Wood Working Router

eeyore

eeyore

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eeyore
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Any people in to doing wood work and have a router?
I'm looking to have a dabble seeing as tho i have had a timber windfall.

One of the tools I am looking to get is a router, but seeing as tho I don't know my tenon from a dove tail joint.
Could anyone recommend what to look for or what makes one better?
My budget is £100 ish.
 
Generally, the higher the wattage the easier the cuts. You then have to be more in control of them as they are dangerous machines.
I use a 2000w Hitachi as I need to cut worktops, which can be done with three passes. A lesser powered machine can take up to half a dozen passes.

I would have thought a 1000w machine would be more what you are looking for- lighter and easier to manoeuvre.
Remember- two feet on the ground and two hands on the machine!
Routers
 
Trend, dewalt, makita, bosch (the blue proffesional type), festool. (I've got three trends 2 1/2 inchers - one in a table, and a quarter incher which i use for letter carving)

stay away from the cheap shed rubbish (Black and decker, bosch green, power devil, various own brands)

something like this would be okay so long as you don't need lots of power http://www.axminster.co.uk/trend-t4-1-4-router

that said given that you'll need cutters too your budget is still a bit too low http://www.axminster.co.uk/axcaliber-set-of-4-router-cutters-1-2-bearing - the very cheap cutters you seee in places like machine mart arent worth the money , they may as well be made of cheese.

what is it that you are trying to do ? (there may be other options that don't need a router) for example if its cutting joints you might be better off with a mallet and a set of chisels

good forum for all your woodworking questions is http://www.thewoodhaven2.co.uk/ you'll find a few TPers there including me (and Robert who used to be a mod here)
 
kendo1 said:
Remember- two feet on the ground and two hands on the machine!
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that - and if you are tempted to think nah i can hold the work piece wth my left hand and use it one handed, read this http://forums.finewoodworking.com/fine-woodworking-knots/general-discussion/router-accident-gruesome (NSFW on account of the blood and gore) and think again

apart from a chainsaw its hard to think of a more dangerous piece of woodwork machinery (circular saws and bandsaws come close but the router has more potential to really f*** you up) :eek:
 
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Cheers guys, just been looking around and a few reviews say Bosch GKF 600 Palm Router is a good start.
They mention its only lowish wattage so more passes needed, but it is low weight so easy to learn with.
 
get a twin handled one, easier to control, practice on crap wood, don't be scared of them . But treat them with respect, they can make a fearsome mess of human flesh and bone.
 
big soft moose said:
apart from a chainsaw its hard to think of a more dangerous piece of woodwork machinery (circular saws and bandsaws come close but the router has more potential to really f*** you up) :eek:
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Yep. The forces involved take you aback the first time you use one.
If you just need one for making pretty patterns I'd recommend a less powerful machine, much easier to control.
And as Ade says, two handed is the way to go.
And don't forget eye protection!
 
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What do you have in mind to do with it? Despite what Pete says, some of the "hobby" grade routers are OK, it is just a motor with handles on it but things to look for as well as speed and power are a decent depth lock and depth gauge. My big old Elu is a great piece of kit but heavy and for some jobs a much lighter tool is handy. My 15 year old green Bosch packed up a couple of years ago and was replaced with a Black and Decker which is fine for light moldings and the like.
 
fracster said:
get a twin handled one, easier to control, practice on crap wood, don't be scared of them . But treat them with respect, they can make a fearsome mess of human flesh and bone.
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I have a healthy respect for tools, having see first hand what happens to people when they take the eye off the ball.

One thinks someone mentioned on a site and i had a look at, they do a 2 handed plunger attachment for the bosh.
 
sirch said:
What do you have in mind to do with it? Despite what Pete says, some of the "hobby" grade routers are OK, it is just a motor with handles on it but things to look for as well as speed and power are a decent depth lock and depth gauge. My big old Elu is a great piece of kit but heavy and for some jobs a much lighter tool is handy. My 15 year old green Bosch packed up a couple of years ago and was replaced with a Black and Decker which is fine for light moldings and the like.
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Depends how much you are planning to do with them - they are okay for occasional use (I'd still stay away from shed own brands though) but they don't stand up well to regular use, nor are they as accurate as the enthusiast brands (I wouldnt put Elu in that category they were good - but they don't exist anymore , they got taken over by deWalt).

Its like the difference between a Kyocera digital camera , and a Leica - they both take pictures but the Leica is made better and will do a better job and you'll enjoy using it more
 
kendo1 said:
If you just need one for making pretty patterns I'd recommend a less powerful machine, much easier to control.
!
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If he just wants to make pretty patterns i'd say get a dremel or one of the other woodcarving machines from proxxon or the like ( I know i said i use a Trend 1/4 inch for letter carving - but thats for 2 inch letters in green oak for memorial benches... it would be over kill for a lot of carving applications)
 
The other thing no one has really mentioned is collet size. Bascially there are 1/2 inch and 1/4 inch shafts on the cutters and whilst a 1/2 inch router usually also has a 1/4 inch collet and so can take both sizes of tool a 1/4 inch router will only take 1/4 inch tools.

A 1/4" router may feel a bit limited after a while because it can't take bigger tools but a 1/2" may be out of your price range, and the cutters cost more.
 
sirch said:
The other thing no one has really mentioned is collet size. Bascially there are 1/2 inch and 1/4 inch shafts on the cutters and whilst a 1/2 inch router usually also has a 1/4 inch collet and so can take both sizes of tool a 1/4 inch router will only take 1/4 inch tools.

A 1/4" router may feel a bit limited after a while because it can't take bigger tools but a 1/2" may be out of your price range, and the cutters cost more.
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this is true - i did allude to it in my first post where both links are for 1/4 kit - tbh for a beginner with arround £100 to spend i'd say definitely get a quarter inch (which are usually lower powered and smaller in the hand), apart from anything else your budget won't cover any decent 1/2 inch model and cutters (my half inch routers are both trend T11s - about £300 , my quarter inch is a T4 - circa £85 )
 
Been looking at some planters and a table for the allotment. Both probably could be done without one but I fancy learning something new.
If I end up rebuilding my sheds I'm sure I could use it for some of the finishings
 
If it's goint to be all softwood work, the "lesser" ones will do the job (and the cheaper cutters will do it too [for a while, at least!]). Start using it on hardwood and you'll wish you'd spent more!
 
I have an old green Bosch which works fine for the odd heavy job I need it for and a Dremel Trio. The Trio is very good but not at all suited to cutting worktops or anything of that ilk, I use it for light jobs and fancy work on thin ply.
 
I bought a Trend T-Tech R127 from B & Q a few years back, it's 1/2" Collet & 2050W. So far it's been used for kitchen work surface jointing (with a jig) & garden planters :)

Make sure you get some good quality router bits, the cheaper ones go blunt VERY quickly
 
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