Thread: Jointing with a router

Rhys you may have too much of the router bit shank inserted into the chuck of your router therefore reducing your available plunge depth despite the plunge travel of your router. You need only insert 30mm of bit shank into the chuck, however it is usually possible to insert quite a bit more.

If this is not the problem, and you only have a straight cutter with a short blade length, you can still use the router as planned, providing you have a flush trim bit.

Make your pass between the two boards as deep as you can, then you can separate and flip the boards.

Set up your router with your flush trim bit.

Set the depth so that the bearing on the end of the flush trim bit will run along the freshly cut edge.

Run your router along the edge of your board to remove the remaining material left by the first cut.

thanks Marginata - very much appreciated. I just tried to do what you suggested and realised that the problem is not the plunging depth but the length of the cutter, so I will do your second suggestion and flip the board. Just out of interest - is it possible to get longer cutters or are they this length for a reason?
thanks
Rhys

Triton used to make a longer 1/2in straight cutter but don't know if still available.

CMT 806.630.11 is a 1/2" 2" long bearing guided straight cutter that is one of the most useful around.
Marginata's point about not putting the cutter too deep in the router makes a good point. You shouldn't ever put a cutter all the way into the chuck, as the vibration can cause it to come loose.

Mcjing have a 2 1/2" (62mm) straight bit. I just bought one to do some 60mm deep mortises.

Hi Rhys

Make a guide like the one below. I used steel for the straight edge but a new piece of MDF should be fine. Just clamp it across the board and use a straight bit to square the edge to the line you choose.

With this a plunge router is not necessary.





I use one side for a router and the other for a circular saw.

Of course, you may wish to invest in a jointer plane for the future - cheaper and cleaner.

Regards from Perth

Derek

super carbide tools on ebay have straight bit's over 3" long both with and without bearings. About $23 including shipping as I recall.

thanks for the responses guys - I really appreciate the efforts. One day I want to have a workshop like the one in the picture that shows the template - I can only dream of being so organised ;-)

The techniques cited by your TAFE instructor and other members here can be made to work. But for the mission at hand, a circular saw is more effective:

1. Set the planks to be jointed close together. Place unique match marks on each joint, for future accurate mating.
2. Attach a straightedge parallel to the boundary of the imperfect edges, at a distance equal to the saw's footplate offset.
3. Run the saw along the straightedge, so that the kerf engages both pieces. If the original plank dimensions are severely imperfect, repeat as necessary.

The advantage of this procedure derives from the saw's greater projection, usually on the order of about 60mm. Any inaccuracy of the saw's bevel angle is of no consequence, because the newly cut surfaces must be parallel anyway.

The router technique may nonetheless be employed, freehand (without straightedge), if a wavy joint is desired.

For either of these methods, allow enough total material to exceed the final required width of the assembly, and cut one or both outside edges to achieve the final width; it's usually better to cut both for a symmetric appearance.

Joe

Yeah but only if your saw blade gives a good enough edge to glue.

I joint all the time on my table saw, and my new saw with 305 mm blade gives a 90 mm depth of cut. I faced the nil clearance throat plate the other day in bluegum and got maximum 5 thou variation across the whole face of 18" by 3 1/2", but that was with a good table saw and a good blade. Using a circular saw with whatever's in it won't garantee the joint your chasing. A decent router bit, even a 3 1/2" one will give a much better result.