# Help with router and bit(s) please!



## kidd (Feb 12, 2010)

Hello to all and thanks to the staffs and all those who enjoy helping others.

I must say that I am not even rookie when it comes to routers.
However, I am not scare of the learning process and the challenges. I have learned many things this way.

I want to start with small things. And my first main project is making picture frame 'rabbet' for my frames. I usually buy my frames but now, I want to make my own. I already purchased all the other tools like the saw, sanders, joint, fittings etc. 

So now I need good router that is not fancy or more power then I need to just give me good rabbet. It can be as small or less power as any other, as long it can do the rabbeting for me.

So good router just for small job like rabbeting picture frame where the glass, pictures, and backing sits on. 

Two, the rabbet bit(s) I would need to accomplish this.

Again, I am not looking for fancy or huge router, if you can help me with small one that does the job, is all good!

I would appreciate any help so much. 

So to make it short, a router for making picture frame lip ( rabbet) with the proper rabbet bits. Nothing fancy. If you know any other ways, please let me know too. For now, I just want to make rabbet without space for table saw or router table. Hopefully this will give me the first experience and move on from there.

Thank you so much in advance.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Welcome to the forum Kidd, being in Australia, I can't help you with choosing a router and to give you an answer on the simplest way to rout the rabbit I need to know if you intend to mount the router in a table.


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## kidd (Feb 12, 2010)

harrysin said:


> Welcome to the forum Kidd, being in Australia, I can't help you with choosing a router and to give you an answer on the simplest way to rout the rabbit I need to know if you intend to mount the router in a table.


Thank you for your reply Harrysin.
I am using about 2 inch wide and one inch deep wood stick or something around there. They are not that big woods. I would love to avoid mounting the router to a table if it can be done that way, but if I must mount to a table, then let it be. I was thinking of just clapping the wood on a table, but if i must mount the router to a table, then its fine. But if there is other way, that's even better.


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## DerekO (Jan 20, 2010)

I am no expert by any means, buy you can clamp the wood to a table and use some sort of guide to prevent you from routing too much. Though for that small of pieces I have found it easier to have the router mounted to a table and use the table's fence to make sure I keep a nice straight line and don't remove too much.

I don't know how wide of a rabbit you need to make but if it is really small something like even a rotozip or dremel can even do small cuts. Though the cost of those is often as much or more than a full size router. I know I paid more for my rotozip than I just paid for a ryobi router/table combo just in the last 2 months or so. The router that came with the table can also be used without the table. I got the ryobi combo at Home Depot for around $100. It does only have a 1/4" collet so that is a negative, but not a bad enough one to not buy it. I have only used this one in a table, but before I used to use my brother's craftsman router and used it both without a table and with a homemade table that wasn't much more than a big piece of mdf with a big enough hole in it for the bit to stick through and a fence made out of a two or three pieces of mdf glued together.

The one thing I have learned both from experience and reading on here is that a plunge router is normally a better choice if you are only going to have one router. It can do more things and also works as a fixed base router if you just keep it set at the same height. Never used a plunge router yet, but have had many times I wish I had one. I did just get one (my Wife surprised me by buying it) and hope to try it out this weekend.


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## kidd (Feb 12, 2010)

Dereko, thank you for the in put. Actually, i thought about Dremel, and the rotozip too, but i thought those were for cutting stuff. So they use saw not rabbets am i right? If so, how can i use them? Or the saw it self does the job? If so, i wanna try it, give me the name and model of the one that you think works the best for these type of work.

I would love to use just small one like those if i can get the job done. All I want is something that will do the rabbet for me, thats my whole use for now.

Let me know, and thanks for your help.


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

kidd said:


> Dereko, thank you for the in put. Actually, i thought about Dremel, and the rotozip too, but i thought those were for cutting stuff. So they use saw not rabbets am i right? If so, how can i use them? Or the saw it self does the job? If so, i wanna try it, give me the name and model of the one that you think works the best for these type of work.
> 
> I would love to use just small one like those if i can get the job done. All I want is something that will do the rabbet for me, thats my whole use for now.
> 
> Let me know, and thanks for your help.


Hi kidd - Welcome to the forum
I'm not real sure what you are up to but Sears has some routers a fairly reasonable price. They aren't really small but not huge either. 
A decent rabbetting bit will have a bearing on the end. The bearing is what will guide the router for you.
For wood, I would recommend you get a piece somewhat longer than what you need. For instance for a 4"x6" frame, you will need at least a 20" board. Don't forget that where the picture goes will be smaller than the frame. A frame for a 4x6 inch picture take nearly a 2 -1/2 foot long board. 
Clamp the wood to a bench or table such that nothing will interfere with the travel of the router or bit. Remember that when doing this, only half the router will be supported on the workpiece so you will need to figure some type of support for the other side of the router. 
Once you are ready to go, install the bit in the router and adjust the bit height. *YOU HAVE NOT PLUGGED THE ROUTER IN YET!!*:shout:
Once the bit height is set, make a couple of practice passes with the router unplugged to make sure everything works smoothly. Nothing bumps you, the router or the bit other than the workpiece. Now, plug the router in, turn it on and make the cut moving from your left to your right. Just move easily and constantly along the cut. Let the router do the work, don't force it but don't let it stop moving. 
This whole process is, in my opinion, easier and safer to accomplish on a router table. For that matter, a rabbet can be done on a table saw using featherboards and push sticks for pieces that size. 
OK, turn the router off and cut up your frame
Hope this helps and hasn't been to confusing.


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## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

Hey Kidd......... I did not use a router table for my rabbets on a picture frame and basically did what jschaben suggested.......... I used one extra long piece of wood....... rabbet one side... flip it and edge the other side,,,,,,,, then you can cut it up to the lengths you want for your frame...... for safety and quality sake use a piece of double sided tape to fasten a piece of wood that is the same thickness as the wood you are routing to the bottom of your router plate.......... it will keep your router from wobbling when you make your run down the wood......... you'll see what I mean when you make a dry run with the router not turned on

I didn't have a picture frame rabbet bit but it would be well worth the money (30 dollars) to have one.... MLCS has one at the bottom of the page linked here MLCS picture frame router bits

The bit requires a 1/2" shank collet so a plunge router from Craftsman might be a good purchase for you .......... I have the 2hp soft start Plunge combo by them and as a newbie it has served me well to this point depending on sales it's around 100 dollars.......

I believe that it's a better suited job for a router table but it can be done with out one... if it ever warms up I'll start mine but that's another story

Good luck and be safe


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Kidd

I will suggest the best of both worlds way
http://www.routerforums.com/project-plans-how/9782-best-both-worlds.html

One setup you can use to mold/mill the stock and the other you can use to put the rabbit in place with one bit, you can find tons of molding bits and make all the frame profiles you want to make quick and easy...

eBay Store - Super Carbide Tools: Single bit, 2 pc Set, Set
Molding Router Bits 2
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## kidd (Feb 12, 2010)

Thanks guys for the inputs.
I guess i won't really know and feel of it until I actually buy one and play with it. I will go to Homedepot to see what they have and go from there. I wish there was easier way to do without any tables or bigger router but i guess thats easy either.

Anyone experience those little dremel or rotozip for this kind of work?


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## DerekO (Jan 20, 2010)

Regarding the rotozip and the dremel, they sell 1/8" bits, you can use the various cutting tools and bases from each to do it without bits (done it, took a lot longer than using router bits in either one). The rotozip, or at least the RZ5 I have can accept 1/4" shank router bits and I have used that for some small stuff when I didn't want to use my brother's craftsman router which has the twist ring base for adjusting router height and I hate using since it is normally hard to adjust it.

I also used to have a cordless rotozip clone that I used to do some stuff, but the batteries long ago wore out for that tool kit and it all got tossed in a major garage cleanup as getting just one battery repowered cost more than the whole drill, jigsaw, rotozip clone, sander, flashlight and two batteries did originally. Know wish I would have spent the money as my rotozip is semi-broken and the pin to lock the shaft for bit removal is broken (and unfix-able for me as I already ordered the replacement parts and made it worse than it was when it first broke).

I much prefer doing things like you want to do on the router table for easier control. But that is just me who also does almost every thing while sitting down and also I have limited real world experience, just a lot of reading and watching.

The one part I did like about using the rotozip or dremel (mine is actually a Black and Decker Wizard) is that they had one flat side of the depth guide base and the router I was using at the time didn't. I could have made a base with a flat edge, but didn't want to use my plexiglass to make a base for a router I didn't like.


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## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

Bob........ impressive "Best of Both Worlds"

Off topic from this thread..... I'm at the beginning of making jigs that require tapping holes......... I have Rocklers (actually 2 as I got them on sale) 17 piece T- Track kits linked here 17-Piece Universal T-Track Kit - Rockler Woodworking Tools and am asking if you know of a good inexpenive tapping set that would suit my beginning needs using the size of the bolts in the kit


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Marco

Thanks
Most sets will do the trick.I would suggest you pickup one at ACE hardware in the green box, it will have most of the sizes you will need you may also want to pickup one of the Metric, so many things are metric now days forget the HF ones ,junk...

You can make your own knobs quick and easy, they are not bad at one or two until you start using them all the time and it can run into some big money same with the tee bolts and nuts.

I will post a link how to make them just ask if you want it.


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Marco said:


> Bob........ impressive "Best of Both Worlds"
> 
> Off topic from this thread..... I'm at the beginning of making jigs that require tapping holes......... I have Rocklers (actually 2 as I got them on sale) 17 piece T- Track kits linked here 17-Piece Universal T-Track Kit - Rockler Woodworking Tools and am asking if you know of a good inexpenive tapping set that would suit my beginning needs using the size of the bolts in the kit


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## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

Thanks Bob and yes please post a link when you can


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Your Welcome

Here's a link or two.

Router Forums - View Single Post - Jig Storage & Shop made Knobs
Router Forums - View Single Post - Jig Storage & Shop made Knobs
Router Forums - View Single Post - Jig Storage & Shop made Knobs

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Marco said:


> Thanks Bob and yes please post a link when you can


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## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

I checked out the links the other day Bob........ thanks for posting them.

Unfortunately so much going on the last couple of weeks ...including the weather...I haven't had much time to make much saw dust or chips......... I did ruin a router bit and a guide bushing though...... thanks for the tip on the brass bushings or that accident could have ruined more than a bit and a bushing


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