Your base will be 1" thick - does that mean it will be of 1" thick material? Or, two or more pieces glued together to get that thickness? I ask because a lot of my stuff winds up 1" thick - glued up from two 1/2" pieces of plywood. I use plywood mostly, but what I do could be done with solid wood. The way I would do it is to make a copy of exactly what I wanted in 1/2" plywood. Then I'd glue that to a rough cut piece of plywood, and then use the good copy to rout out the glued on part, giving me a 1" thick piece. Then I'd drill nail pilot holes in that, because it will be my master to clone as many pieces as I want. I'd tack that onto a 1/2" piece of wood, tacking the nails into the worst side. Then rout that out. Pull it off, and glue that nail hole side down to another 1/2" piece, then when the glue is dry rout around it. I have my router in my table and do it all with that. Then I'd repeat that until I made as many as i wanted. Once you get that first piece good, then you can dupe that all day long. I'm sure some of these guys can do it different, but that's the way I like it.

 

It sounds from your description that you want to put a profile around the edge of the base. All standard profile bits are used with the router facing the top of the work piece which means on a table the good face is down. I'm going to suggest this solution since you will be doing quite a few from the sounds of it. I would take a 1/2" thick piece of plywood and drive some 5/8" inch brads through it. Then I would sandwich another 1/2" piece of plywood over that and attach a handle to that. Then all you have to do is push the brads into the back of your base and move it into the router bit. The handle will give you good control while keeping your fingers away from the bit.

 

Slick Charles. That one never occurred to me, I'll have to remember it.

 

Thanks Theo. Best of all, it falls within our price range.

 

What Charles said.

Also, use a bearing guided cutter and start pin......

 

Start pin?

Hi James. Charles idea sounds like a keeper. I've tried searching "start pin" in these forums to no avail. Please explain. Thank you, Barry.

 

MLCS Safety Accessories

OR

12" Handscrew Clamp
8" Handscrew Clamp

"start pin", it lets you get on the stock without a kickback,it fits into your router table mounting plate ( screw in or push in ) they come in both ways..

The KISS way
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Hi James. Charles idea sounds like a keeper. I've tried searching "start pin" in these forums to no avail. Please explain. Thank you, Barry.

 

Even safer than a starting pin is use of the fence as shown.

 

Here is what James was talking about

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d_L7ZE...?v=d_L7ZEx8sII&autoplay=1&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dd_L7ZEx8sII%26autoplay%3D1

You only need to stay on the pin to start the cut

 

I do the same as Harry but make a zero clearance add-on fence. I also make the fence opening same as the profile of the router bit

 

Thank you all. I feel far more confident in the project, and retaining all my digits.

 

Pretty clear routering small, outside corners is an acquired talent and is going to take some practice. Also, after several phone inquiries I can see I'm going to have to fabricate my own safety pin from nylon dowel, and a bolt as per the video. My table doesn't have any threaded openings for safety pins, and rather than starting to drill holes I'll try to master small, outside corners with practice. Thank you to all, Barry.

 

Barry
You can clamp a board to the table and use it for a start pin

 

Or

If you don't want to drill holes in your top and you want to clamp boards to your top and you have a fence on your router table you can use it to hold your starter pin..it just locks in the opening in your fence,quick and easy to use no clamps needed.

http://www.routerforums.com/general-routing/12981-bogydave.html

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