4 Basics of Wood Router You Must Know

A wood router is a multi-faceted power tool that is useful in applying a myriad of wood profiles on a woodcraft project. These wood profiles may include a basic edge profile or a complex edge profile. There are a lot more things that can be done with the help of a wood router. It is a fabulous woodcraft tool that you would surely want to grab! Are you a beginner into the amazing world of woodwork? You are at the right place. After scrolling down till the end of this page, you will be well-aware of the ‘what’, ‘how’ and ‘where’ of a wood router. Here we present the 4 basics of a wood router. What are you waiting for? Scroll over!

1. What is a Wood Router?

A wood router is a powerful tool with rotary movement that is used to make a variety of shapes on your woodcraft project. It has a collet on the end of the motor shaft which can be used to connect router bits on the motor. Its feature lies in its humongous speed and precision by which it does its work. There are a colossal number of choices of bits that you can use in a wood router. Due to this, you can obtain as many profiles on the edge of wooden board as your imagination allows you to think! Wood router can be of two types – stationary base & plunge base router. In the stationary base router, once you set a particular depth at which you are going to work, it will stay constant while you use the tool. On the other hand, in the plunge base router, you can plunge the router downward as much as you want to make the cut and then pull it back up.

2. 10 Basic Router Bit Profiles

Router bits are used in providing the edge profiles to your woodcraft project with the help of fixed or plunge base routers and shapers. If you want to give a whole new shape to your wood stock, you can put multiple router bits in series. There are ten basic router bit profiles that can be used to create these edges. These are quite useful for using the wood router for beginners.

• Beading Bit
• Chamfer Bit
• Cove Bit
• Dado (Straight-cutting) Bit
• Dovetail Bit
• Ogee Bit
• Rabetting Bit
• Round Nose Bit
• Roundover Bit
• V-Grove Bit

3. Tips about installation of Router Bits

If you want a flawless edge profile, you need to make sure that the router bit turns smoothly on the edge of your woodcraft project. For the smooth turn of router bits, the very first step is that the bits are installed perfectly in the collet – the part that helps with the grip of the cutting end of the bit and connects it with the motor spindle. If the bit isn’t installed properly, it can cause severe damage to the bits when it is put into use. You should make sure that before you engage yourself into any routing operation, your bit is clean and sharp. If it is dull or defective, it is your duty to fix it and make it sharp for use.

4. What is the Best Router Bit Speed for your wood router?

There is a lot of woodwork routers today in which you can choose the desired RPM as per the application. Router bit speed depends on the type of wood that you are working on. Moreover, it also depends on the bit size and type. You should avoid the extremes – too fast can burn your wood and too slow can result in a rough cut. Just remember one thing –if the bit is large, the bit speed should be smaller and vice-versa.