Routers and Specialty Tools Safety Tips
Always wear eye and ear protection when operating power tools. If the project will create a lot of dust, wear respiratory protection. Do not wear loose clothing or jewelry and put up long hair.
Routers operate at a speed 15 to 20 times greater than a drill. Keep a firm grip on the tool as you are using it. Losing control could cause damage to the workpiece and personal injury.
Always disconnect the plug before changing a router bit. Use the wrench provided with the tool by the manufacturer. Also, a bit that has just been used will be hot enough to burn you. Let it cool before touching it.
Always secure the workpiece securely before using a portable electric tool.
For pneumatic tools, always use the fasteners recommended by the equipment manufacturer.
Fixed Base Router
Used for beading, routing, grooving, fluting and many types of decorative carving that could take hours to do by hand. Achieve different shapes of cuts by using different shaped bits.
Has a motor that raises and lowers with a rack and pinion and a bit that protrudes at a set depth.
Most economical type of router and highly portable.
Standard and light-duty routers have 1/3 to 1/2 hp motors; commercial heavy-duty routers are 3/4 hp and higher
Plunge Router
Similar to a fixed-base router, but the motor is mounted on two posts and can be retracted from and lowered into the workpiece.
Required depth of cut can be set so it’s the same every time.
Versatile and good for use in joinery.
Plunge depth is the deepest cut that can be made by a router.
Production Router
High horsepower router for heavy-duty work or hours of router table work.
Available in fixed base and plunge models.
Somewhat heavy and awkward for topside routing.
Adjustable speed is a common feature.
Laminate Trimmer
A lightweight mini router.
Designed for trimming thin plastic countertop materials, but also useful for small routing jobs.
Highly portable and can be used with one hand
Router Bit
Use carbide bits for cutting laminates and harder composite materials.
Use high speed steel bits for general purpose cutting in wood and aluminum.
Generally grouped into three types: grooving bits, edging bits and specialty bits.
The standard d-i-y bit uses a 1/4” shank.
Available in an anti-kick-back or chip-limiting design that helps protect the piece of work where the router is being used by preventing the bit from lurching forward and biting into the material.
Router Table
A table built to accommodate a router mounted underneath.
Provides a smooth surface for routing, and a fence for guiding the material.
Another version is a horizontal table that holds the router horizontally.
Attaches to a router to create a variety of shapes and cuts.
Plate Joiner
Also called a biscuit joiner.
Used for making strong plate joints, or biscuit joints, that join separate pieces of wood together.
The tool is plunged into the workpiece to cut a slot that accepts various size biscuits. Most models come with different blades to create various slot sizes. The slots of one piece of wood are then aligned with the slots of the other peice being joined. These slots share the same biscuit.
Has top-mounted or side-mounted sliding switches and comes with a dust bag or an adapter for hook-up to a shop vacuum.
Good joiners will have adjustable fences for making a joint at a variety of angles.
Rotary Cutting Tool
Uses a blade that looks similar to a drill bit. It rotates and cuts through material without the ripping motion of the sabre or jigsaw blade.
Allows user to plunge directly into the center of material and eliminates the need for pilot holes.
Can cut material up to 1” thick.
Many different bits are available for cutting in a variety of materials.
Lightweight and easy to control. The spinning motion of the blade reduces the ripping, binding and potential jumping of the tool.
Typically used to cut sink openings in countertops, for cutting and replacing ceramic wall tiles and cutting openings in drywall.
Power Planer
Smoothes and reduces the surface of wood to achieve a flat surface.
Operates with a pair of replaceable knives that can adjust to various depths.
Features include an edge fence for edge trimming.
Another feature on most models is a safety foot that prevents damaging a surface if the user sets down the tool before the cutter has stopped spinning. A safety foot drops down to raise the plate and keep the blade from cutting into the surface.
Courtesy of NRHA.org
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