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Page 14
OPERATION
STARTING AND ENDING A CUT
INTERNAL ROUTING
Tilt router and place on workpiece, letting edge of subbase
contact workpiece first. Be careful not to let router bit contact
workpiece. Turn router on and let motor build to its full speed.
Gradually feed cutter into workpiece until subbase is level
with workpiece.
WARNING:
Keep a firm grip on router with both hands at all times.
Failure to do so could result in loss of control leading to
possible serious injury.
Upon completion of cut, turn motor off and let it come to a
complete stop before removing router from work surface.
WARNING:
Never pull router out of work and place upside down on
work surface before the cutter stops.
EDGING WITH PILOT BITS
See Figure 17.
Rabbets and molded edges can be cut using piloted cutters.
The pilot extends below the cutter. Some pilots are solid
extensions of the cutter. Others are ball bearing guides that
are fastened to the end of the cutter. The pilots allow the
cutters to turn while the pilot follows the edge of the workpiece.
Arbor-type bits with pilots are excellent for quick, easy, edge
shaping. They will follow workpiece edges that are either
straight or curved. The pilot prevents the bit from making too
deep a cut; and holding the pilot firmly in contact with the
workpiece edge throughout prevents the cut from becoming
too shallow.
Whenever the workpiece thickness together with the desired
depth of cut (as adjusted by router depth setting) are such
that only the top part of the edge is to be shaped (leaving at
least a 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) thick uncut portion at bottom), the
pilot can ride against the uncut portion, which will serve to
guide it.
See Figure 17.
However, if the workpiece is too thin
or the bit set too low so that there will be no uncut edge to ride
the pilot against, an extra board to act as a guide must be
placed under the workpiece. This “guide” board must have
exactly the same contour — straight or curve — as the
workpiece edge. If it is positioned so that its edge is flush with
the workpiece edge, the bit will make a full cut (in as far as
the bit radius). On the other hand, if the guide is positioned
as shown in Figure 17 (out from the workpiece edge), the bit
will make less than a full cut — which will alter the shape of
the finished edge.
NOTE: If desired any of the piloted bits can be used without
a pilot for edge shaping with guides, as preceding. Also, the
size (diameter) of the pilot that is used determines the
maximum cut width that can be made with the pilot against
the workpiece edge (the small pilot exposes all of the bit; the
large one reduces this amount by 1/16 inch (1.6 mm).
When routing all the edges of a panel or board, rout the end
grain first. Any splintering that occurs at the corners will then
be removed when routing the edge. Start each side 1/4 in.
(6.4 mm) away from the end. Feed the cutter into the wood
until the pilot contacts the uncut edge. Then, slowly back the
router to shape the corner. Next, move the router forward to
shape the rest of the edge. Be careful to keep the pilot
pressed against the uncut edge. Repeat this procedure on
each side of the panel. Figure 18 shows the proper sequence
of cuts to make when edge routing four sides of a panel.
Fig. 18
Fig. 17
1/4 in. TO 1 in.
7
6
5
8
4
3
1
2
WHOLE EDGE SHAPING
PILOT
ROUTER
TOP EDGE SHAPING
ROUTER
PILOT
WORK
WORK
GUIDE
PROPER CUTTING SEQUENCE