each sized bit will ensure a smooth cut.īits come in a wide variety of cuts, too, depending on the fancy edge or plunge you wish to make on your project. The blade, or bit as it is called, rotates at a speed of about 24,000 rpm for those up to one inch up to 2 inches, at a speed of about 18,000 rpm and descending to about 12,000 rpm for bits larger than 3 inches. In the first instance, the router itself is moved along the wood edge in the second, the wood is pushed through the stationary blade. The tool is most often hand-held, although it can also be used as a fixed tool in a router table where the rotating blade extends up beyond the table’s surface. The flat base maintains a level surface as the tool moves along the edge of a piece of wood while the rotating blade cuts on the wood edge. How Does a Router Work?Ī router is a power tool with a flat base and a rotating blade extending beyond the base. A piece of wood becomes elevated, a part of something truly nice when it has been finished off with a router’s touch. A router is responsible for that finished appearance.įancy edges, even simply rounded, give that finished appearance on furniture and show both the love and skill used in its making. It is rare to see a square edge on almost any piece of furniture or door. To a trained eye, a sharp edge on a tabletop looks unfinished the same holds true for a kitchen cabinet door. Is there a raised panel on the door? Or an inset feature design on the door surface? The wood did not grow that way a router was used to create that effect or pattern. Are the edges square, or are they neatly and uniformly rounded? It wasn’t sandpaper that created that smooth, uniform roundness around the perimeter of the table. Take a look at your current dining room table. There is no other tool that can do for those projects what your router will do. As we said, if your projects will include furniture, cabinets, picture frames, homemade trim for windows or door frames, and/or doors, the answer is yes, you most certainly do need a router. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |