Hello All,

I did some of my first dado's with d-handle router. Most of them came
out wiggly.

Any tips to avoid this?

It seems like during the routing process, it's not entirely smooth
sailing.

I was routing 3/4" oak ply, across the grain. The fence was smooth
aluminum, so no problems there. Fence was on the right, if that
matters.

-KJ

"KJ" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hello All,

I did some of my first dado's with d-handle router. Most of them came
out wiggly.

What does "wiggly" mean. Not straight?
Did you rotate the router at all? Sometimes the base is not well centered
and rotating it as you go along will give an irregular cut.
Other than that, I can only suggest you practice. I have only screwed up
one dado, and that was because I was clumsy and needed to practice. (I did
learn something from that, always have your fence on the side that is more
visible. Even if you screw up, you can just recut it if the otherside is
somewhat hidden.)

KJ wrote:
Hello All,

I did some of my first dado's with d-handle router. Most of them came
out wiggly.

Any tips to avoid this?

It seems like during the routing process, it's not entirely smooth
sailing.

I was routing 3/4" oak ply, across the grain. The fence was smooth
aluminum, so no problems there. Fence was on the right, if that
matters.

-KJ

Fence on the right was probably your problem - try it on the left. Or,
cut from the far end. You want the fence set so that the reaction to
the cutting action is to push the router against the fence.

John Martin

KJ wrote:
Hello All,

I did some of my first dado's with d-handle router. Most of them came
out wiggly.

Any tips to avoid this?

It seems like during the routing process, it's not entirely smooth
sailing.

I was routing 3/4" oak ply, across the grain. The fence was smooth
aluminum, so no problems there. Fence was on the right, if that
matters.

-KJ

Routers, on their own "want" to go left, sooooo .. .. I always try to
run the router along the guide in a way that makes it pull itself into
alignment. It sounds like you did it the other way around.

KJ (in ) said:

| I did some of my first dado's with d-handle router. Most of them
| came out wiggly.
|
| Any tips to avoid this?
|
| It seems like during the routing process, it's not entirely smooth
| sailing.
|
| I was routing 3/4" oak ply, across the grain. The fence was smooth
| aluminum, so no problems there. Fence was on the right, if that
| matters.

KJ...

Fence on the right is good if you were pulling the router toward you.
Put it on the left if you're moving the router away from you. This
strategy is what's generally called "conventional" cutting. The
opposite strategy is called "climb" cutting. In some materials climb
cutting can provide smoother cuts - but at the cost of increased
difficulty in controlling the router. I'd suggest sticking with
conventional cutting while you build experience with the tool.

Looking down from the top, the router bit is turning clockwise. This
is something that you'll benefit by remembering. Also note that the
force exerted by the router will increase as the bit becomes duller -
and (sadly) the newness of a bit isn't necessarily an indication of
sharpness. I've observed that different cutter manufacturers have
widely varying notions of "sharp".

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/solar.html

Got it. Next time I'll put the fence on the left. (I did have it tight
against the fence though.) Sounds like I was unwittingly doing a climb
cut then.

Is it wierd that the router came with the front grip mounted on the
left (which puts it up against the fence in a left-fence set-up)? I'll
just unscrew it and put it on the right side.

On 25 Aug 2005 20:48:26 -0700, the opaque "KJ"
clearly wrote:

Hello All,

I did some of my first dado's with d-handle router. Most of them came
out wiggly.

Any tips to avoid this?

Don't "climb cut" again before learning how.


It seems like during the routing process, it's not entirely smooth
sailing.

It takes practice to be able to keep a loose(r) grip on the router
and a firm pressure on the piece you're cutting.


I was routing 3/4" oak ply, across the grain. The fence was smooth
aluminum, so no problems there. Fence was on the right, if that
matters.

It does. Get to the library or book store and pick up a copy of Pat
Warner's "Router Book". Learn about the tool first, then use it.

Routers can be fun if you like SCREAMING, WILD, DUST SPEWING tools.


================================================== ========
CAUTION: Do NOT look directly into laser with remaining eyeball!
================================================== ========
http://www.diversify.com Comprehensive Website Design

"KJ" wrote in message
ups.com...
Got it. Next time I'll put the fence on the left. (I did have it tight
against the fence though.) Sounds like I was unwittingly doing a climb
cut then.

You can have the fence on the right if that's where it feels comfortable,
just reverse the feed direction you used. Feed from the top or left side of
the fence and pull towards you. The rotation of the router bit will make it
want to pull away from you. Pulling towards you while the router is trying
to pull away from you is what will give you control.

The reverse is true if the fence is on left. The router will push towards
you while you're pushing away. The equalizing of the two opposite actions is
what gives you control.

On 25 Aug 2005 20:48:26 -0700, "KJ" wrote:

I did some of my first dado's with d-handle router. Most of them came
out wiggly.

Any tips to avoid this?

Likely using one hand? You're not holding it tight to the fence.

Larry Jaques wrote in
:

snip
I was routing 3/4" oak ply, across the grain. The fence was smooth
aluminum, so no problems there. Fence was on the right, if that
matters.

It does. Get to the library or book store and pick up a copy of Pat
Warner's "Router Book". Learn about the tool first, then use it.

Routers can be fun if you like SCREAMING, WILD, DUST SPEWING tools.


And router planes are somewhat prone to tearout on oak plywood. ;-)

If you have a quiet, dust free suggestion for dados in plywood, I'd love to
hear about it. The closet rebuild for LOML is underway, and my shop is
buried in plywood at the moment.

A cross dado, even with a sled, on a 94" slab of 3/4" prefinished ply,
isn't going to happen on my tablesaw.

Patriarch,
spending a lot of time with foam earplugs installed these days...

Morris Dovey wrote:


Fence on the right is good if you were pulling the router toward you.
Put it on the left if you're moving the router away from you. This
strategy is what's generally called "conventional" cutting. The
opposite strategy is called "climb" cutting. In some materials climb
cutting can provide smoother cuts - but at the cost of increased
difficulty in controlling the router. I'd suggest sticking with
conventional cutting while you build experience with the tool.



--
Morris Dovey


You're right about climb cutting sometimes giving smoother cuts, but in
this case that is not really applicable, because the entire bit is
buried and is cutting on both sides.

What is happening is that the bit is forcing the router away from the
fence, and that is giving him a "wobbly" dado.

John Martin

On Fri, 26 Aug 2005 10:46:35 -0500, the opaque Patriarch
clearly wrote:

Larry Jaques wrote in
:

snip
I was routing 3/4" oak ply, across the grain. The fence was smooth
aluminum, so no problems there. Fence was on the right, if that
matters.

It does. Get to the library or book store and pick up a copy of Pat
Warner's "Router Book". Learn about the tool first, then use it.

Routers can be fun if you like SCREAMING, WILD, DUST SPEWING tools.


And router planes are somewhat prone to tearout on oak plywood. ;-)

Router planes are like women. You have to learn how to score before
you're successful with 'em. ww,nn,say no more


If you have a quiet, dust free suggestion for dados in plywood, I'd love to
hear about it. The closet rebuild for LOML is underway, and my shop is
buried in plywood at the moment.

Set up the guides on both sides, saw the edges, and route away!
I didn't say he -couldn't- use a screamer, though.


A cross dado, even with a sled, on a 94" slab of 3/4" prefinished ply,
isn't going to happen on my tablesaw.

Yeah, wouldn't THAT be fun? g


Patriarch,
spending a lot of time with foam earplugs installed these days...

I prefer muffs in the shop since I sleep with foam earplugs in.

================================================== ========
CAUTION: Do NOT look directly into laser with remaining eyeball!
================================================== ========
http://www.diversify.com Comprehensive Website Design

After watching a dovetail bit wander away from the guide fence I
convinced myself to use the "right hand rule" from EE school. With
the right thumb pointed down the fingers on that hand curl clockwise,
the manner of bit rotation and with the thumb up fingers curl
counterclockwise. When cutting with the bit down the router goes from
left to right with the guide fence behind the router base so the
rotation of the bit pulls the router INTO the guide fence and in table
routing with the fence behind the bit the wood moves from right to
left. Fewer curved dadoes since.

On 26 Aug 2005 06:18:00 -0700, "KJ" wrote:

Got it. Next time I'll put the fence on the left. (I did have it tight
against the fence though.) Sounds like I was unwittingly doing a climb
cut then.

In article . com,
KJ wrote:
Hello All,

I did some of my first dado's with d-handle router. Most of them came
out wiggly.

Any tips to avoid this?

It seems like during the routing process, it's not entirely smooth
sailing.

I was routing 3/4" oak ply, across the grain. The fence was smooth
aluminum, so no problems there. Fence was on the right, if that
matters.

-KJ


The main thing to remember is to move the router in a direction such
that the rotation of the bit will tend to force thr router against the
fence. In your example, with the fence on the right, I assume it is
oriented like a tablesaw fence, you would want to start at the far end
of the cut and move the router towards you. Looking down at the top of
the router, the bit is spinning clockwise like a drill bit, so as the
leading edge contacts the wood, imagine it as a turning wheel that
wants to roll along the surface it is cutting. Cutting edge towrads
you, bit turning clockwise, it will want to "roll" towards the right.


--

Larry Wasserman Baltimore, Maryland

Thanks to everyone who replied. I think I am on the right "track" now.