Transcript Router 101 - Nova Labs

Handheld Woodworking Power
Tools
An introduction to in the woodshop
Instructors
Ka-Loon Tung
Overview
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Nova Labs
Tools
What is it?
What is it used for?
Capabilities
Anatomy
Operation
Accessories
Safety
Techniques
References and Resources
Nova Labs
What is Nova Labs?
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A non-profit Makerspace
What is a Makerspace? (per Wikipedia)
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A Makerspace is a physical location supporting a collaborative
environment and community.
A maker's facility usually provides access to community tools and
people with a wealth of knowledge.
Given access to these resources, community members are able to
learn and complete projects, which would otherwise be out of their
capability.
How is the space funded?
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Through classes like this, membership dues and donations
How do I become a member?
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Find a subject that interests you and get a member to sponsor you.
First Step - Find a Sponsor!
Tools
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Drill/Driver
Circular Saw
Jig Saw
Router
Random Orbit Sander
Drill Driver
So, what is it?
a hand tool, power tool, or machine with a rotating cutting tip or
reciprocating hammer or chisel, used for making holes.
- Google
https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+a+drill
What is it used for?
Capabilities
Spin a bit to drill or drive
• Drill a hole when using some variant of a cutting bit
• Drive in fastener when using some variant of a driving bit
• Useful all around tool for any home owner, renter, maker, etc
• Stationary counterpart is the drill press
Variants include
• Drill/Driver – 2 speed machine with a clutch
• Impact Driver – Variant with a hammer that induces additional
turning force
• Hammer Drill – Variant with a hammer that induces additional
forward momentum
Anatomy
Clutch
Gear selector
Chuck
Direction selector
Trigger
Power Source
Operation
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Set the Gear
Set the clutch
Select your drill bit
Insert the appropriate bit in the
chuck
• Position your drill bit and drill
through
http://www.diynetwork.com/home-improvement/the-different-types-of-drill-bits/pictures/index.html
Accessories
Must-haves
• The appropriate drill bit
Helpful
• Hex quick-release bits
Neat, but not really required
• Drilling guide
• More drill guides
Safety
Fingers and other body parts
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Keep hands clear of bits
Keep your material secure so that it doesn’t move unexpectedly
Start and Stop
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Position the tool
Slowly start the tool
Wait until the tool to come to a complete stop
Clear out chips and/or debris to prevent overheating
Techniques
Setup
• Hold the bit and chuck to use the drill to tighten the chuck
jaws
Drilling
• Use an awl to mark the center point for drilling
• Start slow and gradually speed up the bit
• Slow down your speed when drilling larger holes
• Clear chips often to prevent overheating of a bit
Techniques
Driving
• Prevent splitting a board by pre-drill a clearance hole that is
slightly smaller than the threads of the screw you will be
using
• Back up your holes to prevent blowout
• Drill a countersink for flat head screws
• Set the clutch to the lowest speed to avoid stripping the bit
• Gradually raise the clutch when needed
• Use a good quality screw
• Waxing the screw to lubricate the threads if necessary
• Consider using a handheld screwdriver for delicate work
Circular Saw
So, what is it?
a power saw with a rapidly rotating toothed disk.
- Google
https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+a+circular+saw
What is it used for?
Capabilities
Make cuts!
• Stationary counterpart is the Table Saw
• Specialty circular saw variant is the track saw
Types of cuts
• Rip cut
• Crosscut
• Bevel cut
• Miter cut
• Compound cut
Anatomy
Power Trigger Handle
Depth Adjustment
Arbor Lock
Front Handle
Power Cord
Bevel Adjustment
Blade Guard
Shoe
Arbor Lock
Operation
• Direction of spin/rotation
• Types of blades
• Tooth count
• Tooth Pattern
• Depth of cut for the blade
• Direction to install the blade
• Carbide into the direction of the cut
• Use the guard!
http://www.woodworkingchat.com/blogs/tips-for-picking-table-saw-blades/4919-tips-for-picking-saw-blades
Accessories
Must-haves
• The right blade
• Squares
Helpful
• Straight edges
• Home-made jigs
Neat, but not really required
• After market Rip Guides
• Specialty clamping straight edges
Safety
Eyes and ears
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Safety glasses
Ear protection
Fingers and other body parts
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Keep hands clear of blade
Keep both hands on handles
Unplug for adjustments
Start and Stop
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Start the tool before contacting the material
Stop the tool after the guard is fully
retracted
Maintain control of the tool until it comes
to a complete stop
Safety
Feed Direction
• Only push the saw forward, don’t back up
• Keep the saw moving in a straight line
• Use a guide of some sort
Material Support
• Support your material on both sides of the cut (keeper and offcut), so that the blade will not get pinched by the material after
the cut
• Secure your material on the keeper side
• Keep the good face of your work down to prevent splintering
• Back up your cut with tape and/or sacrificial backer pieces
Safety
Kickback
• Kickback occurs when the teeth of blade is unable to slice
through the material, and the momentum of the blade pushes
it back towards you
• This can happen for many reasons, such as dull blades,
pinched blades, or an improper feed rate
Techniques
Setup
• Blade – Follow the circular saw instructions and install the
right blade
• Depth – Set the depth of cut to about 1-2 tooth more than the
thickness of your cut
• Bevel – Set and lock the appropriate bevel angle
With a Guide
• Setup your guide
• Account for the off-set of your saw
(if applicable)
• Make your cut, keeping the saw tight
against the guide or guide tight
against your material
Techniques
Freehand use of a circular saw carries a greater risk. Consider
using some sort of guide if possible
• Mark your line
• Use two hands
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One on the handle + trigger
One on either the front handle or
the wide part of the shoe
• Follow the line slowly with the saw
• Stop the saw when you complete your cut and/or the blade
clears your material
• Hold the saw stationary until it comes to a complete stop and
ensure the blade guard is fully retracted
Techniques
Plunge-cutting with a circular saw requires you start the blade
exposed.
• Set your depth of cut
• Pivot the saw off your cut line from the front of the saw
• Retract the guide and start the saw
• Pivot your saw down to plunge the saw blade into the
material
• Allow your shoe to make full contact with the material
• Proceed with your cut
• Stop the saw when you complete your cut and/or the blade
clears your material
• Hold the saw stationary until it comes to a complete stop and
ensure the blade guard is fully retracted
Jig Saw
So, what is it?
a machine saw with a fine blade enabling it to cut curved lines
in a sheet of wood, metal, or plastic.
- Google
http://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+a+jigsaw
What is it used for?
Capabilities
Make cuts!
• Hand-held counterpart of the Band Saw
Types of cuts
• Rip cut
• Crosscut
• Bevel cut
• Miter cut
• Compound cut
• Curved cuts
• Cuts in the middle of the material
Anatomy
http://www.designsponge.com/2011/03/diy-101-building-your-toolbox-saws-part-i.html
Operation
• Movement of the blade
• Types of blades – size tooth pattern/count
o Different blade type for different materials
o Less teeth = faster aggressive cut
o More teeth = slower finer cut
• Speed control
o Slow down to prevent overheating
Accessories
Must-haves
• The right blade
Helpful
• Home-made jigs
• Dust Collection
Neat, but not really required
• Squares
• Straight edges
• Rip Guides
• Specialty clamping straight edges
Safety
Eyes and ears
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Safety glasses
Ear protection
Fingers and other body parts
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Keep hands clear of blade
Keep both hands on handles
Unplug for adjustments
Start and Stop
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Start the tool before contacting the material
Maintain control of the tool until it comes
to a complete stop
Safety
Feed Direction
• Only push the saw forward, don’t back up
• Keep the saw moving in a straight line
• Don’t push the jigsaw too aggressively – let the blade do the
work and dictate feed rate
Material Support
• Support your material on both sides of the cut, so that the
blade will not get pinched by the material after the cut
• Secure your material on the keeper side
• Ensure there is clearance for blade travel below the material
Safety
Kickback
• Kickback occurs when the teeth of blade is unable to slice
through the material, and the momentum of the blade pushes
it back towards you
• This can happen for many reasons, such as dull blades,
pinched blades, or an over-aggressive feed rate
Techniques
Setup
• Blade – Follow the jigsaw’s instructions and install the right
blade
• Bevel – Set and lock the appropriate bevel angle
Freehand
• Mark your line
• Use two hands
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One on the handle + trigger
One on either to the front of the handle
or on the shoe
• Follow the line slowly with the saw
Techniques
With a Guide
• Setup your guide
• Account for the off-set of your saw (if applicable)
• Make your cut, keeping the saw tight against the guide or
guide tight against your material
Cuts in the middle of the work
• Mark your cut lines
• Drill clearance holes so that the blade can enter
• Insert your jigsaw blade into the hole
• Start the jigsaw and proceed with your cut
Router
So, what is it?
A router is a motor that spins a bit at an extremely high speed.
-Steve Ramsey (Woodworking for Mere Mortals)
WWMM
What can you do with it?
Capabilities
Maybe one of the most versatile tools you can own.
Out of the box, a handheld router works well for:
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Creating edge profiles
Laminate trimming
Free hand - cut profile, sign lettering
Enlarging inner profiles and reducing outer profiles
Different bits, jigs and accessories allow more complex work:
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Joints - dovetail, mortise and tenon, tongue and groove, dado, rabbet,
scarf and others
Sign lettering
Cabinet door panels
Template routing - profiles, drilling shelf pin holes, Inlays
Jointing rough edges
Carving
Surfacing
Anatomy
Types of routers
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Plunge
Fixed Base
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Knob
D-Handle
Palm / Laminate Trimmer
Variants
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RotoZip
Dremel
Speeds
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Single - usually between 24K and 30K RPM
Variable - ranges vary, as low as 12K and as high as 35K RPM
Different size collets - ½”, ¼”, ⅛”
Anatomy
Variable
Speed
Control
Parts
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Base
Handle
Universal Motor
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On/Off
switch
Height
Lock
Lever
on Back
On/off switch
Speed Control
Collet & Nut
Height Adjustment
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Depth
Stop
Adjuster
Height Lock
Depth Adjuster
Turret on plunge routers
Spindle Lock
Collet
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Nut
Depth
Stop
Turret
Base
Spindle
Lock
Anatomy
Frequently included accessories
• Wrench
• Collet shank size adapter
• Edge Guide
• Dust Collection
• Template bushings
Bits
Carbide vs High Speed Steel (HSS)
o Hard and durable vs. inexpensive
Must-have bits
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Straight Bit - ¼”, ½”, ¾”
Roundover - ⅛”, ¼”, ½”
Roman Ogee - ¼
Flush trim - ½”
Rabbeting - ½” with multiple bearings
Downcut bit - ½”
Upcut bit - ¼” & ½”
Chamfer bit
Not all bits are made equal, but most get the job done well enough.
Start off with a 15-30 piece low cost set, preferably with a decent
case. Replace frequently used, dull bits with good quality ones.
Bits
The right bit speed is important
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It’s primarily a safety issue: 24K:<1”, 22K:1”, 18K:2” 12K:3.5”
Bits usually have two cutting edges, which means 48K cuts per
minute at 24K RPM
High RPMs can burn woods like Cherry and Maple
Slow down a little below maximum to cut down on heat
Safety
Eyes and ears
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Safety glasses - routers throw chips
Ear protection - loud
Fingers and other body parts
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Keep hands clear of bit when running
Keep both hands on handles
Turn off to make adjustments
Allow to stop before moving router off work piece
Unplug for bit changes
Safety
Dust
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Routers usually produce more chips than dust, but a face mask
may be required for some dusty materials like MDF.
Speed
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Slow down the router speed for bits larger than 1”.
Correct cutting direction
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Don’t climb-cut with a handheld router.
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You could damage your workpiece.
Worse, the router could run away from you.
There are a few caveats, like cutting around corners
Accessories
Must-have
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Height gauge
Straightedge
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Doesn’t have to be fancy, just straight
Helpful
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Router table
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Really, it’s just a board with hole in it
Opens up a lot of options
Sub-base
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Better control, especially around corners
Neat, but not really required
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Bench cookies
Expensive Jigs
Operation - Setup
Inserting bit
o Lock spindle
o Insert bit to tips of flutes
o Don’t insert all the way to bits with larger heads
 Pull back out about ⅛”.
Setting height
o Don’t measure if you don’t have to
 Use height gauge, setup block or stock itself
 Once dialed in, save a cutoff as a setup block for future setups
Operation - Cutting
• Bit spins clockwise (right hand rule)
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Go clockwise on inside profiles
Go counter-clockwise on outside
profiles
When using guide, bit should pull
router into guide, guide on left of cut
• Cut end grain first to avoid chipout
• Keep router base flat on the work
surface - gouges
• Don’t cut too deeply, cut in stages
• A quick moving, shallow final pass
takes off burn marks
Operation - Pitfalls
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Inserting bit too far - bit can slip out of collet
Base plate not flat to surface - causes gouges
Cutting too much or too deep
o Can cause rough cuts, gouges, splintering and control
problems
o Do multiple passes with one shallow final pass
Moving too slowly
o Causes burning
o You may be moving the router at the right speed, but the bit
may be too fast for the wood (cherry, maple and others)
Bit speed too fast
o Similar issues to moving router too slow
Don’t measure more than necessary to avoid most human error
Operation - Techniques
Edges
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Three goals
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Keep the bearing against the wood
Keep the router base flat against the surface
Keep moving
Operation - Techniques
Templates
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Collars - cut template larger than final piece
Template bits - cut template exact to size
Needs to be smooth - imperfections with telegraph to work
Operation - Techniques
Setup Blocks
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Can be used to
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Set height for certain bits or profiles
Set distance from straight edge for dado or rabbet
Some interlocking bits are very sensitive to height
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Glue Joint Bit
Lock-miter bit.
Operation - Techniques
Freehand drawing or lettering
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Best done with smaller/lighter router for better control
Print or draw template and attach to stock with spray adhesive
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Spray on paper, wait a minute, then apply
Select the appropriate bit, usually a 60 or 90 degree vee bit
Take it slow and watch your lines
Random Orbit Sander
So, what is it?
also called Dual-Action or D.A. sanders (referring to the rotation
of the disk and the head) are hand-held power sanders where
the action is a random orbit
- Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_orbital_sander
What is it used for?
Capabilities
Power assisted sanding to create scratch patterns
• Primarily for finish sanding, not for aggressive stock removal
Sand with two power assisted actions:
• Rotation of the disc
• Orbit of the disc
Sanding with two actions creates a scratch pattern that if done
right, is not easily visible to the human eye
Origins from the from the automotive industry
Anatomy
http://visual.merriam-webster.com/house/do-it-yourself/carpentry-shaping-tools/random-orbit-sander.php
Operation
• Sanding through grits
Description
Grit
Use
Coarse
40 – 60
Distressing, heavy stock removal, or initial sanding of
rough (unsurfaced) wood
Medium
80 – 120
Initial sanding of flattened or surfaced wood
Fine
150 - 220
Final sanding grits for most wood surfaces
Extra Fine
240+
Extra fine sanding or polishing of finishes/top coats
• Don’t skip grits, go up ~50% of the previous grit
https://generalfinishes.com/retail-products/finishing-design-center/preparation-sanding
Accessories
Must-haves
• Sandpaper
• Personal safety equipment
Helpful
• Active dust extraction (connected vacuum system)
Neat, but not really required
• Multiple sanders
• Accessory sanding or polishing pads
Safety
Eyes, ears, and lungs
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Safety glasses
Ear protection
Dust mask or respirator
Start and Stop
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Make sure the material is secured and will
not move during the sanding operation
Start the tool on the material
Stop the tool off the material
Maintain control of the tool until it comes
to a complete stop
Techniques
Setup
• Installing hook and loop sand paper
• Align the dust extraction holes
• Connecting dust extraction tools
• Setting up your speed control
• Securing your work piece
• Pencil marks on your work piece
Operation
• Start the sander on the work piece, stop the sander off the
work piece
• Move slowly at a steady pace (~1 inch per second)
• Keep the sander flat (don’t tilt the sander)
References and Resources
General
• About Woodworking - http://woodworking.about.com/
• The Wood Whisperer – Low Entertainment Center Series built with handheld power tools
o https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8616E2DC65E41C81
Drill/Driver
• Articles
• Popular Woodworking: Screws are Screws – Aren’t They?
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http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/screws-screws-arent
• Wood Screws: Best Uses for the Best Types
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http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/wood-screws-types-washers.aspx
• Videos
• Skil Tools - How to use a cordless drill
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grnoi528kCY
• Wood Work Web – All About Wood Drill Bits
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L53FQrXOgVE
References and Resources
Circular Saw
• Videos
• This Old House – How to choose a circular saw
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1APf46AhM4g
• This Old House – How to make a Circular Saw Guide
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIeIZdrbz-Y
• Howcast – How to use a jigsaw
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUyL92r20UA
• Skil Tools - How to use a circular saw
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU3k5D5n5xo
• Jon Peters – How to make a “rip fence jig” for a circular saw
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwcOKX7PaRg
References and Resources
Jigsaw
• Videos
• Howcast – How to use a jigsaw
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUyL92r20UA
• Skil Tools – How to use a jigsaw
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P38s_Yj_kM
• Lowes – How to use a jigsaw
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNoNeOswCt8
• Home Addition Plus – Jigsaw and Jigsaw Blades
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQfDlTNyAlE
References and Resources
Router
• Informational Sites
• Router Forums - http://www.routerforums.com/
• Router Workshop - Info and TV show DVDs for sale - http://routerworkshop.com/
• Videos
• Woodworking for Mere Mortals
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http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBB7sYb14uBtk8UqSQYc9-w
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Router 101 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vl8Jbw3cSk
• Wood Whisperer
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http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKp44bWWZIiOPShPN_ytShw
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Routers, Parts and Supplies
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Rockler - http://rockler.com
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Woodcraft - http://woodcraft.com, local stores in Springfield and Leesburg
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MLCS Woodworking - http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/
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Amazon - http://amazon.com
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Lowes / Home Depot has smaller selection
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Might be others, let me know if you find a good resource
References and Resources
Sanders
• Articles
• Fine Woodworking Tool Test – Sanding Disks
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http://www.finewoodworking.com/tool-guide/article/tool-test-sanding-disks.aspx
• Videos
• Woodworking for Mere Mortals – Sanding for absolute beginning woodworkers
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69hXo44i0Ms
• Wood Whisperer – Episode 161 Sanding Efficiency
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtkIuWcW3cE
• THISisCarpentry – Swirl-Free Sanding with Larry Smith from Festool
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZZyypf-Qqk
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Sanding Supplies
• Home Depot has a selection of Freud/Diablo sandpaper with a universal hole pattern
• Lowes has a selection of Gator/ShopSmith sandpaper with two different hole patterns (5” x 5
or 5” x 8)
• Klingspor VD900 sandpaper received the Fine Woodworking award for Best Overall and
Value
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https://www.woodworkingshop.com/