I have an outline design for a countertop style desk
and some shelving for a childs bedroom.

I'm planning to use 0.75/1.0 inch plywood trimmed
with Formica/laminate for durability.

However, the design includes some large radius curves
(r=24 inches and r=15 inches).

I currently have virtually no power tools. But I'm
thinking I could cut those curves smoothly enough
to accept the laminate edge banding with a router
and circle cutting jig like this:

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/tl_pow...392_2270388,00.
html

I'm hoping the router can also serve as my laminate
trimmer, with the appropriate bits, of course.

Does this sound feasible? Any recommendations on the
router?

Other comments and suggestions most welcome.

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All with in practical limits of this router:
http://patwarner.com/dw621.html

************************************************** **********************




On Oct 19, 2:21 pm, (Malcolm Hoar) wrote:
I have an outline design for a countertop style desk
and some shelving for a childs bedroom.

I'm planning to use 0.75/1.0 inch plywood trimmed
with Formica/laminate for durability.

However, the design includes some large radius curves
(r=24 inches and r=15 inches).

I currently have virtually no power tools. But I'm
thinking I could cut those curves smoothly enough
to accept the laminate edge banding with a router
and circle cutting jig like this:

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/tl_pow...,DIY_14392_227....
html

I'm hoping the router can also serve as my laminate
trimmer, with the appropriate bits, of course.

Does this sound feasible? Any recommendations on the
router?

Other comments and suggestions most welcome.

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
|http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

wrote:
All with in practical limits of this router:
http://patwarner.com/dw621.html


Or this one: $20.00

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=44914

On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:45:45 -0500, "HeyBub"
wrote:

wrote:
All with in practical limits of this router:
http://patwarner.com/dw621.html


Or this one: $20.00

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=44914


I'd spring for the DW621, or a PC690, or a Bosch 1617, or a million
other routers, before I'd cut circles with a Harbor Freight laminate
trimmer. If you never use the router again, you'd probably take a
$20-30 hit selling it used on eBay. Cutting a curve in a single bite,
out of a 3/4" to 1" thick surface substrate, is far better suited to a
real router, with a 1/2" shank bit.

Did 'ya actually look at the OP's link? G

---------------------------------------------
** http://www.bburke.com/woodworking.html **
---------------------------------------------

On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:21:11 GMT, (Malcolm Hoar)
wrote:

I have an outline design for a countertop style desk
and some shelving for a childs bedroom.

I'm planning to use 0.75/1.0 inch plywood trimmed
with Formica/laminate for durability.

However, the design includes some large radius curves
(r=24 inches and r=15 inches).

I currently have virtually no power tools. But I'm
thinking I could cut those curves smoothly enough
to accept the laminate edge banding with a router
and circle cutting jig like this:

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/tl_pow...392_2270388,00.
html

I'm hoping the router can also serve as my laminate
trimmer, with the appropriate bits, of course.

Does this sound feasible? Any recommendations on the
router?

Other comments and suggestions most welcome.

Jigsaw for cutting the plywood. sandpaper for smoothing the cut, trim
router for trimming laminate.

John

In article , John wrote:

Jigsaw for cutting the plywood. sandpaper for smoothing the cut, trim
router for trimming laminate.

Yes, I subsequently had exactly the same thought.
It looks like I can do this job with:

* One fairly heavy duty router

OR

* A jig saw and a light-duty/trim router

The second option is likely to be easier for me to
handle as a "router virgin". I'm still pondering
which tools are likely to prove more useful to me
over the coming years.

I prefer to own and care for good quality tools
although an el cheapo Harbor Freight jig saw and
trim router is certainly an option for this job.
That's really not the way I want to go but it's
just too economically attractive to dismiss without
some careful thought.

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Malcolm,

A 'Trim Router' is not exactly a 'heavy duty' tool. 'Finesse work' is much
more to the point.
However, I do agree - I would be quite leery about getting a 1/2inch FULL
size, 3hp, unit for all of $89 !!!! I can't really comment about the jig
saw - although my 'old' Sears is rather light weight {plastic, you know}. .
.. and my VERY OLD Sears is heavy, metal, and installed in a portable table .
.. . an 'open top' band-saw, if you will.

While I started out with a Sears '1/4 inch' Router many years ago {since
sold}, I now have a 1/2inch in a table I build, a 1/2 inch 'D' handle,
another Sears 1/4inch {'gifted' to me}and two 1/4inch 'Trim Routers' . . .
one of them the HF. I got the HF as a 'back-up' to the Ryobi, and my
neighbor - a construction supervisor - was so impressed he had to get one!!
While the Ryobi is a little 'used' and attached to a special base, the HF is
ready for any small, close, work.

For YOUR project, the 'Trim' unit & 'Circle-cutting jig' will work quite
well. Try it this way - to ease the strain for a more accurate cut . . .
1} Set up the Jig & Trim Router.
2} Using a straight bit, cut a SHALLOW {1/4in or less}, circular, groove
3} Drill an appropriately sized hole in the groove, or just outside of it.
4} Insert the jigsaw blade, and cut out the circle - leaving about a 1/16
'remainder'
5} With the 'Straight' bit, or an 'Edge Trimming' bit, use the Jig & Router
to 'clean up' the edge.

Regards & Good Luck,
Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop

"Malcolm Hoar" wrote
SNIP
I prefer to own and care for good quality tools although an el cheapo
Harbor Freight jig saw and trim router is certainly an option for this job.
That's really not the way I want to go but it's just too economically
attractive to dismiss without some careful thought.

A good 1/2" router can certainly do laminate trimming.

A decent router with a home made circle cutting jig can make
curves all day long.

I would look in pawn shops for a decent 690 Porter Cable.

Almost every single add-on device for a router is designed
around the Porter Cable 690 family.

Malcolm Hoar wrote:
I have an outline design for a countertop style desk
and some shelving for a childs bedroom.

I'm planning to use 0.75/1.0 inch plywood trimmed
with Formica/laminate for durability.

However, the design includes some large radius curves
(r=24 inches and r=15 inches).