Router Crank Handle

The fine adjustment knob on plunge routers can be small and difficult to use. So I replaced mine with a window crank that I found at my local hardware store.

The large handle makes fine adjustments easier to con-trol. Plus, the handle is a lot easier to find when I mount the router under a table.

Window cranks come in several sizes, so be sure to get one that matches the shaft on your router. The shaft on my router just happened to be 3/8", which is a standard window crank size. 

Depending on the kind of router you have, you might get a better fit if you first remove the threads in the crank handle. I reamed out the splines of my crank.

with a 3/8" bit and then used the set screw to anchor the handle to the flat part of the shaft.

Self-Centering Plunge Router Base

A plunge router is great for cutting mortises on the edge of a workpiece. The only trick is getting it centered. Here's a handy auxiliary base that will center the bit automatically, and it works with workpieces of just about any thickness.

The key is a couple of pins. These are nothing more than common bolts with their heads cut off. I fastened them to the base with T-nuts and hex nuts, but for the base to work, these pins have to be positioned carefully. The centerpoint of the bolts and the router bit must form a straight line. Plus, the pins must be the same distance away from the bit. 

To use the base, simply attach your router and set the base on the edge of the work-piece. Twisting the base so the pins contact each face of the piece automatically centers the bit, as you can see in the details at bottom right. Then just plunge and rout the mortise.

Routing Stopped Flutes

Recently I was making a bookcase with stopped flutes on the side. I was disappointed when I noticed my router bit left some pretty bad burn marks at the end of each flute.

Routing a stopped flute usually results in burn marks at the ends.

The ramps lift the bit out of the flute, leaving a clean, tapered end.

To overcome this problem, I made a simple ramp device that keeps my router from burning the edges. This method works so well that now I use it just about anytime I’m building a project that calls for routed flutes.

My device looks like a miniature skateboard ramp, see photo below. When I slide the router up the ramp, the bit is lifted smoothly out of the flute. Not only do you eliminate the burning, but you also get a nice, tapered end.

The ramps are nothing more than scraps of “2x4” stock with arcs cut in them, see Fig.1. The blanks for the ramps should be the same width as the stock that you are routing the flutes in. For the flutes in the bookcase, I found that a 3"-radius arc was just about right. After laying out the arcs, I cut them on a band saw and sanded them smooth on a drum sander. To see how I use the ramps, go to page two of this tip.

To use the ramps, simply clamp them to the ends of the workpiece, making sure that the end of each ramp is square to the edge of the workpiece, see Fig.2. (You could also tape the ramps down with double-sided carpet tape.) With a jig or edge guide attached to your router, the ramps will help lower and raise the router into the cut, see Figs.3 and 3a.

There's one thing to be aware of. I found that the sharp edge of my router base had a tendency to "catch" on the edge of the ramp at the end of the flute. To avoid this, I simply filed a slight chamfer on the edge of my router base plate.

Simple Router Trammel

Circle cutting is easy with a router and a shop-built trammel. And the trammel doesn't have to be anything fancy. In fact, on the rare occasion that I need to cut circles, I just use a scrap piece of hardboard. Then when the project is complete, the hardboard goes back into my scrap bin.

To make a trammel, first remove the router's sub-base, and trace the bit opening and mounting screw locations onto a rectangular piece of hardboard, as shown in the drawing. (I like to use a piece of hardboard that is slightly wider than the base of my router.) Bore these holes and make sure to countersink the holes for the head of the mounting screws.

Next, install a bit in the router (I use a ¼" straight bit for most projects). Then measure the radius of the hole you want to cut from the inside edge of the bit. Now drill the hole for the pivot pin. I drilled this hole with a ¼" bit and used the bit as the pin.

Always be sure to rout the circle counter-clockwise, which is in the opposite direction of the bit's rotation.

Router Bushing Thread Lock

When I'm routing dovetails or following a template, I use a guide bushing on the base plate of my router, like the one shown in the drawing below. But sometimes I have a problem with the threads of the bushing working loose due to the vibration of the router.

To solve this problem, I use a simple fix. Before installing the bushing on my router base, I wrap the male threads of the bushing with Teflon tape (the kind used with threaded pipe connections). The tape prevents the threads from vibrating loose. (Teflon tape can be found at most hardware stores.)

Rolling Featherboard

When cutting raised panels on a router table, my featherboard attachment does me little good.

With the panel up on edge, my featherboard simply doesn't provide enough support to help steady the workpiece while I'm making the cut. To solve this problem, I came up with a device that works like a featherboard, yet offers much more support in keeping upright panels steady.

My rolling featherboard consists of an L-shaped fence (made with MDF) with a pair of appliance casters attached to one side. The rollers allow the workpiece to glide smoothly along the table while the spring action behind the rollers keeps it snug to the fence. 

First build the fence section. Attach the castors to a length of MDF that matches the width of your router table. To make sure the castors will move in and out of the fence (as the spring expands and contracts) be sure to drill holes for the castor studs slightly larger than the stud diameter. Also, studs on casters can be rather short, so you might need to counterbore the holes in your fence stock (see detail a.) 

Next attach a base to the fence with woodscrews.

Flush Trim Jig

Recently I was building a plywood bookcase with several shelves. To conceal the rough plywood, I glued hardwood strips to the front of each shelf. But when I tried to trim the strips using my router, the edge of the shelf was too narrow for my router to ride on. So I came up with this quick jig for trimming these kind of edges.

The jig provides a wide, flat support surface that I can attach to any board for trimming narrow edges. Simply clamp the jig to the side of your work piece, align it flush with the edge of your shelf, and start trimming (see photo).

To make the jig, join two pieces of 3/4" plywood with glue and screws to form an " L" shaped object, see drawing below. Then attach a small support bracket to each end.

After you assemble the jig, be sure to cut a shallow notch in the front edge to create clearance for waste. This notch can be cut on a table saw. (Just make sure you don't cut through the screws.)

Fitting Inset Doors

Fitting inset doors to a cabinet opening has always been a hassle for me, especially if the cabinet opening isn’t perfectly square. But recently, I came up with a quick and easy method of trimming doors with a router and flush-trim bit.

To begin, just mark the desired trim line near the edge of the door. Then place a long, straight board under the door along the layout line to act as a guide for the bearing of the router bit.

With the door and guide clamped down to a bench or other support, it’s a simple matter to trim the door up to the layout line with a flush-trim bit, see detail below.

Bevels of Another Degree

On a recent project, I wanted a 30° chamfer on an edge. However, all I had was a 45° chamfer bit. I didn't want to buy a new bit for what was likely to be a one-time use, so I found a way to make the 45° bit work for me.

The solution was to create a 15° wedge for the base of my router, which put the cut I wanted right at 45°. To ensure a stable base, the wedge has to be wide enough to reach the outside edges of the router (see detail).

To mark the right location for drilling mounting holes on the wedge, I removed the base plate and used it as a template. When you make the cut, be sure to keep the wedge parallel to the edge to ensure an even chamfer.

Router Table Indexing Jig

Recently I had to cut a series of evenly spaced dadoes across the sides of some small display shelves I was making. I wanted to make the dadoes on my router table, and I needed a way to space them evenly. That's when I came up with the idea for an auxiliary table fitted with an index pin as shown in the photo.

To make the auxiliary table, I started by cutting a piece of ½" MDF (medium-density fiberboard) that fit on top of my router table. Then I drilled a hole in the center of the MDF for a router bit.

Next I inset a strip of wood into the top to serve as an index pin for spacing the dadoes, see Figure 1. I made sure that the distance between the router bit and the index pin equaled the spacing I needed for my dadoes, then I clamped the top to my router table.

Now cutting evenly spaced dadoes is easy. Simply butt one of the workpieces against the index pin and push it forward with a backer block to cut the first dado. Now just shift the workpiece so the dado you just cut fits over the index pin and cut a second dado. Repeat this process until all the dadoes have been cut, as you can see in Figure 2.