# first router project...



## gregW (Mar 14, 2007)

well actually these are pictures of my first and second projects. I originally got the router to do the hinge and latch mortises for the new doors I installed. Then I decided to go ahead and make the headers and fluted casings to try out different techniques with the router. It was a pretty good learning experience.
Greg


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

Good job.. Looks like that was how it was built in the first place..


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Greg

Very NICE JOB  

Did you know that you can get rosette cutters ?, but you did a great job making your own with the templates you made 
When you do this great type of work, it makes you want to do the rest of the doors and frames in the house.  


Rosette Cutter
http://www.grizzly.com/products/searchresults.aspx?q=rosette


Bj


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## gregW (Mar 14, 2007)

Thanks Mike and Bob.

I saw the rosette cutters at grizzly and MLCS, but I decided I would try to figure out how to do as much of the project as I could with my router, and I was able to use the same bit I got for the flutes...plus I was sort of on a jig making frenzy!  

I got four doors done and seven more to go, then I'll start on the window frames. The only bad part is that I seem to be developing this strange addiction to using MDF ...

Greg


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Greg

"strange addiction to using MDF" ME TOO ,,, It's neat stuff and you can use it all and no wast so to speak, and you don't need to care about the grain of the wood  it's all the same .

Bj


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

*Beautiful work Greg.*

Really nice Greg.  When you get yours done and feel you need more experience, I have 7 that could be done.  Plus an arch way that might look nice with that trim.


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## challagan (Feb 7, 2006)

You did great Greg, nice work!

Corey


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## curiousgeorge (Nov 6, 2006)

Excellent job Greg. Keep up the good work.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

A job well done Greg., hopefully more and more members will start to use template guides, they open up heaps of new possibilities for the router.

Bob, regarding rosette cutters, am I right in thinking that these are for use in a drill press only?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Harry

They are made to be used in the drill press BUT they have a true 1/2" shank, so one could use them in the 3 1/4HP plunge router at low speeds....with a BIG hole in the base plate...or no base plate at all.they only need to go down 1/2" to 5/8" deep the norm.

OR
You can make your own, it's alot cheaper to make your own cutter,see links below.

http://www.routerforums.com/general-routing/226-hole-saw-cut-outs-2.html


Bj


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## Joe Lyddon (Sep 11, 2004)

gregW said:


> well actually these are pictures of my first and second projects. I originally got the router to do the hinge and latch mortises for the new doors I installed. Then I decided to go ahead and make the headers and fluted casings to try out different techniques with the router. It was a pretty good learning experience.
> Greg


Hey GregW,

Super nice job!!

Looks like you used an old cutting board for the fluting jig! Great!

Am curious what kind of bit you used... same one for rosettes & flutes?

I think you did a great job thinking it out... then executing your plan.

Thank you for sharing.


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## gregW (Mar 14, 2007)

Thanks everyone for the nice comments. I'm having a great time learning how to do new stuff! This forum is a wealth of information and I've learned a lot since I've been coming here.
Greg


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## gregW (Mar 14, 2007)

Hi Joe,

It’s actually a NEW cutting board. I found some on sale a while back and grabbed a handful. At the time I was thinking that they may make good feather boards for my table saw, or if nothing else they would at least come in handy at picnics and barbeques!  

The one in the picture was actually already fitted to my router as a sub base for the template guides I used to make the rosettes. I made some wooden guides that index to the sub base with dowels to keep them concentric to the cutter. The guides have an internal diameter that’s large enough to allow the collet on my router to fit through. I’m using a point cutting round over bit on both the rosettes and the flutes and I wanted to be able to grip as much of the shank as possible while making the cut to reduce vibration. The retaining nut on the P-C style guides limits the depth of plunge, so I either had to make a very thin template or only put about half of the router bit shank in the collet.

The cutting board worked out great. It machines well, has very little flex and provides a nice large stable and slick surface for the router. The fence for the flutes also indexes to the cutting board with dowels.

I used the same setup (template guides and cutting board) this past weekend to try out the process that Template Tom laid out in his post for making the picture frame project. Instead of a picture frame I tried to make a simple version of one of the very cool glass cabinet doors that Tom makes. I still have to finish it and install the glass, but here’s a picture of how it looks so far. 

Greg


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Nicely done Greg. You can't imagine how pleased Tom will be when he see's it. Keep up the good work.


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## Joe Lyddon (Sep 11, 2004)

gregW,

Thank you for the details... C O O L !!

That door looks super nice also...


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Now why was I not surprised to learn last evening that Tom was involved (not physically) in Greg's top notch routing projects?
I have come across some fast learners over the years but without a doubt Greg must go to the top of the class. I hope that other forum members might be tempted to at least experiment with plunge routing using home-made templates.
Back to Tom, he called me on Skype last evening to report on the progress of his training DVD, which is nearing completion, and to assure me that he will be returning to the forum in the not too distant future, in the meantime forum members are welcome to email him.


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## gregW (Mar 14, 2007)

Hi Harry,
Tom did provide a lot of inspiration and advise by email, especially with the glass cabinet door. I'm pretty happy with the results considering that it's the first one I've made. I'm hoping to actually install it in the cabinet this weekend. I'll post some more pictures of it after it's in.

It really is amazing that it only took about $8 of material and a few hours to produce using Tom's method!  

Greg 





harrysin said:


> Now why was I not surprised to learn last evening that Tom was involved (not physically) in Greg's top notch routing projects?
> I have come across some fast learners over the years but without a doubt Greg must go to the top of the class. I hope that other forum members might be tempted to at least experiment with plunge routing using home-made templates.
> Back to Tom, he called me on Skype last evening to report on the progress of his training DVD, which is nearing completion, and to assure me that he will be returning to the forum in the not too distant future, in the meantime forum members are welcome to email him.


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