Wood router
Encyclopedia
A router is a tool
Tool
A tool is a device that can be used to produce an item or achieve a task, but that is not consumed in the process. Informally the word is also used to describe a procedure or process with a specific purpose. Tools that are used in particular fields or activities may have different designations such...

 used to rout out (hollow out) an area in the face of a relatively hard workpiece, typically of wood or plastic. The main application of routers is in woodworking
Woodworking
Woodworking is the process of building, making or carving something using wood.-History:Along with stone, mud, and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by early humans. Microwear analysis of the Mousterian stone tools used by the Neanderthals show that many were used to work wood...

, especially cabinetry
Cabinet making
Cabinet making is the practice of using various woodworking skills to create cabinets, shelving and furniture.Cabinet making involves techniques such as creating appropriate joints, dados, bevels, chamfers and shelving systems, the use of finishing tools such as routers to create decorative...

.

It was a tool particularly used by pattern makers and staircase makers and consisted of a broad-based wooden hand plane with a narrow blade
Blade
A blade is that portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with a cutting edge and/or a pointed tip that is designed to cut and/or puncture, stab, slash, chop, slice, thrust, or scrape animate or inanimate surfaces or materials...

 projecting well beyond its base plate gaining it the nickname Old Woman's Tooth. Although the original hand tool has a few advantages over the power tool equivalent and retains favour with some workers, since about 1960, it has all but been replaced by the modern spindle router, which was designed for the same work, although the first electric hand routers appeared in the years just after World War I.

Further refinement produced the plunge router, invented by ELU
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 :...

 (now part of 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 :...

) in Germany in the late 1940s. This is even better adapted for many types of work. Today, traditional hand-powered routers are often called router planes. Some workers consider it to be the single most versatile woodworking power tool. Modern routers are often used in place of traditional moulding planes or spindle moulder machines for edge decoration (moulding) of timber.

Related to the router is a smaller, lighter version designed specifically for trimming laminates. It can be used for smaller general routing work. For example, with an appropriate jig it can be used for recessing door hinges and recessing lock faceplates.

Process

Routing is a high speed process of cutting, trimming, and shaping wood, metal, plastic, and a variety of other materials.

Chip formation

Routing and milling
Milling machine
A milling machine is a machine tool used to machine solid materials. Milling machines are often classed in two basic forms, horizontal and vertical, which refers to the orientation of the main spindle. Both types range in size from small, bench-mounted devices to room-sized machines...

 appear similar, but are applied to different materials and so require tools that are significantly different in detail. The mechanisms of chip formation for both tools are different, according to the materials.

Routing is applied to relatively weak and brittle materials, typically wood. As these materials are weak in small sections, routers may be run at extremely high speeds and so even a small router may cut rapidly. Owing to inertia at these high speeds, the normal wood cutting mechanism of Type I chips cannot take place. The cutter edge angle is blunt, approaching 90°, and so a Type III chip is formed, with the waste material being produced as fine dust. This dust is a respiratory hazard, even in benign materials. The forces against the cutter are light, so routers may be hand-held.

When milling metals, the material is relatively ductile, although remaining strong even at a small scale. The cutters are thus run more slowly, even when used in multi-horsepower milling machines. The cutters are sharpened with acute edge angles, forming a Type II chip and waste may be produced as continuous swarf
Swarf
Swarf, also known as turnings, chips, or filings, are shavings and chippings of metal — the debris or waste resulting from metalworking operations including milling and grinding. It can usually be recycled, and this is the preferred method of disposal due to the environmental concerns regarding...

. Cutter forces are high, so milling machines must be robust and rigid, usually substantial constructions of cast iron.

Intermediate materials, such as plastics and sometimes soft aluminium, may be cut by either method - although routing aluminium is usually more of an improvised expedient than a production process and is infamously noisy and hard on tools.

Process characteristics

Usually routing is limited to soft metals (aluminium etc.) and rigid nonmetals. Specially designed cutters are used for a variety of patterns, cuts, and edging. Both hand controlled and machine controlled/aided routers are common today.

Workpiece geometry

Routing is a shaping process used to produce finished edges and shapes. Some materials that prove difficult to shape with other processes, such as fiber-glass, Kevlar, and graphite, can be shaped and finished neatly via various routing techniques. Apart from finished edges and shaping, cutaways, holes, and contours can also be shaped using routers.

Tools and equipment

  • The set up includes an air or electric driven router, a cutting tool
    Cutting tool
    In the context of machining, a cutting tool is any tool that is used to remove material from the workpiece by means of shear deformation. Cutting may be accomplished by single-point or multipoint tools. Single-point tools are used in turning, shaping, plaining and similar operations, and remove...

     often referred to as a router bit, and a guide template. Also the router can be fixed to a table or connected to radial arms which can be controlled easier.
  • In general there are three types of cutting bits or tools.
    1. Fluted cutters (used for edging and trimming)
    2. Profile cutters (used for shaping and trimming)
    3. Helical cutters (used on easily machined materials, for drilling, shaping, trimming)
  • Safety glasses and ear protection should be worn at all times when using a router.

Moulding

The spindle router is positioned at the finer end of the scale of work done by a moulding
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...

 spindle. That is to say it is able to cut grooves, edge moulding, and 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...

 or radius the edge of a piece of wood. It is also possible to use it for cutting some joints
Woodworking joints
Joinery is a part of woodworking that involves joining together pieces of wood, to create furniture, structures, toys, and other items. Some wood joints employ fasteners, bindings, or adhesives, while others use only wood elements. The characteristics of wooden joints - strength, flexibility,...

. The shape of cut that is created is determined by the size and shape of the bit (cutter) held in the 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 ...

 and the depth by the depth adjustment of the sole plate.

Variety of routers

There are a variety of router styles, some are plunge, some are D handled, some are double knob handled. Some have variable speed controls. Some have a soft start feature, meaning they build up speed gradually. This is nice for routers with a large cutter. Holding a 3 horse router and turning it on is somewhat dangerous, due to the torque of the motor. Holding it with two hands is a must. For routers with a toggle type on / off switch it is important to check to verify the switch is in the off position, prior to plugging it in.

The purpose of multiple handle arrangements is depending on the bit, control is easier with different configurations. For example when shaping the edge of a fine table top, many users prefer a D handle, with variable speed, as it seems to permit better control and burning the wood can be minimized.

Uses for routers are many. With the help of the multitude of jigs and various bits, they are capable of producing dovetails, mortises, and tenons, moldings of infinite varieties, dados, rabbets, raised panel doors and frames, cutting circles, and so much more.

Features of the modern spindle router

The tool usually consists of a base housing a vertically mounted universal electric motor
Electric motor
An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.Most electric motors operate through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors to generate force...

 with a 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 ...

 on the end of its shaft. The bit is height-adjustable to allow protrusion through an opening in a flat sole plate, usually via adjusting the motor-mounting height (the mechanism of adjustment is widely varied among manufacturers). Control of the router is derived from a handle or knob on each side of the device, or by the more recently developed "D-handle".

There are two standard types of router—plunge and fixed. When using a plunge-base router, the sole of the base is placed on the face of the work with the cutting bit raised above the work, then the motor is turned on and the cutter is lowered into the work. With a fixed-base router, the cut depth is set before the tool is turned on. The sole plate is then either rested flat on the workpiece overhanging the edge so that the cutting bit is not contacting the work (and then entering the work from the side once the motor is turned on), or the sole plate is placed at an angle with the bit above the work and the bit is "rocked" over into the work once the motor is turned on. In each case, the bit cuts its way in, but the plunge router does it in a more refined way, although the bit used must be shaped so it bores into the wood when lowered.

The baseplate (sole plate) is generally circular (though this, too, varies by individual models) and may be used in conjunction with a fence attached to the base, which then braces the router against the edge of the work, or via a straightedge clamped across the work to obtain a straight cut. Other means of guiding the machine include the template guide bushing secured in the base around the router cutter, or router cutters with built-in guide bearings. Both of these run against a straight edge or shaped template. Without this, the varying reaction of the wood against the torque
Torque
Torque, moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....

 of the tool makes it impossible to control with the precision normally required.

Table mounted router

A router may be mounted upside down in a router table or bench. The router's base plate is mounted to the underside of the table, with a hole allowing the bit to protrude above the table top. This allows the work to be passed over the router, rather than passing the router over the work. This has benefits when working with smaller objects and makes some router operations safer to execute. A router table may be fitted with a fence, fingerboards and other work-guiding accessories to make the operation safer and more accurate.

A simple router table consists of a rigid top with the router bolted or screwed directly to the underside. More complex solutions can be developed to allow the router to be easily removed from the table, and there is a wide range of commercially available systems.

In this mode, the router can perform tasks similar to a spindle moulder
Wood shaper
A wood shaper, usually just shaper in North America or spindle moulder in the UK, is a stationary woodworking machine in which a vertically orientated spindle protrudes from the machine table and can be spun at speeds typically between 3000 and 10,000 rpm. Cutter heads may be mounted on the spindle...

. For smaller, lighter jobs, the router used in this way can be more convenient than the spindle moulder, with the task of set up being somewhat faster. There is also a much wider range of bit profiles available for the router, although the size is limited.

The router table is usually oriented so that the router bit is vertical and the table over which the work is passed is horizontal. Variations on this include the horizontal router table, in which the table remains horizontal but the router is mounted vertically above the table, so that the router bit cuts from the side. This is an alternative for edge operations, such as panel raising and slot cutting.

Available cutters

Router bits come in hundreds of varieties to create either decorative effects or joinery
Woodworking joints
Joinery is a part of woodworking that involves joining together pieces of wood, to create furniture, structures, toys, and other items. Some wood joints employ fasteners, bindings, or adhesives, while others use only wood elements. The characteristics of wooden joints - strength, flexibility,...

 aids. Generally, they are classified as either high-speed steel (HSS) or carbide-tipped
Tungsten carbide
Tungsten carbide is an inorganic chemical compound containing equal parts of tungsten and carbon atoms. Colloquially, tungsten carbide is often simply called carbide. In its most basic form, it is a fine gray powder, but it can be pressed and formed into shapes for use in industrial machinery,...

, however some recent innovations such as solid carbide bits provide even more variety for specialized tasks.

Aside from the materials they are made of, bits can be classified as edge bits or non-edge bits, and whether the bit is designed to be anti-kickback. Edge bits have a small wheel bearing to act as a fence against the work in making edge moldings. These bearings can be changed by using commercially available bearing kits. Changing the bearing, in effect, changes the diameter of the cutting edge. This is especially important with rabbeting bits. Non-edge bits require the use of a fence, either on a router table or attached to the work or router. Anti-kickback bits employ added non-cutting bit material around the circumference of the bit's shoulders which serves to limit feed-rate. This reduces the chance that the workpiece is pushed too deeply into the bit (which would result in significant kickback from the cutting edge being unable to compensate).

Bits also differ by the diameter of their shank, with ½ inch, 12 mm, 10 mm, 3/8 inch, 8 mm and ¼ inch and 6 mm shanks (ordered from thickest to thinnest) being the most common. Half-inch bits cost more but, being stiffer, are less prone to vibration (giving smoother cuts) and are less likely to break than the smaller sizes. The bit shank and router collet sizes must match. Many routers come with removable collets for the popular shank sizes (in the USA ½ in and 1/4 in, in Great Britain ½ in, 8 mm and 1/4 in, and metric sizes in Europe—although in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 the 3/8-inch and 8 mm sizes are often only available for extra cost).

Many modern routers allow the speed of the bit's rotation to be varied. A slower rotation allows bits of larger cutting diameter to be used safely. Typical speeds range from 8,000 to 30,000 rpm.

Router Bits can be made to match any imaginable profile. Companies that manufacture custom router bits can be found on the Internet. Custom router bits are especially beneficial for home restoration projects, where the original trim and molding of the home is often out of production.

Versatility

The router was described as "the most versatile tool in the world" by Jeremy Broun
Jeremy Broun
Jeremy Broun is a British furniture designer maker, writer, film maker and musician. Descended from Scottish gentry, one of his ancestors was the piano maker to King George 3 and another rowed the boat to Napoleon's surrender. His mother died in his childbirth and father died when he was seventeen....

 in his book, The Incredible Router. Hylton and Matlack also describe the router as a versatile tool (see Books below): "You can use it in just about every aspect of a job but assembly ... used creatively, it will do almost any kind of cutting or shaping of wood". However, custom baseplates, templates, or jigs—tools that help guide the router or the workpiece through a controlled motion—are typically needed for more complex cuts.

CNC router

A CNC wood router
CNC wood router
A CNC wood router is a Numerical control tool that creates objects from wood. Parts of a project can be designed in the computer with a CAD/CAM program, and then cut automatically using a router to produce a finished part....

 is a table with a gantry to which the router or spindle mounts. Tables use CAM programming to move the router along three axes (X-Y-Z). Most table routers have a three motor drive system utilizing either servo or stepper motor. More advanced routers use a four motor system for added speed and accuracy.

Similar tools

A tool similar to a router, but designed to hold smaller cutting bits—thereby making it easier to handle for small jobs—is a laminate trimmer
Laminate trimmer
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. Typical laminate trimmers spin their bits at up to 30,000 RPM. Some models provide variable speed control...

.

A related tool, called a spindle moulder (UK) or shaper
Wood shaper
A wood shaper, usually just shaper in North America or spindle moulder in the UK, is a stationary woodworking machine in which a vertically orientated spindle protrudes from the machine table and can be spun at speeds typically between 3000 and 10,000 rpm. Cutter heads may be mounted on the spindle...

(North America), is used to hold larger cutter heads and can be used for deeper or larger-diameter cuts. Another related machine is the pin router, a larger static version of the hand electric router but normally with a much more powerful motor and other features such as automatic template copying.

Some profile cutters use a cutting head reminiscent of a spindle router. These should not be confused with profile cutters used for steel plate which use a flame as the cutting method.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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