Hi Max, I sure did a lot of work exactly as you are doing.
I generally work to the other side of the blade and now I more often use those 'F' clamps, the sort with a fixed jaw at the top and a sliding one which runs up and down a bar which you tighten by squeezing handles. They can be had with nice firm foam pads which don't usually mark the wood. Makes setting the clamps a lot faster and easier too. That sounds like a very practical router. It is useful these days to have both half and quarter inch shaft capability. I wish I were near enough to help you build a workshop. With a miter saw and a circular saw and a square and a couple of good framing hammers we should be able to frame up nearly any size building you want in a week, weatherproof in two weeks. Would be fun. 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: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, December 30, 2006 12:17 AM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] A router for Christmas. > 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! Groups Links >> >> >> >> > > > > 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: 268.15.29/608 - Release Date: > 29/12/2006 > 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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