Popular Woodworking 2003-12 № 138, страница 52

TIPS & TRICKS

PRO TIP:

Titanium-coated Bits Don't Burn Wood When Sharp

Manufacturers sometimes coat the cutting edges of large, carbide-tipped router bits with a gold-colored titanium alloy and claim the bits can be used safely without reducing the routing speed. This is true to an extent. Titanium-coated carbide can be honed to a much sharper edge than the uncoated variety. While the cutting edges remain razor-sharp, the bit will cut cleanly at high speeds. But as soon as the edges dull or load up with pitch, the bit will burn the wood.

Starting pin

Worktable

Miter gauge slot

GREAT TIP:

Dust Collector Keeps Table's Mess to a Minimum

If possible, make sure your router table has a dust collector to minimize airborne dust as you work. On the table seen here, the collector is part of the fence.

GREAT TRICK:

Mount a Power Switch Closer to Table's Front

When a router is mounted in a table, it might be hard to reach the power switch. To solve this problem, mount a combination switch/outlet near the front of the table and wire it to control the power to the outlet. Plug your router into the outlet and use the switch to turn it on and off.

• If you don't have room for a standalone table, you can customize other fixtures already in your shop to hold a router. A workbench, a table saw or a radial-arm saw all can pull double-duty as a router table.

(Editor's Note: We provided construction plans for a router table in "Router Table-Mate" in our June 2001 issue. You can purchase the back issue by calling 800-258-0929 or online at popwood.com.)

What Router is Best with a Table?

Choosing which type of router to use in a router table has been the subject of debate for many years. When the plunge router first entered the marketplace, it quickly became the router of choice for table use, offering more precise height adjustment than fixed-base routers.

One problem that arose was when the return spring on plunge routers pushed against the height adjustment, making it a difficult process. It didn't take long for woodworkers to remove the spring from their plunge routers to make the adjustment easier. Manufacturers recently have addressed that problem themselves by offering plunge routers that enable users to "defeat" the return spring.

Another difficulty router tables presented was the need to reach under the table to make height adjustments, change bits and actually turn the router

on and off. This led to removable plates in the tabletops to which the routers were attached. Rather than crawling under the table, the router and plate could be lifted free from above the table. These plates soon became even more helpful with the addition of built-in

Mounting plate

Work

There are two common ways to mount a portable router and hold it stationary. You can mount it vertically under the work (top) or horizontally beside the work (bottom).

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