Same here. I am cutting straight boards into shiplap. 3/8 x 1/2" with a whiteside bearing rabbet bit. Thought I was going to need two passes, but I tried it in one, and it looks good.
hi colin just wanted to say thanks for this video. i am renovating windows in my house which are rotten and realised i needed to shape a lot of fillets. on the basis of your really clear advice i built myself a router table and have been able to mould suitable sections to bring the windows back to life (at least for a year or two!) thanks for your clear and uncomplicated expertise. jim uk
I had tried before to use my router table. Well, it is a little table with a hand router mounted to it. But I had been continually frustrated until I watched this video. Though the mechanics of the setup are different for my little table, your explanation was more than enough to get me looking around to discover how my situation worked. My first trial piece was a total success. Thanks so much for this video, and all the others I am sure I will be watching to learn how to...... Caley Ann
I think he meant to say end grain. The end grain is more susceptible to minor tear out as you get to the end of the cut. This minor tear out is corrected/removed with the second cut on the adjoining edge (edge grain in this case) which is much less likely to tear out.
Nice video Colin, but Mitre gauges are used by many on router tables, e.g. For tenons, which is safe providing main fence is dropped back of course. Thanks.
Thanks Colin! I've used push blocks but never paid attention to squareness. I'm sure they were square since they sat flush with the fence and the square workpiece, but now I'll be methodical about it and mark the square edges. Never know when you're in a hurry and might grab a piece for a push block and think it's good enough! I try never to hurry, but that's an aspiration, not necessarily a reality.
I have a suggestion to all wood workers that use a router table: Use bright red nail polish to paint the head of your bottom collet tightening wrench. I almost turned on my router with the wrench still holding the collet nut because it was black and was hard to see below the table surface.
Colin, Great production on this video, (Content, Video, Sound). I learned something new from this video - mitre slide is only used for attaching a feather board.
Excellent video Colin. I think it's a great idea to produce a series of videos which link and expand upon equipment such as the Router Table. I am looking forward to the Router Table build. Derek
Followed your video.....worked like a dream, many thanks for your instruction, very, very pleased with the results....need to buy a better table now....thanks again.
Colin, 20 years ago I bought a Craftsman shaper table, as only thing available was cheap B & D "conversion" tables. Do you know does this shaper has switch to REVERSE the rotation of the bit? Thanks
Great video. My kids bought me a Dewalt router and I have used it free hand so far but are now looking for a routing table. Doing some homework to see what makes better sense....making my own or buying one from store. Any suggestions?
Thank you Colin! I am having trouble with using a straight bit and getting consistent clean cuts. It looks like I am cutting with as prison shank. It is a new bit and a Bosch router and table. Any suggestions?
Was only 3 minutes in and was like OH!!! Thank you for posting this, I know it’s been a few years now, but I just got a router table, and made a few booboos and immediately went searching for the answers, you’ve already showed exactly what I needed to know, thank you!!
I know this is an old video, but I have a question. Do you ever use a feather board after the bit? I know you don't use one after the blade on a table saw, but not sure on a router table. Thanks.
"We never use a miter gauge on a router table." Why? When you tell people not to do some thing you should explain why. The why is the most important information. It enables people with knowledge.
Hi Colin, complete router rookie here faced with cutting Dado grooves in what amounts to a 2 piece back shelve unit that measures 77 x 53 (going to use 2 pieces cut 25.5 x 77 and 2 sides that are 1/2 in thick about 77 x 20) and cut about 10 Dado grooves in the back and 2 side pieces. Your advice here, what would be the best router table / fence combo and what would be the best bit to use? Does a more expensive router perform better than a harbor Freight?
Kent Smith ..... Since Colin hasn’t responded, I hope you don’t mind my chiming in. I’m still pretty new at using the router myself but learned a lot about the bits. There are combo sets on Amazon that run about $25 for approximately 12 bits. They don’t last long at all though. Cheap bits dull very quickly or they break. You may get 2 or 3 uses out of them if you’re lucky but they ARE good for when you’re learning how to use a router. Also, you’ll get a sense of which bits you use more than others. Long term though I recommend not buying in a set. Buy the bits individually. It’s absolutely worth spending $20-30 or more on a single bit especially if you’re going to use it often. I myself have 3 bits I use all the time. Straight bit, chamfer bit and my favorite, the Roman ogee bit. Those cost me between $22-$57 a piece but they are so worth it. That’s low to mid range for a quality router bit. I’ve seen some that cost 175 each! In a nut shell, if you plan on using the router often or even for years to come it is worth investing in quality router bits. Good luck!
I have a question when using lets say a 1/4cove bit with a bearing you line the bottom of the router bit up with the wood? Im getting ready to purchase a router and start using one. Just trying to figure out where to set up the bits. Thanks.
About to get my first table. Can you suggest a good starter bit set that I will get to learn with and that will last? There's so many on amazon and I'm really not sure on the best assortment or the type. I only know I want 1/2 inch instead of 1/4 whenever possible! If you could make a suggestion I would really appreciate it.
Thanks for that video on basic routing. My one question would be is should you run wood through standing against the fence or lay flat on the table. Which is best. Same router bit will give different design. Example wood would be 1X4 poplar. Thanks
Great video, really informative. Just wondering, when and why would you use a feather board (in general, not just on a router table) and does the back fence need to be parallel to the groove when using a feather board? I'm just starting to get into woodworking and am really enjoying this series on using the different tools/machines around the shop :)
like you, im new to woodworking, and from my understanding the feather board keeps pressure on the wood against the router blade. you can also get a feather board for the back fence too to keep downward pressure on the wood too.
SPOREOUT3 The router's fence does need to be mostly parallel to the feather board. The feather board is often referred to as "another set of hand" meaning it allows you to hold things in place while thus freeing up one of your other hands and as Rookiemistake0607 mentioned, putting pressure on the wood to hold it against the bit or blade
4:50 -- He has the workpiece in his hands, with the back of his right hand facing a spinning bit and not a lot of clearance. Kind of a safety oversight there.
I just started using a router table and I needed to cut dados in rails and styles for wardrobe doors. For some reason I haven’t been able to get the dado precisely in the center of the rails and styles.
I was using that same bit today on the router table I JUST got, while finishing off the lid to a toybox for my son then on the last side left and the last six inches of that side the something didnt sound right and before I could hit the kill switch blam the bit shot out and hit my leg, but not before trashing that part of the lid. I think if Id pulled the lid away this story would have ended differently. Im ok but miffed about the lid gotta start over now. lol should have watched more of your vids before I started out lol
Hi I bought a ryob router table and I am having a issue withe the fence I try the router bit with the fence but the the table has markings on both side and one side tells me one reading wile the other side tells me a different reading I checked with the rule and it looks good with it but when you eye ball it it looks a little creche can you tell me if I am doing some thing wrong
Heya. I need to restore an old cabinet and it's the first time I'll be doing a piece like it. Mostly I'd like to know how to sand the edges of pieces like the one you made in this video so that I can do it right without ruining the shape. The cabinet's doors have ornamental pieces like yours attached to a board and then framed with routed strips. As you can imagine, there are tight and curved spaces that a regular sander just won't reach into and I'll need to do it by hand. Is there a good technique for sanding these kinds of pieces by hand, or would I need special tools? Thanks a lot and I'm your newest subscriber.
I got my first Router few weeks ago and i only try'd it for first time today made a little mess of one of my bits. :-( . I like the info you give on each of your videos though thanks for sharing...
Andrew David So, did you get things sorted out then with your router? Sometimes it's these kinds of things that put people off using a router. Let me know if you need some info ... happy to help out if you need :)
Absolutely, Now i know exactly why it happened and i'm sure i wont make that mistake again :-), i want to make picture frames as i'm a photographer in Ireland :-). Thank you very much and in future i may look for more info thanks again :-)
I got 2.2hp router Bosch and the varible speed 1 thru 6 what is the best speed for wood? I know the big router bits low speed. What is the speed for big bits?
You really need to test it with the wood your using. You'll find that different types of woods can react very differently to being routed or cut.I prefer to start off slower when testing and going from there. Hope that helps.
Excellent vid, thanks. Quick question, i have a plunge router and a small portable table to attach it too. when i use the portable table with a straight bit, i get an awful lot of kickback. I took the router out of the table and tried free handing a round-over edge, which was fine. The table is quite light and not bolted down. The bits are new. Do you think the table or router bit would be more at fault for the kickback? Thanks in advance for any info :)
The kick back you have experienced could be from a couple of things. One is your fence setup not being perfectly parallel on each side of the router bit. Any discrepancy will cause binding of the board between the bit and the fence and you will experience that binding as kick back. Another possibility is you may be trying to remove to much material in one pass. Try cutting the finished depth you are looking for in two or three passes and you will see better results and cause a lot less stress and heat build up on your bits. You should definitely anchor you table to a solid base as well. Using your table without anchoring it down is extremely dangerous. Be careful and I hope this helps you out a bit. Derek
GiddyUp994 Thanks a million for your reply. I'll make sure to bolt it down. Its just in a temporary spot at the moment, I'll keep away until I can bolt it down though. I dont think it is the depth of cut as I was taking a very thin layer off the edge (I was trying to square off one edge as I dont have a table saw or jointer) The fence could be the issue. Its only a cheap table and the fence sometimes can twist when tightening (it has two gear shaped knobs for screwing either side down) I'll keep a better eye on it. Thanks again for your help. Its one of the things I love about woodworking videos. People are genuinely helpful. All the best
If your not a member on the woodworkweb site, give it some thought and join. There are quite a few excellent woodworkers whom gladly help out with getting your questions properly answered. It's free and I think you will really get some great guidance from the member forums. Cheers, Derek
RookieMistakes0607 Its a good idea to fasten down lighter weight router tables so they don't move around on you, and kick back is normal, but maybe you are just trying to take off a wee bit too much material? Maybe try taking off a bit less material and see how that works .... and as Derek mentioned, the Forums at woodworkweb might be of help to you ... and you may be able to help out others too. We all learn from one another :)Thanks buddy ... great to have you with us
Colin, What do you mean by edge grain first? I have started using my router table and the kick out on the edges of my small blocks of wood tend to be really bad. I'm currently also trying to make my own trim but for some reason as i get half way through the pieces i notice that something will happen that will cause the bit to jump and then the line isn't straight all the way through. I'm not sure what i'm doing wrong :(
joga821 Did I say edge grain somewhere?? ... should be END grain, also known as cross grain. Yes it will "blow out" or splay when hit with the router bit. That is why we do the long grain last, because it almost always fixes and end grain blow out that happens. Bits can jump sometimes when they hit a certain gain pattern and and not as well supported as they could be, or when they hit a knot or even the edge of where a knot was. The grain in these areas is often harder and of a different pattern. In most cases you can re-rout these areas and get a good cut. Depending on what you are using the trim for, you may get away with small defects like that where nobody will notice ... except you. This is a pretty common thing among woodworkers. We all have little imperfections that we can see and know about, but nobody else can notice. If you are finding this an ongoing problem, maybe you need to support the wood you are running through your router a bit more firmly. Maybe featherboards might help?? Let me know if you have more questions ... I will try to help out Colin
@@knecht105 thank you for asking this question and thank you Colin for the explanation. I am currently researching router table lifts and how to add it to a current workstation! May God bless you with health and happiness for sharing your knowledge with us!
I am going to investigate purchasing a router table. Working with a 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" solid wood frame. Working with re-purposing old assembled frames. I want to rabbit out the back inside of the frame (approx 3/8 deep x .5" length) so I can place a small panel inside the area so it sits flush. Any tips for this type of work.
As someone not even up to beginner level, this was a valuable lesson. I didn’t know where to begin. Thank you!
It's so nice to know there are people who will share knowledge, and also that we can still learn, thank you Colin.
Thank you , just bought a router table and will be using it for the first time. Very helpful video
How was it?
Same here. I am cutting straight boards into shiplap. 3/8 x 1/2" with a whiteside bearing rabbet bit. Thought I was going to need two passes, but I tried it in one, and it looks good.
Just purchased my first router and table, your video was VERY helpful in helping me get familiar with this new tool! Thanks!
Hats off for doing the safety tips at the beginning. They are all common sense, but reminders keep us from making mistakes. Thanks.
Brilliant m8 just starting as retired . in a short space of time I’ve learnt the basics .thank you
hi colin
just wanted to say thanks for this video. i am renovating windows in my house which are rotten and realised i needed to shape a lot of fillets. on the basis of your really clear advice i built myself a router table and have been able to mould suitable sections to bring the windows back to life (at least for a year or two!) thanks for your clear and uncomplicated expertise.
jim uk
Hey Colin - thanks for taking the time to produce this excellent, easily understandable video tutorial on the use of the router table
I had tried before to use my router table. Well, it is a little table with a hand router mounted to it. But I had been continually frustrated until I watched this video. Though the mechanics of the setup are different for my little table, your explanation was more than enough to get me looking around to discover how my situation worked. My first trial piece was a total success. Thanks so much for this video, and all the others I am sure I will be watching to learn how to...... Caley Ann
Good video Sir!
Simple instructions, clearly spoken, just right for router newbie's like me!
Thank you.
Same here
Watching in 2024😊
Great video, straightforward no fluff Thank you
Like the previous comment, I have never used a router before. Now I’m ready to try it. Excellent video! Thank you!!!! Liked and Subscribed!!! 💪😁👍
Why do we have to do the edge grain first when we are going to go around all 4 sides anyways?
I think he meant to say end grain. The end grain is more susceptible to minor tear out as you get to the end of the cut. This minor tear out is corrected/removed with the second cut on the adjoining edge (edge grain in this case) which is much less likely to tear out.
Nice video Colin, but Mitre gauges are used by many on router tables, e.g. For tenons, which is safe providing main fence is dropped back of course. Thanks.
Thanks Colin! I've used push blocks but never paid attention to squareness. I'm sure they were square since they sat flush with the fence and the square workpiece, but now I'll be methodical about it and mark the square edges. Never know when you're in a hurry and might grab a piece for a push block and think it's good enough! I try never to hurry, but that's an aspiration, not necessarily a reality.
You're welcome! Thanks for watching.
The *BEST* video on topic. Look no further
I like your approach to teaching Colin
Jerry Gioia Sr Thank you Jerry, I appreciate the feedback
Great info, thanks for the help.
I have a suggestion to all wood workers that use a router table: Use
bright red nail polish to paint the head of your bottom collet
tightening wrench. I almost turned on my router with the wrench still
holding the collet nut because it was black and was hard to see below
the table surface.
Yikes. Thank you for the safety tip.
C'mon man use a torch
Always an educational experience.
Thank you, great information.
I see that they are different manufacturers of router tables. What should I look for on these tables.
Great video, I’ve had this tool for years and never knew how to use it correctly. Thanks man
Great video. Now I have the courage to give mine a try...2 years later.
Great video. Thanks for the simple basics.
Great video. Just bought a router table and new router. Your video was just what I needed. Thank you!
Thank you, Colin
I have a router table on order and this was very helpful. 🤜🤛🏻
loved the video just bought my first router table and lift complete with motor and thought this post was a great start for me.
Another great video! Thanks again Colin.
Sir, you would be an excellent school teacher. Thank you for a very informative video. I just got my router and table.
Great video ,very clear and informative. You have helped me to be safe and improve .
Great Job!
Pretty cool video! Appreciate the help!
Thanks Colin.
Thank you great video
Excellent video. Learned a lot more about router table.
Colin, Great production on this video, (Content, Video, Sound). I learned something new from this video - mitre slide is only used for attaching a feather board.
Jim Pell Hi Jim, as usual, thanks for your comments and feedback
Excellent video Colin. I think it's a great idea to produce a series of videos which link and expand upon equipment such as the Router Table. I am looking forward to the Router Table build.
Derek
GiddyUp994 Thanks Derek
Thank you for a great video.
Followed your video.....worked like a dream, many thanks for your instruction, very, very pleased with the results....need to buy a better table now....thanks again.
Great clear camera work close up! Thanks for tip about end grain first.
thanks for the tips appreciate it
Thanks so much. I just built my router table and this answered so many questions I had.
Thank you very much.
Great series Colin, lots of good information.
Carl Jacobson Thanks Carl
i know it is kinda randomly asking but does anyone know of a good site to watch newly released series online ?
Thank you for taking the time to make this clip.
you always make it looks so easy Colin--thanks for another GREAT video
Great stuff I learned from
Great video, really informative, and I am looking forward to the Router Table build.
Thanks Colin.
ren booth Thanks Ren .... stay tuned :)
Very good thanks Dan UK
Do you happen to know the name of the bit profile used at the end of the video?
Great, after video quality improvement, now new studio look and equipments. I feel we are going to see great stuff soon.
Absolutely great series, Steve London England
Thanks!
I find a miter is good for shaping narrow ends with control
Thanks for the info!
McGinn's WoodShop Good info, thanks for sharing that with us, there are often different methods that's one of the great thing about woodworking
WoodWorkWeb Agreed! Thanks for the videos, always good content!
Colin, 20 years ago I bought a Craftsman shaper table, as only thing available was cheap B & D "conversion" tables. Do you know does this shaper has switch to REVERSE the rotation of the bit? Thanks
This video had all the info I needed
Glad I could help!
Valuable tips. Thank you.
Thanks for your feedback Rochester
Great video. My kids bought me a Dewalt router and I have used it free hand so far but are now looking for a routing table. Doing some homework to see what makes better sense....making my own or buying one from store. Any suggestions?
Thank you for sharing this info. Enjoying watching your video Clips.
Thanks for posting keep em coming sir
Just the info I needed. Thanks!
You're Welcome!
Thank you Colin! I am having trouble with using a straight bit and getting consistent clean cuts. It looks like I am cutting with as prison shank. It is a new bit and a Bosch router and table. Any suggestions?
Mine has a clear 90degree plastic that I can tighten to the fence. What is that for? Thanks!
What is the name of the bit you are using in this video?
Was only 3 minutes in and was like OH!!! Thank you for posting this, I know it’s been a few years now, but I just got a router table, and made a few booboos and immediately went searching for the answers, you’ve already showed exactly what I needed to know, thank you!!
I know this is an old video, but I have a question. Do you ever use a feather board after the bit? I know you don't use one after the blade on a table saw, but not sure on a router table. Thanks.
What type of router bit are you using in the demonstration?
"We never use a miter gauge on a router table."
Why?
When you tell people not to do some thing you should explain why. The why is the most important information. It enables people with knowledge.
Nice job
Hi Colin, complete router rookie here faced with cutting Dado grooves in what amounts to a 2 piece back shelve unit that measures 77 x 53 (going to use 2 pieces cut 25.5 x 77 and 2 sides that are 1/2 in thick about 77 x 20) and cut about 10 Dado grooves in the back and 2 side pieces. Your advice here, what would be the best router table / fence combo and what would be the best bit to use? Does a more expensive router perform better than a harbor Freight?
Kent Smith ..... Since Colin hasn’t responded, I hope you don’t mind my chiming in.
I’m still pretty new at using the router myself but learned a lot about the bits. There are combo sets on Amazon that run about $25 for approximately 12 bits. They don’t last long at all though. Cheap bits dull very quickly or they break. You may get 2 or 3 uses out of them if you’re lucky but they ARE good for when you’re learning how to use a router. Also, you’ll get a sense of which bits you use more than others.
Long term though I recommend not buying in a set. Buy the bits individually. It’s absolutely worth spending $20-30 or more on a single bit especially if you’re going to use it often. I myself have 3 bits I use all the time. Straight bit, chamfer bit and my favorite, the Roman ogee bit. Those cost me between $22-$57 a piece but they are so worth it. That’s low to mid range for a quality router bit. I’ve seen some that cost 175 each!
In a nut shell, if you plan on using the router often or even for years to come it is worth investing in quality router bits.
Good luck!
Just stumbled across this older video, I nearly didn't recognise Colin!! he seems far more than 5 years younger here!
I have a question when using lets say a 1/4cove bit with a bearing you line the bottom of the router bit up with the wood? Im getting ready to purchase a router and start using one. Just trying to figure out where to set up the bits. Thanks.
Thanks
Thanks Colin,,short and informative
You're welcome, David! Thanks for watching.
About to get my first table. Can you suggest a good starter bit set that I will get to learn with and that will last? There's so many on amazon and I'm really not sure on the best assortment or the type. I only know I want 1/2 inch instead of 1/4 whenever possible! If you could make a suggestion I would really appreciate it.
Hi, you are fantastic with your videos and how you explain them. Thank you, very useful your knowledge. 👍
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
excellent video
what for a router table are you using there?
Tx a million man.
Thanks for that video on basic routing. My one question would be is should you run wood through standing against the fence or lay flat on the table. Which is best. Same router bit will give different design. Example wood would be 1X4 poplar. Thanks
It really depends on what surface of the 1x4 you want to route.
Great video Colin, a lot of good information thanks.
ShavingWood Always appreciate your comments
You are welcome
Great video, really informative. Just wondering, when and why would you use a feather board (in general, not just on a router table) and does the back fence need to be parallel to the groove when using a feather board? I'm just starting to get into woodworking and am really enjoying this series on using the different tools/machines around the shop :)
like you, im new to woodworking, and from my understanding the feather board keeps pressure on the wood against the router blade. you can also get a feather board for the back fence too to keep downward pressure on the wood too.
RookieMistakes0607 Thanks :)
SPOREOUT3 The router's fence does need to be mostly parallel to the feather board. The feather board is often referred to as "another set of hand" meaning it allows you to hold things in place while thus freeing up one of your other hands and as Rookiemistake0607 mentioned, putting pressure on the wood to hold it against the bit or blade
WoodWorkWeb Ahh right, thanks a million for replying :)
4:50 -- He has the workpiece in his hands, with the back of his right hand facing a spinning bit and not a lot of clearance. Kind of a safety oversight there.
I just started using a router table and I needed to cut dados in rails and styles for wardrobe doors. For some reason I haven’t been able to get the dado precisely in the center of the rails and styles.
Como sempre ótimas informações para nós obrigado!!!
Thanks Lucas, always happy to hear from you
Learned a lot.
I was using that same bit today on the router table I JUST got, while finishing off the lid to a toybox for my son then on the last side left and the last six inches of that side the something didnt sound right and before I could hit the kill switch blam the bit shot out and hit my leg, but not before trashing that part of the lid. I think if Id pulled the lid away this story would have ended differently. Im ok but miffed about the lid gotta start over now. lol should have watched more of your vids before I started out lol
I've been using a router table for hours and thought I knew it all. This video was very informative,
What was the bit called what style
Hi I bought a ryob router table and I am having a issue withe the fence I try the router bit with the fence but the the table has markings on both side and one side tells me one reading wile the other side tells me a different reading I checked with the rule and it looks good with it but when you eye ball it it looks a little creche can you tell me if I am doing some thing wrong
Bra info tack😃😃
What router table is that and what is the router lift????
Heya. I need to restore an old cabinet and it's the first time I'll be doing a piece like it. Mostly I'd like to know how to sand the edges of pieces like the one you made in this video so that I can do it right without ruining the shape. The cabinet's doors have ornamental pieces like yours attached to a board and then framed with routed strips. As you can imagine, there are tight and curved spaces that a regular sander just won't reach into and I'll need to do it by hand. Is there a good technique for sanding these kinds of pieces by hand, or would I need special tools? Thanks a lot and I'm your newest subscriber.
Now , I am more confident to use my craftsman rounder....thanks a lot .
I got my first Router few weeks ago and i only try'd it for first time today made a little mess of one of my bits. :-( . I like the info you give on each of your videos though thanks for sharing...
Andrew David So, did you get things sorted out then with your router? Sometimes it's these kinds of things that put people off using a router. Let me know if you need some info ... happy to help out if you need :)
Absolutely, Now i know exactly why it happened and i'm sure i wont make that mistake again :-), i want to make picture frames as i'm a photographer in Ireland :-). Thank you very much and in future i may look for more info thanks again :-)
Andrew David Sure .. no prob, maybe one day you will share some of your pictures and picture frames with us on woodworkweb. Would be great to see.
Absolutely..
I got 2.2hp router Bosch and the varible speed 1 thru 6 what is the best speed for wood? I know the big router bits low speed. What is the speed for big bits?
You really need to test it with the wood your using. You'll find that different types of woods can react very differently to being routed or cut.I prefer to start off slower when testing and going from there.
Hope that helps.
Excellent vid, thanks. Quick question, i have a plunge router and a small portable table to attach it too. when i use the portable table with a straight bit, i get an awful lot of kickback. I took the router out of the table and tried free handing a round-over edge, which was fine. The table is quite light and not bolted down. The bits are new. Do you think the table or router bit would be more at fault for the kickback? Thanks in advance for any info :)
The kick back you have experienced could be from a couple of things. One is your fence setup not being perfectly parallel on each side of the router bit. Any discrepancy will cause binding of the board between the bit and the fence and you will experience that binding as kick back. Another possibility is you may be trying to remove to much material in one pass. Try cutting the finished depth you are looking for in two or three passes and you will see better results and cause a lot less stress and heat build up on your bits. You should definitely anchor you table to a solid base as well. Using your table without anchoring it down is extremely dangerous. Be careful and I hope this helps you out a bit.
Derek
GiddyUp994 Thanks a million for your reply. I'll make sure to bolt it down. Its just in a temporary spot at the moment, I'll keep away until I can bolt it down though.
I dont think it is the depth of cut as I was taking a very thin layer off the edge (I was trying to square off one edge as I dont have a table saw or jointer)
The fence could be the issue. Its only a cheap table and the fence sometimes can twist when tightening (it has two gear shaped knobs for screwing either side down) I'll keep a better eye on it.
Thanks again for your help. Its one of the things I love about woodworking videos. People are genuinely helpful. All the best
If your not a member on the woodworkweb site, give it some thought and join. There are quite a few excellent woodworkers whom gladly help out with getting your questions properly answered. It's free and I think you will really get some great guidance from the member forums. Cheers,
Derek
RookieMistakes0607 Its a good idea to fasten down lighter weight router tables so they don't move around on you, and kick back is normal, but maybe you are just trying to take off a wee bit too much material? Maybe try taking off a bit less material and see how that works .... and as Derek mentioned, the Forums at woodworkweb might be of help to you ... and you may be able to help out others too. We all learn from one another :)Thanks buddy ... great to have you with us
Colin,
What do you mean by edge grain first? I have started using my router table and the kick out on the edges of my small blocks of wood tend to be really bad. I'm currently also trying to make my own trim but for some reason as i get half way through the pieces i notice that something will happen that will cause the bit to jump and then the line isn't straight all the way through. I'm not sure what i'm doing wrong :(
joga821 Did I say edge grain somewhere?? ... should be END grain, also known as cross grain. Yes it will "blow out" or splay when hit with the router bit. That is why we do the long grain last, because it almost always fixes and end grain blow out that happens.
Bits can jump sometimes when they hit a certain gain pattern and and not as well supported as they could be, or when they hit a knot or even the edge of where a knot was. The grain in these areas is often harder and of a different pattern. In most cases you can re-rout these areas and get a good cut.
Depending on what you are using the trim for, you may get away with small defects like that where nobody will notice ... except you. This is a pretty common thing among woodworkers. We all have little imperfections that we can see and know about, but nobody else can notice.
If you are finding this an ongoing problem, maybe you need to support the wood you are running through your router a bit more firmly. Maybe featherboards might help??
Let me know if you have more questions ... I will try to help out
Colin
@@knecht105 thank you for asking this question and thank you Colin for the explanation. I am currently researching router table lifts and how to add it to a current workstation! May God bless you with health and happiness for sharing your knowledge with us!
I am going to investigate purchasing a router table. Working with a 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" solid wood frame. Working with re-purposing old assembled frames. I want to rabbit out the back inside of the frame (approx 3/8 deep x .5" length) so I can place a small panel inside the area so it sits flush. Any tips for this type of work.