Changes

  |Is used in domain=Wood

  |Is used in domain=Wood

  |Has name={{PAGENAME}}

  |Has name={{PAGENAME}}

  |Has icon=File:Hand Router.png

  |Has icon=File:Router Table Icon 2.png

  |Has icondesc=

  |Has icondesc=Router Table Icon 2.png

  |Has iconwname=

  |Has iconwname=Router Table Icon 2.png

  |Has image=File:Router Table.jpg

  |Has image=File:Router Table.jpg

  |Has imagedesc=

  |Has imagedesc=

  |Has description=  

  |Has description=  

  |Has certification=https://georgefox.instructure.com/courses/1269

  |Has certification=https://georgefox.instructure.com/courses/1212

  |Has make=Bora Portamate

  |Has make=Bora Portamate

  |Has model=PM-P254

  |Has model=PM-P254

Location: {{#show: {{PAGENAME}} |?Is located in facility}}

Location: {{#show: {{PAGENAME}} |?Is located in facility}}

==Description==

==Description==

Definitions

Definitions

[[Media:Portamate-PM-P254-Variable-Speed-3-1-4-HP-Router-Motor-Instructions.pdf|Table Router User Manual]]

[[Media:Portamate-PM-P254-Variable-Speed-3-1-4-HP-Router-Motor-Instructions.pdf|Router Table User Manual]]

==Training==

==Training==

===Operation===

===Operation===

[[File:Router Feed Direction.jpg|500px|right]][[File:Router Incorrect Feed Direction.jpg|500px|right]]

[[File:Router Feed Direction.jpg|500px|right]][[File:Router Incorrect Feed Direction.jpg|500px|right]]

====Changing a Bit====

====Changing a Bit====

Always unplug the router before changing a bit.

<span style="color:red">Always unplug the router before changing a bit.</span>

Always raise the router collet above the throat plate when changing bits. Insert the bit until the cutting edge touches the collet then pull the bit out about an eighth inch and finger tighten the collet. It’s important to allow an eighth inch of space between the bit and the collet. Router bits can heat up quickly when in use. This heat causes expansion, and the eighth inch space between the bit and the collet allows for this expansion. Router bits that are not installed properly can come loose while making your cut.

Always raise the router collet above the throat plate when changing bits. Insert the bit until the cutting edge touches the collet then pull the bit out about an eighth inch and finger tighten the collet. It’s important to allow an eighth inch of space between the bit and the collet. Router bits can heat up quickly when in use. This heat causes expansion, and the eighth inch space between the bit and the collet allows for this expansion. Router bits that are not installed properly can come loose while making your cut.

====Setting the Fence====

====Setting the Fence====

When setting the fence, the router fence does not need to be exactly parallel to the bit for most cuts. This differs greatly from equipment like the table saw or bandsaw which have flat blades instead of a rounded bit. The important thing is to set the fence the proper distance away from the bit, and the bit will do the rest work.

When setting the fence, the router fence does not need to be exactly parallel to the bit for most cuts. Usually, a router bit’s performance is not affected by the angle of the fence. This differs greatly from equipment like the table saw or bandsaw which have flat blades instead of a rounded bit. The important thing is to set the fence the proper distance away from the bit, and the bit will do the rest work.

 

If your bit has a bearing guide, lay a straightedge against the fence and adjust it until there’s a paper-thin space between the outer edge of the bearing and the straightedge.

====Feed Direction====

====Feed Direction====

When using the fence, always feed the workpiece from the right side of the router table to the left. The bit spins counterclockwise. The rotation of the bit pushes against the feed direction and pushes the workpiece into the fence as the user feeds the workpiece from right to left. This is the proper way to make a controlled cut on the router table. It is dangerous to feed the workpiece from left to right because the router bit will pull the workpiece out of your hands and fling it across the room.

When using the fence, always feed the workpiece from the right side of the router table to the left. The bit spins counterclockwise. Always push the workpiece against the cutter’s rotation. The force generated by the bit’s rotation helps push the workpiece against the fence. This is the proper way to make a controlled cut on the router table. It is dangerous to feed the workpiece from left to right because the router bit will pull the workpiece out of your hands and fling it across the room.

The feed rate is how fast the workpiece moves through the router bit. A feed rate that is too fast can cause the surface of the wood to tearout. In other words, you will get a poor cut and the surface of the wood will be rough or chipped. A feed rate that is too slow can cause the wood to burn. See the troubleshooting section for more info on burning.

The feed rate is how fast the workpiece moves through the router bit. A feed rate that is too fast can cause the surface of the wood to tearout. In other words, you will get a poor cut and the surface of the wood will be rough or chipped. A feed rate that is too slow can cause the wood to burn. See the troubleshooting section for more info on burning.

===Demonstration===

===Demonstration===

Demonstrate you can safely setup the table router with a roundover bit.  Remember to always unplug the router when changing tools or making adjustments to prevent an accidental turn-on situation. Perform a roundover cut on a piece of scrap wood.

Demonstrate you can safely setup the router table with a roundover bit.  Remember to always unplug the router when changing tools or making adjustments to prevent an accidental turn-on situation. Perform a roundover cut on a piece of scrap wood.

===General Procedure===

===General Procedure===

The material you are cutting needs to be free from nails or foreign objects. The material should be at least 1/2" thick.

Keep in mind as you use the router table that the motor has a soft-start feature. This means that the router bit will take a couple seconds to get up to speed. Don't start feeding your workpiece until the motor reaches steady state. Also, keep in mind that the router bit will coast down after it is turned off.

 

Long and narrow stock is easily machined on a router table. Featherboards make it even easier; they hold the stock tight against the surface of the fence and table and let you can concentrate on a steady, even feed rate. In general, a router table will help you work with stock of dimensions that don't lend themselves to handheld router work. Long, narrow stock, such as that used to make moldings and trim are nearly impossible to work with a handheld router. Edge profiling a few hundred feet of a particular door or base molding could probably be done with handheld router and the aid of special shop-built rigging, but dong so would be an extremely inefficient choice, when a router table makes long runs of narrow stock routine. Small pieces of stock are also a challenge to work with a handheld router. Handheld work on small parts often involves a difficult balancing act. You have to keep the router perfectly upright on stock that doesn't do a good job of supporting the router base. To compound the problem, you have to have a way of holding the stock itself in place while you work. A router table leaves both of your hands free to hold on to small parts while the table surface provides a sturdy, flat support for the entire surface of the workpiece.

Trimming the edge of a piece of stock to a flat, smooth, square surface or exactly following the contour of a pattern is one of the router's specialties. Attaching a straightedge or a template to a piece of stock is one of the quickest and most effective ways to clean up an edge, or to perfectly and repeatedly form the arched top of a frame and panel door or any other curved part.  Using a router table for edge trimming and pattern work speeds the process by eliminating the need to hold both the workpiece and the pattern down while you make the cut.

*Be aware of the cutter location on a router at all times as it is fairly exposed.   

*Keep all body parts away from the cutter and make sure the motor has stopped before removing your hands from the handles.  

Cutting grooves, slots, dadoes and rabbets, sliding dovetails, mortises and tenons are all part of the router tables stock in trade. If you need to cut a wide groove, click on the image to the right. Start with the inside edge. To avoid a climb cut, consider the second cut when positioning the fence for the first. Push the fence back, then rout the rest. By routing the outer side, the bit continues to push the work against the fence.

*Any equipment/tool that you don't handle safely is the most dangerous tool in the shop.  

 

*Don't attempt to use any router bits exceeding 1" in diameter. 

Many woodworking operations call for stopped cuts - cuts that do not continue for the entire length of the stock. Stopped cuts can be either decorative, like a chamfer that begins and ends at a certain point on a table leg, or functional, as in the case of a mortise or a half blind dovetail pin. A router table can be set up in seconds to perform a stopped cut; the same operation with a handheld router or a table saw is often extremely cumbersome or dangerous.

*Never attempt to use the router without the base.

==Certification==

==Certification==

[https://georgefox.instructure.com/courses/1269 Canvas Quiz]

[https://georgefox.instructure.com/courses/1212 Canvas Quiz]

==Troubleshooting==

==Troubleshooting==

Occasionally routing can leave burn marks on the workpiece. This can happen when the workpiece is fed through the router too slowly, but it can also mean that the bit in the router has become dull. Let a shop supervisor know if a bit seems dull. Sometimes the burning is due to build up of resin and other gunk (a technical term) on the backside of the blade which insulates the bit and allows for more heat to build up. Inspect the router bit before using, and make sure it looks clean. If the bit seems both clean and sharp, the cause of burning on you workpiece is either a feed rate that is too slow or a router bit speed that is too high.

Occasionally routing can leave burn marks on the workpiece. This can happen when the workpiece is fed through the router too slowly, but it can also mean that the bit in the router has become dull. Let a shop supervisor know if a bit seems dull. Sometimes the burning is due to build up of resin and other gunk (a technical term) on the backside of the cutter which insulates the bit and allows for more heat to build up. Inspect the router bit before using, and make sure it looks clean. If the bit seems both clean and sharp, the cause of burning on you workpiece is either a feed rate that is too slow or a router bit speed that is too high.

 

 

As a general rule, the miter gauge should not be used on the router table. But, if you have a special cut where you think the miter gauge would help, talk to the wood shop staff about setting it up.

==Maintenance==

==Maintenance==

!Done By

!Done By

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|Sample

|Clean out router box

|Sample

|As needed

|Sample

|Technician

|}

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