Welcome to:
Wood Router Guide
A wood router is a very versatile tool for cutting and shaping wood. With a high speed (20,000 to 28,000 rpm) wood router, a few carbide tipped router bits and some specialty and shop-made jigs you have a tool that will cut almost any wood working joint.
Cut dados, rabbets, dovetails, tongue and groove and mortise and tenon joints, as well as, decorative shapes in wood for handmade molding and signs. In fact, many of the jobs in the woodshop can be done with a well accessorized router.
Portable wood routers include plunge and fixed base (pictured) types. A plunge router allows for setting the router base on the wood to be cut before engaging the bit. This enables more control of the router, minimizing the kick-back effect that occurs as the high speed bit hits the wood.
A plunge router is a must to cut handmade signs and other cut–out jobs. A fixed base router may be more rigid but it is fixed, meaning there’s no need to keep the bit engaged in the wood manually which can be difficult at times. The base position of the fixed model is adjustable for varying depth of cut. A dial system with a scale attached is used to set the depth accurately.
Router bits are locked into the tool by threading a nut over a collet, forcing it to tighten around the bit shaft. Collet sizes are usually 1|4, 1|2 or 3|8 inches although some routers have adapters for more than one. Choose router bits with shafts that match the collet size of the router.
Accessories for tapping the full range of router capabilities are seemingly endless. Many shop-made tools and jigs have been devised for use with a portable router. Probably the most useful is the router table.
A router table is built by mounting the router upside down under the table top so that the bit extends thru a hole in the center. With this configuration the router cuts from the bottom of the wood like a shaper. The addition of a fence to aid in guiding wood work makes the router table complete. When using large bits such as the ones available for cutting raised panel doors, a router table is a must.