Plunge Router Questions

Phetishboy

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1. What do you guys who route wood extensively use for fences/guides when using your plunge router?

2. Also, do you recommend drilling pilot holes before starting a slot cut in the middle of a panel, or just let the cutting bit plunge in and do the initial cut?

3. How do you cut your parallel lines? Move a fence or use a pattern?

4. On a plunge router, are bearings supposed to be at the end of the bit, or next to the collet?
 
Sounds like you could use a dado blade in a table saw and use the fence as the guide, or..

You'll need to clamp some sort of guide or jig to the panel. You shouldn't need to make any starter holes or anything, but with plywood especially, watch for situations where you may need a backer piece, to avoid blowout.
 
Sounds like you could use a dado blade in a table saw and use the fence as the guide, or..

You'll need to clamp some sort of guide or jig to the panel. You shouldn't need to make any starter holes or anything, but with plywood especially, watch for situations where you may need a backer piece, to avoid blowout.

I only have a plunge router, no table saw or dado blade. Backer piece is a good reminder. I knew that but I'd probably forget.
 
Make a physical stop. It's too easy to get caught up and goof something up. I haven't done what you're doing, but I've only freehanded and used a circle cutting jig with the plunge router. I've cut a slot with a regular tablesaw blade, making multiple passes (poor man's way). I want to buy a dado set, but a nice Freud set, and they aren't cheap.
 
Make a physical stop. It's too easy to get caught up and goof something up. I haven't done what you're doing, but I've only freehanded and used a circle cutting jig with the plunge router. I've cut a slot with a regular tablesaw blade, making multiple passes (poor man's way). I want to buy a dado set, but a nice Freud set, and they aren't cheap.

Well I am cutting speaker slots which are 5 parallel lines that fall within the shape of a circle.
 
Sounds like I might freehand the stops then. You should be able to measure edge of cutting bit --> edge of router base. Clamp fence that distance from where first slot should be. I'd have to layout those lines on the panel to make sense of it. Move the fence X amount parallel that you need to and freehand the stops. You'd have to lay it all out with pencil first, draw a circle around that to figure out the stops. Sounds fun!!
 
Sounds like I might freehand the stops then. You should be able to measure edge of cutting bit --> edge of router base. Clamp fence that distance from where first slot should be. I'd have to layout those lines on the panel to make sense of it. Move the fence X amount parallel that you need to and freehand the stops. You'd have to lay it all out with pencil first, draw a circle around that to figure out the stops. Sounds fun!!

Yes it does, and I was hoping there was an easier way, but I guess not. Oh well.
 
what are you dulicating? If you clamp the original on the back, use that as a guide to drill the pilot holes from behind, and router from the other side. The bearing should ride inside the original.
If you cannot get the original, I would make a paper template, glue it to the wood and set a guide made of whatever along the back side over the template and clamp it down the longest side of the cut where the bearing would ride. A strip of wood/baseboard or whatever would work fine. You could make guides for both sides and clamp. Then on the top side I would put the 2 end stops either clamped, or tacked down with small nails as the holes could easily be filled and sanded after. On the back you could tack down as well if you don't have clamps and fill/sand afterwards.
 
what are you dulicating? If you clamp the original on the back, use that as a guide to drill the pilot holes from behind, and router from the other side. The bearing should ride inside the original.
If you cannot get the original, I would make a paper template, glue it to the wood and set a guide made of whatever along the back side over the template and clamp it down the longest side of the cut where the bearing would ride. A strip of wood/baseboard or whatever would work fine. You could make guides for both sides and clamp. Then on the top side I would put the 2 end stops either clamped, or tacked down with small nails as the holes could easily be filled and sanded after. On the back you could tack down as well if you don't have clamps and fill/sand afterwards.

No original I'm afraid. I'll have to recreate the outlines with fences and stops. I'm replicating a DK cabaret. The depth looks to be just under 2 feet, so really I will be just routing the top angles and then the kickplate. The kickplate has the coindoor, speaker slots and I am routing a space for a back lit marquee. So I assume you clamp the pattern on top of your stock piece and then use a bit with the bearing close to the collet to follow the contour?
 
I had to do that type of routing for my scratch built Joust cocktail. The speakers and coin door were done free hand just following my traced pencil lines.

The bits with bearings are edge bits and do not work for non-edge type cutting (speaker cuts, etc.) Non-edge bits you will need to free hand or create a fence to assist in the cut.

DSC03648.jpg
 
I had to do that type of routing for my scratch built Joust cocktail. The speakers and coin door were done free hand just following my traced pencil lines.

The bits with bearings are edge bits and do not work for non-edge type cutting (speaker cuts, etc.) Non-edge bits you will need to free hand or create a fence to assist in the cut.

DSC03648.jpg

Cool, so you used a clamped fence to keep the speaker lines parallel, yes? I knew bearing bits were edge only bits. What I am asking is should the pattern be on top, as well as the bearing be on top (next to the collet) when you cut the edge contours? Or should the pattern be clamped underneath and the bearing be at the bottom??
 
It's been a long time since I've seen my Joust ct project, but I want to think the speaker slots aren't perfect. I think some of the odd slots here and there in the cabinet production line may have been freehanded to some degree.
 
Cool, so you used a clamped fence to keep the speaker lines parallel, yes? I knew bearing bits were edge only bits. What I am asking is should the pattern be on top, as well as the bearing be on top (next to the collet) when you cut the edge contours? Or should the pattern be clamped underneath and the bearing be at the bottom??

I think there is confusion over the bits. SOme are pointing out there are bits for internal slot-like cuts that don't necessarily have a bearing on the end and can be used free-hand. But you 'can' use a bearing one for internal cuts if your blade is deeper than the wood you are cutting.. you just set it lower. But if you are using guides on the back, you could also use a bearing one to follow the guides on that sort of cut. I use that type mainly for trimming arborite, but can't see why it wouldn't work. But I am not sure what you are saying as per where the bearing should go.. its just fastened to the bottom of the bit is it not?

p.s.
Why not just use a skill saw for the edges?
 
Cool, so you used a clamped fence to keep the speaker lines parallel, yes? I knew bearing bits were edge only bits. What I am asking is should the pattern be on top, as well as the bearing be on top (next to the collet) when you cut the edge contours? Or should the pattern be clamped underneath and the bearing be at the bottom??

Pattern to follow should be on the bottom. I have never seen a bearing that would go next to a collect. They screw into the bottom of the bit.

DSC03682.jpg


DSC03683.jpg
 
Now do you see where my confusion is coming from? Or No?

The confusion is the pics are refering to a site on bits for building guitars. Since when do guitars equal games. :D

But this is what each is essentially used for:

Use the top bearing bits for following the original pattern/fence clamped on top.

Use the bottom bearing bits for following the original pattern/fence clamped on the bottom.
 
Well with a bit like that I personally would draw the template onto the wood to cut, get a bit that is as wide as the grille hole I wanted to cut, and a drill bit same size for a pilot hole. Drill hole and set router in hole. clamp a strip of wood against the edge of the router and measure from an edge of your cab. Use meaurement for other end of strip of wood and clamp to keep grille lines straight. Then router the cut and eyeball the start/end against the template you drew. It should work out very well...
 
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