Setting up your Woodworking Router

Buying yourself a new woodworking router is pretty exciting. A router opens up the possibility of completing a raft of new projects. You will want to get in there straight away and start making some grooves but it’s important you get to know your new tool before you unleash it on your project. It can take time to learn how to do the set-up correctly particularly if you haven’t used a router much before.

Types of Routers

There are two main kinds of routers – handheld where you take your router to your project and a table-mounted router where you take your project to the tool. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. For many woodworkers just starting out, they choose the hand held option and may move to a mounted option later.

Set-up of your Router

To get started, you will need to insert the bit. Rather than dropping the bit into the collet and tightening, find the bottom of the recess and then move it a centimetre or two from the bottom before tightening. If the bit is touching the bottom you may jam the shank against the end of the recess. You shouldn’t need too much pressure to tighten the collet. If you use two wrenches for the job squeeze together with one hand. To loosen reverse the wrench action.

Securing your Project

Now that the bit is secure, you want to make sure your project isn’t going to move around on your bench. If not secured properly you risk injuring yourself and damaging your work. Depending on your piece, use a vice, bench dogs, I beam risers and clamps to safely attach it to the bench. Risers make it easier on your back and the bit is unobstructed by the bench.

Guiding the Router

A router is usually guided by a bit’s pilot bearing, a fence, a template-guided bushing or edge guide. Which guide you use will depend on whether you are using a template and the location of the cut.

A pilot’s bearing is a shielded ball bearing that sits under or over the cutter, suitable for straight or curved work surfaces. The project can ride against the bearing or a template that is attached to the project. When using a bearing guided bit, be careful to not let the router tip by using firm downward pressure and keeping one handle over your work.

A fence can be offset blocks or a self-clamping straight edge which the base of the router can run along. Move the router left to right when facing the bearing edge of the fence.

Template guides or guide bushings are collars attached to the sub-base of a router. The bit is longer than the bushing and rides along the edge of a template. The size of the bushing will depend on the diameter of the bit.

An edge guide attaches to the bottom of the router through one or two extension rods. A fence attaches to the edge guide and can be adjusted to any location on the rods. The fence then rides along the edge of the project to cut dadoes, grooves and mortises.

Remember to always use sharp, good quality bits in your router. Most routers use interchangeable collets so you can use either ¼ or ½ inch diameter bits in your router. When you have a choice of bit sizes, use the larger one so the collet has more to grip and chatter is minimised.

Practice Makes Perfect

As eager as you may be to get started on your project, it’s a good idea to practice with your router first. Try using as many different guides and bits as you own on different scrap materials to see how the router behaves. Draw lines on your material to ensure the accuracy of your cuts is spot on and before long you will be ready to get started on your projects.