# Help please i'm new to routers



## clyoung333 (Feb 13, 2010)

I have just order a router off of ebay it is a cheap chicago 1-1/2 hp plunge router with only a 1/4" collet, I purchased it so I could bull nose my stair treads. They are 2"x12" treads so I think I need a 3/4" roundover bit but I can only find it in a 1/2" shanke. can I buy an after market collet or other brand collet to fit my router or can someone provide me with a link to a sight that sells it with a 1/4" shanke. I should have resurched what I needed before purchasing but it was a great deal and I only had about 2 sec. left in the auction so I bought it. I always wanted a router and now I have one even if it will not work for this project. Thanks for any help you can offer.


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## clyoung333 (Feb 13, 2010)

also can I use a plunge router on a router table?


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

clyoung333 said:


> I have just order a router off of ebay it is a cheap chicago 1-1/2 hp plunge router with only a 1/4" collet, I purchased it so I could bull nose my stair treads. They are 2"x12" treads so I think I need a 3/4" roundover bit but I can only find it in a 1/2" shanke. can I buy an after market collet or other brand collet to fit my router or can someone provide me with a link to a sight that sells it with a 1/4" shanke. I should have resurched what I needed before purchasing but it was a great deal and I only had about 2 sec. left in the auction so I bought it. I always wanted a router and now I have one even if it will not work for this project. Thanks for any help you can offer.


Hi Cory - welcome to the forum
Boy, I have one of those bits and it is a pretty good chunk of steel to be balanced on the end of a stick about the size of a pencil. Then spin it at 20,000 rpm + Me thinks that would be a plan General Custer himself could be proud of. :no:
Seriously, you may be able to find a bit like that from some Chinese outfit, not particularly concerned with safety but I doubt you will find anything of meaningful quality. Actually, for stairs, a 1/2" radius should work for you and they are readily available.
As far as a collet goes, I think Chicago refers to Chicago Electric which is a Harbor Freight house brand and I doubt you will be able to find a 1/2" collet for it either. 
In reference to your question about table mounting it, yes, many have plunge routers table mounted. Most of the larger, 3+ hp, routers aren't even available in fixed base. 
Sorry I couldn't be more positive..:'(. Someone else will likely jump in here soon with some other thoughts.
Thanks for joining, will be looking forward to hearing more from you.


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## clyoung333 (Feb 13, 2010)

Thanks John you have been helpful, but I do have a question. I thought that bull nose was a full radius of the edge and a 1/2" rad. will not get a full rad. on a 2" board or maybe I am not thinking about quite right. again I am a newbie and need some experience with my new toy. Thanks again any knowledge will be helpful.


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Hello Cory, and welcome to the RouterForums. Glad to have you join us.


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

clyoung333 said:


> Thanks John you have been helpful, but I do have a question. I thought that bull nose was a full radius of the edge and a 1/2" rad. will not get a full rad. on a 2" board or maybe I am not thinking about quite right. again I am a newbie and need some experience with my new toy. Thanks again any knowledge will be helpful.


OK - I misunderstood. A 3/4" roundover bit will give you a 1-1/2" bullnose. If you want a full bullnose on a 2" board you will need a 1" radius roundover... even bigger!! A 3/4" roundover would leave about 1/2" flat surface along the center of the stair, 1/2" roundover would leave a 1" flat surface. Neither are a bad thing, just a matter of taste. 
You also should consider the diameter of the bit as well as the shank size. My 3/4" roundover is 2" in diameter. This is an extremely large bit and not usually considered a safe bit in the hand held mode. :bad: I run mine on the router table. There are some here that have the skill to handle such a bit safely hand held but I am not one of them. Also, some routers haven't got the throat capacity to handle that of large of a bit. The 1/2" roundover will be about 1-1/2" in diameter and, I think, most standard (1-1/2 hp up) should take it with no problem. 
Hope this helps


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

Hi again - I don't know what you have for bits but here is a reasonably comprehensive set that won't break the bank. Will give you a fair selection of capabilities you can experiment with and decide how you want to go.
30 pc 1/4" Shank Router Bit Set - eBay (item 140378372949 end time Feb-26-10 18:55:40 PST)


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## clyoung333 (Feb 13, 2010)

John, thanks again your advice it helps greatly. I will try a 1/2" bit to see how it looks (i.e. see if the wife likes it) and go from there. I know they make bits that remove wood but they have not invented the bit that will put it back on yet. Thanks again, Cory.


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## DerekO (Jan 20, 2010)

I think I have that exact router. Still in the box, going dowstairs to use it once I get done reading messages on here and my email.


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

clyoung333 said:


> John, thanks again your advice it helps greatly. I will try a 1/2" bit to see how it looks (i.e. see if the wife likes it) and go from there. I know they make bits that remove wood but they have not invented the bit that will put it back on yet. Thanks again, Cory.


:haha:Good idea, the BOSS doesn't like it we back to square one.... At least find out before you do it....


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

A 1/2" roundover will look nice. Not too much, not too little.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

clyoung333 said:


> I have just order a router off of ebay it is a cheap chicago 1-1/2 hp plunge router with only a 1/4" collet, I purchased it so I could bull nose my stair treads. They are 2"x12" treads so I think I need a 3/4" roundover bit but I can only find it in a 1/2" shanke. can I buy an after market collet or other brand collet to fit my router or can someone provide me with a link to a sight that sells it with a 1/4" shanke. I should have resurched what I needed before purchasing but it was a great deal and I only had about 2 sec. left in the auction so I bought it. I always wanted a router and now I have one even if it will not work for this project. Thanks for any help you can offer.


Hi Cory,
Are your stair treads made from standard 2"x12" material? If so the thickness probably measures 1-1/2" so a 3/4" bull-nose routed from both sides would give you a complete round over.


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## clyoung333 (Feb 13, 2010)

Let me know how it works I won it on ebay for 21.50 (I'm cheap) I have not received it yet but am waiting very impatiently.


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## clyoung333 (Feb 13, 2010)

that was what I was thinking that a 3/4" on standard lumber would give me what my wife wants, that is why I was looking for the 3/4" roundover bit with a 1/4" shank and this project was the reason I was able to pass the purchase to the budget. I love getting more tools.


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## DerekO (Jan 20, 2010)

clyoung333 said:


> Let me know how it works I won it on ebay for 21.50 (I'm cheap) I have not received it yet but am waiting very impatiently.



It was a surprise to me that I got it...$40 cause of coupon.

I liked it once I got used to plunging and being able to set the depth and lock it there once I had plunged down. Also liked that I could press a button and it would keep running without me pressing a trigger.

Since I do almost every thing sitting down the side of it that is square and the handles of it are sort of on the wrong plane for me. If turned so it went through the middle of things from the other way - instead of | or the other way around, I would really like it. But I got used to it. Made tons of dust  Think 7 boards, 5 dados a side, 2 boards, 7 dados one side only and 2 boards 2 rabbits and 5 dados one side only, if I am remembering correctly

Now If I could only set my jig up straight the first time things would have been wonderful instead of the first hour or two constantly redoing it.


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## clyoung333 (Feb 13, 2010)

Thanks I am still waiting for mine when I get it I going straight to the garage and playing a little.


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## DerekO (Jan 20, 2010)

clyoung333 said:


> Thanks I am still waiting for mine when I get it I going straight to the garage and playing a little.


From the looks of the bottom of the dust collector bag, it looks like I made more dust Sunday doing that routing than I had the previous month. I had sucked up the stuff from the 2 shop-vacs (1 mini, 1 small) into the dust collector right away to test it out and using the new router more than doubled what I had gotten from those 2 vacs plus anything I had done since I set it up middle of last week.

So I am having fun, once I learned to go straight 

I already have the next project planned out and it involves the new plunge router a lot too, just not as much as this one. New cabinet to put the dust collector on one side, the other side shelves for it's misc stuff on the bottom and then the rest of the shelves for the misc junk that that was where I am going to put the cabinet.


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## clyoung333 (Feb 13, 2010)

Ok UPS says I will not get my router till Monday:[ but I went to my local sears and found a 5/8" roundover with a 1/4" shank, what do you all think would look better, the 5/8" or a 1/2" for stair treads that are made from 2" bys (1 1/2"). still waiting impatiently for my router.


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## clyoung333 (Feb 13, 2010)

OK, I know it has been awhile but life gets in the way of playing with my toys. I tried my router out the other night and made a very primitive table and fence, I LOVE IT my wife is happy with using the 1/2 rad. round over bit on the stair treads and I hope in the next couple of weekends I can get started on the project. Thank you everyone for your advice it helped a lot. I will keep posting my progress and if I can figure it out maybe some pics. Thanks again everyone.


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

Glad to hear yo have had success Cory. Be sure to keep us posted on your progress and YES post pics if possible!


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## DerekO (Jan 20, 2010)

Glad to hear you got it, liked it and most of all she liked what you did with it


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