This might be elementary stuff, but I thought I'd ask for opinions
from others who regularly use a router. This is a question based
entirely on curiousity about how others use their router - the true
answer might well be "use whichever is best for the job in hand!".

I have a Trend T9. Lovely piece of kit, very happy with it. However
I'm wondering if all is well in terms of the sole plate or whether
it's just me.

In use the on/off switch is on my right hand, and the depth stop on
the left. Both switch and depth stop are on the far side of the
router, away from me, operated by my fingers. It doesn't work for me
to have these on my side of the router as my thumbs aren't comfortable
holding the switch in or setting the depth stop.

Now, the question is how to guide the router along a straight edge.
Are you supposed to run the router against the guide on the circular
side of the sole plate, or using that flat spot that is provided on
the sole plate?

I suppose my being left handed might be causing me a bit of a problem,
but what I keep finding is that the flat edge of the sole plate just
feels to be 180 degrees wrong - I'm running the circular part of the
sole plate along the straight edge.

Just questioning whether others have an opinion about which part of
the sole plate one should use for straight edge work! For some reason
I'm inclined to want to use the flat portion of the sole plate for
running along a straight edge, but using the circular side of the sole
plate means that the router doesn't have to be lined up to the
straight edge, any reasonable angle will do.

BTW - this has nothing to do with the direction of cut, I understand
all about the need to operate the router against the direction of
rotation.

PoP

Replying to the email address given by my news reader
will result in your own email address being instantly
added to my anti-spam database! If you really want to
contact me try changing the prefix in the given email
address to my newsgroup posting name.....

On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 16:34:09 +0000, PoP
wrote:

This might be elementary stuff, but I thought I'd ask for opinions
from others who regularly use a router. This is a question based
entirely on curiousity about how others use their router - the true
answer might well be "use whichever is best for the job in hand!".

I have a Trend T9. Lovely piece of kit, very happy with it. However
I'm wondering if all is well in terms of the sole plate or whether
it's just me.

I have a DeWalt 625 which is quite similar and even has some parts in
common.



In use the on/off switch is on my right hand, and the depth stop on
the left. Both switch and depth stop are on the far side of the
router, away from me, operated by my fingers. It doesn't work for me
to have these on my side of the router as my thumbs aren't comfortable
holding the switch in or setting the depth stop.

Now, the question is how to guide the router along a straight edge.
Are you supposed to run the router against the guide on the circular
side of the sole plate, or using that flat spot that is provided on
the sole plate?

For that application I don't think that it matters a great deal. If
you look at some of the American routers such as Porter Cable, they
have circular bases.

I tend to orient the router based on what is convenient for what I am
doing.

There are instances, for example with some templates and jigs where
using the flat side is useful since the cutter is then closer.



I suppose my being left handed might be causing me a bit of a problem,
but what I keep finding is that the flat edge of the sole plate just
feels to be 180 degrees wrong - I'm running the circular part of the
sole plate along the straight edge.

Just questioning whether others have an opinion about which part of
the sole plate one should use for straight edge work! For some reason
I'm inclined to want to use the flat portion of the sole plate for
running along a straight edge, but using the circular side of the sole
plate means that the router doesn't have to be lined up to the
straight edge, any reasonable angle will do.

BTW - this has nothing to do with the direction of cut, I understand
all about the need to operate the router against the direction of
rotation.

PoP

Replying to the email address given by my news reader
will result in your own email address being instantly
added to my anti-spam database! If you really want to
contact me try changing the prefix in the given email
address to my newsgroup posting name.....

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 16:34:09 +0000, PoP
wrote:

I suppose my being left handed might be causing me a bit of a problem,
but what I keep finding is that the flat edge of the sole plate just
feels to be 180 degrees wrong - I'm running the circular part of the
sole plate along the straight edge.

I ain't got a router, but I'm left handed too (for writing - I'm
largely ambidextrous for everything else) and according to tests wot
I've done I'm left brained too, as opposed to the more normal right
hand/left brain setup. Sometimes I wonder if this is why I make
mistakes!
--
cheers,

witchy/binarydinosaurs

On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 16:34:09 +0000, PoP
wrote:

my thumbs aren't comfortable
holding the switch in

Well there's your problem, isn't it. A non-locking switch is enough
to stop me buying any router with one.

Now, the question is how to guide the router along a straight edge.
Are you supposed to run the router against the guide on the circular
side of the sole plate, or using that flat spot that is provided on
the sole plate?

It depends. You might also find the fence useful, or even putting in a
guide bush. It all depends on which is the most stable way to support
the base, and the sideways location is then usually quite easy. Think
too about how it will slip, and which way it slips. Where's the best
place to put the guide bar ? Is it time to fool around with
double-sided fencing, or even do it on a table.

If I'm trenching in the middle of a huge piece, I'd probably do it
with a narrow cutter and run the flat side of the base against a bar
clamped to the side I'm cutting. That way any wobble against the bar
leaves a lump, not a divot. A 3/4" dado gets cut in 3 passes with a
1/2" cutter. This is obviously slow, mainly because it needs 3 setups
with the guide bar. However it also means that the first rough cut
(the double sided one) isn't important if it wobbles, and both of the
neat finished edges are cut in the divot-free mode. I can probably
feed the router faster than I could with a single pass of a 3/4"
anyway.


--
Smert' spamionam

On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 22:10:31 +0000, Andy Dingley
wrote:

On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 16:34:09 +0000, PoP
wrote:

my thumbs aren't comfortable
holding the switch in

Well there's your problem, isn't it. A non-locking switch is enough
to stop me buying any router with one.

I'm pretty sure that most, if not all, now have this courtesy of the
pussies in Brussels.

For the T9, there is an optional device to lock the switch in for
table operation.



Now, the question is how to guide the router along a straight edge.
Are you supposed to run the router against the guide on the circular
side of the sole plate, or using that flat spot that is provided on
the sole plate?

It depends. You might also find the fence useful, or even putting in a
guide bush. It all depends on which is the most stable way to support
the base, and the sideways location is then usually quite easy. Think
too about how it will slip, and which way it slips. Where's the best
place to put the guide bar ? Is it time to fool around with
double-sided fencing, or even do it on a table.

If I'm trenching in the middle of a huge piece, I'd probably do it
with a narrow cutter and run the flat side of the base against a bar
clamped to the side I'm cutting. That way any wobble against the bar
leaves a lump, not a divot. A 3/4" dado gets cut in 3 passes with a
1/2" cutter. This is obviously slow, mainly because it needs 3 setups
with the guide bar. However it also means that the first rough cut
(the double sided one) isn't important if it wobbles, and both of the
neat finished edges are cut in the divot-free mode. I can probably
feed the router faster than I could with a single pass of a 3/4"
anyway.

So do you mean that you

- make the first pass with the bar such that the bit is roughly
centred for the dado,

-then for the second cut arrange the bar so that cutter completes the
side of the dado nearest the bar

- then move the bar to the other side of the dado and repeat the
second step?

A similar idea is employed in the worktop jig I've been using. The
guide push has about 2mm of play across the width of the slots. The
first (double sided) pass is made with the router pulled away from the
wanted line, and the second with it pushed towards it. This
achieves a final trim on the line qute effectively.


I looked at the offset trenching base that Trend makes. This is a
hexagonal piece of plastic which is not symmetrical and provides
offsets of 100mm to 105mm in 1mm increments by rotating the piece so
that the appropriate one rests against the bar. In principle it
would achieve almost the same effect that you describe without moving
the bar by judicious choice of offsets, except that the cut furthest
from the bar would, I suppose be subject to divot risk......



..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 23:19:26 +0000, Andy Hall
wrote:

Well there's your problem, isn't it. A non-locking switch is enough
to stop me buying any router with one.

I'm pretty sure that most, if not all, now have this courtesy of the
pussies in Brussels.

Locking switches aren't extinct yet, although they're certainly
getting rare.

Does anyone know (ie can cite the real regulation) just what the
status of router switches is ?


So do you mean that you

Yes

I looked at the offset trenching base that Trend makes.

My router's standard baseplate has too big a central hole, so I made a
few additional ones. One of these is like the Trend base, except that
it's made in two pieces that interlock on a large hexagon. I can
adjust the offset, yet keep the router facing towards me.

On Mon, 05 Jan 2004 11:45:48 +0000, Andy Dingley
wrote:

On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 23:19:26 +0000, Andy Hall
wrote:

Well there's your problem, isn't it. A non-locking switch is enough
to stop me buying any router with one.

I'm pretty sure that most, if not all, now have this courtesy of the
pussies in Brussels.

Locking switches aren't extinct yet, although they're certainly
getting rare.

Does anyone know (ie can cite the real regulation) just what the
status of router switches is ?

Routers, like most other woodworking power tools are covered by the
Machinery Directive, 98/37/EC.

This is implemented in the UK via the DTI

There is more information than you ever wanted at

http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise...nery/facts.pdf

http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise.../machines.html

There is an EN standard relating to routers EN 50144-2-17. I can't
fing a copy on line but that will almost certainly be where the switch
reference is.




So do you mean that you

Yes

I looked at the offset trenching base that Trend makes.

My router's standard baseplate has too big a central hole, so I made a
few additional ones. One of these is like the Trend base, except that
it's made in two pieces that interlock on a large hexagon. I can
adjust the offset, yet keep the router facing towards me.

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl