# Right Angled Router with 1/2 inch collet



## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

They actually make a right angle router ran by air but they are only 1/4". I figure that a rigged up right angle grinder (electric) somehow can have a 1/2" collet attached safely somehow?

Any ideas are welcome. I want the router which will be heavily used in a small space (7 Inches) cutting 3/8-7/16 OSB.


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## John Smith_ (Jan 10, 2020)

My mind is stuck on: _Why_ a router bit? (and what profile) Small Space, OSB less than 1/2".
There's gotta be a better way.
and, #2 = what do you consider "heavily used" ? Photos, photos and more photos could tell us "The Rest of the Story".


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## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

John Smith_ said:


> My mind is stuck on: WHY a router bit? (and what profile) Small Space, OSB less than 1/2".
> There's gotta be a better way.
> and, #2 = what do you consider "heavily used" ? Photos, photos and more photos could tell us "The Rest of the Story".


It is to be used for Modular Home Manufacturing's OSB sheathing on its exterior using a router to route out the frames of its doors, windows etc..Daily use would be 60 windows and a dozen doors which eliminates using a die grinder with a 1/4 inch bit as you would be wasting time changing bits through out the day. Currently they are using a saws-all which works but takes longer and looks rough. The bit is a Panel Router Bit perfect for the process but a full sized router will not fit all the way up the cut. It is blocked by a catwalk. The catwalk will not move outward and the frames covered by the OSB must be cut in that location. And using two separate tools for one job (router and saws-all) won't be done. It's one or the other and preferably the other


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## John Smith_ (Jan 10, 2020)

aaahhhhh okay - gotcha.
for starters, with that much to do, I would have a few "custom made" bits made that will get the most mileage out of the OSB. The bit you show is for plastic laminates and will not last more than 20 feet in OSB. A custom 1/2" bit with 3 carbide flutes would give you the most mileage for your buck.
I have an old 7" B&D angle grinder with some hefty horsepower and torque. It has like a 3/4" threaded head that turns clockwise. I have no idea how you could get a router chuck on it. And no, the pneumatic 1/4" die grinder isn't the answer.
I hope you can find the one you need.


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## John Smith_ (Jan 10, 2020)

could you use a full size hand-held router for 90-95% of the cutting and then a smaller tool for the parts where the full size router won't fit ??


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## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

John Smith_ said:


> aaahhhhh okay - gotcha.
> for starters, with that much to do, I would have a few "custom made" bits made that will get the most mileage out of the OSB. The bit you show is for plastic laminates and will not last more than 20 feet in OSB. A custom 1/2" bit with 3 carbide flutes would give you the most mileage for your buck.
> I have an old 7" B&D angle grinder with some hefty horsepower and torque. It has like a 3/4" threaded head that turns clockwise. I have no idea how you could get a router chuck on it. And no, the pneumatic 1/4" die grinder isn't the answer.
> I hope you can find the one you need.


The bit used for the OSB is not the one linked they use an inexpensive HSS bit due to the OSB and metal fasteners and they get them sharpened a time or 2 when possible. Where's Macgyver when you need him? I'm sure he would rig something up with a paper clip, rubber band and duct tape!


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I've had two shed built using routers as cutters to trim the edges of sheet goods already installed on the shed, and to cut window oenings that had been framed in. He used an old router with a simple bit with one cutting edge. Worked great. It was not a spiral bit. And he didn't drill a start hole, he just pressed it in. It was steel and he just tossed it when it finally got too dull to cut smoothly, and that not too often. It looked a lot like this Rockler bit, but was shorter. Has to be in a catalog somewhere








Or like this laminate trim bit, but I recall it had a much longer cutting edge.









I don't have any catalogs for bits anymore,so if someone recognizes this, perhaps you can post it. 

.


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## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

_........ may have found who Macgyver is working for. They have an adapter for the right angle grinder that would still need some modification to accept a 1/2" shank router bit. I contacted them and quizzed them about if it was possible to use t__heir spindle collet __adapter modified._


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## Alphonse53 (12 mo ago)

Marco said:


> They actually make a right angle router ran by air but they are only 1/4". I figure that a rigged up right angle grinder (electric) somehow can have a 1/2" collet attached safely somehow?
> 
> Any ideas are welcome. I want the router which will be heavily used in a small space (7 Inches) cutting 3/8-7/16 OSB.





Marco said:


> It is to be used for Modular Home Manufacturing's OSB sheathing on its exterior using a router to route out the frames of its doors, windows etc..Daily use would be 60 windows and a dozen doors which eliminates using a die grinder with a 1/4 inch bit as you would be wasting time changing bits through out the day. Currently they are using a saws-all which works but takes longer and looks rough. The bit is a Panel Router Bit perfect for the process but a full sized router will not fit all the way up the cut. It is blocked by a catwalk. The catwalk will not move outward and the frames covered by the OSB must be cut in that location. And using two separate tools for one job (router and saws-all) won't be done. It's one or the other and preferably the other


I found ER20 collet adapters on Ebay for less than $20. ER20 collets are available from about 1/8" up to 1/2" bore and are very cheap also. Buy an adapter made for a 1/2" spindle, bore and tap it for 5/8-11NC threads (most common spindle thread), get whatever collet you need to fit your bit (the hard part), and your in Biz. I threaded one on my lathe to fit a 5/8"x18 NF spindle on a universal table saw motor that I used on a slot mortiser. It works great.


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## bob vaughan (2 mo ago)

Alphonse53 said:


> I found ER20 collet adapters on Ebay for less than $20. ER20 collets are available from about 1/8" up to 1/2" bore and are very cheap also. Buy an adapter made for a 1/2" spindle, bore and tap it for 5/8-11NC threads (most common spindle thread), get whatever collet you need to fit your bit (the hard part), and your in Biz. I threaded one on my lathe to fit a 5/8"x18 NF spindle on a universal table saw motor that I used on a slot mortiser. It works great.


Or take a Porter Cable 690 router to a machine shop. They can figure the angle (12º) and other collet and cap geometry and put that on a rod bored 5/8-11. I did that for a shaper to allow easily found collets to use router bits in the shaper. The charm of the PC system is that it uses English rather than metric threads.


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## Alphonse53 (12 mo ago)

bob vaughan said:


> Or take a Porter Cable 690 router to a machine shop. They can figure the angle (12º) and other collet and cap geometry and put that on a rod bored 5/8-11. I did that for a shaper to allow easily found collets to use router bits in the shaper. The charm of the PC system is that it uses English rather than metric threads.


Welcome to the forum! I see you improvise to meet the demand at hand, too!


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## bob vaughan (2 mo ago)

I think making a 1/2" shank router bit holding adapter for an angle grinder will be the easy part. At 10,000 rpms, that rig is going to be a bear to handle. If the cut is to pop out window holes, I'd guess the bit will have to have a bearing on the end to run against the inside framing. That means an entry hole will have to be drilled first. I'd guess a base plate will have to be made to fit the grinder instead of the spark guard.

Actually it sounds like an interesting project. I may even try to make one some time although I've got no immediate need for it.

A right angle drill that will take a 1/2" bit will be too big for the conditions in question besides turning too slowly.

Here's the PC shaper adapter I did. (just testing to see how inserting a photo works on this forum)


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Welcome to the forum @bob vaughan


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## Alphonse53 (12 mo ago)

bob vaughan said:


> I think making a 1/2" shank router bit holding adapter for an angle grinder will be the easy part. At 10,000 rpms, that rig is going to be a bear to handle. If the cut is to pop out window holes, I'd guess the bit will have to have a bearing on the end to run against the inside framing. That means an entry hole will have to be drilled first. I'd guess a base plate will have to be made to fit the grinder instead of the spark guard.
> 
> Actually it sounds like an interesting project. I may even try to make one some time although I've got no immediate need for it.
> 
> ...


Makes you wonder why any router manufacturers don't build their spindles with an ER20 nose so any size shank up to 1/2"can used. Sounds like a Musk project to blow up the market.


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## bob vaughan (2 mo ago)

ER20s are pretty big and are enclosed so that will make for a big chunk of steel sticking out of a 4-1/2" capacity angle grinder. I think Marco's routing problem may have to be solved other ways considering the cutouts will be done in OSB day in and day out. I would think an angle grinder would last less than a week under those work conditions. There's not much support in those angle grinder heads considering the leverage.


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