Bushing question from rookie
 

I received some plastic bushings free with my Ryobi Router. I tried one
out for the first time, ever, using a template for a handle I'll put
on a tray. I used a 1/4 rabbit bit with the 5/16 inch bushing and a
template. The bushing worked fine for a bit but as I went, it melted
out to about 1/2 inch of the center. I don't have any smaller rabbit
bits but I guess that's what I needed.

Are plastic bushings completely useless or was it just me?

Richard

"Richard A." wrote in
news:9iP%c.55358$nk.46919@okepread05:

I received some plastic bushings free with my Ryobi Router. I tried one
out for the first time, ever, using a template for a handle I'll put
on a tray. I used a 1/4 rabbit bit with the 5/16 inch bushing and a
template. The bushing worked fine for a bit but as I went, it melted
out to about 1/2 inch of the center. I don't have any smaller rabbit
bits but I guess that's what I needed.

Are plastic bushings completely useless or was it just me?

Richard


Even the really 'value-engineered', made-in-the-lowest-labor-cost-this-
year-country are generally made of something that looks to be brass.

And if you consider the heat generated by spinning a bit through solid wood
at, oh, 18,000 rpm, you'll understand that it wasn't likely your technique.

What's indicated, at least for now, is a visit to www.patwarner.com. Then
you can figure out what you should do next. Pat is a router guru of the
first order, and writes well, too.

Cheer up, and chalk this one up to experience. Nobody bled, right?

Patriarch

Get some decent aluminum or preferably brass ones, the plastic ones are only
good for a very small job & do not stand up to heat for more than a few
minutes at best.


--
© Jon Down ®
Need Blades???
http://www.stores.ebay.com/jdpowertoolcanada
"You cannot make someone love you.
All you can do is stalk them and hope they panic and give in."


"Richard A." wrote in message
news:9iP%c.55358$nk.46919@okepread05...
I received some plastic bushings free with my Ryobi Router. I tried one
out for the first time, ever, using a template for a handle I'll put
on a tray. I used a 1/4 rabbit bit with the 5/16 inch bushing and a
template. The bushing worked fine for a bit but as I went, it melted
out to about 1/2 inch of the center. I don't have any smaller rabbit
bits but I guess that's what I needed.

Are plastic bushings completely useless or was it just me?

Richard

patriarch wrote:
"Richard A." wrote in
news:9iP%c.55358$nk.46919@okepread05:


I received some plastic bushings free with my Ryobi Router. I tried one
out for the first time, ever, using a template for a handle I'll put
on a tray. I used a 1/4 rabbit bit with the 5/16 inch bushing and a
template. The bushing worked fine for a bit but as I went, it melted
out to about 1/2 inch of the center. I don't have any smaller rabbit
bits but I guess that's what I needed.

Are plastic bushings completely useless or was it just me?

Richard



Even the really 'value-engineered', made-in-the-lowest-labor-cost-this-
year-country are generally made of something that looks to be brass.

And if you consider the heat generated by spinning a bit through solid wood
at, oh, 18,000 rpm, you'll understand that it wasn't likely your technique.

What's indicated, at least for now, is a visit to www.patwarner.com. Then
you can figure out what you should do next. Pat is a router guru of the
first order, and writes well, too.

Cheer up, and chalk this one up to experience. Nobody bled, right?

Patriarch
Thanks for the responses guys. I'll go check out that site now.

Maybe I didn't adequately understand the question. I have a Sears
Craftsman router about 30 years old. The bushings (we're talking about
base plate bushings that are used for template routing?) are some kind
of fiber fill plastic. They aren't pretty to look at and my PC and
Freud routers do have metal bushings but the last problem I've had with
the old Sears bushings is melting. How do you get the bushings hot?
They just rub against the template. Tell me I missed the whole point.

bob g.

Richard A. wrote:
I received some plastic bushings free with my Ryobi Router. I tried one
out for the first time, ever, using a template for a handle I'll put on
a tray. I used a 1/4 rabbit bit with the 5/16 inch bushing and a
template. The bushing worked fine for a bit but as I went, it melted
out to about 1/2 inch of the center. I don't have any smaller rabbit
bits but I guess that's what I needed.

Are plastic bushings completely useless or was it just me?

Richard

Maybe I didn't adequately understand the question. I have a Sears
Craftsman router about 30 years old. The bushings (we're talking about
base plate bushings that are used for template routing?) are some kind
of fiber fill plastic. They aren't pretty to look at and my PC and
Freud routers do have metal bushings but the last problem I've had with
the old Sears bushings is melting. How do you get the bushings hot?
They just rub against the template. Tell me I missed the whole point.

bob g.

Richard A. wrote:
I received some plastic bushings free with my Ryobi Router. I tried one
out for the first time, ever, using a template for a handle I'll put on
a tray. I used a 1/4 rabbit bit with the 5/16 inch bushing and a
template. The bushing worked fine for a bit but as I went, it melted
out to about 1/2 inch of the center. I don't have any smaller rabbit
bits but I guess that's what I needed.

Are plastic bushings completely useless or was it just me?

Richard

You're not the only one.

"Robert Galloway" wrote in message
...
.. How do you get the bushings hot?
They just rub against the template. Tell me I missed the whole point.

bob g.

George wrote:

You're not the only one.

If he got the bit hot enough to melt the bushing then either (a) it's a
spectacularly crappy bushing or (b) there's something badly wrong with the
router or (c) there's something important that he's not telling us.

The question that comes to my mind is why he was using a rabbet bit with a
template and a bushing. And where he got a 1/4" diameter rabbet bit.

"Robert Galloway" wrote in message
...
. How do you get the bushings hot?
They just rub against the template. Tell me I missed the whole point.

bob g.

--
--John
Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

J. Clarke wrote:
George wrote:


You're not the only one.


If he got the bit hot enough to melt the bushing then either (a) it's a
spectacularly crappy bushing or (b) there's something badly wrong with the
router or (c) there's something important that he's not telling us.

The question that comes to my mind is why he was using a rabbet bit with a
template and a bushing. And where he got a 1/4" diameter rabbet bit.


"Robert Galloway" wrote in message
...
. How do you get the bushings hot?

They just rub against the template. Tell me I missed the whole point.

bob g.


I'm new at the terms here. What I'm referring to is the guide bushing
that you use with templates. I "mispoke" when I said rabbet bit (don't
ask me why). I mean a simple 1/4 inch bit. The bit fit fine through
the plastic guide bushing but was too neat of a fit I guess. Or it could
be that I had the bit actually in part of the "bushing extension". In
other words, the cutting part of the bit didn't extend all the way past
the bushing center guide. It just melted away as I was working. I was
using a 1/8" template which I have now figured out should probably be 1/4".

I went out and bought a decent set of brass guides today. FWIW, I
intend to take the next Router class available at my local Woodcraft.

When looking for the brass guides. I also say the "roller bushings"
that I think you thought I meant. I haven't figured out what those are
for yet. So far I've made push sticks, push blocks, a feather board, and
a hack job on a jewelry box.

Richard

SOON plan a way to store & identify the router bits that seem to
multiply faster than rabbits. Your DON'T want them rattling around in
a drawer banging into each other.

On Fri, 10 Sep 2004 21:56:48 -0500, "Richard A."
wrote:

I went out and bought a decent set of brass guides today. FWIW, I
intend to take the next Router class available at my local Woodcraft.

wrote in message
...
SOON plan a way to store & identify the router bits that seem to
multiply faster than rabbits. Your DON'T want them rattling around in
a drawer banging into each other.

Even a simple block of wood like a 2 x 4 with some holes works. Make them a
little over 1/2". If you go with 1/2" the shank will stick in the hole.
(or so I'm told ;))

You really only need a couple of bits Yesterday, I counted 31 that I have.
90% of what I use a router for is three bits.
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome