# A routing tutorial for beginners Part Three



## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Whilst this project ends up with a neat little utility tray for the computer/office desk, it's main aim is to demonstrate different ways in which the plunge router can be used. Few if any books show this safe and pleasurable kind of routing.


----------



## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

*continued*

Being restricted to a 1" template guide which is what I've been led to believe is likely to be the largest that most members would have, please let me know if this is not so, Bj is excluded from this offer because he has several times as many as I have! Using this size guide, I was unable to actually SEE the cutter even with a light. My advice to members thinking of buying a router is: buy a BIG powerful one, it will do anything that you will ever ask of it. Make sure that it has a very large opening and is capable of accepting at least 1.5" guides.
As always, never be shy to ask questions even if you think the are silly, no questions are considered silly by me and the chances are that many others are too shy to ask the very same questions.


----------



## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Harry

VERY nice job, I'm sure many members will give it a try 

========



harrysin said:


> Being restricted to a 1" template guide which is what I've been led to believe is likely to be the largest that most members would have, please let me know if this is not so, Bj is excluded from this offer because he has several times as many as I have! Using this size guide, I was unable to actually SEE the cutter even with a light. My advice to members thinking of buying a router is: buy a BIG powerful one, it will do anything that you will ever ask of it. Make sure that it has a very large opening and is capable of accepting at least 1.5" guides.
> As always, never be shy to ask questions even if you think the are silly, no questions are considered silly by me and the chances are that many others are too shy to ask the very same questions.


----------



## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

Harry that is a very neat project and excellent tutorial. Thank you.


----------



## Al Robins (Jul 13, 2009)

Thank you Harry for the tutorial including photos....good challenge for a couple of days, Regards....AL


----------



## tom819800 (Apr 9, 2010)

I like it


----------



## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

never be shy to ask questions even if you think the are silly, no questions are considered silly by me.....

Harry,

I am as thick as two short planks..

One thing I cannot seem to fathom is the cutting of the plug.

Can you please elaborate..

Do you use the same template guide and a different cutter with the same jig?

James

great tutorial, BTW...


----------



## Al Robins (Jul 13, 2009)

Harry.....photo #1 What is that template for? Does it go on top of the workpiece and used for the guide?.............AL


----------



## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Having seen a number of your projects James, I know that your are not thick. It's my fault for not showing the making of the plug which was sawn 4.5" x 4.5", the internal size of the tray, I then drew a 1/4" radius at each corner and used the disc sander to bring the corners down to the lines. The same guide and cutter were used for both inside and outside. with the 1" guide touching the side of the plug, and the 1/2" cutter, the offset is 1/4", in other words the wall thickness. This is based on the formula guide dia. - cutter dia. divided by 2 = 1/4".
If anyone makes this tray, make the plug the exact size of the internal measurement which may vary slightly between guides and cutters and slight differences in your template.


----------



## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

harrysin said:


> Having seen a number of your projects James, I know that your are not thick. It's my fault for not showing the making of the plug which was sawn 4.5" x 4.5", the internal size of the tray, I then drew a 1/4" radius at each corner and used the disc sander to bring the corners down to the lines. The same guide and cutter were used for both inside and outside. with the 1" guide touching the side of the plug, and the 1/2" cutter, the offset is 1/4", in other words the wall thickness. This is based on the formula guide dia. - cutter dia. divided by 2 = 1/4".
> If anyone makes this tray, make the plug the exact size of the internal measurement which may vary slightly between guides and cutters and slight differences in your template.



Eureka...  

I was under the impression you made the plug with the jig and template..

Is this the same to make a plug for an oval dish?

James


----------



## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Al Robins said:


> Harry.....photo #1 What is that template for? Does it go on top of the workpiece and used for the guide?.............AL


 Al. shot #1 shows the easy way to make the template for routing the inside of the tray, rather than the more difficult and less accurate way of cutting a square out of the centre of the template. Shots 4, 8 and 9 show it in use, sat in the jig holder on top of the wood with four extra supports to prevent tilting of the template as shown in shot #3.


----------



## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

PS .... I will expect a practical demo in October.....  

James


----------



## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

jw2170 said:


> PS .... I will expect a practical demo in October.....
> 
> James


Funny you should say that James, I've spent the last couple of hours cleaning the shed and was thinking that perhaps I shouldn't do any more work until your visit.


----------



## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Thanks Bob, Deb and Tom.


----------



## Al Robins (Jul 13, 2009)

Thanks Harry, now ya cookin.......AL


----------



## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Very nice job there Teach.


----------



## Al Robins (Jul 13, 2009)

Not too many plaudits Dave.......I havent finished with him yet!....Regards...AL


----------



## Al Robins (Jul 13, 2009)

Sorry Harry,,....whats happening in #2? I get what you said with #1 but in#2 are you edge gluing the 4 sides of the template, and whats the block of wood on top? ....the workpiece surrounded by the 4 sided template?.....AQL


----------



## Maurice (Sep 24, 2004)

Who else but Harry would have two old transformers for hold down weights??
Excellent tutorial Harry, you have outdone yourself again!


----------



## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

jw2170 said:


> Eureka...
> 
> I was under the impression you made the plug with the jig and template..
> 
> ...


It sure is James, but more complex to make the ellipse.


----------



## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

Maurice said:


> Who else but Harry would have two old transformers for hold down weights??
> Excellent tutorial Harry, you have outdone yourself again!


Easy, those transformers have been supporting cast in a couple of Harrys show n' tells.
Great job Harry, even I could understand it. 
The question about the plug was the only thing that occured to me so that's cleared up.
:sold:


----------



## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Al Robins said:


> Sorry Harry,,....whats happening in #2? I get what you said with #1 but in#2 are you edge gluing the 4 sides of the template, and whats the block of wood on top? ....the workpiece surrounded by the 4 sided template?.....AQL


Allan, shot #2 is the glue-up, as it says, use what you have, the blocks on top weighted with transformers is to keep the template flat, the clamps are to keep sideways pressure on the joints. I tend to use whatever is close at hand.


----------



## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Maurice said:


> Who else but Harry would have two old transformers for hold down weights??
> Excellent tutorial Harry, you have outdone yourself again!


Not just any transformers Maurice, but American made stripped from Admiral monochrome TV's many, many years ago. Thanks for your praise Maurice.


----------



## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

I appreciate your comments Dave but you would make an old man very happy if you were to spend a few hours searching for your router, brushing the years of dust away and make yourself a neat little tray for your desk. All your mates are waiting for things "to happen" in that huge pole barn of yours with that nice sectioned area that was intended to contain lots of sawdust!


----------



## Al Robins (Jul 13, 2009)

Thanks Harry.........AL


----------



## Santé (Jan 14, 2010)

Thanks Harry your tutorial is SUPER !
Saniel


----------



## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Thank you Daniel for your kind remarks, your English of late is also SUPER!


----------



## Santé (Jan 14, 2010)

harrysin said:


> Thank you Daniel for your kind remarks, your English of late is also SUPER!


Every days I learn english and routing on this forum !

A friend is correcting my translation of the tripode compas, soon it will be appear on lescopeaux.asso.fr and a triangular table all made with router also translated

Daniel


----------



## dermer2002 (May 29, 2010)

Very nice tutorial, Harry. Very informative.

I have used the same process with the EagleAmerica Bowl Router bit (item P13-250). This bit leaves a nice radius at the inside bottom of the part.

Max


----------



## dermer2002 (May 29, 2010)

Sorry, wrong thread..

Max


----------



## jimidee (Apr 3, 2014)

harrysin said:


> Whilst this project ends up with a neat little utility tray for the computer/office desk, it's main aim is to demonstrate different ways in which the plunge router can be used. Few if any books show this safe and pleasurable kind of routing.


Hi Harry,

I am fairly new to using the router for making these kinds of project, as in the past I used them for trimming formica or edge modifications in home construction. Now that I am in retirement, I am planning to start building electric guitar bodies. While templates are commercially plentiful for most of the applications, some things will require me to make my own. This is what I want to get to anyway to let my creative juices flow.

So, I am on a learning curve with this marvelous machine that I am realizing that I have just scratched the surface with in the past.

One of my first projects will be to modify an existing Stratocaster clone guitar that has a routed cavity in the back that houses the springs and block of zinc that is part of the tailpiece/bridge tremolo that allows string bending for effect. This spring cavity is covered with a plate that is usually plastic but I have purchased a wooden one with mother of pearl inlay in the form of a dragon...a nice piece from Hanoi, Viet Nam via ebay. This cover is 95 mm x 145 mm x 2.6 mm thick and has rounded corners (yes, I am a Yank who uses the metric system :yes2. 

My modification will be to rout down into the back 2.6 mm to allow this small cover to fit flush with the surface of the rest of the back. I think that I can use your method of cutting 4 pieces of MDF and gluing them together to make a rectangular inside template just a fraction larger than the cover to allow me to remove it when necessary. I will use a flush trim bearing bit the same radius size as my cover's corners to get them rounded. 

Of course, this will be a critical cut as there are no do-overs...screwing this up would ruin a very valuable guitar, so there will be a lot of test cuts on scrap wood before I feel confident enough to try it for real. And then I still feel a bit shaky about it. Plus, I am a bit concerned about using double-sided tape to mount this template to the finished surface of the guitar as I fear that the tape may pull off some of the finish from the mahogany wood. It seems a bit delicate, although clamping seems out of the question do to the confined space and the irregular thicknesses of the guitar due to tummy and forearm cutouts.

Is this the best way to make this template without the access to a CNC router? Also, I don't have a radial arm saw but rather I am stuck with a decent table saw with fence, so I may not be able to get it quite so accurate in the corners. Is there any advice that you or our esteemed readers have for this novice who is willing to learn? Has any one on here ever done this before?

Thanks for your expert tutoring!


----------



## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Jim, before progressing to the critical guitar routing, why don't you choose one or more of the projects in my series 1 to 5 of routing for beginners after which I know you will feel confident to proceed to the guitar. As for double sided tape, I only use quality 3M brand and find that a little heat from a hair dryer helps to remove it cleanly. If you follow the above advice I have a feeling that it won't be long before you can be called a "routologist"


----------



## jimidee (Apr 3, 2014)

harrysin said:


> Jim, before progressing to the critical guitar routing, why don't you choose one or more of the projects in my series 1 to 5 of routing for beginners after which I know you will feel confident to proceed to the guitar. As for double sided tape, I only use quality 3M brand and find that a little heat from a hair dryer helps to remove it cleanly. If you follow the above advice I have a feeling that it won't be long before you can be called a "routologist"


Thanks Harry, that sounds like very good advice. And thanks for the recommendation of 3M tape. I always wanted to be a "routologist"!:laugh:


----------



## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

It sounds like you have taken the first step Jim, please do let us follow your progress, preferably with pictures, I love pictures!


----------



## neal4552 (Jul 22, 2014)

*Rectangle with radiused end*

Very nice tutorials! I am a newbie here and my question is making a rectangular template with a 6 inch diameter circle (3inch radius)on each end.

Thank you


----------

