Herg1

I just found out about this web site. I'm using my router far more often these days than in the past so -- thought I'd drop in learn a few things and say howdy.

The more that I use it, I'm finding that the router is far more versatile than I had thought of in the past and I'm sure that there is much more I can learn.

I reside south of Dallas TX in Waxahachie although a native of Nebraska. I have been doing woodworking of various sorts for some 37 years but with limited use of the router.

Right now I'm having fun (?) setting up a one piece stile and rail bit to assemble a couple of doors. I have never used this bit before so there is a little learning curve I'm going through. It's a good thing I have a pile of "test" boards or I'd be in trouble.

Roger

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nzgeordie

Welcome to the forum Roger. You got that right about the router being one of the most versatile tools in the shop! Let's see the results of your rail & stile when you can post pics. Any advice needed, just ask and one of our members is sure to answer.

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Pete
I've cut it twice and it's still too short! But only at one end.

curiousgeorge

Welcome, Roger! Always glad to see another Texan join the group. I live just up the road in Fort Worth.

Maybe the attached PDF file will help in your set-up. I got it from http://mlcswoodworking.com/. They have a lot of instructional help on the use and set-up of their bits, even some videos, so you might want to take a look there.

Attached Files

TM04-11railstile.pdf (725.1 KB, 34 views)

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George

If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem...

bobj3

Hi Roger

Test boards are great, but the real key to making good R & S joints is not move the router up or down when you switch out the bits.. and to use a good matched set of bits,,once you do it this way you will not need any more test boards..
Plus all your joints will come out dead on without any sanding from you on the joints..at glue up or after..

If you want to know this little trick just ask..also Pls. tell me what type of router you are using..

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Hamlin

Hi, welcome to the router forums.

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Dr.Zook

Welcome to the forums Roger.

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the "Doctor"

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Herg1

BobJ3:
I have presently in my table a Bosch 1617 that I bought last week and have 4 PC's from the 1-690 series 2-890 series and 1-7539.

Roger

bobj3

Hi Roger

I see you buy well

The Trick

Stop by the hardware store and pickup a repair pack of facet washers, they come in a small plastic box the norm with about 15 or 20 pcs. at about 3.oo dollars.
In that pack you will have some that will just slip in the bottom of the collet nut, you may need to sand them just a little bit,they need to be pressed in with your fingers or a small wood block.
DON'T glue them in place, just press fit.

The 1/2" PC is the only you will need to do the 1/4" PC collet is done this way or to say it's not needed, you don't want to use 1/4" shank bits for R & S work..

Once you have this done, chuck up one of the R & S bits, I always start off with the cope bit the norm.
Now set the bit so you have about 1/8" of a edge on the board that your going to use for the cope cuts..
Now move the fence into place and zero out the bit using the bearning on the bit..once you have it set dead on , clamp a board to the top of the router table on the back side that locks the fence in place...now don't remove the board once you have it set.

It's a return point to the zero point for the bit when you switch out the bit.

Ok now to made the cope cuts, start with 5 1/2" wide stock, I will post a snapshot of a easy made push block that makes the job easy and quick without a coping sled..

Once you have the board done you can rip in on the table saw to size the norm is 2 7/16" to 2 1/2" wide the norm.
Once you have you ripped it to size ,you now have both parts done, without any rip outs...on the ends ..

Now for the next part,, bead bit,, this is when the facet washer comes into play, remove the cope bit and but in the bead bit, BUT don't move the router up or down... it must stay in the same place.
You will need to move the fence out of the way the norm to get to the bit,that's fine becasue you clamp a block behind the fence so you can get it right back into the same place easy and right on..

Do it the same way use wider stock and rip it to size after the the router job, now you have the other two parts to the door...
Now test fit the parts and they should be dead on...

The key is the router bits must be matched set, that's to say the cutter on the bits are the same from the bottom of the shank of the bits to the cutters..you can check this by putting them of the work bench and they should slide into each other nice and easy,some come with shims, if you want a tight fit remove ONE shim under the cutter and then recheck them b/4 you them...
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shops...ter_bits1.html


The facet washer gives the bit a stop point in the collet,that's why they come right out on the button...no guess work...

Below you will see the push block and what I use for a stop block for the fence reset.


I should note**** if you use the BOSCH or the big PC you will need to pickup some rubber grommets , from the hardware store.
They would go in the harbor of the router under the router bit...some of the routers have a diff. type of collet nuts and the grommet in the bottom will do the same job as the facet washer...it's a stopping point for the router bit, as you know you should never bottom out a router bit in the harbor but the grommet will compress when you crank the nut down...just like the facet washer...

Attached Thumbnails

         

 

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Herg1

bobj3:

Thanks for the tips, they will be used. Amazing how a simple thing such as the board clamped behind the fence makes the job more simple and accurate. It beats heck out of making a pencil line behind or in front of the fence and trying to align to it.

Roger

bobj3

You'er Welcome Roger


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