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A beginner's Perspective?

7.9K views 18 replies 15 participants last post by  Michealjohn  
#1 ·
I am looking for people just starting out with their router. I would like to interview each beginner and get their perspective on the challenges they see that they need to overcome.

These are telephone interview's that I want to add to my blog podcast. If your interested in doing the interview please post in this thread. I will PM you to set up a date and time so we can talk.

Again we are looking for the beginner perspective.

Thanks Rick
 
#2 ·
I'm a reasonably well equipped beginner. I'll be happy to help out.
 
#3 ·
if i had all these high dollar toys , i dont think id call myself a beginner. most beginners start out much more modestly.
 
#4 ·
One of my very first router tables was a CMT and I spent about 1000.00 the first show I went to before I ever did any woodworking.

I do think a lot of beginners actually get a lot of tools collected before they really use them. I read so much and had loads of tools and was still very inexperienced at the beginning.

Some guys may be very experienced with a table saw,circular saw etc, but never even turned on a router. That's how I was,. The Carpentry I did for many years when just starting out just never required a router. SO though I was experienced carpenter I had no idea which direction to push the router etc. It just did not come up in framing and trim work for me.
 
#5 ·
i should have kept my mouth shut, i didnt mean to offend anyone. its just that many who may be thinking of joining could be in my financial shape. i think they should be encouraged to join in and know" its not what tools you have, but what you can do with the tools you have". these are not my words but the words of a wise man. i apologise to anyone i may have offended.
 
#6 · (Edited)
I'm not offended at all.

The only real experience with a router I've had was about 15 years ago to do some laminate trimming of tabletops I built for my small office (using a crappy 1/4" Craftsman router that I still own).

When I decided to get back into woodworking recently, a small perfect storm of events occured that led me to acquire some rather nice toys (all in the past couple of months). That said, I've done very minimal work with the new setup, so I consider myself a beginner... again. I cut my first box joints a couple of weeks ago.

I'm very much enjoying the first three episodes of the new online router series. So, I'm at a 101 stage .
 
#7 ·
thats great! im afraid to admitt im slow, but love learning and i do ask a lot of dumb questions. i tend to pester people til i get an answer. but thats the only way for me to learn. the best to you AlanZ
 
#8 ·
Levon, no questions are considered dumb. Even now after many years of woodworking, when attending demonstrations, because most beginners tend to be shy, thinking that what they would like to ask may be considered dumb, I ask questions on their behalf, known here as Dorothy Dix questions. It's rare for people not to come to me after the demonstrations and thank me for asking questions which they would have liked to ask but lacked the confidence. In summary, keep asking Levon.
 
#9 ·
thanks Harry

thanks Harry, ive been in their shoes too, and im always thanksful for someone who ask what i want to know. as i have stated before, im amazed at all i dont know and am eager to learn. you guys are more help to people like me than you realize!! if i never pick up a router again, i would continue to chase this forum. but i intend to keep my router warm!
 
#10 ·
I wish all the members who viewed this thread would take the time to post their questions. (Rick will tell you I make a pest of myself until mine are answered.) As you watch the episodes most things will be crystal clear, but there will be questions on how or why that will come up. You will not find another site where the pro will take the time to call you to answer questions. It just doesn't get any better than this.
 
#11 ·
although i never built any furniture & am a beginner at this like so many others on this forum one of the problems i have is what different types of contours & ways the bits can be used. i have built my first router table from a recycled microwave table & a fence from the info i have gotten from this forum. nothing fancy but it does the stuff i have needed so far. i only have a PC693 router but was recently given a black & decker 7616-04 router & a few HSS router bits (all old). something i find strange is that there have been very few replies to this thread in regards to the beginners perspective. my work area is only about 8ft. by 8ft. if i get it cleaned up. i work in the garage with no heating only a small electric heater. i will try & post more pics before it gets really cold. right now it is 0 degrees.
les.
 
#12 ·
Les, like you I was a newbie to routers before I joined the forum. At that time I only had a wee Bosch hand-held plunge router and a small starter box of 1/4" shank bits. By reading the Forum posts you'll get an idea of just what you can achieve even with limited tools. As to what shapes etc. you can achieve - just try them out on scrap. You can build up some complex architectural mouldings with just a few simple bits such as ogee and roundovers.
P.S. My workspace is only a little bigger than yours but - Hey! It's cheaper to warm a small space:D
 
#13 ·
Hi,

I think Rick has an excellent idea going here. I believe Harry has "hit the nail on the head", people tend to be shy, and won't or are afraid to ask. I'm not shy about asking a question if I can't figure it out on my own. (Just ask Harry and Bj). :D :D

In addition to what Mike said, you won't find any other forum that has the knowledge and helpful people as this one. :)
 
#15 ·
[QUOTE = moreorles2000;87519] ...like so many others on this forum one of the problems i have is what different types of contours & ways the bits can be used......les.[/QUOTE]

Les,
I had the same problem re bits and I stumbled on a solution quite by accident.
The first bit catalog I looked at had bit profiles with each bit, and for special bits, a brief description of said bit's use/result.
I found that information quite useful as router bits had changed greatly over the years, since my first attempted use of a router years ago, then not touching same for at least 30 years. (Result - that router was replaced and went to the smelter!)
Good Luck, Lou
 
#16 ·
Hey Guys & Gals,
I have an old craftsman router that I bought back in the 70's just to put a decorative edge on an 8 foot fireplace mantle. I have to admit I did not know the first thing about a router, direction of cut, or stuff I should have. The mantle turned out OK (my wife loved it) and the router went back into its case. It was only by accident that I came upon the RWS one Saturday morning and that was when I got hooked. I bought the router they were using (Hitachi M12V) and it sat motionless for a long time. I bought a starter set of bits in a box and they were nice to look at. Thanks to Bob J and his advice, I started getting active again (simple stuff) and built the router table and stand after purchasing the OP table top. Before that I was using the router attached to a
3/8" piece of plywood and fastened to my B&D Workmate (bless that invention). My biggest achievement, so far, has been to make a dice tumble box for my Council's night at the races, along with a case to hold it. Using sliding dovetail and rabbet joints, the whole thing folds up into the case. Everyone is somewhat of a beginner, since we always can learn something. Look at my trailing statement that if you never made a mistake, you never tried anything.
Joe Z.
 
#17 ·
Bought a sears router 1/4" with a roman ogee bit, no bearing. (70's I think)
Dressed up edges of projects, but it burned allot.
Got a ogee bit with a bearing, solved burn & marks on the sedge, well almost.
Retired 1-1/2 yrs ago, built a shop. Started building a workbench. Needed to rout a tung & grove for the end apron & dove tails (so the benchtop could move & the one side apron would move in & out with weather humidity etc.) (bought a bosh 1617 evs 1/2")
Had no idea how to make 1-/2" deep dovetails, I came up with a davetail key which is actually a bow tie key, made the jig & after several tries got it to work. Finished the workbench & wanted to make some cabinets for under the bench. Figured I needed a router table. That's where I'm at. Bought a book "router magic". Making the table on this site. Almost overwhelmed with the possibilities of the router table with bits, jigs & accessories. Ordered basic bits & now have ordered other router accessories that I think I need to make box joint for the bottom drawer, cabinet door for the front. Ordered some supplies for jig making. Waiting on the mailman. Want to build the router cabinet with a router s much as I can to learn. Getting unbelievable help from this site.
End plan is to build new kitchen cabinets out of wood I got from WV, Dads saw mill before he passed on, (router table oak was Dad's also, work bench is from maple , cherry from his mill that we cut together). Just want it to look, well, quality. Dad's wood you know.
Learn dovetails next (ideas in my head of a chess table, maple & walnut).
 
#18 ·
Can't be much more of a beginner with a router than me.


Howdy Rick,
Can't be much more of a beginner with a router than me. :D
LOL
Bought my first "trim" router from Harbor Freight, November/December time frame I bought two Freud kits.
Cordially,
Gerry
http://ourpage.org/router