Thread: Planning to trim edges of an oak veneered dining table.

Originally Posted by osso

I consider myself to be a competent diy doer, and I thought that a Router would theoretically produce the cleanest and straight edge cut, without I hope, damaging the oak veneer on the top and underside of the table.

The thickness of the table top is 20mm when unfolded, and I am considering cutting the table in two passes while the table is unfolded. I've never used a router before and I'd be interested to hear from you guys who have the experience, how would you attempt the cut? I assume that the Router the way to go?

The length of the table is 1600mm and needs to be resized to around 1540mm to fit so 30mm of each end.

Regards
James

Hi, James and welcome to the Forum. You don't say whether the table has square or rounded corners, so I'll assume square to start with.

You're correct when you say that a router will give a good finish, but it will, of course, leave the substrate exposed at each end. Can you either remove the existing edge veneer, or get some to match when cut?

Routing is best done in small steps in order to reduce chipping and tear-out, amongst other things. This either means a full depth cut with a very narrow width, or a full width cut with a very shallow depth. You will need a good straight edge to clamp to the table top in order to run the base of the router against it. The distance in from the edge needs to take into account the size of the cutter and the diameter of the base.

I would not recommend that you tried a 30mm cutter, probably a 20mm is as large as you'd want to go for a first attempt. You'll need a router with variable speed if you want to get the best out of it and a good-quality cutter - not part of a large set, the others of which you may never use.

The router must be used in the correct direction, see below:



You will need to measure the distance from the outside of the router base to the nearest face of the cutter when mounted in the collet. Let's say that this distance is 80mm and the cutter is 20mm diameter. This means that if using the full cutter width, you would clamp the straight edge 100mm in from the left-hand edge when standing in front of the table. You would be wise to practise this on a piece of scrap wood first.

With the bit raised, run the router along the straight edge, getting used to the action required and checking that the power cable will not interfere with the operation. Now plunge or otherwise lower the bit until no more than 2mm is below the base. With the router the far side of the back of the table and with the cutter completely clear of the surface to be routed, switch on and slowly pull it towards you, keeping the base flat on the table and tight to the straight edge.

Complete the pass until the bit clears the front of the table, then switch off. Plunge or lower the bit a further 2mm and repeat, leaving the straight edge clamped where it is. Continue this process until you have completely cut down through the first 20mm from the left-hand side.

Reposition the clamped straight edge to complete the cut, this time moving it until it is 90mm from the left-hand edge (the 80mm base plus the remaining 10mm to be removed). Repeat the cutting process. Repeat on the other end, but still using the same direction of cut. This will mean that the back will now become the front.

You might experiment with a slightly higher interim plunge, but don't take bites of more than 4mm.

Taking a full depth cut uses the same principles, but entails moving the clamped edge to the right by 2mm each cut, with the bit set to full depth throughout. The choice is yours, but I'd recommend the first method for a beginner to routing.

For some more basic tips and safety info, you might like to visit this page I wrote a while back. HTH

Ray.

Hi Ray, Some great info there! Firstly I'd like to thank you for the time in writing such a helpful and comperhensive reply! It is reasuring to know I was on the right track. I was surprised to hear from someone as local as you considering this is an australian forum, I am currently based in Hastings!!

You were right to assume that the table has square corners. The table itself is 1600mm L x 440mm W x 750mm H and becomes 880mm wide when the table top is unfolded.

I would be interested to know how the original veneer could be removed off the edges prior to cutting, although to be honest this isnt really a concern, I'll be just as happy using a suitable alternative. I was originally planning to get a thin strip of hardwood, varnished to match and glued to the exposed substrate at each end.

Just to clarify when cutting the table edge. Use a clamped edge acting as the guide to cut off the first 20mm by increasing the depth of the cutter by 2mm for each complete pass until completely cut down through the depth of 20mm. Then adjust the clamped edge to cut off the final 10mm off the same edge by repeating the steps used to cut the 20mm by depths of 2mm increments?

From the technique you descibed I was thinking wouldnt it perhaps be easier to use a circular saw to cut off the first 20mm, then use a router to cut the remaining 10mm of the same edge?

Finally, what speed setting would you recommend when performing the cut with the router?

Cheers
James

Depending on the age of the table, the veneer may respond to gentle warming with an iron (when she's not looking!) and peel off.

If you've got a saw, you'll save loads of time by cutting off as close to the finishing line as you dare, then cleaning up with the router. As you could get to within a couple of mm of the line, you could do the finishing pass in one go with a 12.5mm (½") straight cutter.

The speed depends upon the size of the bit used. Straight cutting bits up to 12.5mm diameter are generally safe to run at full speed. There is a picture on the web page I referred you to that shows a speed table, which may assist.

If you're in any doubt, then PM me your telephone number and we'll have a chat about it. You could bring the top up to me if you wanted and we could cut it together - your choice.

Ray.

I appreciate that thanks, I shall certainly keep that offer in mind when I am ready to cut the table. I dont actually have the table with me at the moment, as it is currently at my parents in Manchester and I still need to buy a Router. I doubt i will be ready to trim the table edges until the end of the month. I wanted to do my research first before taking on the task, after all I only have one the chance of getting this right!

I am now looking into purchasing a router, I am prepared to spend up to £200 for a decent one. I notice you have reviewed and currently own both the larger Triton TR001 and the slightly smaller Triton MOF001. Out of interest, which one of the two would you normally use for my planned table modification? I did have my eye on the DeWalt DW625EK before I started reading your reviews..

The offer stands and you would be able to try out both routers prior to purchase, if that helps your decision-making, plus get the table trimmed at the same time.

I'd use either router for the job, but my purchase decision would depend upon what future use I intended for the tool. Mostly table = TR. Mostly handheld = MOF001. Equal mix = you need to handle them to decide. Some find the TR just too bulky for hand-held use (although I don't). Many also find the MOF001 sufficiently powerful for the in-table uses they've got in mind.

Ray.