Shop Equipment

One of the best pieces of equipment that I own is a router table.  If you are a beginning woodworker, a router table is one of the first pieces of shop equipment I recommend you purchase.

The router gives you some flexibility and reduces time spent on certain points in your projects. One of the selling points of my Adirondack chairs is the soft corners and edges. Before I got the router table, I had to use a sander to round off the all the edges.  The problem with the sanding method is the finished work can be inconsistent. Some places you’ll have a nice 1/4 radius edge, and in other places it could be larger or even smaller.  Having consistent rounded edges give the piece a professional look.

Some Advice:

1. ALWAYS wear eye protection (eye pro). Most router tables are designed so the wood shavings are kicked towards the back (away) side of the table, but this is not a guarantee, even if you have the table hooked to a dust collection system. Wood shavings can do significant damage to your eye, so suck up the pride and wear those decidedly un-cool goggles or eye-pro glasses.

2. Make sure the table is secured to your work surface. The table I have a fairly stable, but will slide around if not secured.  If you don’t have a dedicated table for the router system, no worries. Securing it the workbench is rather simple. If you don’t mind holes in your workbench drill mounting holes to match the holes that are most likely in the router table legs already. If you do mind the holes (maybe this workbench is your only workbench) using C-clamps or quick-clamps will do the trick nicely.

3. Another safety tip is to ensure you keep your fingers clear of the router bit. This thing has VERY sharp edges and rotates at an extremely high velocity. I am fairly certain it will remove skin and possibly some bone as readily as it removes wood. This is one pointer that I DO NOT have personal experience with, thank goodness.

4. If you have never used a router table make sure you have lots of scrap wood around and practice, practice, practice. Your project is not the time or the place to learn how to use a router.  Don’t forget, you need to practice with each type of router bit.  Each different style of bit has a certain feel to it as it works on the wood.

5. Don’t scrimp on the bits themselves. You need to make the table is solid and has a good work surface.  The router should be powerful enough to cut through the hardest of woods.  But all of this will be a waste if you go and purchase the $10.00 dollar ‘set of 5 bits’ at the local Jimmy Mart. Good quality bits will run you $15-20 apiece. The top of the line bits will run you three digits.  If you’re just getting started, don’t spend that kind of money unless you have it to burn. Getting the shop set up is the top priority. Don’t purchase low quality stuff, just do what you can to make your new shop dollars stretch. Every once in a while one tool company or another will package a set of 3, 4, or 5 bits for a good price so keep your eye open for those sales.

6. Use even pressure throughout the cutting process. Make sure the wood remains firmly on the table surface and the bit is doing its job.  Most round-over bits have a ball-bearing guide at the end of the bit.  This keeps you from cutting too deep, running the project. But there is a downside to guide. If you press too hard to the wood towards the router bit, the guide will leave a mark on the wood, especially on softer woods like pine and cedar.  A firm but light touch is the key.