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[Ivan Beaver]

The number ONE advice on the router would be to always allow it to come to full speed BEFORE touching it to the wood.

DO NOT start it touching the wood.

My first real router was an old version of the one what you are getting.

It built hundreds of cabinets and just keeps on going.  It is now going on 30 years old. 

[Scott Helmke]

Been using my router a bit the past couple of days. I'm a big fan of a router table, where you mount the router under a work surface with a fence & etc. Very handy when working on smaller items and for doing jigs and such.

[Ned Ward]

First pictures of Bob's basement, and now a full router. Getting jealous out here in LA Bob!

[Craig Leerman]

Get a big shop vac or dust collection system. Routers make a lot of fine sawdust. I just bought a used big dust collector from a company that went out of business.   I’m looking into getting a finer filter and a chip cyclone unit for the bigger pieces as I will also use it on my table and radial arm saws.

In addition to the ever present eye protection, wear a dust mask!

Have fun making sawdust

Craig

Sent from my phone

[Stephen Kirby]

Been using my router a bit the past couple of days. I'm a big fan of a router table, where you mount the router under a work surface with a fence & etc. Very handy when working on smaller items and for doing jigs and such.

Yes, a table makes many things much easier.  Keeps things square.

When you get really good with it you can cut bearing edges on drums.  But you either have to have a really big table (how the pros do it) or be really good at holding it square.  Some years ago I did a midrange Pearl kit I had.  Much more sensitive to tuning a much more sustain after that.

[Jon Dees]

Anyone versed in the proper use of a router?? Always wanted to make my own amplifier cabinets, so I'm pretty sure Santa is bringing me a Porter Cable router and 12" dovetail jig. I've owned and have been using a router for basic stuff for many, many years, but nothing fancy. Any tips will help.

Routers are like ear plugs. One in every room, the car, the shop.

I haven't owned a really expensive router (that Festool does make me drool sometimes) but haven't found much difference among the affordable models. I now own 4 and am trying to justify a 5th...

It is very handy when doing dovetails to have two set up: one with the straight cutter and the other with the dovetail cutter. You can then do test boards with each and get it dialed in exactly. Forget about dust collection with the PC dovetail jig. I 'had' to get the Leigh jig primarily for dust collection reasons.

Once you set up two routers for the DT jig then you need one in the table, one for rabbets, and another for edge profiles.

See, there's 5 routers!

If Sears hasn't killed the quality, their recent models are pretty good price/performance:
http://www.sears.com/craftsman-12-amp-2-hp-fixed-plunge-base-router/p-00927683000P

If you shop carefully, some of the medium power routers like linked above are also designed for table mounting. They have a hex screw in the base that connects to the height adjustment so when you mount it to your table you can adjust the height without removing it. Although the really fancy router lifts let you raise the spindle out of the table to remove the bit w/o removing the router from the lift.

[Barry Singleton]

  Hi Bob;

  Biggest tip not yet discussed in my opinion. It’s a given that a tightly machined joint is the strongest but the joint needs a little wiggle room when the machining is done. Two things will getcha. One, you need room for glue and two, the glue swells the wood. It’s easy to end up with a stuck joint that wont go together.

  I do my assembly gluing on a pair of pipe clamps with a full width piece of wood rigid enough (3/4 by3” wide minimum) to push the whole width of the joint tightly and squarely together. Get it just right and they are strong as hell.
   
  I have a couple of 24” OmniJigs and they are a bitch to get really dialed in so I bought Ned’s for a second identical unit after Porter Cable stopped making the old ones several years ago.

  I have one set up for 12mm Baltic Birch ply and the other for 18mm.

  PC Omni’s use one dovetail cutter and machine both adjoining pieces at once.

  Due to the set up fun I have a router set up for 12mm and 18mm and I will go buy another router before I disturb one of these.

 I have four Porter Cable routers some of which are ancient and a couple that are several years old. All good.

  I did defect and bought a Bosch, and then another, and I like them better, I do. I feel like a traitor.

  I build all my amp racks with dovetail joinery. Once you get your dovetail jig set up you will love it!

  All the best,
 Barry.

[Steve M Smith]

I think I would use finger joints rather than dovetails for a cabinet.

I'm lucky in that I have the use of a CNC router at work.  Now everything I make is thought about in CNC terms rather than hand operated.


Steve.

[John Halliburton]

I think I would use finger joints rather than dovetails for a cabinet.

I'm lucky in that I have the use of a CNC router at work.  Now everything I make is thought about in CNC terms rather than hand operated.


Steve.

As I mentioned in my response earlier, yes, finger joints were/are typically the norm for amp cabinets-Fender's been doing it with pine lumber for fifty years or more.  If you're making a non tolex coverd cabinet where the wood is part of the appeal, then real dovetails are a nice cosmetic touch as well as their strength.

Someone mentioned they build their amp racks with dovetail joinery too-same rational applies.  R&R Cases doesn't use them for their baltic birch inner racks on hood over cases, so it's basically a cosmetic thing.

Certainly not needed on speaker cabinets.  Typical joinery there is a dado or rabbet(rebate in the UK) joint in the plywood, and I'm with you, having cabinet pieces machined to a proper drawing is the way to go-even using templates on an inverted pin router like the Onsruds is a lot more work and only as good as the template, the operator, and the amount of wear and tear on the template.

Best regards,

John

[Bob Leonard]

It has to be pine for Fender cabinets, and just like Leo, they have to be finger joints. Many people don't know this, but the baffle boards are all HD particle board.

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