Laminate trimmer
Encyclopedia
A laminate trimmer is a small version of a wood router
, normally used to trim laminate
such as Formica
. It generally has a 1/4-inch collet
. (1/8" is also accepted for sure) Typical laminate trimmers spin their bits at up to 30,000 RPM. Some models provide variable speed control. Most common manufacturers are Dewalt
and RotoZip (Bosch
)
Laminate trimmers evolved, as their name suggests, as a specialized tool for that particular trade. Veneer
s are typically cut oversize before being laminated to their wooden substrates. A laminate trimmer equipped with a bearing
-guided flush trimming bit can be used to cut the veneer to its final size. The bearing guides the bit around the outside edge of the wood substrate, making a clean cut exactly along the edge. Laminate trimmers excel at this task due to their light weight and one-handed operation.
Laminate trimmers have evolved to the point where they are essentially fully functional miniature routers. Apart from trimming and flushing, they can be used for jointing, rounding edges, chamfer
ing, routing grooves and dados, dovetail
s, even mortise and tenon
s. A modern laminate trimmer can perform almost any task that a larger handheld router can do, with the caveat that the smaller machine may be limited in the size of bit that can physically fit within its collet and the base plate. Larger bits, e.g. those that fit a 1/2-inch collet or those with larger blade diameters than the laminate trimmer's smaller baseplate hole, cannot be used at all. The reduced power of a laminate trimmer (3/4 to 1 hp, as opposed to a typical router's 1-3 hp) may also make it unsuitable for heavy-duty router work.
Some laminate trimmers are equipped with multiple bases for different types of routing work, and most support the use of an edge guide.
Some woodworkers keep a chamfer or roundover bit permanently installed in a small laminate trimmer, since these operations are so frequently performed on many projects. This frees their main router (or router table) to do other types of work without having to constantly change between bits.
Wood router
A router is a tool used to rout out an area in the face of a relatively hard workpiece, typically of wood or plastic. The main application of routers is in woodworking, especially cabinetry....
, normally used to trim laminate
Laminate
A laminate is a material that can be constructed by uniting two or more layers of material together. The process of creating a laminate is lamination, which in common parlance refers to the placing of something between layers of plastic and gluing them with heat and/or pressure, usually with an...
such as Formica
Formica (plastic)
Formica is a brand of composite materials manufactured by the Formica Corporation now based in Newcastle, Tyne & Wear, a division of the New Zealand company Fletcher Building. In common use, the term refers to the company's classic product, a heat-resistant, wipe-clean, plastic laminate of paper or...
. It generally has a 1/4-inch collet
Collet
A collet is a holding device—specifically, a subtype of chuck—that forms a collar around the object to be held and exerts a strong clamping force on the object when it is tightened, usually via a tapered outer collar. It may be used to hold a workpiece or a tool.A collet is a sleeve with a ...
. (1/8" is also accepted for sure) Typical laminate trimmers spin their bits at up to 30,000 RPM. Some models provide variable speed control. Most common manufacturers are Dewalt
DeWALT
DeWalt is a worldwide brand of power tools for the construction, manufacturing and woodworking industries. It is a subsidiary of Stanley Black & Decker.- History :...
and RotoZip (Bosch
Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components...
)
Laminate trimmers evolved, as their name suggests, as a specialized tool for that particular trade. Veneer
Wood veneer
In woodworking, veneer refers to thin slices of wood, usually thinner than 3 mm , that are typically glued onto core panels to produce flat panels such as doors, tops and panels for cabinets, parquet floors and parts of furniture. They are also used in marquetry...
s are typically cut oversize before being laminated to their wooden substrates. A laminate trimmer equipped with a bearing
Bearing
Bearing may refer to:* Bearing , a term for direction* Bearing , a component that separates moving parts and takes a load* Bearing capacity*Bearings, album by Ronnie Montrose in 2000...
-guided flush trimming bit can be used to cut the veneer to its final size. The bearing guides the bit around the outside edge of the wood substrate, making a clean cut exactly along the edge. Laminate trimmers excel at this task due to their light weight and one-handed operation.
Laminate trimmers have evolved to the point where they are essentially fully functional miniature routers. Apart from trimming and flushing, they can be used for jointing, rounding edges, chamfer
Chamfer
A chamfer is a beveled edge connecting two surfaces. If the surfaces are at right angles, the chamfer will typically be symmetrical at 45 degrees. A fillet is the rounding off of an interior corner. A rounding of an exterior corner is called a "round" or a "radius"."Chamfer" is a term commonly...
ing, routing grooves and dados, dovetail
Dovetail
Dovetail may refer to:* The dovetail joint used in woodworking* The dovetail or "riffle" method of shuffling playing cards* German equatorial mount, or dovetail plate, used to fix a telescope to its mount...
s, even mortise and tenon
Mortise and tenon
The mortise and tenon joint has been used for thousands of years by woodworkers around the world to join pieces of wood, mainly when the adjoining pieces connect at an angle of 90°. In its basic form it is both simple and strong. Although there are many joint variations, the basic mortise and tenon...
s. A modern laminate trimmer can perform almost any task that a larger handheld router can do, with the caveat that the smaller machine may be limited in the size of bit that can physically fit within its collet and the base plate. Larger bits, e.g. those that fit a 1/2-inch collet or those with larger blade diameters than the laminate trimmer's smaller baseplate hole, cannot be used at all. The reduced power of a laminate trimmer (3/4 to 1 hp, as opposed to a typical router's 1-3 hp) may also make it unsuitable for heavy-duty router work.
Some laminate trimmers are equipped with multiple bases for different types of routing work, and most support the use of an edge guide.
Some woodworkers keep a chamfer or roundover bit permanently installed in a small laminate trimmer, since these operations are so frequently performed on many projects. This frees their main router (or router table) to do other types of work without having to constantly change between bits.