Hi Gary and welcome. You can make letters with straight bits, round nose bits, vee bits, or lettering bits like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Freud-20-574...44778671&sr=8-4&keywords=lettering+router+bit It all depends on the look you want.
that's major dangerous...and buy the cheapest set of bits you can find.
Thank you for that link. I have not yet seen such a router bit and it took a while to find it on the Freud site. It looks perfect, but a little on the large side. I only plan on making small signs with small lettering, most likely 1 ½ -inches tall to maybe 2-inches as in the sign in the photo below. Now that I’ve had some time trying to make letters, I can see that the sign in the photo below is crudely made.Hi Gary and welcome. You can make letters with straight bits, round nose bits, vee bits, or lettering bits like this one: It all depends on the look you want.
Whoa, that’s a lot of info. I had no idea there could be so much to routing. Thanks for the post. Looks like I will be reading for a while. :smile:welcome Gary...
there is ''some'' reading material to help fix the '' I know nothing about'' thing of yours...
TThe Makita RT0701C 1-1/4 HP router I just bought is variable speed 10,000 - 30,000 RPM.Welcome Gary, you've found a great source for woodworking. Experience here varies from your level to the most sophisticated. As you probably are aware routers themselves function fairly basically but design can vary as does horsepower. One thing that is strongly suggested is to read and heed all safety information and that includes the links in Stick's message. Speed rotations are usually from 8,000-26,000 rpm with some routers and should be adjusted by the size of bit being used. Types of bits usually are HSS and carbide so depending on usage, one time project or often use, and probably should be purchased depending on that as carbide is stronger and lasts longer but is more expensive. Buying router bit kits usually include bits your not likely to use so you may actually pay more especially if you only use a few out of many. Scrap is a good thing for practice which should be done before attempting to do the "real" thing. Get a feel for the router and bit. On deep cuts make multiple passes taking a bit each time but all this is covered in Stick's material. But do take time to read and understand. While being small, a router can do some serious damage if used improperly both to you and anyone nearby.
Again, welcome, glad you're here.
I see you are a sports photographer. I was on the sidelines of the local high school for 12 years and was fortunate enough to get a field pass for a few Oregon Duck games.Welcome aboard.
I’ve never seen a forum where your first name is part of your public profile. I always put my name in my signature, but I saw that just about everyone in this forum does it, so I did it. As for tools. I have never done much woodworking, so my tool collection is what a normal home owner might have for simple projects around the house. Most of them are old, tho not as old as me. :wink:Hello and welcome to the router forum. Gray
I bought the Makita RT0701C. A plunge base and dust collector are optional. Dust collection would be nice. I see I had the Bosch in your photo bookmarked, but I went with YouTube videos and reviews on the Makita. Had I found this forum first, I might have bought the Bosch. It was cheaper too.For sign making, a light weight router, called a trim router, is handy. A plunge base is also very helpful. It lets you place the router, then push the bit down into the wood to track and form the letter(s). There are lots of people here who make signs this way. If you post a request for input on making signs with a router, many of them will respond. The title of th epost will draw them out. BTW, here is a picture of a plunge router. It is a second base segment and allows you to both facilitate plunging neatly into the workpiece, and also to limit how deep the bit will go. The one in the picture is very light weight and fairly easy to control freehand. I favor the Bosch "Colt" trim router, but there are some other brands that folks here like.
Sorry, 1/4" only. The router was made by Ryobi (315.xxxxx) for what that's worth. You can print text out on a computer, alter the font sizes to what you want, then glue the paper on your work piece and rout to the lines. I like using Lee Valley fish glue to do that as it is water soluble so a few spritzes with a spray bottle and remove the paper and then wipe off residue with a damp rag. Some prefer using 3M spray glue instead and using mineral spirits to get rid of the residue.First off, thank you everyone for the welcome. I was surprised to find a forum dedicated to routers from a Google search.
Thank you for that link. I have not yet seen such a router bit and it took a while to find it on the Freud site. It looks perfect, but a little on the large side. I only plan on making small signs with small lettering, most likely 1 ½ -inches tall to maybe 2-inches as in the sign in the photo below. Now that I’ve had some time trying to make letters, I can see that the sign in the photo below is crudely made.
The old router that was my fathers is a Sears 315.17400. On the manual he wrote the date and price. February 17, 1981 at $59.25. I have gone thru the manual, looked at the router and did some searching online and I still have no clue as to whether this takes 1/2-inch shanks of just 1/4-inch shanks. The 4 router bits that are with the router are all 1/4-inch. Will this router take 1/2-inch shanks?