Router Table Techniques and Tips (page 2 of 2)

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Router Table Safety
Router bits spin so fast that they demand your constant attention. Accidents can happen suddenly. Here are a few of the most important safety rules:

Always unplug the router when changing the bit.
Push the bit into the collet. Then lift it to expose about one-quarter of the shank before tightening the collet nut. This will keep the bit from coming loose in the collet. At least two-thirds of the bit’s shank should be engaged in the router collet.
Cover the bit with a guard whenever possible.
Wear safety glasses and hearing protection.
Use featherboards and push sticks to keep your fingers away from the bit.
Move workpieces from right to left against the fence.
Move workpieces counterclockwise around a piloted bit.
Never position the fence so the workpiece is pushed between it and the bit.

Plane Perfectly Straight Edges on Boards or Plywood
It takes a little time and patience to set up your router table for planing the edge of a board, but it’s worth the effort, especially for plywood edges. The smooth, straight surface left by the router bit makes it easy to create an almost invisible seam when you’re gluing wood edging to plywood.

The key to the setup is shimming out the left half of the fence and aligning the bit with it. If your router table fence isn’t adjustable, you can attach a piece of plastic laminate to the face of the left half with double-faced tape so it can be removed when you’re done.

Here are a few of the tasks you can accomplish with this setup:

Plane the edges of plywood panels before applying wood edging.
Remove saw marks from the edges of ripped boards.
Straighten the edges of boards so they can be glued together.

Gain Control of Freehand Routing With a Starting Pivot
Small pieces that are difficult to hold down while you’re shaping them with a handheld router are easy to shape on a router table. Use a bit with a bearing guide that rides against the pattern. You can also shape the edge of small pieces with any bearing-guided router bit using this same technique. Pivot the wood against the starting pivot block for greater control over when it contacts the bit. Some router tables have a hole for a starting pin that serves the same purpose as the pointed stick we’re using. It doesn’t matter what you use as a pivot as long as it’s firmly attached and placed 2 to 3 in. from the bit.

Cut the pattern from MDF (medium-density fiberboard) or tempered Masonite. Sand the edges smooth because the router bit will transfer every imperfection in your pattern to your workpiece. Rough-cut your workpiece with a jigsaw and attach the pattern with small nails, hot-melt glue or double-faced tape.