Hi Dale. As I noted earlier I started cutting the wood for the radio desk yesterday. I've never tackled something this big before so I am learning as I go. My method of cutting straight lines works very well. First I figured out how far the blade is from the edge of the bottom plate, not sure what to call it, of the hand saw. I did that by clamping a piece of finished shelving material to the sheet of ply wood in a place where the edge will be scrap. I made a little cut and measured. It happens to be 3 and 31/32 inches. So now all I have to do is clamp the shelving to the ply wood that distance from where I make the cut. I use scraps of the same shelving on the other side to prevent clamp marks on the good wood. I'm using burch plywood. I use finished shelving because it is straight and very smooth and the saw won't catch on any part of it. I have the sides and 3 shelves cut. One more. The top shelf and main table top are to go. Wish me luck, so far so good. I just opened the router and it didn't come with a starter bit. It is a 2 and 1/4 horse power variable speed with collets, I think that's what they are called, for 1/2 and 1/4 inch bits. I don't think I will ever have a table saw and other fixed in place shop equipment, No room for them. I would have to have another building put up. Sue and I built the storage shed for our riding mower but we couldn't do that now. Old age is catching up with us you know. Right now I move the mowers and wheel barrel out of the shed and work in it. Who knows I may be singing a different tune a year from now. I just might save up my pennies and have a workshop built. There's no lack of space for it, we have a big lot. We are in the county so not much in the way of building codes to contend with. This is a libertarian, agricultural area.
Regards. Max. K 4 O D S. Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Transistor site http://www.funwithtransistors.net Vacuum tube site: http://www.funwithtubes.net Music site: http://www.maxsmusicplace.com To subscribe to the fun with tubes group send an email to, [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dale Leavens" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, December 29, 2006 8:52 AM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] A router for Christmas. > Hi Max, > > You will find a router to be a very useful and quite versatile woodworking > tool. There are many who believe it to be the superior way to cut dados, > certainly they can do a very good job, particularly cutting blind dados > and > sliding dovetails. I am not sure I always agree, I really like a dado > blade > in my table saw for a lot of that work too, the table is larger and the > rip > fence makes set-up very quick but a router forms a perfectly flat bottomed > groove although there are those who claim the double groove at each edge > of > a properly dado blade cut provides some space for the glue. > > If ever I have a problem with cutting dados with a router it is only in > keeping it tracking absolutely straight. There are many ways of > accomplishing that, the most important is moving in the direction of the > cutter. When cutting a dado one side of the cutter is moving against the > direction of the cut while the other edge is moving in the other > direction. > The point is that you are pushing the cutter against the direction of the > cut so it tends not to pull the router along and therefor out of control. > > I prefer to use guide bushings inserted into the router base just because > it > is easier to get the cut positioned. The collar is like a short tube > projecting below the baseplate through which your bit protrudes. If you > are > cutting a three quarter dado you fit a collar a little better than three > quarters inside diameter the outside diameter will probably be 14 16ths so > you can clamp a straight piece of quarter inch or half inch plywood within > a > sixteenth of an inch from the true location of the dado and set the router > on that guide and follow the edge with the collar. > > The other way to do it is to include the width of the router base divided > by > two and minus half the diameter of the bit and clamp your straight edge > there. I have done this many times too but getting the location exact can > be > a little frustrating. For example, if the dado is to be 3 quarters of an > inch and the router base is 7 inches in diameter then you will offset the > straight edge guide half the diameter of the base = 3.5 inches minus half > the diameter of the router bit which is 3 8ths so you will place the > straight edge three and one eighth inches from the desired edge of the > dado. > If you want a stopped dado say three quarters from the edge of your board > that all gets a lot harder but much easier using a collar. > > I have made up templates for cutting the stringers for stairs and cut them > with a router. > This is the only way to go in my view. > > If you will be doing any amount of wood working you will also soon want a > router table. > > I now have three routers, a monster plunge router from Australia, a > 'D'-handled one from sears and a nice little porter-Cab;e. They all have > their strengths and weaknesses. Just now the sears is mounted in a router > table and I had to remove a handle to get it there, it isn't my favorite. > I > really like the little Porter-Cable it seems to take all my collars and > such > but requires two wrenches to remove the bits and the switch is a toggle > switch, not ideal. > > The big Triton is a variable speed with two position plunge but, as it > stands I don't see how to instal collars, it is big and heavy and the > switch, though very safe is difficult to manipulate. It is behind a > sliding > door, you slide the door then press the rocker switch with your thumb. > when > you press it off the door springs over it so you cannot accidentally turn > it > on but believe me, deliberately turning it on is something of a > production. > It does come with a very nice combination circle guide and a fence out to > about 7 inches which is easily attached and removed and wonderful for > cutting dados out to that distance. It is a pretty expensive router and > very > powerful. > > I would like a really small one for trimming and such and maybe a small > plunge router but I can't imagine Janet allowing me five or six of them. I > have destroyed a cheap Black & Decker router and a rather valuable Sears > electronic variable speed router over the past 25 years or so. > > Yesterday I began cutting plywood in preparation for building a router > table > of more decent size. I began recording bits of the process however the > recorder I have isn't doing a wonderful job, I have another better one and > will get some batteries for it today and maybe a cheap separate mike. I > sent > the last mike I had to my daughter for her Skype. As I began cutting up > the > plywood I discovered it to be warped, maybe because it has been standing > in > my shed too long, I will probably use a router to cut the dados in that > because it will sit flatter on the panels than I will get with my table > saw, > the saw though will permit much more rapid set-up. > > Do have fun with your new router and if I can be of any help just let me > know. > > > > Dale Leavens, Cochrane Ontario Canada > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Skype DaleLeavens > Come and meet Aurora, Nakita and Nanook at our polar bear habitat. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Max Robinson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Blind Handyman" <[email protected]> > Sent: Friday, December 29, 2006 12:26 AM > Subject: [BlindHandyMan] A router for Christmas. > > >> Hi all. Sue gave me a Ridgid router for Christmas. I used the article >> about >> routers to pick it out but now I would like some hints, dos and don'ts of >> using it. The radio desk has been started. I intend to use the router >> to >> make the dados. >> >> Regards. >> >> Max. K 4 O D S. >> >> Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >> Transistor site http://www.funwithtransistors.net >> Vacuum tube site: http://www.funwithtubes.net >> Music site: http://www.maxsmusicplace.com >> >> To subscribe to the fun with tubes group send an email to, >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >> >> >> To listen to the show archives go to link >> http://acbradio.org/handyman.html >> or >> ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ >> >> The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. >> http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday >> >> The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. >> http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml >> >> Visit the new archives page at the following address >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >> For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man >> list just send a blank message to: >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Yahoo! Groups Links >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >> Version: 7.1.409 / Virus Database: 268.15.29/607 - Release Date: >> 28/12/2006 >> >> > > > > To listen to the show archives go to link > http://acbradio.org/handyman.html > or > ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ > > The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. > http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday > > The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. > http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml > > Visit the new archives page at the following address > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man > list just send a blank message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Yahoo! 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