Thread: Get even more from your router

great article(s) Tom. I work almost exclusively with a router for the projects I do (other than a drill, jigsaw and circular saw). Your approach to template and jig making has inspired me to approach what I do in different way. Thanks for putting it out there.

I'd love to see some of the template you've got to make those handles at the bottom of the 'need for jigs' page. The shapes you've created on the handle on the left is very close to what I'm trying to achieve with some table legs I'm working on.

Sorry for the late reply I have just arrived home from holiday.
I'm Thinking about putting up a thread on How Jigs and templates are made
Tom

That's an excellent idea Tom. I have just bought my first router and I am at a loss on how to make jigs. I can see umpteen things that I should be able to do with my router but don't have the ability to create my own jigs from scratch so a nudge in the right direction from you will certainly be of benefit to me.

Originally Posted by Mike Busby

That's an excellent idea Tom. I have just bought my first router and I am at a loss on how to make jigs. I can see umpteen things that I should be able to do with my router but don't have the ability to create my own jigs from scratch so a nudge in the right direction from you will certainly be of benefit to me.

Mike,

I have hundreds of jigs I have produced over the years for various number of projects Some I have completed with the router only others as a means of say making a joint or completing a process as part of the project. I am in the process of making a jig that will do many processes.

Where would you like me to begin? what do you have in mind that I can put you in the right direction. TO FOLLOW MY WAY OF USING THE ROUTER YOU WILL NEED ACCESS TO A PLUNGE ROUTER (OOPS sORRY) What you will require is a number of template guides at least three to get you started 40mm 30mm and a 16mm, because they are the ones I began using some 25 years ago. Not many people use the guides as you can see they seem to thing that all processes must be carried out in the router table. If they will only 'take off the blinkers they will see there is more can be produced with the aid of the template guides, a lot more than has been written about. I could show you lots of jigs that you may have little interst in before I got to what you want.

So if you are ready we can get started.
Tom

Mike
here is an article that may get you motivated All of the projects were completed with the router in the plunge mode with the aid of the template guides
Tom

Mike
the simple jigs displayed in the article are really quite commonly used except for the last one

Tom

Mike
and yet another to try and get people interested in the use of the guides
Tom

P.S. I have also submitted a number of videos on You Tube where the templates guides are used extensively
Routingwithtomodonnell.com
Tom

Any one wish to comment on the articles submitted and the You Tube presentation or am I just wasting my time posting them and your time looking?

I think I have posted some new techniques with the router, mainly to add greater safety awareness with the use of the router, many of the things I have done in the past with the router in the router table can be achieved with the router in the Plunge Mode with greater safety.

As this is a thread on router jigs has anyone made a jig where the project can be completed with the router and no other tool. In other words set up a piece of timber and started to rout the shape from start to finish.

There are a number of jigs available for purchase when it comes to producing a Tenon. I am in the process of producing my Jig for that purpose and I will require time to write the article on the design I have chosen. Maybe others would like to contribute their method of producing the Tenons.

A number of years ago I said i would never produce a tenon the conventional way as I developed a methodof inserting 'Floating' tenons which was easier to produce, hence the reason for the statement. Now I have to eat my own words as I think what I have in mind will be much better and just as easy and also safe to use.
Tom

Please keep your videos and posts coming, Tom, they are a terrific resource and provide great motivation. Time spent reading and viewing them is time well spent

Originally Posted by JillB

Please keep your videos and posts coming, Tom, they are a terrific resource and provide great motivation. Time spent reading and viewing them is time well spent

Thanks for your reply
Tom

Thanks for your input Tom , and no I don't think you are wasting your time at all .
I machined up a 40mm template guide some time ago to fit my old Makita 3600 ,after your post here promoting template guides .

Well last weekend is the first time I got to use it ,I made a jig to rout the inset for a router plate into a router table top .
It was just atrial on scrap before I attack the real thing ,it worked wonderfully . I will definitely be using this to achieve an accurate inset for my new router table top.
I have also made a jig holder to your plan , and will be looking at a few projects in the future. Your router circle jig is also a great idea and I have made one for my Makita as well.
I also have your DVD's which I refer to quite often (great work btw)


Kev.

Producing Jigs and templates to construct a small Table will introduce greater safety awareness with the use of the router and also produce a better finish to all edges.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spD-sW0aDko]YouTube - Routing with Tom O'Donnell Hallway Table[/ame]

Great video Tom. I'm sure it's been discussed already but what material do you use for your templates?

Originally Posted by newflavour

Great video Tom. I'm sure it's been discussed already but what material do you use for your templates?

Usually I would use 12mm MDF. What is seen on the video is a material called hexcore. This was left over pices from my days of re-furbishing executive aircraft some 15 years ago. It is a great material; Very light, very strong but also Very Very expensive. It is ideal for my demonstrations at wood shows due to the lightness of the material getting it from A to B