WOODWOR KI NG

CUTTING-EDGE

CUTTING-EDGE
Get more out of your router!

router
tips & tricks

router tips & tricks

How to get
the most out of
your router
With the right accessories and a little
know-how, a router can take the
place of much larger and more
expensive tools. Cutting-Edge Router
Tips & Tricks gives you the tools and
techniques you need to make your
router one of the most versatile tools
in your shop. Jim Stack, editor of
Popular Woodworking Books, shows
you how to build over 20 jigs and
fixtures to boost the router’s utility
and add flare to your favorite projects
with detailed photographs and step-
by-step instructions.
Unlike many router books,
Cutting-Edge Router Tips & Tricks
demonstrates not only how to make a
variety of jigs and fixtures, but also
how to use them. The second part

S TA C K
of the book walks you through the
construction of three basic, beautiful
projects complete with full-color
photographs and clear direction.
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You’ll see your router—and the
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whole new way!
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JIM S TA C K

PLC F&W-Cuting-Edge Router Tips &Tricks (RPS 04-8-58) 175L

CUTTING-EDGE router tips & tricks
CUTTING-EDGE

router
tips & tricks

How to get the most

out of your router

JIM S TA C K

POPULAR
WOODWORKING
BOOKS

CINCINNATI, OHIO
www.popularwoodworking.com
Cutting-Edge Router Tips & Tricks. Copyright © 2005 by Jim Stack. Printed READ THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE
and bound in China. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced To prevent accidents, keep safety in mind while you work. Use the safety
in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information guards installed on power equipment; they are for your protection. When
storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, working on power equipment, keep fingers away from saw blades, wear safety
except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. Published by goggles to prevent injuries from flying wood chips and sawdust, wear head-
Popular Woodworking Books, an imprint of F+W Publications, Inc., 4700 East phones to protect your hearing and consider installing a dust vacuum to re-
Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45236. First edition. duce the amount of airborne sawdust in your woodshop. Don’t wear loose
clothing, such as neckties or shirts with loose sleeves, or jewelry, such as rings,
Visit our Web site at www.popularwoodworking.com for information on more necklaces or bracelets, when working on power equipment. Tie back long hair
resources for woodworkers. to prevent it from getting caught in your equipment. People who are sensitive
to certain chemicals should check the chemical content of any product before
Other fine Popular Woodworking Books are available from your local bookstore using it. The authors and editors who compiled this book have tried to make
or direct from the publisher. the contents as accurate and correct as possible. Plans, illustrations, photo-
graphs and text have been carefully checked. All instructions, plans and proj-
09 08 07 06 05 5 4 3 2 1 ects should be carefully read, studied and understood before beginning
construction. Due to the variability of local conditions, construction materi-
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data als, skill levels, etc., neither the author nor Popular Woodworking Books as-
sumes any responsibility for any accidents, injuries, damages or other losses
Stack, Jim, 1951-
incurred as a result of the material presented in this book. Prices listed for
Cutting-edge router tips & tricks : how to get the most out of your
supplies and equipment were current at the time of publication and are sub-
router / Jim Stack p. cm.
ject to change. Glass shelving should have all edges polished and must be
Includes index.
tempered. Untempered glass shelves may shatter and can cause serious bodily
ISBN 1-55870-713-1 (hardcover: alk. paper)
injury. Tempered shelves are very strong and if they break will just crumble,
ISBN-13: 978-1-55870-923-2 (EPUB)
minimizing personal injury.
ISBN 1-55870-698-4 (paperback: alk. paper)
1. Routers (Tools) 2. Woodwork. 3. Jig and fixtures. I. Title: Router
tips & tricks. II. Title: Cutting-edge router tips and tricks. III. Title. METRIC CONVERSION CHART

TT203.5.S73 2005 to convert to multiply by

684'.08--dc22 2004054690
Inches Centimeters 2.54

Editor: Amy Hattersley Centimeters Inches 0.4

Designer: Brian Roeth Feet Centimeters 30.5
Layout artist: Joni DeLuca
Centimeters Feet 0.03
Production coordinator: Robin Richie
Photographer: Al Parrish (pages 2, 9, 92, 102, 116) Yards Meters 0.9
Book photographer: Jim Stack Meters Yards 1.1
Technical illustrator: Jim Stack
Sq. Inches Sq. Centimeters 6.45
Sq. Centimeters Sq. Inches 0.16
Sq. Feet Sq. Meters 0.09
Sq. Meters Sq. Feet 10.8
Sq. Yards Sq. Meters 0.8
Sq. Meters Sq. Yards 1.2
Pounds Kilograms 0.45
Kilograms Pounds 2.2
Ounces Grams 28.4
Grams Ounces 0.035
For all the woodworkers who own
or will soon own a router

About the Author Acknowledgements

Jim Stack is the Acquisitions Editor for Thanks to my Popular Woodworking
Popular Woodworking Books. Before that Books team, namely, associate editor Amy
he worked in commercial cabinet- and Hattersley, designer Brian Roeth and pro-
furniture-making shops for 20 years. duction coordinator Robin Richie for
their help and patience in creating yet
another great-looking book!
Thanks to Al Parrish for his photos of
the finished projects. He’s an artist with
light.
I would like to acknowledge the count-
less woodworkers that have taught me
(knowingly and unknowingly) about de-
sign, techniques and how to use tools. I
learn something new every day by watch-
ing you do what you do best.
When I saw the jig that John Hutchin-
son made for routing the lids on his shell
boxes, I knew it was a perfect addition to
this book. Thanks for your infectious cre-
ativity John!
table of contents

■ introduction . . . 8

chapter one chapter two

routers router table

page 10 page 18

chapter three chapter four

mouldings jigs, fixtures &

page 32 accessories
page 46
[ PROJECTS ]
chapter five

game table
page 92

chapter six

showcase cabinet
page 102

chapter seven

shell box
page 116

■ suppliers . . . 126

■ index . . . 128
introduction

R
outers are noisy, make lots of dust and can be senal for woodworkers to use in building cabinets and furni-

dangerous. Did I say they’re loud, dirty and can ture. Those of us who have worked in commercial cabinet-

jump out of your hands? So why do woodwork- and furniture-making shops have used the router for just

ers have a love affair with this handheld power tool? about everything, from cutting grooves and profiles to edge-

The router has been around for 70 or 80 years now, joining boards and cutting panels to size. Home woodworkers

and hasn’t changed in looks much at all. A router is a motor are now able to perform all these operations.

mounted inside a housing. The motor’s shaft has a collet on Frame and panel construction, splined joints, dadoes,

one end to which steel cutters can be mounted. The first rabbets, mortise-and-tenon joinery, casings and mouldings of

routers were large (you definitely needed two hands to oper- every possible variety, jointing and planing are a few of the

ate them), had steel housings (which made them heavy) and operations that can be done with the router.The router can

motors that could give you a good jolt if they wanted to. also hollow out containers, cut circles and ellipses, trim ve-

Router motors are now double-insulated and the housings are neers and plastic laminates, cut thin sheets of aluminum, and

made of high-impact plastic, both of which mean you won’t the list goes on.

get shocked if something shorts out unexpectedly. Also, they Using the router requires taking some precautions to

are smaller and lighter in weight, so sometimes you only need protect yourself. Earmuffs or plugs to protect your hearing,

one hand to operate the router. and a dust mask to protect your lungs. Double-checking your

By definition, to rout means to cut or plow a groove or setups whenever you use the router will protect your hands,

furrow. A router is the tool that does just that. However, it was body and peace of mind.

discovered early on that the router could be fitted with cutters I won’t tell you to fear the router, because that’s un-

and guided along the edges of boards to cut moulding profiles. healthy and can make you paranoid, but I will tell you to re-

Not only that, it could cut grooves and tenons and make joints! spect the router and what it can do and learn what it’s capable

Hundreds (dare I say thousands) of cutters and bits are of doing. Having said that, enjoy using this awesome tool!

available for use in the router.This tool has added a whole ar-

One thing to remember about using the router (or any power tool for that matter) is that

you’re smarter than the tool. But it needs to be respected for its power and quickness.

You can’t think as fast as the tool can operate, so think ahead when making setups.
chapter one

essential
operations
routers
ROUTERS ARE AVAILABLE IN THREE was invented, but lots of extras have been
styles: trimmer, fixed-base and plunge. Each added that have given the router a new lease
type has talents and abilities the others don’t. on life: interchangeable bases, tons of new cut-
This chapter will give you an overview of each ters and better motors.
style and help you decide which one is best for A router can last 20 to 30 years or more
your particular needs. if properly maintained. It has few moving
As stated earlier, the general look and op- parts, and those that do move can be easily re-
eration of the router hasn’t changed since it paired or replaced. Now, on to the good stuff.
styles of routers

The trimmer router is the smallest of the The trimmer router is small and can
be controlled easily with one hand.
routers and the least powerful, but that’s It’s great for cutting thin metal and
what makes it unique. It can be held and high-pressure laminates and cutting

operated with one hand and easily guided mortises for small hinges.

when routing signs or patterns.

The main use of the trimmer is just
that — for trimming high-pressure lami-
nates, thin sheets of nonferrous metals and
wood veneers. After high-pressure lami-
nate has been put onto a substrate, it
needs to be trimmed flush to the edges of
the substrate. A straight- or bevel-cutting
bit with a guide bearing is used to do the
trimming. The thickness of the laminate
or veneer is usually 1 ⁄ 8" or less, so not a lot
of power is needed for these cutting oper-
ations.
I had occasion to install a sign on a
storefront in a mall. The sign’s letters were lays can be set into these perfectly cut
made of wood that I attached to the store- grooves.
front about 15 feet off the ground. Then Another good use of the trimmer
the letters had to be laminated with thin router is cutting mortises for butt hinges.
sheets of polished brass. The brass needed The base of the router is small enough to
to be trimmed after it had been applied, fit into a template so guide bushings aren’t
and that’s when the trimmer router paid needed. The base of the router can ride
for itself. I was balancing on a ladder and right on the work and remain stable.
holding the router above my head, trim- The base of a trimmer router can be
ming off the extra metal. The router was fitted with guide bushings that will follow
light enough that I could have a hand free templates, or they can be used freehand to
to steady myself and still get the job done create designs. Woodcarvers use them to
before the mall opened for the day. remove large amounts of material so they
Trimmer routers are great for making can then use their chisels to do the fine
signage and cutting grooves for inlays. If work.
fitted with a fence on the base and a 1 ⁄ 8"- A fixed-base router has a base that can
diameter straight-cutting bit, the trimmer be moved up and down the body of the
can rout a 1 ⁄ 16"-deep groove around the router, but only when the router is not
edges of Federal-style table legs or the running. Fixed-base routers range from 1 ⁄ 2
edges of the top. Strips of wood veneer in- horsepower (hp) up to 31 ⁄ 2 hp. The bases

ROUTERS 11
[STYLES OF ROUTE RS CONTI N U E D]

A combination of a
will accept guide bushings and usually
fixed-base and plunger
come with a custom-fitted adjustable router is available. A
fence. single router motor can
have either base in-
A plunge router can be moved up and stalled on it in seconds.
down inside the base by releasing a finger-
operated lever. This can be done while the
router is running, which makes it easy to
cut mortises, for example. The router is put
into position over the workpiece and can
then be pushed or plunged into the work.
Plunge routers are 11 ⁄ 2 hp up to 31 ⁄ 2 hp.

The fixed-base router

is the standard for
routers. The base can
be adjusted for cutting
depth, and a variety of
attachments and jigs
can be attached to the
base.

12 CHAPTER ONE
router bits

In the last 10 years, bit and cutter manu- their shafts can be used with plunge This is a good starter set of router
bits. Left to right, straight-cutting with
facturers have gone all out to serve router routers and guided by a template to cut
guide bearing on the shank, straight-
users — commercial and home wood- virtually any shape you desire. I use them cutting, dovetail, straight-cutting with
workers. We now have an almost unlimit- when I cut the kidney-shaped cavities on guide bearing, cove cutter, roundover
and bevel. Get the best router bits
ed choice of size, shape, profile and style the backs of the solid-body guitars that I
you can afford. Just like most things,
of router bits. These include bits that cut build. if it seems like a “good deal,” it prob-
square grooves, round-bottomed grooves, All router bits are available with car- ably isn’t in the long run. It could
have inferior carbide steel in the cut-
V-shaped grooves, edge roundovers, coves, bide steel cutters. Carbide steel has proven ters, possibly weaker steel in the
ogees, bevels, cope-and-stick joints, raised itself to stay sharper and cooler under shanks, and shoddy guide bearings.

panels, finger joints, scarf joints, dovetails, high-speed usage than any other type of This can be dangerous if one or all of
these components fail under usage.
combinations of coves and roundovers, cutter steel, which makes it perfect for
small crown moulding, base trim, chair router bits. For the home woodworker,
rail, door and window casing, mullions, this means a router bit can be used for
rabbets, undercut picture-hanging grooves, years without needing sharpening. Even
T-shaped slots, full-bullnose profiles, and commercial woodworkers can get miles
the list goes on. Every time I go to my and miles out of one sharpening.
local woodworking supplies store, I see a Router bits are made with 1 ⁄ 4"- and
1
new style of router bit. ⁄ 2"-diameter shanks. Whenever possible,
Most router bits come with guide bear- buy the 1 ⁄ 2"-diameter shanked bits. They
ings, which means the bit can be guided are much stronger and will run a little
along the edge of a workpiece or can fol- cooler. During the writing of this book, I
low a template. These bearings are located broke a 1 ⁄ 4"-diameter router bit. They just
on the ends or up on the shafts of the bits. can’t take the pressure!
The bits with the bearings mounted on

ROUTERS 13
 ■ SAFETY FIRST

Changing Router Bits

• Always unplug the router before you change router
bits.
• Before plugging the router in, make sure the switch
is in the off position.
changing router bits
Changing router bits is easy. Using
two wrenches in one hand, it’s a
quick matter of squeezing the
wrenches together. This photo shows
the configuration of the wrenches for
tightening the collet nut. When you
feel the nut snug up, squeeze a little
more and you’re done. Don’t over-
tighten the nut. If the collet won’t
hold the bit after you’ve tightened the
nut, replace the collet.

To loosen the collet nut, reverse the

wrenches as shown in this photo.

14 CHAPTER ONE
replacing motor brushes
Unless a router is dropped on the

1 floor or falls in a lake, not much is

likely to go wrong with it. Routers
have motors that require brushes to
rub against their armatures so they
can get electric power to turn the
motor. Inspect the brushes often to
see how they look. To remove and re-
place the brushes (there are two, one
opposite the other), remove the plas-
tic cap that holds the brush in place.

This brush, the gray thing with the

2 wire and spring attached to it, is in

good shape. If it’s less than 1 ⁄ 4" long,
it should be replaced. You can order
these brushes from any tool repair
shop. Simply put the new brush in
the slot and reinstall the plastic cap.

ROUTERS 15
 ■ SAFETY FIRST

Corded Power Tools

When you’re finished using a corded power tool, set it on a surface out of your
walking area and coil up the cord. Many times I’ve seen power tools go crashing
to the floor when someone’s foot caught on the power cord hanging off the work-
table. This can ruin a tool beyond repair if it lands just the wrong way — and they
[RE PLACI NG MOTOR BRUSH ES CONTI N U E D] always do.

Routers are awesome power tools, but they are noisy and create tons of dust.
Protect your hearing with earmuffs or earplugs. Earmuffs are good when
you’re in a situation where you don’t need constant hearing protection. They’re
quick to put on and take off. Earplugs offer great protection and can be worn
all day long if you’re working with or around tools that run constantly. The dust
mask shown here is one of the best I’ve ever used. It has filters that can be
easily replaced. A valve lets you breathe in through the filters only. When you
exhale, the valve reverses to let that air out unfiltered. Don’t bother with dust
masks like doctors wear. They don’t seal around your face, and they aren’t
made to filter out fine dust particles. If your lungs and ears are important to
you, use the proper protective gear.

16 CHAPTER ONE
 ■ SAFETY FIRST

Feeding Stock Past a Router Bit

Never, ever, feed stock between a router bit and a fence.
If the fence is mounted on a router table or a router base,
it doesn’t matter. The router isn’t like the table saw. On a
table saw, it’s essential for the work to be cut to width
between the blade and fence. The rotation of a router bit
is horizontal to the cut being made and this rotation will
pull the workpiece into the router bit. This will throw the
work across the shop and pull your fingers into the cut-
ter. This is not to be taken lightly. I’ve seen otherwise
tough guys turn white when this has happened to them. I
had one boss that would fire any employee on the spot if
they violated this rule. It can endanger you and anyone
else that might be in the shop.

Here’s yet another use for duct tape.

A plastic attachment for a standard
vacuum cleaner can be taped to the
base of your router. When you use
the router, simply plug the business
end of your shop vacuum to this at-
tachment. You might need to use a
reducing attachment on the hose of
the shop vacuum to plug into the at-
tachment on the router base.

Router table fence

direction of feed direction of feed

If stock is fed from If stock is fed from
this direction, it will this direction, it will
Router bit
be pulled away from the be pulled into the cutter and
fence and into the cutter. thrown across the shop.

The stock is between the router bit and the fence.

This is a very dangerous setup and
is not to be done under
any circumstances!

ROUTERS 17
chapter two

router table
THIS ROUTER TABLE DESIGN IS A I will admit the router carriage and lift
composite of ideas I’ve seen over the years. are somewhat complicated and require some
This is not the ultimate router table; there is precision to make. But never fear! If you fol-
no such thing. I have taken the best tricks that low the construction steps and use the cutting
I thought would make a router table that is lists and illustrations to help you visualize the
easy to use. I’m not ashamed to admit I “bor- final project, you’ll be able to make this table
row” all the good ideas I can for my wood- with no worries. The materials to make the
working projects. We can all learn from each table are inexpensive and readily available at
other. It’s my hope that someone will add an- any home-improvement center or lumberyard.
other cool trick or two to this router table. The whole project (minus the router!) costs
about $60. The top and insert are
available from a manufacturer (see
the suppliers at the back of the
book), but I’ve included the materi-
als you’d need to make your own.
I highly recommend that you
use a router with at least 3 hp or
more with this, or any, router table.
For years I used a 11 ⁄ 2 hp router and
it worked, but it had to work too
hard and sometimes the results
weren’t the best. The added horse-
power does make a difference. It
makes it easier to use large cutters,
and the final cuts are much
smoother and cleaner than a smaller
horsepower router would give.
When using a router table and
a large horsepower router, you need
to be aware of some safety concerns.
What we’ve done is turn our router into a sta- That’s why we use featherboards, push boards
tionary power tool called a shaper. Any com- and shrouds around the cutters to protect our
mercial woodworker who has used or been fingers, hands, eyes and other body parts.
around a shaper will tell you it can be the Whenever I make a setup on the router table, I
most dangerous power tool in the shop. run through my mental checklist. Is the collet
Shapers and routers spin at incredibly high nut tight and the router bit secure? Is the fence
speeds. The average speeds on routers vary set correctly and tightened down? Are any
from 10,000 to 20,000 rotations per minute. other attachments securely in place? Then I
That’s more than 150 to well over 300 rota- run through it one more time. This routine
tions per second. The speed at which things has saved me some potential injuries on several
can be thrown from the cutters is over 100 occasions. Check twice before powering up.
miles per hour. None of us can think that fast.

ROUTERS 19
20 CHAPTER T WO
 M AT E R I A L S L I S T
REFERENCE
inches (millimeters)

COMMENTS
THICKNESS
QUANTITY

LENGTH
WIDTH
STOCK
PART

(mm) (mm) (mm)

1⁄
A 1 top MDF 1 2 (38) 24 (610) 36 (914)
3⁄
B 8 legs MDF 4 (19) 3 (76) 30 (762) 45° miter one long edge, glue 2 parts to make 1 leg
3⁄
C 2 front rails MDF 4 (19) 3 (76) 281⁄ 2 (724)
3⁄
D 2 sides MDF 4 (19) 3 (76) 201⁄ 2 (521)
3⁄
E 1 back MDF 4 (19) 24 (610) 281⁄ 2 (724)
3⁄
F 1 shelf MDF 4 (19) 193⁄ 4 (502) 281⁄ 2 (724)
3⁄
G 2 inner tops MDF 4 (19) 193⁄ 4 (502) 281⁄ 2 (724)
3⁄
H 2 drawer fronts MDF 4 (19) 61⁄ 4 (159) 83⁄ 4 (222)
3⁄
J 2 drawer sides MDF 4 (19) 8 (203) 16 (406)
3⁄
K 2 drawer sides MDF 4 (19) 8 (203) 19 (483)
3⁄
L 1 drawer bottom MDF 4 (19) 43⁄ 4 (121) 16 (406)
3⁄
M 1 drawer bottom MDF 4 (19) 43⁄ 4 (121) 19 (483)
3⁄
N 2 drawer backs MDF 4 (19) 61⁄ 4 (159) 8 (203)
3⁄
P 1 drawer front MDF 4 (19) 83⁄ 4 (222) 233⁄ 4 (603)
3⁄
Q 2 drawer sides MDF 4 (19) 81⁄ 2 (216) 13 (330)
3⁄
R 1 drawer bottom MDF 4 (19) 23 (584) 13 (330)
3⁄
S 1 drawer back MDF 4 (19) 61⁄ 4 (159) 18 (457)
3⁄
T 4 drawer guides MDF 4 (19) 19⁄ 16 (40) 193⁄ 4 (502)

HAR DWAR E

1 set 18" (457mm) drawer slides

4 11⁄ 4" (32mm) wooden knobs
2 3" (76mm) butt hinges
2 duplex electrical boxes
1 duplex outlet fixture
1 on/off switch
1 9" (229mm) x 14" (356mm) piece of 3⁄ 8" (10mm) acrylic plastic or plywood

1 2

Cut out the legs, front rails, sides, back and bottom as shown in Using screws and glue, attach the sides to the legs. Make two of these assemblies.
the cutting list. Tape, glue and fold the miter joints on the legs.

ROUTER TABLE 21
 3 4

Using glue and screws, attach the back to the side assemblies. Then drill Flip the assembly over and attach the front rails.
pocket holes in the bottom and attach it to the table assembly.

5 6

Mark the locations of the electrical boxes. Drill starter holes where the flanges Make the cutouts using a jigsaw.
of the boxes are located.

22 CHAPTER T WO
 7 8

Drop the boxes into the holes and attach them to the table with screws Wire the switch and receptacle. If you are unsure about doing this procedure,
through the mounting brackets. contact a licensed electrician for advice or have him or her do it for you.

9 10

Drill a clearance hole in the bottom for the threaded rod. Also, cut a dust-
collection hole in the bottom to the size needed for your dust collection sys-
tem or shop vacuum.

Using screws, install the upper drawer guides.

(C O NTI N U E D O N PA G E 2 8)

ROUTER TABLE 23
router table carriage
M AT E R I A L S L I S T inches (millimeters)
REFERENCE

COMMENTS
THICKNESS
QUANTITY

LENGTH
WIDTH
STOCK
PART

(mm) (mm) (mm)

3⁄
A 2 dovetail keepers MDF 4 (19) 5 (127) 10 (254) 10° bevel one long edge
3⁄
B 2 dovetail keepers MDF 4 (19) 5 (127) 91⁄ 4 (235) 10° bevel one long edge
3⁄
C 2 dovetailed guides MDF 4 (19) 11⁄ 2 (38) 7 (178) 10° bevel two long edges
3⁄
D 2 inner sides MDF 4 (19) 7 (178) 11 (279)
3⁄
E 2 braces MDF 4 (19) 31⁄ 2 (89) 7 (178)
3⁄
F 1 carriage deck plate MDF 4 (19) 7 (178) 11 (279)
3⁄
G 3 collars MDF 4 (19) 61⁄ 4 (159) 71⁄ 4 (184)
3⁄
H 2 front/back panels MDF 4 (19) 111⁄ 2 (292) 113⁄ 4 H (298)
3⁄
J 2 partitions MDF 4 (19) 113⁄ 4 H (298) 193⁄ 4 (502)

HAR DWAR E

3⁄
1 8"- 16 x 12" (10mm x 300mm) threaded rod
3⁄
4 8"- 16 (10mm) hex nuts
3⁄
4 8"- 16 (10mm) flat washers
3⁄
3 8"- 16 (10mm) lock washers
3⁄
2 8"- 16 (10mm) T-nuts
3⁄
1 8"- 16 x 4" (10mm x 100mm) hex-head bolt

24 CHAPTER T WO
1 2

Cut the collar parts as shown in the cutting list. Using a circle cutter in a drill Drill clearance holes for the thread nubs that stick out on the body of the
press, remove the material from the centers of the parts. Make test cuts in router. Locate them every 90° around the cutout.
scraps until you have a snug fit around the body of the router.

Using the router as an

alignment guide, glue
the three collars into a
sandwich.

3
ROUTER TABLE 25
( R O U T E R TA B L E C A R R I A G E C O N T I N U E D )

After the glue has dried, remove the

4 router from the collar assembly. Cut

the 3 ⁄ 16"-wide relief slot using a table
saw. Then cut the holder to shape as
shown in the illustration and drill a 3 ⁄ 8"-
diameter hole in the collar for the bolt.

26 CHAPTER T WO
 Cut out the rest of the parts for the carriage as shown in the cut-

5 ting list. Build the inner carriage and outer carriage boxes. Using
screws, attach one of the dovetail keepers to the inside of the
outer box at the location shown in the illustration. Use one of the
dovetailed guides as a spacer and attach the second dovetail
keeper. Repeat this process for the opposite inside of the outer
box. Using screws, attach the dovetailed guides to opposite
sides of the inner box. Check the fit of the guides between the
dovetail keepers. The inner box should slide with some resist-
ance on the inside of the outer box. You don’t want this inner
box to freely slide up and down. Make adjustments if necessary.
Attach the collar assembly to the inner box. Install the threaded
rod, including the T-nuts, nuts and washers. See the illustration
for details.

ROUTER TABLE 27
(C O NTI N U E D F R O M PA G E 23)

11 12

Install the lower drawer guides using screws. The purpose of this guide is to After running a few tests, I discovered that cutting a slot in the front of the car-
fill in the space from the side of the router table to the inside edge of the front riage box helped the cross ventilation for the dust collection.
leg. Make it 1⁄ 16" wider than the space it’s filling so the drawer side will have
clearance past the edge of the front leg.

13 14

To seal the drawer compartments from unwanted dust, install the inner tops Attach the other side of the dust panel with screws inserted into the right-
with screws. Note the line of screws in line with my fingers. These screws hold hand upper drawer guide.
the upper drawer guide in place. This same configuration is used on the right
side of the table.

Cut out the drawer

15 parts and assemble the

drawers using screws.
Drill the drawer shelf to
hold router bits.

28 CHAPTER T WO
16 17

Install the drawer front with screws. These fronts also serve as drawer stops. Attach the top to the router table’s back legs with hinges.
The screw holes can be filled later if you paint the table.

I laminated two pieces

18 of particle board to
make a thick fence. You
could also use MDF or
plywood. Laminating
makes a strong, rigid
fence that won’t bend
or cup. Glue the fence
cleat to the back of the
fence. Double-check for
squareness.

ROUTER TABLE 29
19 20

This is the first job for your new router table! Rout the stopped grooves in the This is the clamping setup for holding the fence to the table. This is a simple
fence. Create these grooves by making several shallow cuts. Don’t try to cut but effective way to hold the fence in place. When the top knob is tightened,
through the fence in a single pass. Chances are good you’ll break the router the fence can’t be moved.
bit. Set up a temporary fence using a straight board and a couple of clamps.

Attach the dust hood

21 22 with a couple of 2" dry-

wall screws.

The dust hood for the fence is made from three pieces of
MDF. Cut a hole in the hood to fit your dust collector or
shop vacuum hose.

30 CHAPTER T WO
 This photo shows the

23 fence, the fence hold-

downs, dust hood, ad-
justable fences and the
adjustable fence knobs.

24 25

Make a few feather boards using a band saw. Cut a 10° - 15° angle on the end Feather boards are handy to have and are the disposable fingers you don’t
of the board and also draw that angle three or four inches from the end of the have to worry about hurting.
board. Set the saw’s fence and make a stopped cut to this line. Flip the board
and make another cut. Readjust the fence and make more cuts. Repeat until
you reach the center of the board.

ROUTER TABLE 31
chapter three

mouldings
YOU CAN MAKE CUSTOM MOULDINGS
and trim for your house or furniture and cabi-
net projects with a router and the proper bits.
I won’t try to show you all the bits that are
available and all the possible combinations of
cuts. What I’ve done here is use one ogee cut-
ter in several different ways. This will help you
see the versatility of the router.
When making moulding and trim, it’s
easier to use a router mounted in a router
table. You simply feed the work through the
cutter.
If you don’t have a router table, you can
make the adjustable router jig and clamp it to
a bench or sawhorse. You can also clamp the
workpiece to a bench and guide the router on
the workpiece.
ROUTERS 33
 1 2

Most profiling router bits have guide bearings. When using the router table, it’s The router bit has been raised just enough to cut a small cove. A cove can
not necessary to use the router’s guide bearing, because the fence can be ad- make an edge look narrower and creates a nice shadow line on the moulding.
justed to act as the guide for the workpiece. I usually leave the bearing on the
bit and set the fence flush with the bearing. Hold the workpiece against the
fence and move the fence until the workpiece gently touches the bearing and
you’re all set.

3 4

The router bit has been raised to make the full ogee profile. This setup leaves Raising the router bit even higher will give an ogee profile with a shoulder.
a smooth transition from the face of the moulding into the curve of the ogee. This adds a lot of texture to the moulding and creates several shadow lines for
visual interest.

34 CHAPTER THREE
 5 6

If the stock is laid face down on the router table, still more mouldings can be Raising the bit a little will give the full-ogee profile on your moulding.
created using the same ogee-profile router bit. Using just the top of the router
bit will cut a cove.

To set off the ogee profile, raise the

7 cutter to create a step from the face

of the moulding to the start of the
ogee curve.

If the router bit is raised about

8 halfway up and the router table’s

fence is set away from the guide
bearing, a roundover is created. The
profiles and mouldings created on
these two pages were made from
one router bit. There are router bits
available that are made with several
different profiles cut into one bit.
These bits are a good investment if
you want to create different standard
profiles and/or create your own pro-
files without spending a lot of money
on several different speciality cutters.

MOULDINGS 35
cope-and-stick cutters

Several styles of matched cope-and-stick

router bits are available. No matter what
style you choose, the method for using
them is the same. A combination cutter is
available that’s used to make both the long
cuts and the matching end cuts on the
rails. I’ll show you how to use the
matched cutters.

This classic cope-and-stick frame and raised-panel construction is easy to do

using a router table and specially designed cutters. If you use a lot of cope-
and-stick joinery, these cutters are a good investment. They will pay for them-
selves quickly.

36 CHAPTER THREE
1

The stock needs to be at least 3⁄4" to

1" thick. You want enough material
left on the back of the frame to hold
the panel in place. You also want
enough material so the profile on the
front of the frame is deep enough to
make it crisp and have good shadow
lines. Set the router table fence so
the router’s guide bearings are flush
with it. Make cuts on one long edge
of all stiles and rails. If you’re making
frames with curved rails, use the
router bit’s guide bearing without the
router fence.

Install the matching cutter to make

2 the frame rail’s end cuts. Lay one of

the slotted cut pieces next to this
cutter, using the inside edge of the
groove and your guide. Align the bot-
tom edge of the square cutter on the
router bit with the top inside edge of
the groove in the workpiece. This will
give you a close setup for this cutter.
Make a few test cuts until the rail’s
face is flush with the stile’s face.

MOULDINGS 37
[COPE-AN D-STICK CUTTE RS CONTI N U E D]

Use a backup board to guide the rails when making these cuts. You can cut
this rail-end profile in the front edge of the backup board. The long edge of the
rails will fit into this profile when making these end cuts and prevent tearing of
the wood.

38 CHAPTER THREE
 4

This panel-raising bit has a large diameter — over 3". I had to

make a custom insert plate with a larger clearance hole. If you use
large bits like this, you need the largest router you can get. A soft-
start, variable-speed 31 ⁄ 2 hp router is what you should use. For a
large bit, run the router motor at the slowest speed for a smoother
and vibration-free cut. Not to mention it’s less scary. A smaller
router will spin the bit but will lose power quickly when you start
feeding the panel stock into the cutter. This will strain the motor,
cause premature brush wear and put undo stress on the bear-
ings in the router. Also, the bit will heat up and burn the wood.

5
The panel-cutting router bit makes short work of perfectly offsetting the panel and creating a
flat tenon that fits into the groove in the frame members. As always, make test cuts before
you cut into your good panel stock.

MOULDINGS 39
[COPE-AN D-STICK CUTTE RS CONTI N U E D]
The fully assembled
cope-and-stick joint
with a panel makes a
nice door, drawer front,
side or back panel for
cabinets and furniture.

6
One more view of this
joinery with the panel
installed. Several differ-
ent styles of panel-
raising bits are avail-
able to create the look
and style that fits your
own personal taste.

40 CHAPTER THREE
mortise-and-tenon joinery

This is square frame-and-panel

Mortise-and-tenon joinery is similar to
construction using mortise-and-
cope-and-stick joinery in that they’re both tenon joinery. It has a simpler look
used to make frame and frame-and-panel than the cope-and-stick moulded
frame parts. Using the router table,
doors, drawer fronts, cabinet sides and this joint can be made with one
backs. The difference is that most of the cutter.

time, the mortise-and-tenon frames don’t

have moulded edges. The edges are square
and many times the panels are flat. This is
typically used in Shaker furniture. This
joinery is exceptionally strong and has
proven itself durable for decades of use in
doors and cabinet casework construction.

MOULDINGS 41
[ M O R T I S E - A N D -T E N O N J O I N E R Y C O N T I N U E D ]

The frame stock should be at least

1 3
⁄ 4" to 1"-thick. This groove cutter is
designed to make a 1 ⁄ 2"-deep cut. Set
the router table fence flush with the
guide bearing so the full 1 ⁄ 2"-deep cut
can be made. If you have curved
rails, you can easily cut grooves in
them without the aid of the fence.
The guide bearing will ride along the
curved edge of the rail.

Center the groove in the edge of the

2 frame stock. As always, make test

cuts in scrap wood until the cut is
perfect.

42 CHAPTER THREE
 Cut grooves on one long edge of all

3 the frame parts. Then, lower the cut-

ter until the top of the cutter is even
with the bottom edge of the groove.
Just use your eye for this alignment.
Make a couple of test cuts and you’re
good to go.

Because the groove is centered in

4 the edge of the frame stock, cutting

the tenons is easy. Make the first cut
in the rail’s end, flip the rail over and
make the second cut. The tenon has
been completed.

MOULDINGS 43
[ M O R T I S E - A N D -T E N O N J O I N E R Y C O N T I N U E D ]

Cuts made with sharp router bits are

5 clean and neat. The tenon should fit

snugly into the groove (or mortise)
using a little hand pressure.

When this joint is as-

6 sembled with glue, it

will last for years to
come. If you want to
pin the joint through
the face into the tenon
for a little added
strength and decora-
tion, go ahead, but it’s
not necessary.

44 CHAPTER THREE
 A raised panel can be used with this

7 frame joinery. The offset of the panel

adds some visual interest and extra
shadow lines. A panel that is “raised”
using a square rabbet cut is also an
interesting choice.

For the cleanest and simplest look

8 for frame-and-panel construction,

this is it. Square-cut frame members
are assembled using mortise-and-
tenon joinery and a flat panel inside
the frame. This makes a great door
for cabinets and furniture. If done on
a larger scale, it works well for pass-
through doors in rooms of a house.

MOULDINGS 45
chapter four

jigs, fixtures &

accessories
OF ALL THE TOOLS A WOODWORKER
will ever use, the router has the most uses.
With the addition of shop-made add-ons that
we call jigs and fixtures, the router shifts into
different forms. In a router table, it becomes a
shaper, planer and moulding machine. With
one type of jig attached, it becomes a saw;
with another, it becomes a planer.
This chapter is packed with ideas for at-
tachments, tricks and techniques using the
router. This is by no means a comprehensive
list of ideas. I’ve included some time-tested
ideas and hopefully a couple of newer ones.
Keeping safety foremost in mind, you’re
limited only by your imagination as to how
the router can be used to perform a particular
operation.
ROUTERS 47
circle and arc routing jig

Using the proper jig, routing circles is

easy. This jig will hold your router secure-
ly and allow you to rout circles and arcs.
The adjustable block will set the center of
the radius to exactly what you want. You
can make round tabletops and discs for
forming cylinders and arcs.
The jig can be made from scraps of
wood you have in your shop, and the
hardware is easy to find at any hardware
store or home-improvement center.
1
Shape the base plate to the general shape shown in the illustration. Make sure
the base plate is large enough for your router base. Glue the spacer plate to
the base plate. Then, using screws, attach this assembly to the arm plate.

48 CHAPTER FOUR
 Arm plate A 1/4 –20 x 11/2" carriage bolt

Spacer plate C Knob E

1/4" fender washer

1/4" - wide groove

Base plate B

1/4"–20 T-nut
Adjustable block D
is three layers
of 1/4" x 3" x 3"
plywood.
Roofing nail cut to 3/4" long.

M AT E R I A L S L I S T inches (millimeters)
REFERENCE

COMMENTS
THICKNESS
QUANTITY

LENGTH
WIDTH
STOCK
PART

(mm) (mm) (mm)

3⁄
A 1 arm plate plywood 4 (19) 5 (127) 20 (508)
1⁄
B 1 base plate plywood 4 (6) 7 (178) 101⁄ 2 (267)
1⁄
C 1 spacer plate plywood 2 (13) 31⁄ 2 (89) 5 (127)
3⁄
D 1 adjustable block plywood 4 (19) 3 (76) 3 (76) see step 2
3⁄
E 1 knob plywood 4 (19) 2 (51) 2 (51) shape knob after drilling hole for T-nut

HAR DWAR E

1 11⁄ 2" × 1⁄ 4"–20 (38mm × 6mm–20) carriage bolt

1⁄
1 4"–20 (6mm–20) T-nut
1⁄
1 4" (6mm) fender washer
1 11⁄ 4" (32mm) roofing nail (or any large-headed nail)
4 No. 8 × 11⁄ 4" (No. 8 × 32mm) wood screws

JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 49

 Drill a shallow counterbore in the
bottom 1 ⁄ 4"-thick plate to accept the
nail head. This will allow the nail
head to seat flush to the surface of
the plate. Drill a pilot hole for the nail
shank. Cut the nail 3⁄ 4"-long and
round the point. Insert the nail into
the plate.
Drill a counterbore in the middle
1
⁄ 4"-thick plate to accept the head of
the T-nut. Then drill the pilot hole for
the barrel of the T-nut. Insert the T-
nut into this plate. The head of the T-
nut should be flush with the surface
of the plate.

2 Drill a clearance hole for the bolt

in the center 1 ⁄ 4"-thick plate. Glue all
three of the 1 ⁄ 4"-thick adjustable
plates together. Be careful not to get
any glue in the threads of the T-nut.

3
Cut the knob to the shape shown in the illustration or choose your own shape. Counterbore
for the T-nut and drill the through-hole for the bolt to pass through. Then soften the corners
of the knob.

4
Remove the base plate on your router and use it as a drilling template to drill the screw holes into the base plate of the jig. Counter-
sink for the base plate mounting screws and install the router base on the fixture base plate.
To use this jig, determine the radius you want to rout. With the router attached to the jig, measure from the inside of the router bit
to the center of the nail in the adjustable block and tighten the adjustable block. Drill a pivot hole in your workpiece, insert the nail in
the hole, and you’re ready to rout.

50 CHAPTER FOUR
routing a circle

This technique can be used to rout perfect

circles if you don’t own a band saw.
To make this jig, mill a strip of wood
to the dimensions shown in the illustra-
tion. Make sure the strip slides easily in
the miter groove in the router table’s top.
Drill a 1 ⁄ 4"-diameter hole in the guide strip
and glue the 1 ⁄ 4"-diameter dowel in the
hole.
Before using this router table setup,
you should draw a circle on the material
using a compass or trammel points. Drill
a 1 ⁄ 4"-diameter hole at the center of the
circle about halfway through the material.
Rough-cut the circle using a jigsaw. Then
position the circle over the guide bar on
the router table, centering it on the 1 ⁄ 4"-di-
ameter dowel attached to the guide bar. Draw the circle first, then drill a 1 ⁄ 4"-

Move the guide bar toward the straight diameter hole in the center of the cir-
cle. Finally, rough-cut the circle using
cutter in the router until the edge of the a jigsaw.
circle barely touches the cutter. Spin the
circle to make sure no high spots will grab
the cutter. When all is OK, clamp the
guide bar to the router table and turn on
the router. Carefully feed the circle against
the cutter. If some low spots don’t get cut,
move the circle closer to the cutter and re-
peat the cutting. Do not remove more
than 1 ⁄ 16" of material at any one time Using this technique, the edges of

when using this technique. the disc are cleanly cut.

JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 51

[ROUTI NG A CI RCLE CONTI N U E D]

3/4"

3/8"
1/4" - diameter by 3/4" - long
dowel

36"
-42
"

Router table fence

Adjustable fence

Adjustable fence
Direction of feed

Disc is centered on a
dowel that is attached Clamp the guide strip to
to the guide strip. the router table's top.

52 CHAPTER FOUR
jig for routing ellipses

An ellipse is an angled cross section of a

cone and has constantly changing radii.
This jig will enable you to cut patterns,
grooves and templates. A perfect ellipse
will be the result every time.
This jig can easily be sized larger. De-
termine how large your ellipse will be and
cut the base plate to size. The grooves for
the guide blocks will be the same size re-
gardless of the base plate dimensions.
To begin, cut the base plate to size.
Then set up a dado cutter in your table saw
and cut the grooves for the guide blocks or
cut the grooves using your router. Center
the grooves on the base plate.
Cut out the pivot arm. Use a router
mounted under a router table to cut the
1
⁄ 4" slot in the pivot arm. Next, cut out
the guide blocks and drill them to accept
the machine screws.
The mounting plate for the router that
attaches to the pivot arm will vary in size
and shape according to the size of your
router.
Waxing the guide blocks and the guide
block grooves will allow this jig to operate
smoothly.

This jig can be adapted to rout small or large ellipse shapes. We used this basic principle in a production
shop I worked in to make dozens of 5' by 7' conference tables.

JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 53

[J IG FOR ROUTI NG E LLI PSES CONTI N U E D]

Solid attachment
is made by tightening
Dimensions of base plate can be the nuts to the pivot arm.
adjusted to fit your particular needs. 1/4" - 20 hex nut (4)

1/4"-wide slot

Guide block C (2)

must turn freely.

Pivot arm B
1/4" flat washers (6)

1/4" - 20 x 2" oval head bolt (2)

Router attaches
to this plate. Cut 10° dovetail
slots in the base plate.
Attach this plate to
the pivot arm.

Base plate A

Clip off corners as

needed for router
clearance.

M AT E R I A L S L I S T inches (millimeters)
REFERENCE

COMMENTS
THICKNESS
QUANTITY

LENGTH
WIDTH
STOCK
PART

(mm) (mm) (mm)

3⁄
A 1 base plate plywood 4 (19) 11 (279) 16 (406)
3⁄
B 1 pivot arm hardwood 4 (19) 11⁄ 4 (32) 20 (508)
1⁄ 3⁄
C 2 guide blocks hardwood 2 (13) 4 (19) 3 (76)
1⁄ 3⁄
D 1 mounting plate hardwood 2 (13) 4 (19) 3 (76) varies in size and shape according to the size of your router

HAR DWAR E

2 2" × 1⁄ 4"–20 (51mm × 6mm–20) ovalhead bolts

1⁄
4 4"–20 (6mm–20) hex nuts
1⁄
6 4" (6mm) flat washers
2 #8 × 11⁄ 4" (32mm) drywall screws

54 CHAPTER FOUR
 This photo shows the router base
mounted to the pivot arm and one of
the guide blocks, with all its parts.
The mounting plate for the router will
vary from router to router. The router
base shown here is for a trim router.

2
Draw the ellipse on the workpiece, center the jig on the ellipse and screw it in place. Attach the router to the pivot arm. Set the router
on the longest point of the ellipse, locate the guide block that is the farthest away from the router in the center of the jig in the short
groove. Tighten the nuts of the bolt to secure the block on the pivot arm (as shown in the photo). Use this procedure for the shortest
point on the ellipse as well. Remember that the guide blocks need to be able to turn freely. Raise the router slowly, turn the router,
lower the router into the workpiece and guide the router around the ellipse. If you’ve never used this type of jig before, make a few
practice ellipses to get the feel of how the jig works.

JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 55

self-centering router jig

This jig really does work! With a few

scraps of plywood and some screws and
washers, you can build this self-centering
jig in 30 minutes or less.
Cut the parts as shown in the cutting
list. Lay out the router base on the 1 ⁄ 4"
plywood and cut it to your desired shape.
Remove the plastic from your router base
and use it as a template to mark the center
hole and screw holes on the plywood base.
It’s important to have the router-base
mounting holes located so they will center
the router on the plywood base. Drill the
screw holes as accurately as you can. Be
sure to countersink the holes so the
router-base mounting screw heads from
your router will sit below the surface of
the base. Drill the center router-bit clear-
ance hole and glue the router base blocks
in place as shown in the illustration.
Mark the holes in the ends of the end
bars. Drill these holes large enough so the
This jig makes it easy to rout mortises exactly on center each and every time when dealing with different
screws can be inserted in them with no thicknesses of materials.
force. The bars and the base will pivot on
the screws through these holes.
Mark the pilot holes in the two side
rails. Drill these holes and attach the end
bars, but don’t fully tighten the screws.
Mount the router to the plywood base.
Then attach the plywood router base to
the side rails.

56 CHAPTER FOUR
 End bar B (2)

Router base C
Router base
block D (2)

Side rail A (2)

M AT E R I A L S L I S T inches (millimeters)
REFERENCE

THICKNESS
QUANTITY

LENGTH
WIDTH
STOCK
PART

(mm) (mm) (mm)

3⁄
A 2 side rails plywood 4 (19) 2 (51) 12 (305)
3⁄
B 2 end bars plywood 4 (19) 1 (25) 8 (203)
1⁄
C 1 router base plywood 4 (6) 8 (203) 8 (203)
1⁄ 3⁄
D 2 router base blocks plywood 2 (13) 4 (19) 2 (51)

HAR DWAR E

6 No. 8 × 11⁄ 2" (No. 8 x 38mm) roundhead wood screws

3⁄
6 16" (5mm) flat washers

JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 57

[SE LF-CE NTE RI NG ROUTE R J IG CONTI N U E D]

1 2

Lay out the desired shape of the router base, then cut it to shape using the Be sure the holes that mount the base to the router hold the router in the cen-
band saw. ter of the base. This will ensure the proper centering of the router in the jig.
Drill a center hole just large enough to clear the bits you’ll be using.

To use this jig, put it on the work-

3 piece to be mortised or grooved and

close the jig until both side rails are
tight against the sides. Then, tighten
the screws on the end bars and the
plywood base. Slide the jig along the
workpiece to cut the mortise.

58 CHAPTER FOUR
face-routing system

A cabinet door, drawer front or side can Attach the guides to the base plates with made in two steps. First, the profile is
be made from medium-density fiberboard nails or screws. Locate the guides at least routed in the front of the door. Then the
(MDF) or a solid wood panel and given a 1" from the edges of the base plate. rabbet is routed in the back of the door.
raised-panel effect with a routed groove. When setting up the system, arrange As the rabbet is completed, the panel will
This face-routing setup provides a system the four guides like a pinwheel around the drop out.
to guide the router and achieve a uniform work. A flat work surface is the ideal place Different-size router bases can be easily
margin on all four edges of the panel. to set up this system. Be sure the guides made on a stationary sander or band saw
The system consists of four identical on the base plates are close enough togeth- (see the illustration). These bases can be
guides made of a base plate and an edge er so the router base plate will go into and used to position the router in different lo-
guide. The length of the guides should be out of the corners smoothly. cations on the door faces with reference to
as long as the part you plan to make. You are limited only by your imagina- the guide rails.
Cut out all the parts and be sure the tion as to how you can use this system.
edge guides have one good straight edge. The door being made in the photos is

This set up is totally

flexible and quickly ad-
justable to different
sizes of doors, drawer
fronts and cabinet
sides. With the inter-
changeable router
bases, you can create
patterns that you have
only dreamed of.

JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 59

[FA C E R O UTI N G SYSTE M C O NTI N U E D]

Be sure the guide Setup for Making New

strips are close enough Base plate length is as long Router Bases
together to guide as necessary.
the router through the
corner smoothly.
Edge guide B (4) 1/4"-thick plastic
or plywood
Wood base with hole for new base
Base plate A (4)
to receive pin

1/4"- or 1/2"-
diameter
pin secured
Sander table in the
router collet
Sander disc

– Chuck a 1/4"- or 1/2"-diameter pin in the router's collet.

– Attach the new base blank to the router.
– Put the pin into the hole in the wood base.
– Turn the router (with the new base) blank's edge against
the sander's disc.
– Move the wood base closer to the sander's disc
and sand the new base again.
– Repeat until the desired diameter for the new base is reached.

Base plate/Edge guide

Side View End View

The guides
can be adjusted for different-
size doors by shifting the
pinwheel setup.

M AT E R I A L S L I S T inches (millimeters)
REFERENCE

COMMENTS
THICKNESS
QUANTITY

LENGTH
WIDTH
STOCK
PART

(mm) (mm) (mm)

3⁄
A 4 base plates MDF 4 (19) 6 (152) 24 (610) length is as long as necessary
3⁄
B 4 edge guides MDF 4 (19) 2 (51) 24 (610) length is as long as necessary

HAR DWAR E

16 No. 8 × 11⁄ 4" (32mm) flathead wood screws

60 CHAPTER FOUR
1 2

Attach the guides with nails or screws. A flat work top is ideal for using this system. The guide assemblies are
screwed to the top.

3 4

When the second cut is made, the center panel will drop out and can be easily This is a door that has been routed for a glass panel.
removed from the door.

JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 61

adjustable router base

This jig is simply an auxiliary router base

with an adjustable fence for edging or cut-
ting rabbets and dadoes. A support piece
makes it possible to clamp the unit to a
2x4 sawhorse beam. It can also be
clamped in a woodworker’s vise. This pro-
vides a small portable router table that can
be easily taken to the job site.
The beauty of the fence is that it re-
quires only one end to be moved to adjust
the distance from the bit to the fence. The
range of that dimension is from flush to
41 ⁄ 2" (depending on the diameter of the
bit). If needed, a second fence can be con-
structed. The second fence could be longer
and permit the use of stop blocks. The
base can easily be adapted to any common
router base, including plunge routers.

Simplicity is the name of the game with this jig/fixture. It’s versatility is great for working onsite. This is it
— no need to carry around a router table. When it’s used as a jig, you’ve got the fence to hang onto to
guide the router safely.

62 CHAPTER FOUR
 Support C

Use this hanger bolt mounting Support C is mounted

point to attach the pivot screw under the base. Center the
when routing the groove for the hardwood fence. attaching screws on the
hardwood support.

31/4" 101/2"

Base A

Fence B
10 1
11/2" /2"
87 rad
dia. /8 . 3/4"
"r
107/8" ad rad.
B

11/2"
radius
A
11/2" x 1/4"–20 Threaded knob Support C
1/4"
flat carriage bolt
washer (2) 11/2" x 1/4"–20
hanger bolt

Support C Fence B

Base A Base A
View A View B

M AT E R I A L S L I S T inches (millimeters) HAR DWAR E

REFERENCE

No. 8 × 11⁄ 2" (No. 8 × 38mm) flathead wood screws

THICKNESS

3
QUANTITY

LENGTH

11⁄ 2" × 1⁄ 4"–20 (38mm × 6mm–20) carriage bolt

WIDTH
STOCK

1
PART

(mm) (mm) (mm)

1 11⁄ 2" × 1⁄ 4"–20 (38mm × 6mm–20) hanger bolt
1⁄ 7⁄
A 1 base plywood 4 (6) 10 8 (276) 14 (356) 2 1⁄
4"–20 (6mm–20) wing nuts or threaded knobs
3⁄
B 1 fence hardwood 4 (19) 11⁄ 2 (38) 107⁄ 8 (276) 2 1⁄
4" (6mm) flat washers
3⁄
C 1 support hardwood 4 (19) 21⁄ 2 (64) 14 (356) 4 No. 8 × 11⁄ 4"(32mm) drywall screws

JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 63

[ A D J U S TA B L E R O U T E R B A S E C O N T I N U E D ]
Cut the parts according to the cutting list. Attach

1 the hardwood support to the base. Drill a router-

cutter clearance hole in a scrap piece of wood.
Center the router base over this hole and attach it
to the scrap. Install a 1 ⁄ 4" straight-cutting router bit
in the router and attach the router to its base. Mea-
sure 87⁄ 8" from the edge of the router bit to the op-
posite end of the scrap wood and drill a
pivot-screw hole. Attach this router assembly to
the adjustable jig base at the point where the
hanger bolt will be inserted (see illustration). Cut
the groove for the fence. Install the hanger bolt, at-
tach the hardwood fence, and you’re ready to go.

Clamp the fixture in a vise or to a sawhorse and you’re ready to start making This set up is ideal for routing rabbets or cutting profiles on mouldings.
grooves or whatever is needed.

Using the jig is safe and easy. The

whole thing can be flipped over so
you can guide the router over larger
stock. This would be a good setup
for profiling short-wall caps. The
fence provides plenty of hand control.

64 CHAPTER FOUR
routing a groove in a curved rail

When you make curved door or cabinet

panels that require curved rails, routing
the grooves for the panels is impossible
unless you use a router or cut them by
hand. Routing a groove in a curved rail is
similar to routing one in a straight rail.
Using a router table is the best way to
do this operation because the table will
support the rail throughout the entire cut-
ting operation. Set the router table fence
so the straight-cutting router bit will be
located in the center of the rail. Set the
adjustable fences on the table fence so
they’re about 2" apart. When the curved
A straight-cutting bit, a feather board and a router table work well to cut a groove in a
rail is held against the fence, it will strad- curved rail. As always, make test cuts in scrap wood until you get the feel for this operation.
dle this gap. This will in turn steady the Make several shallow cuts rather than one deep one.

rail as it’s fed through the setup. Use a

featherboard to hold the rail snugly
against the fence so the rail doesn’t wander
during the cutting of the groove.
It’s better and safer to cut these grooves
in two or three passes, raising the router
bit a little each time. It’s recommended
that you cut only 1 ⁄ 4" deep at each pass.

JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 65

[ROUTI NG A G ROOVE I N A CU RVE D RAI L CONTI N U E D]

The router will cut clean grooves

everytime. The tenons on this rail
could have been cut using a straight-
cutting bit using the same basic
setup used here.

Adjustable fences support the

curved rail at these points.

Router table fence

Adjustable fence
Direction of feed
Adjustable fence
Curved rail

Featherboard

66 CHAPTER FOUR
routing a cavity

Sometimes you need to re- After setting the stop

move material from the middle 1 blocks, raise the router

bit so it cuts about 1 ⁄ 8"-
of a blank of wood. If it’s a deep. Holding the

small blank, the router table is wooden blank against

the lower right-hand
the perfect tool to use. Stop corner of the stop
blocks can be used to define blocks, lower it down
on the spinning router
the area of the cavity. A
bit. Holding the blank
straight-cutting bit in a router against the stop blocks,
will perform the task of mate- move the blank toward
the fence, holding it
rial removal. Continue raising
against the right stop.
the router bit until the desired Then, move the blank
depth of the cavity is reached. to the left, then toward
your body and finally to
If the cavity to be created is the right.
large — for example, a space
that will hold a chopping block
in a kitchen countertop — a
jig can made that will guide the Make shallow cuts to
router. When using this jig, the 2 create the cavity. Raise
the router bit in 1 ⁄ 8" in-
same rule of making shallow crements and repeat
cuts applies. Trying to remove the routing process.

too much material at one time

could result in a broken router
bit, or torn or ragged cuts in
the wood, or the router being
knocked out of control or
twisted from your hands.

JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 67

[ROUTI NG A CAVITY CONTI N U E D]

Keep raising the router bit until

3 you’ve reached the desired depth of

the cavity.

Set up the router table fence and use

4 the same straight-cutting bit to cut

rabbets on the inside edges of the
lid. Soften the corners with sandpa-
per and you’ve made a box on the
router table!

68 CHAPTER FOUR
routing a mortise for a lock

Mortised locks, and some door catches,

need to be set into a mortise. Usually a
mounting plate will hold the lock or catch
in place. Routing a shallow mortise for the
mounting plate will give a nice, clean look
to the lock when it’s installed.
To rout this mortise, first draw layout
lines showing the location of the mortise.
Usually, the mounting plate is a standard
width: 1 ⁄ 4", 3⁄ 8" or 1 ⁄ 2". Choose the correct
size router bit and install it in the router.
Use a fence mounted on the router base to
guide the router when cutting the mortise.
Set the fence so the mortise is cut in the
center of the material. Set the depth of the
cut and you’re good to go. The mortise for
the mounting plates is shallow, so one cut If your router didn’t come with a fence attachment, you can improvise a fence using a scrap of wood and
two clamps. Use a hammer to fine tune the adjustment of the fence. Double-check to be sure the clamps
should work. are snug and start routing.
The deeper part of the mortise that
houses the workings of the lock or catch
can be routed or drilled out. A chisel can
be used for the final fitting of the mortise
if necessary.

JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 69

routing a rabbet for a continuous hinge

To install a continuous hinge quickly and

easily, you can rout a rabbet that is as deep
as the thickness of the closed hinge. To
rout this rabbet, you can use a rabbeting
bit or you can attach a fence to your
router and cut it that way. The advantage
of using the fence is that the fence and the
base of the router create a right angle that
supports the cut after the material has
been removed.
After you have cut the rabbet, cut the
corners of the rabbet square and install the
hinge.

This is my two-cent fence. I wanted washers that were wide but I only had small holes for
the screws, so pennies came to the rescue. For smaller routing jobs like this, a trim router
works great. Set the fence and make some test cuts in scrap wood to get a feel for this
setup. It may take a couple of practice runs to get accustomed to holding the router square-
ly to the edge of the part once some of the material has been removed. Learning to use the
router is like learning to use any hand tool. It takes some practice to get the right feel and
gain confidence.

70 CHAPTER FOUR
routing a cabinet handle

This technique is a safe way to The solution to the

problem of narrow
make narrow, moulded parts. door stock was to add
Start with stock that is twice as a full-length handle to

wide (plus the width of a saw each door. The router

table and a couple of
kerf ) as the finished parts. router bits came to the
Rout the desired profile on rescue.

both edges of the stock.

The idea shown here was
used to create door pulls. The
profile was routed first, then
the parts were separated using
the table saw.
For the final profile, a
straight-cutting bit was in-
stalled in the router, and a stop
block was set up to define the
length of the cut and to sup-
port the stock when this first
plunge cut was made. Start the
cut by resting the end of the
stock against the stop block
and holding the remaining
stock away from the cutter. This is the safe way to
Feed the stock into the cutter 1 cut profiles on parts
that would be too small
while holding it against the to safely feed through
stop block. This is a safe oper- the cutter.

ation and shouldn’t be feared.

Complete the cut by feeding
the stock through the cutter.

JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 71

[ROUTI NG A CABI N ET HAN DLE CONTI N U E D]

Separate the profiled

2 parts using a table saw

or band saw.

Set up a stop block on

3 the router table fence.

To start the cut, rest the
end of the material
against the stop block
while holding the stock
away from the cutter.
Push the stock into the
cutter and complete
the cut by running the
stock along the fence
through the cutter.

72 CHAPTER FOUR
template routing

Using templates to rout and shape multi-

ple parts is one of the jobs a router was
made to do. You can make templates for
creating all kinds of shapes. You’re limited
only by your imagination. These templates
will never change and can be used again
and again, for years on end, if you do pro-
duction work.
The recommended material for making
templates is void-free plywood. Baltic
birch is the best. Plywood is stable by de-
sign and will not expand or contract with
the change of seasons, and grain direction
is not a concern. Any shape can be cut to
maximize material usage with no worries.

This is one way of template routing. Make the first part with the proper pattern, then use the first part as a
template for routing the other parts. These parts are the top and bottom of a cabinet, and they needed to
be exactly the same shape and size.

Using a router bit with a guide bearing on the shank of the bit is easy. Make the template of
the pattern you want, attach it to the workpiece and rout. These bits are great for routing
holes of any shape because you don’t need to account for the diameter of a routing collar
and bit diameter. Simply cut the hole to the exact size in the template, attach it to the work-
piece, rout and you’re done.

JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 73

[ T E M P L AT E R O U T I N G C O N T I N U E D ]

When you want to rout a certain pattern on a work-

piece, make the pattern or template out of plywood
or MDF. These materials are stable and won’t
change shape if you want to reuse the template a
year later. Take your time and cut the shape in the
template exactly as you would like the final pattern
to look. Make sure there are no bumps or other un-
wanted variations in the template as these will be
transferred to the final workpiece. Using the tem-
plate as a pattern, draw the shape on the work-
piece and use a jigsaw or band saw to cut away all
of the waste material up to an 1 ⁄ 8" away from the
drawing line. Then set up the template on the
workpiece, securing it in place. Using a flush-
trimming router bit, let the guide bearing run along
the edge of the template to complete the pattern
on the workpiece.

If you’re making multiple parts, it’s easier to mount

aligning strips on the routing template to hold the
parts. Secure the template to a work surface and
insert the rough-cut parts into the template. Rout
the pattern and move on to the next part. Note that
these parts were held in place by screws inserted
into the ends of the part. The holes were hidden
once the parts were put into place on the project. If
only the fronts of the parts had been showing, they
could have been held in place with screws inserted
from the bottom of the template.

74 CHAPTER FOUR
routing dovetails

The dovetail routing jig has been available

for several years and is made by several
different manufacturers. It’s still a great jig
to use to cut dovetails. These are half-
blind dovetails, which means you can’t see
the ends of the tails when the joint is as-
sembled.
We used this same style of jig in com-
mercial shops for years because it cuts
consistently clean and tightly fitting dove-
tails. The joints look like they were cut
with a machine, and that’s what they are
— machine-cut dovetails that create a
strong joint. Don’t let anyone tell you this
jig isn’t worth the time it takes to set it up.
You’ll be pleased time and time again as 1
you use this jig. This commercially made dovetail jig is simple but accurate. Once the jig is set up, you can cut dovetails all
day long with consistently good results. I attached mine to a scrap of plywood. I drilled a hole in the ply-
wood so I can hang the jig on the wall when it’s not in use. The plywood also allows the jig to be secured
to a workbench top with clamps. Set up the jig by adjusting the finger template height to the thickness of
the stock. Note the 20-year-old router behind the jig. I’ve only used this router for cutting dovetails with
this jig. I never change the setup, so it’s always ready to go whenever I need it.

Use the finger template

to register the end of
the part that will have
the tails. The top edge
of the part is located
toward the outside of
the jig and rests
against a registering
pin. The inside of the
part faces out toward
the operator.
2
JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 75
[ R O U T I N G D O V E TA I L S C O N T I N U E D ]

After tightening the hold-down for

the tail stock, use it to register the
end of the socket part. Tighten the
hold-down for the socket part. The
top edge of the socket part is point-
ed toward the outside of the jig and
registers against a pin. The inside of
this part faces up. These pins (preset
at the factory) create the proper off-
set so both parts can be routed at
the same time.

3
Double-check to be sure all the hold-
downs are tight and the parts are se-
curely held in place. Make the first
cut with the router by resting the
router base on the finger template
and making a scoring cut on the face
of the tail part. Make this cut by run-
ning the router from right to left. This
is the reverse of the proper feed di-
rection for the router so make this a
light cut. This cut will prevent the
wood from tearing out when you run
the router from left to right as you
follow the finger template with the
router.

4
76 CHAPTER FOUR
Fitting Dovetails
Ifthetails are too tight, lower the height (rel-
ative to the router base) of the dovetailbit

ho t
just a little (use 1 ⁄64" increments) at
a time until the fit is snug. Con-
versely,ifthetails are too loose,
raise the height of the bit. t ip
Make the second cut from left to
right, following the template. (A rub
collar is attached to the router base
and follows the finger template.)

5
This jig will cut clean joints like this
time after time when the dovetail bit
is sharp.

6
JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 77
[ R O U T I N G D O V E TA I L S C O N T I N U E D ]

If you’re making drawer parts, cut all

7 the dovetails first, then cut the

grooves for the drawer bottom. Cut
the groove so it’s located in the mid-
dle of a socket and pin. When the
joint is assembled, the end of the
groove will be hidden by the half-
blind socket.

You should need only light hammer

blows to assemble the joint.

8
78 CHAPTER FOUR
jointing on the router table

Using a straight-cutting carbide router bit,

you can cut a straight edge on almost any
material. Wood, nonferrous sheets of
metal, high-pressure laminate, particle-
board and MDF can all be straight cut.
Think of this setup as a jointer sitting on
edge. The only thing to remember is to
take shallow cuts. I recommend no more
than 1 ⁄ 16" or 2mm at a time.
I used to have a small router table set
up just for jointing the edges of high-
pressure laminate. I did a lot of inlay work
and once the edges were jointed, the
seams were perfect.

The router table can be used as a jointer with awesome results. A piece of stiff cardboard or high-pres-
sure laminate is used to offset the face of the outfeed fence relative to the infeed fence. This offset
should be no more than 1 ⁄ 16". Use a straight-cutting bit with a screwed cutter. This will slice rather than just
cut the wood and will leave an incredibly smooth surface. This router bit just happened to have a guide
bearing, but it’s not used for the jointing operation.

It may take a few

passes to straighten a
rough or uneven edge,
but this is just as good
as a real jointer.

JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 79

mortising jig for a butt hinge

This jig is made of three pieces of scrap

wood and can be dimensioned for butt 1
hinges of any size. The template is a piece
of plywood with a cutout sized to guide
the router to make a mortise the same
length as the hinge’s leaf.
You can configure this jig in many
ways. If you have a straight-cutting router
bit with a guide bearing on the shaft,
make a cutout in a 3 ⁄ 4"-thick scrap of ply-
wood the same size as the hinge’s leaf.
Then make two cleats that are 3 ⁄ 4"-thick
by 11 ⁄ 2"-wide and are 3" to 4" longer than
the plywood template.
A second way is to use a straight-
cutting router bit in combination with a
guide bushing mounted in the router
base. Make the cutout in the plywood the
length of the hinge’s leaf plus the diameter
of the guide bushing minus the diameter
of the router bit.
A third way is to use a straight-cutting
router bit in combination with the router’s
Clamp the cleats to opposite faces of the workpiece with the edges of the cleats flush with the edge of the
base. Make the cutout in the plywood the
workpiece. The workpiece should be facing toward you. Lay the template on top of this and attach it to the
same length as the hinge’s leaf plus the cleats. The mortise is cut from the front toward the back of the workpiece and is the same width and length
width or diameter of the router’s base as the hinge’s leaf. You want the barrel of the hinge to remain proud of the front face of the workpiece.

minus the diameter of the router bit. If

you have a trimmer router, this is a good
application for it. The entire base of the
average trimmer router is about 3" square.
This means it is possible to use the router
without a guide bushing. The whole base
of the router can be used as a guide in the
cutout on the template.

80 CHAPTER FOUR
 The depth of the mor-

2 tise is regulated by the

depth of the cut you
make with the router
bit. After you’ve cut a
mortise using the jig,
the jig will be easy to
align where you’ve
marked the hinge loca-
tion. The router will
have cut into the front
cleat the same width
and depth as the mor-
tise.

Depending on the style

3 of the hinge’s leaves,

you may need to
square the corners of
the mortise.

JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 81

flush-trimming guide fence
This fence is an attachment that can

1 be made for the router table. Cut a

3
⁄ 4"-thick fence strip 4"-wide and 36"-
long. Cut a 1 ⁄ 4"-wide groove 3⁄ 8"-deep
in the fence strip and center it 3⁄ 8"
from the bottom edge. Cut two guide
strips 1⁄ 4"-thick by 1"-wide and 17"-
long. Glue these into the groove in
the fence strip, leaving a 3⁄ 4" gap be-
tween their ends at the center of the
fence strip.

When the glue dries, the flush-

2 trimming guide fence is ready to

use. Clamp it to the main fence on
the router table, centering the gap
between the strips around a straight-
cutting router bit. Set the fence so
the edges of the guide strips are
flush with the outside edge of the
router bit.

82 CHAPTER FOUR
 When the edge of the veneered panel

3 is run along the guide strips, the ve-

neer hanging over the guide strips
will be trimmed flush with the edge
of the panel.

This flush-trimming guide fence will

work for both one-sided and two-
sided veneered panels.

4
JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 83
routing a rabbet
Rabbet-cutting bits have cutters that are set and
sharpened on a bias, so the cutter slices rather
than chops the wood. A rabbet-cutting router bit
has several different sized guide bearings that can
guide the router bit. Depending on the diameter of
the guide bearing, different depths of rabbets can
be cut. This photo shows a rabbet-cutting bit being
used to cut a rabbet in the back inside edge of a
side panel for a cabinet. This rabbet will house the
back panel of the cabinet.

After a picture or door frame has been assembled,

a rabbet can be cut on the inside of the frame for
holding a mirror, glass or wooden panel. After
you’ve routed the rabbet, use a chisel to square
out the corners of the rabbet.

84 CHAPTER FOUR
router bit guide bearings

This is one of the most common uses of a router. Most router bits that cut a profile have guide bearings. These router bits can be used in the router
table or used while holding and guiding the router. Whether the part is straight or curved, router bits with guide bearings can be used to shape the
edges of your work. Sometimes it’s better to custom-make a base for the router that is larger than the standard base. There can be two reasons for
doing this. First, the router bit may cut a larger radius than the stock router base center hole. You can cut whatever size center hole is necessary to
clear the router bit cutter. Second, the larger base will give you better support for the router by providing a larger contact surface with the workpiece.

JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 85

routing a groove

In Europe, I know it’s not permitted to

use dado heads or other types of cutters in 1
table saws. Cutting grooves with the
router is the best solution. By it’s very
name, a router is meant to cut grooves.
Straight and curved grooves are no
problem for the router. Straight-edged or
curved-edged templates are all that’s need-
ed. As shown in the photos, the router
base can be used to reference the cut or a
guide collar could be used. With either
method, the distance from the edge of the
router bit to the edge of the guide needs
to be known. Use this measurement to lo-
cate the routing template when setting up
to rout a groove.

Mark where you want the groove. Measure the distance (d) from the edge of the router bit to the edge of
the router’s base.

Use the distance (d) to set the guide fence from the edge of the groove.

86 CHAPTER FOUR
 Set the router on the workpiece and

3 run the router against the guide

fence. If you’re standing with the
guide fence on your left, feed the
router forward against the guide
fence. This will ensure that the router
stays against the guide fence. If you
run the router the opposite direction,
it will pull away from the guide fence
and be pulled into the workpiece. If
you haven’t used the router like this
before, practice on scrap wood be-
fore cutting into your workpiece.

This is what the router does best — it

4 cuts clean grooves each and every

time.

JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 87

jig for cutting a mortise

This jig is made the same way

as the mortising jig for a butt 1
hinge. A piece of scrap ply-
wood and two cleats are all
that’s needed. If you’re using a
straight-cutting router bit with
a guide bearing on the shaft,
the cutout in the plywood
template is the same size as the
finished mortise. If you’re
using a guide bushing, the
cutout is the same size as the
mortise plus the diameter of
the bushing minus the diame-
ter of the router bit. This ap-
plies to both the length and
width of the cutout.

To make the jig, attach the cleats to the workpiece so the edges of the cleats are flush with the edges of the workpiece.
Attach the template so the mortise will be located in the desired position relative to the width of the workpiece. The lo-
cation of the mortise along the length of the workpiece can be set wherever you put the jig.

88 CHAPTER FOUR
 A plunge router is the best choice for

2 cutting mortises. You locate the

router on the jig and lower the bit
into the workpiece.

A router-cut mortise is

3 clean and precise.

JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 89

European cup-hole template

This template can be used to

rout perfectly sized 35mm cup
holes for European hinges. If
you use this type of hinge only
occasionally, this is the way to
go to avoid buying a 35mm
Forstner bit that you’ll use
sparingly.

1 2

To make this template, decide what guide bushing and router bit combination The finished cup hole will be 35mm in diameter and 13mm deep.
you’ll use each time you rout these cup holes. To determine the diameter of
the template hole, add 35mm plus the diameter of the guide bushing in mil-
limeters minus the diameter of the router bit in millimeters.

90 CHAPTER FOUR
hole routing template

If you want to drill super

clean-cut holes, this is the tem-
plate to use. It’s perfect for
drilling holes in plywood ve-
neer where a normal drill bit
would tear out the wood fibers
or in high-pressure laminate-
covered panels. The high-pres-
sure laminate can dull drill bits
quickly whereas a carbide
router bit will drill hundreds
of holes without a wimper.

As you did for the European cup-hole template, determine what combination of guide bushing and router bit you’ll be
using with this template. If you want to bore a 5mm diameter hole (a standard size for using the European 32mm sys-
tem of cabinet hardware), add 5mm plus the diameter of the guide bushing in millimeters minus the diameter of the
router bit in millimeters. This is the diameter of the hole to drill in the template. If you space the holes 32mm on center,
you’re good to go for making cabinets using the European drawer slide and hinges.

JIGS, FIXTURES & ACCESSORIES 91

 chapter five

game table
THIS GAME TABLE IS BASED ON THE
ellipse and its curves and is a perfect project to
make using the router. The only two straight
lines are the center lines of the game board.
You’ll be using the ellipse routing jig for this
project. Making this table will require some
patience, but the results are worth it.
I created the curves of the game board by
drawing the table top outline and placing con-
centric ellipses that were progressively 4" nar-
rower inside of the first ellipse with the lengths
of all the ellipses remaining the same. I ended
with a straight line down the center of the el-
lipses. Then I copied this pattern, turned it
90° and centered it on the first layout. The
lines were truncated at the outside intersec-
tions where the eight-by-eight “square” game
board was created.

[ PROJECT ONE ]
 Top A

Top buildup strips B

Legs C

Cut a 20° miter

on the top ends of
the two legs.

Top view of
leg joinery angle

70°

94 CHAPTER FIVE
M AT E R I A L S L I S T inches (millimeters)
REFERENCE

COM M ENTS
THICKNESS
QUANTITY

LENGTH
STOCK

W IDTH
PART

(mm) (mm) (mm)

3⁄
A 1 top MDF 4 (19) 24 (610) 36 (914)
3⁄
B top buildup strips MDF 4 (19) 4 (102) lay out the strips on scrap material; number is as many as required
3⁄
C 4 leg blanks MDF 4 (19) 14 (356) 28 (711) glue two pieces together to make11⁄2"(38mm) -thick leg blanks
3⁄
D 1 mounting plate MDF 4 (19) 14 (356) 26 (660)

HAR DWAR E

4 No.8 × 2" (50mm) wood screws

4 No.8 × 11⁄4" (30mm) wood screws
4 metal or nylon furniture glides
1 12 oz. (340g) can of dark paint for game top
1 12 oz. (340g) can of light paint for game top
2 12 oz. (340g) cans of textured color
Deft Clear W ood Finish, gloss

Leg Pattern

Each square represents 1"

GAME TABLE 95
 G ame Board Pattern

16"

16"

96 CHAPTER FIVE
1 2

Use the pattern illustration as a guide to create a full-size leg pattern. Draw the After you’ve cut out the legs, attach the leg pattern to the rough-cut legs. Set
pattern on paper and use spray adhesive to attach it to some scrap wood. Cut up a flush-trimming router bit in a router table. The bearing on the bit will rub
out the pattern and sand it until the curves are smooth. Trace the pattern onto against the leg pattern and cut the leg identical to the leg pattern. If you have
the glued-up leg blanks. Cut out the legs about 1 ⁄8" outside the pattern lines. a long flush-trimming router bit, you can make this cut in one pass.

3
C
String

A B
Y X Z

To draw an ellipse, all you need is a compass, two nails and a piece of string.
Start by drawing two lines, AB and CD, perpendicular to each other and inter-
secting at their centers. AD is the final length and CD is the final width of the
ellipse. Set your compass to AX and hold the tip at D. Strike an arc at Y and Z
on AB. Put the nails at Y and Z. Tie the string in a loop, holding it tight between
Use the nail, string and pencil method to draw the shape of the tabletop on Y, C (where you are holding your pencil) and Z. Keep the string tight as you
the tabletop blank. Then rough-cut the top to shape about 1 ⁄2" outside the line draw the ellipse.
of the tabletop. Using screws, attach the ellipse-routing jig to the bottom of
the tabletop. Leave the guide blocks slightly loose on the arm of the jig. Insert
the guide blocks into the grooves in the jig and set the router (with the bit al-
ready installed in the router) at the width and height lines of the tabletop
shape. Tighten the blocks. This sets the jig to guide the router.Start the router
and make the cut.

GAME TABLE 97
 4

In order to add some visual and physical thickness to the tabletop, some buildup strips need to be cut. Trace the shape
of the tabletop onto some scrap pieces of wood. Some of the falloff pieces from the table will work nicely. Cut these
strips to the rough shape of the top. Then, 4" in from the rough cuts you’ve just made, draw a parallel line. This will
roughly define the inside radii of the strips. Cut on these lines. Then, glue these buildup strips to the bottom of the top.

After the glue has dried,

5 set up a flush-trimming
bit in the router and trim
the buildup strips flush
with the outside edges
of the tabletop. Then,
round over the inside
edges of the buildup
strips with a 1 ⁄4" or 3 ⁄8"
roundover bit.

98 CHAPTER FIVE
 6 7

Draw the angles for the leg joint on both sets of legs. Draw the lines down the Set the legs against the fence of your miter saw and clamp them in place. Set
sides of the legs so you’ll have guide lines for separating the legs on one set the saw tilt to 20°.
and attaching these legs to the other set. Then rout the coves on all curved
edges of the legs. Leave the straight, top edges untouched. Rout the coves on
the top and bottom of the outside edge of the tabletop.

8 9

Make the cut to separate the first leg. Move the leg and clamp it into place and Glue and screw the separated legs to the other set of legs. This turned out to
make the second cut. What you’ve done is cut out the material where the other be a very strong butt joint.
set of legs will intersect these separated legs.

GAME TABLE 99
10 11

W hen cutting the templates for routing the grooves for the game table, cut This is the part of building this game table that requires some patience on the
them from the same piece of wood. Move the pin for each successive cut. The part of the builder. It’s not difficult but it does require some precision in setup
kerf of the band saw blade is so narrow that it doesn’t affect the radius as and execution. To start the routing process, cut four templates at the outside
each template is set against the next one in the game table groove routing radius of the game board and attach them to the tabletop. These need to be
template. located squarely in the center of the top. All the rest of the routing is based on
these templates.

12 13

After routing the outside lines of the game board, cut the next template and Cut the next template. Keep the first template and locate this template against
put it against the outside template. Rout the next groove. Move this template it. Move both templates for each groove as in step 13.
to each of the four sides.

14 15

Cut the next template and rout the grooves as in the proceeding two steps. The last template will be a straight groove and you’ll only need to rout two
grooves 90°to each other in the center of the game board.

100 CHAPTER FIVE

16
Cut the mounting plate for the legs. This is a smaller ellipse that
fits inside the buildup strips on the underside of the tabletop.
This plate can be cut out freehand using a band saw or jigsaw.
Round over the edges using a 3 ⁄8"roundover bit. Sand the parts,
paying special attention to the edges. Be sure to sand them as
smooth as the flat surfaces. Finish the table (see “Finishing the
Game Table” sidebar).

■ FINISHING THE GAME TABLE

After the game board is routed into the tabletop, the
grooves can be filled with colored car body filler (as I
17
did) or inlaid with wood veneer.
After the table is finished, attach the mounting plate to the legs with screws.
After filling (or inlaying), mask off all the grooves with
pin-striping tape and apply the first game board color.It
doesn’t matter which color you apply first. It’s best to
spray the paint so you don’t have to deal with brush 18
marks. Apply light coats of paint until the paint levels out
smoothly. Let this paint dry for two or three days. Then,
mask off every other “square” and apply the second color
of paint. After this paint is level and smooth, let it dry for
two or three days.
Remove all the masking tape and spray the game
board with five coats of clear lacquer. Before you do this,
make a sample board with the two game board colors
applied to it. Apply the clear lacquer to this board. Be
sure the paint doesn’t react with the lacquer. I recom-
mend that you use Deft Clear Wood Finish in the gloss
finish. I know other types of lacquers are harder, but they
will probably bubble or wrinkle the paint. Allow the first
five coats of lacquer to dry and shrink for one week.
Using 600-grit wet/dry sandpaper, wet sand the lacquer
to flatten it. Use mineral spirits as the wet sanding lubri-
cant. Then apply 10 more coats of clear lacquer. After
one week of drying and curing, wet sand again. Buff the
finish with #0000 steel wool. Apply a coat of paste wax.
Finally, mask off the game board. I applied a textured,
granite-looking finish to the tabletop and the legs. I paint- Attach the mounting plate and legs to the underside of the tabletop with 11 ⁄4" screws.
ed the mounting plate a neutral color with no texturing. Triple-check the length of these screws. You don’t want to have them come through the top
Allow this finish one or two days to dry. Seal this finish of the game table! Install the furniture glides on the “feet” of the legs.
with two coats of clear lacquer. Remove the masking
tape, attach the legs and you’re ready to play a game of
checkers or chess.

GAME TABLE 101

 chapter six

showcase
cabinet
THIS SHOWCASE CABINET IS THE
opposite of the game table in its concept and
design. I decided to make all the lines straight.
No curves or rounded edges. This led to a
complex cabinet with every edge beveled, even
if the bevel was only 1 ⁄ 16" wide.
The cabinet was constructed using mortise-
and-tenon joinery. The cabinet box was con-
structed first, then the mortises were cut in the
legs so they aligned with the tenons on the box.
The legs were tapered on the jointer, but
they could have been tapered on the router
table using an offset outfeed fence.
The cabinet is finished with three coats
of rub-on polyurethane/oil finish.

[ PROJECT TWO ]
 Rails D & E

Corner posts B 3/8" x 3/8" x 7/8" tenon

Rail C (4)

3/8" x 3/4" x 7/8" t

Top J (2)

Rail C

Top view

Continous hinge (2) Top J (2) Ridge strips F (2) Rail E (2)
Rail E (2)
11/4" 11/4"
Front elevation Rear elevation Side elevation
2"
31/4"

Door
handle
U (2) 19"
Back H 17 3/4"
Door
stop P

Door stile K (4) Rail C (4) Rail D (2)

3/4"- Rail D (2)
Door rail L (4) Bottom G long tenon

60"

Leg A (4)

181/2" 10"

13/4" 13/4"

104 CHAPTER SIX

M A T E R IALS LI S T
REFERENCE
inches (millimeters)

COMMENTS
THICKNESS
QUANTITY

LENGTH
WIDTH
STOCK
PART

(mm) (mm) (mm)

A 4 legs padauk 13⁄4 (45) 13⁄4 (45) 60 (1524)
5⁄
B 8 corner posts wenge 8 (16) 11⁄2 (38) 143⁄4 (375) cut 45°bevel on one long edge
3⁄
C 4 rails wenge 4 (19) 11⁄2 (38) 20 (508) 3⁄
8 x 3⁄4 x 7⁄8 (10mm x 19mm x 22mm) tenon both ends
3⁄
D 2 rails wenge 4 (19) 11⁄2 (38) 103⁄4 (273) 1⁄
4 x 3⁄8 x 7⁄8 (6mm x 10mm x 22mm) tenon both ends
3⁄
E 2 rails wenge 4 (19) 23⁄4 (70) 103⁄4 (273) 1⁄
4 x 3⁄8 x 7⁄8 (6mm x 10mm x 22mm) tenon both ends
1⁄ 3⁄
F 2 ridge strips wenge 4 (6) 4 (19) 161⁄2 (419) cut 13°-14°bevel on one long edge
1⁄
G 1 bottom plywood 2 (13) 10 (254) 161⁄2 (419) bird’s eye maple veneer plywood
1⁄
H 1 back plywood 2 (13) 143⁄4 (375) 161⁄2 (419) bird’s eye maple veneer plywood
1⁄
J 2 tops plywood 2 (13) 51⁄8+⁄- (130) 161⁄2 (419) cut 13°-14°bevel one long edge,bird’s eye maple veneer,
fit to width
11⁄
K 4 door stiles maple 16 (17) 1 (25) 145⁄8 (371) 45°miter both ends
11⁄
L 4 door rails maple 16 (17) 1 (25) 7+⁄- (178) 45°miter both ends
3⁄ 1⁄
M 4 glass-retaining strips maple 16 (5) 4 (6) 131⁄4+⁄- (337) 45°miter both ends
3⁄ 1⁄
N 4 glass-retaining strips maple 16 (5) 4 (6) 6+⁄- (152) 45°miter both ends
1⁄ 1⁄
P 1 door stop wenge 8 (3) 4 (6) 161⁄4+⁄- (413) length +⁄-,fit strip between glass retaining strips Q
1⁄ 1⁄
Q 4 glass-retaining strips wenge 2 (13) 2 (13) 15 (381) strips are triangular in cross section
1⁄
R 2 brackets plywood 2 (13) 2+⁄- (51) 10 (254) bird’s eye maple veneer plywood
1⁄ 1⁄
S 2 gluing strips wenge 2 (13) 2 (13) 161⁄2 (419)
1⁄ 1⁄
T 2 gluing strips wenge 2 (13) 2 (13) 10+⁄- (254) fit strips between the two long strips
3⁄ 3⁄
U 2 door handles padauk 8 (10) 8 (10) 13⁄4 (45) see illustration for details

H A R D WA R E

2 1" x11⁄2" x 145⁄8" (25mm x 38mm x 371mm) continuous hinges

1⁄ 3 1
2 8" x5 ⁄4" x 13 ⁄8" (3mm x 146mm x 333mm) glass panels
1⁄ 7 1
2 8" x9 ⁄8" x 15 ⁄16" (3mm x 251mm x 383mm) glass panels
1⁄ 3
16 4" x ⁄4" (6mm x 19mm) gluing dowels

Side view assembly detail The ridge strips are set

1/16" proud of the top
edge of the top rails.
Put a small bevel on
the ends of the strips
where they meet the top rails.
23/4"

Put a small (1/16") chamfer on all the exposed Tops are set 3/32"
11"
edges of the project. This adds to the overall below the top edge
straightline and angular look of the top rails.
and feel of the cabinet.
143/4"
3/8"x 3/4" x 7/8"
11/2" typ. tenons fit into
the legs.

10"
111/2"

SHOWCASE CABINET 105

 Ridge strip
F (2)
Top J (2) Glass-
retaining 26
strips Q (4)

Bracket R (2)

Corner
Back post B (8)
H

Rail E (2)

Bottom
G
Door
stop P
Rail C (4) Leg A (4)

Rail D (2) Glass-

retaining
strips N (2)
Door
Door frame handle U (2)
corner
spline (8)

Door 28
stile K (2)

Door
Glass- rail L (2)
retaining
strips M (2) Continous
hinge U (2)

Full-scale door pull detail

Full-scale leg detail
3/16"

13/4"
3/8" 1/2"
11/4"

3/4"
1"
11/4"
3/4" 13/4"
3/4"
13/4" 1 1/2"
1" 1/2"

1"

3/8" 3/8"

106 CHAPTER SIX

tapering on the router table

Direction of feed
Start the taper by placing the
end of the piece on the leading
edge of the outfeed table. Then, The amount of taper is
feed the piece through the cutter equal to the offset
as a normal jointing operation. dimension of the infeed
table to the outfeed table.

tapering on the jointer

The amount of taper is
Start the taper by placing the equal to the offset
end of the piece on the leadingdimension of the infeed
edge of the outfeed table. Then,
table to the outfeed table.
feed the piece through the cutter
as a normal jointing operation.

Direction of feed

1 2

Mark the locations of the mortises on the legs. Make marks on the router table Cut the 45°bevel at the tops of the legs. Hold the 45°flattaper on the front of
fence showing the location of the router bit. This will give you the start and the leg against the saw’s vertical fence when making this cut. This bevel will
stop points for cutting the mortise. Hold the back part of the leg on the router taper to the inside of the cabinet diagonally at a 45°angle, adding visual
tabletop and hold the rest of the leg over the router bit. Lower the leg onto the movement to the entire project.
router bit, making a plunge cut. Then, feed the leg until the marks on the legs
lineup with the marks on the router table fence. Lift up the front part of the leg
off the router bit. Flip the leg end for end and cut the other mortises in the op-
posite side of the leg. All the legs need to be marked right and left front and
right and left back to help you keep the legs in their proper locations.

SHOWCASE CABINET 107

 3 4

If you have some special wood you would like to use for the bottom, top and Run a piece of tape the length of the veneer joint. This will ensure the joint
back panels, cut them as shown in the cutting list. If you are using veneer, stays together during glue-up.
start by jointing one edge of all the leaves of veneer.You can joint them all at
one time by sandwiching them between two flat boards and running this setup
on a jointer.You can also clamp the setup in a vise and plane the edges with a
hand plane. Then, lay out the leaves in bookmatched patterns of your choice.
Tape the butt-jointed edges of the veneer leaves together.

5 6

Use either a serrated trowel or a small paint roller to apply an even coat of Have all the clamps, clamping cauls and waxed paper ready to go when you
glue to the substrate for the veneer. Do not apply any glue to the veneer or it start the veneer glue-up procedure. Put a sheet of waxed paper against each
will immediately start to curl and become difficult to place on the substrate. veneered surface to prevent the panels from sticking to the tabletop and to
each other.

After cutting the 45°bevels on the

corner posts, lay the parts faceup
with the sharp edges of the miters
touching. Tape this joint, turn the as-
sembly over, apply glue to the joint
and fold as shown in the photo. Hold
the assembly together with light
clamp pressure or wrap tape around
it until the glue dries.

108 CHAPTER SIX

 8 9

Using a straight-cutting bit set up in the router, cut the mortises in the front This method produces a clean mortise.
and back rails. Use the adjustable fences as limiting stops and a miter gauge
as a guide to feed the work.

10 11

Set the straight-cutting bit to the proper height and cut the tenons on the side To make the other cut for the tenon on the top side rail, reverse the miter
rails. Cut the tenon in two or three passes to nibble the material away.To cut gauge, flip the rail over and make the second cut.
the tenons on the top side rails, use the miter gauge on the straight side of
the rail and make the cut.

SHOWCASE CABINET 109

12 13

Cut the top shoulder on the top rails with a handsaw. Make the second cut from the end of the tenon. Be careful not to cut
into the shoulder.

14 15

Use a file to round the tenons. Cut the 1 ⁄8"x 1 ⁄8" rabbet on the bottom panel, using a
straight-cutting bit.

110 CHAPTER SIX

16

doweling jig

The strips overhang

on both sides of the
overhang registers th
Using a drill press, drill to the corner posts
1/4"- diameter holes to and the frame's inside
guide the hand drill.

Set the bottom panel facedown on the work top and fit the bottom frame
facedown around it. Use the beveled falloff strips left over from cutting the
corner posts’ bevels as glue blocks S and T. Glue them to the inside of the
bottom. When the glue dries, the panel will be firmly in place. Then assemble
the top frame.

17 18

Use dowels to locate and attach the corner posts to the top and bottom The lips of the attached strips will register the jig on the inside
frame assemblies. Make a doweling jig as shown in the photo (see the of the corner posts.
illustration for details).

SHOWCASE CABINET 111

19 20

Use the doweling jig to drill holes in the top and bottom assemblies. The lip of Cut the bevels on the top panels. Tape the miter joint, apply glue and fold it to-
the strips on the jig will register it on the inside corners of the frames. The lip gether. Lightly clamp the parts and counter the clamp pressure by putting
will just fit into the rabbet in the bottom panel. some weight on the top of the joint.

21 22

Glue two corner posts to the sides of the back panel. Cut two brackets to fit on the inside of the top frame and glue them in place.
Use the top panel assembly to help locate these brackets. After the glue sets,
remove the top panel, add glue to the top edges of the brackets and reinsert
the top panel assembly, gluing it in place.

112 CHAPTER SIX

 23 24

Dry fit all the parts before final assembly. Once you’re sure it all fits together Glue the door stop into the front groove in the bottom of the cabinet.
properly, add glue to the tenons and in the mortises. Using no more pressure
than is needed, clamp the cabinet together. Double-check for squareness.

25 27

26
Cut the miters on the top ridge strips. Tape the miters, glue and clamp them to-
gether. After the glue dries, cut the ridge strip assembly to length. Bevel the out-
side top edges of the assembly, then glue it to the top of the cabinet. Be sure
the top ridge of the assembly lines up with the peaks of each top side rail.

After the glass is put into the cabinet, it is held in place with four triangular
strips that are attached to the cabinet with 3⁄4"- long brass screws.

SHOWCASE CABINET 113

 28 29

The photo shows the beveled ends of the top rails where they join the front
rails. The ridge strip assembly is also beveled on its long edges and at the
ends where they meet the top side rails.

Sand the legs. Attach the legs to the cabinet using glue.

30 31

This photo shows the space between the leg and the side post and how the Machine the door frame parts to thickness and width. Leave the parts long. Cut
angles cut on the tops of the legs are oriented to the cabinet. the rabbets in the door frame parts using a rabbeting bit. This bit’s cutter is
ground to an angle that allows the cutter to shear the material. This makes a
clean cut rabbet with no wood grain tear-out.

114 CHAPTER SIX

 32 33

Measure the opening for the doors in the cabinet box. Cut the door parts ac- Using a slotting fixture, cut the slots in the corners of the door frames. Use a
cordingly.You want these doors to fit with a minimum amount of clearance on straight-cutting 1⁄4"-diameter router bit.
all sides. It gives the project a nice look. Using band clamps, glue the miter
joints on each door. Don’t use any fasteners in these joints. The glue will hold
these doors together while you do the next machining operation.

Cut hardwood splines

f
rom the same material
as the cabinet box
frame is made of and
glue them into the slots
in the corners of the
doors. These splines
add the necessary
strength to keep the
miter joints strong and
secure while adding
another decorative ele-
ment to the project. At-
tach the continuous
hinges to the doors
and install them in the
cabinet. Attach the
door handles. When
everything fits properly,
remove the doors and
finish the entire cabinet
and the doors. Install
the glass in the doors
and the cabinet. Then
reinstall the doors.

34
SHOWCASE CABINET 115
SB-Opener
FPO
405%
 chapter seven

shell boxes
I’M A TREE-HUGGING NATURE LOVER the average straight-line router user to produce
who also finds beauty in pure textbook geome- something that closely approximates the geo-
try. The two areas of interest aren’t mutually metrical beauty of the scallop with a single
exclusive when you consider the mathematics V-grooving bit. A quick Internet search on the
inherent in a honeycomb, snowflake or the subject of scallops will provide you with a
subject at hand — scallop shells. Scallop shells glimpse into the infinite variety of shell pat-
have been featured in art, architecture, religion terns and colors. Almost any combination of
and furniture design throughout history. woods will work. Because the jig requires a fair
When used as a furniture accent, the shell is amount of labor in itself, plan on making a
usually the product of an expert carver. collection of shells. Once you have the jig, it’s
The variable-incline-with-rotary-table jig all (literally) downhill.
that I developed for my shell box lids allows JOHN HUTCHINSON

[ PROJECT THREE ]
 Opening =
diameter of router
base plate

Horizontal guide Router Wing nuts

stop N
rail J (2) (2)
Vertical guide Flat washer
rail K (2) (4)

Continous
hinge
Aluminum Pivoting
angle (2) stretcher M

Stretcher
base L
Carriage
bolt (2)
Finish nail
pivot

Base A Turntable C
Stretcher G (2)
Stretcher
feet H (2) Toggle clamp
(2)

Guide F (2) Guide

brace D (2)

Guide
base E (2)
Base
stiffener B (2)

Vertical guide
rail K (2)

Router
Horizontal guide stop N
rail J (2) Pivoting
stretcher M

Turntable C Stretcher
base L
Continous
hinge

Base A

118 CHAPTER SEVEN

shell box router jig
M A T E R IALS LI S T inches (millimeters)
REFERENCE

COMMENTS
THICKNESS
QUANTITY

LENGTH
WIDTH
STOCK
PART

(mm) (mm) (mm)

3⁄
A 1 base plywood 4 (19) 24 (610) 24 (610)
3⁄
B 2 base stiffeners plywood 4 (19) 21⁄2 (64) 24 (610) half lap
1⁄
C 1 turntable plywood 2 (13) 18 dia. (457)
3⁄
D 2 guide braces poplar 4 (19) 21⁄2 (64) 21⁄2 (64)
3⁄
E 2 guide bases poplar 4 (19) 21⁄2 (64) 31⁄4 (83) 3⁄ 3
4"-wide by ⁄8"-deep (19mm by 10mm) rabbet one end
3⁄
F 2 guides poplar 4 (19) 21⁄2 (64) 4 (102)
3⁄
G 2 stretchers poplar 4 (19) 21⁄2 (64) 171⁄2 (445) 3⁄ 3
4"-wide by ⁄4"-deep (19mm by 19mm) rabbet both ends
3⁄
H 2 stretcher feet poplar 4 (19) 21⁄2 (64) 21⁄2 (64)
3⁄
J 2 horizontal guide rails poplar 4 (19) 3 (76) 24 (610) 11⁄2"-wide by 1⁄2"-deep (38mm by 13mm) rabbet one edge
3⁄
K 2 vertical guide rails poplar 4 (19) 2 (51) 24 (610)
3⁄
L 1 stretcher base poplar 4 (19) 21⁄2 (64) 24 (610)
3⁄
M 1 pivoting stretcher poplar 4 (19) 21⁄2 (64) 19 (483)
3⁄ 3⁄
N 1 router stop poplar 4 (19) 4 (19) length = the router base plate diameter + 11⁄2" (38mm)

H A R D WA R E

1 16d finish nail

2 toggle clamps
2 11⁄2"x 11⁄2"x 24" (38mm x 38mm x 610mm) aluminum angle
3⁄
2 8"-16 x 3" (80mm) carriage bolts
3⁄
2 8"-16 (10mm) wing nuts
3⁄
4 8" (10mm) flat washers
3⁄ 1
1 4 "x 1 ⁄2" x 19" (19mm x 38mm x 483mm) continuous hinge

shell box
M A T E R IALS LI S T inches (millimeters)
REFERENCE

COMMENTS
THICKNESS
QUANTITY

LENGTH
WIDTH
STOCK
PART

(mm) (mm) (mm)

3⁄
A 3 lid segments mahogany 4 (19) 4 (102) 71⁄4 (184)
3⁄
B 1 tail red oak 8 (10) 13⁄8 (35) 31⁄8 (79)
C 1 box red oak 13⁄8 (35) 63⁄4 (171) 713⁄16 (198) if making deeper box, build up to desired thickness
1⁄
D 1 bottom baltic birch 8 (3) 63⁄4 (171) 713⁄16 (198) plywood

SHELL BOXES 119

 Dark areas - waste Centers for 5/8" dia. holes

Turntable 30°
anchoring point

30° 30°

Segment clamping block Segment clamping block

Solid lines -
Tail top routing paths
Hinge Dashed lines -
bottom routing paths

Half-size lid and clamping block patterns

Start cutout with

1/2" dia. holes
at inside corners
1/4" roundover on
inside top edge

Outline of lid

Hinge

Half-size box pattern

120 CHAPTER SEVEN

1 2

The box lid is made up of three 30°triangles (see illustration). Following an ap- I like to stay away from the table saw when cutting small parts, but it does
plication of spray adhesive, apply one of the segment patterns to 3⁄4" stock with come in handy from time to time as an edge jointer. After locking a piece of
the center line of the pattern parallel to the long grain. The ribs of a seashell sandpaper under the fence, a few firm passes of each triangle over the paper,
radiate out from a center point. The three-part segmentation of the lid mimics with one face tight to the fence, assures me of some airtight joints.
Mother Nature. Rather than worrying over angles on a miter gauge, I simply cut
the parts out with a scroll saw,staying slightly wide of the pattern lines.

3 4

A few 12" clamps are the perfect size for glue-up. In order to keep the lid flat, I
like to keep them low on the assembly and as parallel to the table as possible.
The aluminum foil prevents the lid from becoming a permanent table decoration.

A couple of clamping blocks, a liberal application of glue and some aluminum

foil borrowed from the kitchen are all I need to start getting it all together.

SHELL BOXES 121

 5 6

After allowing the glue to cure, and removing the squeeze-out, I turn to the Back on the scroll saw,Iremove the little nubs left between the holes.
drill press and, with a 5⁄8" Forstner bit, drill the 11 holes on the leading edge of
the shell.

7 8

Rather than experimenting on my precious segmented shell stock, I screw an By shimming the back stretcher on the jig, I set the angle on the guide rails. A
extra segment, with an adhesive-applied pattern, to the shell boxrouter jig’s stop (or maybe that should be “start”) block clamped between the rails de-
turntable. I’m careful to make sure that the point of the triangle is directly over fines the starting point for every cut. The larger clamps hold the shims in
the center of the pivot nail. place and secure the jig to the workbench.

122 CHAPTER SEVEN

 9 10

W ith the motor off, and the 90°V-grooving bit locked in a partial plunge posi- And now the fun begins. At the starting line, I bring the router up to speed,
tion, I swing the turntable until the center of my cutting path aligns with the plunge, lock and push. Smooth, gentle pressure produces the best cuts. Let
center of the bit. When I’m satisfied with its position, I engage the toggle the bit do the cutting; we’re not plowing here.
clamps, raise the bit, and return the router to its starting position.

11 12

Once I’m satisfied with the angle of the cut, and I’ve gotten into the rhythm of W ith the top cut, I turn the lid over, apply a fresh segment pattern, screw it to
forming the ribs, I screw the segmented shell stock to the table and complete the table, and follow the same cutting steps, this time following the bottom
the top cuts. routing paths.

SHELL BOXES 123

 13 14

Success! What started as a few triangles of wood is now taking on some W ith the labor of 21 radial plunge cuts behind me, I return to the scroll saw
aquatic life. and remove the waste at the three corners of the lid. Again, stay slightly wide
of the line and smooth the corners on a spindle sander.

15 16

W ith a 1⁄4"-radius roundover bit installed in the router table, I round the top two Istart the box portion of the project by drilling 1⁄2"-diameter holes at the three
continuous edges of the lid only.Stay away from the scalloped edge. The corners of the thick box stock. After that, it’s back to the scroll saw for the in-
sharp sawtooth character of the leading edge is a great contrast to the soft- side and outside cuts.
ness of the sides.

17

The spindle sander

makes quick work of
inside and outside
sanding chores.

124 CHAPTER SEVEN

 18 19

Back at the router table, I use the 1⁄4"-radius roundover bit to soften the top in- For the box bottom, I decided to go with the simplicity of 1⁄8" Baltic birch plywood.
side edge of the box. I wasn’t happy with the industrial look of the plywood relative to the organic
look of the box and lid, so I undercut it with a miniature 45°chamfering bit.

20 22

Undercutting the plywood bottom makes it disappear and adds a nice reveal
shadow line at the base.

21

At almost $20 per pair, the solid-brass, 95°stopped hinges that I selected for
the box may seem like an extravagance. They are, however, the heart of the bi-
valve. Once you’ve installed them, they’ll seem like a bargain. Besides, the
extra hinge is a natural excuse for the next box. Try a layered box next for
some additional storage room.

After a little cutting, fitting and rounding, I glue the 1⁄8"-thicktail to the shell.

SHELL BOXES 125

suppliers

A DA MS & KEN N EDY — THE WOOD SO UR C E C O NN ECTICUT CA NE AND REED COMPA N Y H O MEBA SE LTD

6178 Mitch Owen Road P.O. Box 762 Beddington House

P.O. Box 700 Manchester, Connecticut 06045 Railway Approach
Manotick, Ontario, Canada K4M 1A6 800-227-8498 Wallington
613-822-6800 www.caneandreed.com Surrey
www.wood-source.com Cane and reed materials SM6 OHB
Wood supply 0845 077 8888
C O NSTANTIN ES WOOD CENTER OF FLO RID A, www.homebase.co.uk
B&Q IN C. Tools and home woodworking equipment
B&Q Head Office 1040 East Oakland Park Boulevard
Portswood House Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33334 T HE HO ME DEP O T

1 Hampshire Corporate Park 800-443-9667 2455 Paces Ferry Road

Chandlers Ford www.constantines.com Atlanta, Georgia 30339
Eastleigh Tools, woods, veneers, hardware 800-553-3199 (U.S.)
Hants 800-668-2266 (Canada)
SO53 3YX FO C US (DIY) LIM ITED www.homedepot.com
0870 0101 006 Gawsworth House Tools, paint, wood, electrical, garden
www.diy.com Westmere Drive
Tools, paint, wood, electrical, garden Crewe LANG EVIN & FO REST

Cheshire 9995 Boulevard Pie IX

B R IM A RC ASS OCIATES CW1 6XB Montreal, Quebec, Canada H1Z 3X1
7-9 Ladbroke Park 0800 436 436 800-889-2060
Millers Road www.focusdiy.co.uk www.langevinforest.com
Warwick Tools and home woodworking equipment Tools, wood and books
CV34 5AE
01926 493389 H O US E OF TO O L S LEE VALLEY TOOLS LTD. & VER ITAS TOOLS IN C.

www.brimarc.com 100 Mayfield Common Northwest U.S.:

Woodworking tools and accessories Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5P 4B3 P.O. Box 1780
800-661-3987 Ogdensburg, New York 13669-6780
T HE CA NIN G SH O P www.houseoftools.com 800-267-8735
926 Gilman Street Woodworking tools and hardware Canada:
Berkeley, California 94710 P.O. Box 6295, Station J
800-544-3373 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2A 1T4
www.caning.com 800-267-8761
Shaker tape and caning supplies www.leevalley.com
Bench dogs and other bench hardware

126 SUPPLIERS
LO WE’S HO ME IM P RO V EM ENT WA REH O US E WIC KES

P.O. Box 1111 Wickes House

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina 28656 120-138 Station Road
800-445-6937 Harrow
www.lowes.com Middlesex
Tools, paint, wood, electrical, garden HA1 2QB
0870 6089001
P O R T ER-CA BLE CORP O R ATIO N www.wickes.co.uk
4825 Highway 45 North Tools and home woodworking equipment
P.O. Box 2468
Jackson, Tennessee 38302-2468 W O O DCRAFT

800-487-8665 P.O. Box 1686

www.porter-cable.com Parkersburg, West Virginia 26102-1686
Woodworking tools 800-535-4482
www.woodcraft.com
R IC HELIEU HARD WA RE Woodworking hardware and accessories
7900, West Henri-Bourassa
Ville St-Laurent, Quebec, Canada W O O D WO RK ER’S SU PPLY

H4S 1V4 1108 North Glenn Road

800-619-5446 (U.S.) Casper, Wyoming 82601
800-361-6000 (Canada) 800-645-9292
www.richelieu.com www.woodworker.com
Hardware supplies Woodworking tools and accessories; finishing
supplies; books and plans
TOOLSTATIO N

18 Whiteladies Road
Clifton
Bristol
BS8 2LG
0808 100 7-2-11
www.toolstation.com
Power tools

SUPPLIERS 127
index

A J P T
Adjustable Router Base, 62-64 Jigs and accessories, 46-91 Plunge routers, 12 Techniques
Adjustable Router Base, 62-64 Projects cabinet handles, routing, 71-72
B Circle and Arc Routing Jig, 48-50 Adjustable Router Base, 62-64 cavities, routing, 67-68
Bits, 13-14 Circle Routing Jig, 51-52 Circle and Arc Routing Jig, 48-50 dovetails, routing, 75-78
Doweling Jig, 111 Circle Routing Jig, 51-52 groove, routing a, 86-87
C Ellipses Routing Jig, 53-55 Ellipses Routing Jig, 53-55 grooves in curved rails, routing, 65-
Cabinet handles, routing, 71-72 European Cup-hole Template, 90 European Cup-hole Template, 90 66
Cavities, routing, 67-68 Face-routing System, 59-61 Face-routing System, 59-61 guide bearings, 85
Circle and Arc Routing Jig, 48-50 Flush-trimming Guide Fence, 82- Flush-trimming Guide Fence, 82- jointing, 79
Circle Routing Jig, 51-52 83 83 mortises for locks, routing, 69
Cope-and-stick joinery, 36-40 Hole Routing Template, 91 Game Table, 92-101 rabbet, routing a, 84
Corded power tools, safety, 16 Mortise-cutting Jig, 88-89 Hole Routing Template, 91 rabbets for continuous hinges, routing,
Mortising Jig for a Butt Hinge, 80- Mortise-cutting Jig, 88-89 70
D 81 Mortising Jig for a Butt Hinge, 80- template routing, 73-74
Dovetails, routing, 75-78 Self-centering Router Jig, 56-58 81 Template routing, 73-74
Doweling Jig, 111 Shell Box Router Jig, 118-119 Router Table, 18-31 Trimmer routers, 11
Joinery Router Table Carriage, 24-31
E cope-and-stick, 36-40 Self-centering Router Jig, 56-58 V
Ear protection, 16 mortise and tenon, 41-45 Shell Boxes, 116-125 Vacuum cleaner, attaching to router,
Ellipses Routing Jig, 53-55 Jointing, 79 Showcase Cabinet, 102-115 17
European Cup-hole Template, 90
L R
F Lung protection, 16 Rabbet, routing a, 84
Face-routing System, 59-61 Rabbets for continuous hinges, rout-
Feeding stock, safety, 17 M ing, 70
Finishing, game board, 101 Materials lists Raised panel construction, 36-40
Fixed-base routers, 11-12 Adjustable Router Base, 63 Router Table, 18-31
Flush-trimming Guide Fence, 82-83 Circle and Arc Routing Jig, 49 Router Table Carriage, 24-31
Circle Routing Jig, 52 Routers, 10-17
G Ellipses Routing Jig, 54 bits, 13-14
Game Table, 92-101 Face-routing System, 60 fixed-base routers, 11-12
Groove, routing a, 86-87 Game Table, 95 motor brushes, replacing, 15
Grooves in curved rails, routing, 65-66 Router Table, 21 plunge routers, 12
Guide bearings, 85 Router Table Carriage, 24 styles, 11-12
Self-centering Router Jig, 57 trimmer routers, 11
H Shell Boxes, 119
Hole Routing Template, 91 Shell Box Router Jig, 119 S
Showcase Cabinet, 105 Safety
I Mortise and tenon joinery, 41-45 corded power tools, 16
Introduction, 8 Mortise-cutting Jig, 88-89 ear protection, 16
Mortises for locks, routing, 69 feeding stock, 17
Mortising Jig for a Butt Hinge, 80-81 lung protection, 16
Motor brushes, replacing, 15 Self-centering Router Jig, 56-58
Mouldings, 32-45 Shell Boxes, 116-125
cope-and-stick, 36-40 Shell Box Router Jig, 118-119
mortise and tenon joinery, 41-45 Showcase Cabinet, 102-115
raised panel, 36-40 Styles of routers, 11-12
Suppliers, 126-127

128 INDEX
WOODWOR KI NG

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