Shop Tips
Routing Safe and Sound
7 tips to keep your hand-held router under control, your workpiece intact and your first-aid kit closed
To router instructor Pat Warner, router safety and success are mainly a matter of controlling the router and securing the workpiece. The safest cuts usually result in the best finished surface.
He explains which bits are capable of handling stress and which ones need particular care, and tells you how to listen to your router. Jigs are safety devices in disguise, he says, and he explains how to get away with the climb cut, how to use gravity to help you, how to start the router without wobble, and why it’s important to rout comfortably.
Fine Woodworking Recommended Products
Shop Fox W1826
The thick, felted bag on this Shop Fox is a plus and a minus. On one hand, it makes the unit much less expensive than collectors with canister filters, and also lighter and easier to hang on the wall. Without a separate plastic bag to catch chips, however, they stay in the felt bag, and the shortish zipper on the bottom makes it tough to shake them out. Otherwise, the W1826 is an excellent value.
Fein Turbo II HEPA Wet/Dry Dust Extractor
Among the most powerful HEPA-rated shop vacs on the market, Fein’s Turbo II is quieter, more compact, and nimbler than the rest.
Ridgid EB4424 Oscillating Spindle/Belt Sander
With five spindles sized from 1/2 in. to 2 in. and a 4 X 24-in. belt, this sander has become a staple in many a shop Fine Woodworking visits.
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