Dressing / Thicknessing slabs with a router

[Burnsy]

There has been mention a few times on the forum of people using their router in conjunction with some rails to finish rough sawn timber. Basically a slab master or wood wiz in minature. I used this method to do the top of my workbench and with a 20mm bit it toke a long time.

Can you buy larger milling type bits similar to those used on the wood wiz and slab master to suit a large router? If so does anyone have any details of sizes and where to buy?

Cheers,
Mike

[BobL]

Can you buy larger milling type bits similar to those used on the wood wiz and slab master to suit a large router? If so does anyone have any details of sizes and where to buy?


I bought a 29 mm dish cutter (see http://www.timbecon.com.au/products/torquata-router-bits-346_4.aspx) bit but I see McJing has 2" diam bottom cleaners that are not too exxy ($42).
goto http://www.mcjing.com.au/routerbits/straight%20ovolo/straight%20ovolo.asp and scroll down to "BOTTOM CLEANING BIT"

With the bigger bits you either need a really powerful router or you take small cuts. If you can only take small cuts it may be cheaper to go for a 1 or 1.5" cutter.

Cheers

[Burnsy]

Thanks for the links Bob. When you say powerful router, what are you suggesting? I have been looking at a big Makita (only have the small Makita at the moment).

Anyone got any other suggestions for bits? The slab master uses a cutter head that has replacable tungstan cutters. I would even consider mounting an electric motor on a rail if I could get hold of a 4 or five inch cutter like that.

[Ironwood]

Carbi-tool make a 1/2" shank bit with replaceable cutters (50-60mm dia.)

I have been using one these for a few years now, am very happy with it. I use it with my Makita 3612C router.

You need a 3 Hp router with variable speed to run this bit. From my vague memory I think it needs to be run at 18000 RPM, I have put a mark on my speed dial, I just set it to that.

I have seen the big cutter heads you were talking about at the woodshow, they may have been at the Carbitool stand also, I'm not sure.

[BobL]

Thanks for the links Bob. When you say powerful router, what are you suggesting? I have been looking at a big Makita (only have the small Makita at the moment).


Ironwood has it right, low (~2000 RPM) speed - high (3HP) power, If you run a big cutter at high speed that's just waiting for a serious accident.

A 4" wide blade may sound like you will make a lot of progress but you might be only able to take 0.2mm passes with such a big cutter. With a 1" cutter you might be able to do 1 mm per pass so if your wood varies by more than 1mm across its surface a 1" might even get you there quicker!

[scooter]

I use a 32mm Carbitool dish cutting bit, has rounded bottom corners & a flat bottom.

Second Bob on a powerful router, mines an Hitachi M12V.


Cheers....................Sean

[Burnsy]

Thanks guys, glad a asked the question regarding router before I went out and bought one. The Makitas I have been looking at are not variable speed. Where can I buy Carbitool bits from?

[scooter]

They have plenty of retailers around, maybe contact them by phone or email here (http://www.carbitool.com.au/contact.html)to find a local one.

[Burnsy]

Ironwood, is this the bit you have here - 55mm three blade cutter? Any idea what it was worth and what the replacement tips cost?

http://www.carbitool.com.au/pdf%27s/PageR039.pdf

I see they have four blade ones that are 80mm and have 16 or 20mm shafts. Can you get routers with 20mm collets or are these for something else? What machine would I need to run one of these? I realise that anything this big would need to be rail mounted for safety.

I have sent Carbitool an email with a few questions. One of which is recommended speed. It is interesting that you are recommending around 2000 RPM Bob and Ironwood, the big Makita only goes down to 9000 and the Festool to 12000 from what I could just find on the Web. How are you getting 1800 out of yours Ironwood?

[Ironwood]

Ironwood, is this the bit you have here - 55mm three blade cutter? Any idea what it was worth and what the replacement tips cost?

I have sent Carbitool an email with a few questions. One of which is recommended speed. It is interesting that you are recommending around 2000 RPM Bob and Ironwood, the big Makita only goes down to 9000 and the Festool to 12000 from what I could just find on the Web. How are you getting 1800 out of yours Ironwood?


Sorry, I left off one zero. It should read 18000 RPM.

That 3 blade one is the one that I have, I think I paid $130 for it about 4 years ago.

The cutters wern't very expensive.I bought the extra hard ones, part # ISO K01. They come in a box of 10, would have to look for receipts to remember the cost. They last for ages, and you usually get 4 turns on each cutter, unless you badly chip the corners.

Before I bought this bit I was using a Carbitool 60mm, 6 tips (not replaceable) cutter. The new one is far superior, gives a cleaner cut, and no worries about getting them sharpened.

I take about 1-1.5mm off with each pass, the router and the bit, handles that with no problems. (I dont think you could go past the Makita 3612C for this job)

Makes an awful lot of sawdust, I fill up my 200 litre drum on my cyclone in no time.

[Burnsy]

Sorry, I left off one zero. It should read 18000 RPM.

That 3 blade one is the one that I have, I think I paid $130 for it about 4 years ago.

The cutters wern't very expensive.I bought the extra hard ones, part # ISO K01. They come in a box of 10, would have to look for receipts to remember the cost. They last for ages, and you usually get 4 turns on each cutter, unless you badly chip the corners.

Before I bought this bit I was using a Carbitool 60mm, 6 tips (not replaceable) cutter. The new one is far superior, gives a cleaner cut, and no worries about getting them sharpened.

I take about 1-1.5mm off with each pass, the router and the bit, handles that with no problems. (I dont think you could go past the Makita 3612C for this job)

Makes an awful lot of sawdust, I fill up my 200 litre drum on my cyclone in no time.

Sounds good, I have found the Perth supplier so will go have a look. Do you have a comercial router mount like a wood wiz or have you made your own? Any chance of some pictures?

[Ironwood]

I built my own set-up, my camera is kaput at the moment so I cant put pics up.Its big enough to surface an 8 seater dining table top.

I built the main frame out of 75 x 50mm rhs, it has a leg at each corner that the main frame can slide up and down on, to adjust for thickness of slab. The sub frame sits under this (the timber to be surfaced sits on this bit) and uses the same legs.

The router is mounted on a carriage, which uses sealed roller bearings as wheels to move along the mainframe.

I hope my discription gives you some idea of how it works.

I built mine about 8 years ago, I have seen a couple of comercially made ones at the Woodshows that are built on the same principal, their finish and fit are probably a bit better than mine, but mine does the job good enough for me.

[rod1949]

Burnsy, for the bit I've used one of these http://www.apworkshop.com.au/html_routerbits/23-ssb-bt.html .

I've got a Router Master. Initially I used a Bosch variable speed plunge type router but found under load it wanted to throttle back which was a pain. I then brought a single speed Makita plunge router. This worked a treat. I have to let you know tomorrow the model nos of each.

[Burnsy]

Thanks for the link Rod, they have the replaceable tipped ones too http://www.apworkshop.com.au/html_replinsert/risp.html and with prices so it gives me some idea.

Would definitely be keen to see some pictures of your setup Ironwood, sounds like what I have in mind.

[BobL]

I have sent Carbitool an email with a few questions. One of which is recommended speed. It is interesting that you are recommending around 2000 RPM Bob and Ironwood, the big Makita only goes down to 9000 and the Festool to 12000 from what I could just find on the Web. How are you getting 1800 out of yours Ironwood?

Looks like I boobooed on the min rpm as well. I have the Trition 3hp router that goes up to 20000 rpm and has a 1 - 5 speed setting. I had in mind that setting 1 was 2000 rpm whereas I just checked and it is 8000 rpm! If I went much higher I was getting burn marks on he surface - maybe I was just being too greedy although it was incredibly hard wood I was surfacing

[rod1949]

Burnsy, for the bit I've used one of these http://www.apworkshop.com.au/html_routerbits/23-ssb-bt.html .

I've got a Router Master. Initially I used a Bosch variable speed plunge type router but found under load it wanted to throttle back which was a pain. I then brought a single speed Makita plunge router. This worked a treat. I have to let you know tomorrow the model nos of each.

The models are Bosch GOF 1300 ACE and Makita 3612.