An exercise for the Router Enthusiast…

We we have been talking about the mass production project and the importance of being able to change your router bits safely and efficiently. This post is about the changing router bits and how to get practice doing the process. This post is about a small assignment that is good for everybody. It requires 10 pieces of 5 X 7 X 3/4″ MDF, a series of 5 X 7 Photos, a spray adhesive, a small piece of each 1/8″, 1/4″ thick plywood, and two router bits (the 1/4″ round over and the 1/4″ cove bit) Plus of course your router in a router table.

Now on with the assignment:

Step One: Cut the MDF up into 10 pieces that are at 5 X 7 X 3/4 inches.

Step Two: With your 10 – 5 X 7 photos use the spray adhesive to mount the one photo to each piece of the MDF. Let these dry completely.

Step Three: Now for the router assignment, you are going to set up using set up (A) and make four cuts on the face where the photos are glued to the 5 X 7 piece with the round over bit. Then you are going to change to the cove bit and using set up (B) set up and cut the back face with the cove bit. Once done the cove cut on the four edges of the back face stop and re-set the round over bit.

Step Four: Change the bit back to the round over bit and again set up using set up (A) cut the second 5 X 7 photo piece and continue the changing of the router bits and cutting of the pieces until you have finished cutting all the 5 X 7 Photo mounted pieces.

Please note: the exercise here is to change router bits and that means set up and cut with the round over bit on one piece then change to the cove and set up and cut with the cove. For every piece cut you change the router bits, then you compare the molded edges to see how accurate your cuts are with both the round over and cove cuts.

The Router bit set up:

A) Set the router up with the round over router bit and use the 1/8″ plywood as a router bit gauge to set the height of the profile line. (See Photos) 1) a photo of the wood gauge and the 1/4″ round over bit, 2) a photo showing the set up with the wood gauge, 3) a photo showing the use of the safety guide pin.

B) Set the router up with the cove bit and use the 1/4″ plywood as a router bit gauge to set the height of the cove bit. The plywood must be set just under the bearing. (See Photos) 1) a photo of the wood gauge and the 1/4″ cove bit, 2) a photo showing the set up with the wood gauge, 3) a photo showing the use of the safety guide pin.

The Router Bit Change and Set-up Challenge:

Finally, I would like to issue a “Router Bit Change and Set-up Challenge” to those out there that figure they can create 5 separate set up and cuts accurately and safely using their own way of setting up router bits. Or you can use my method of the set-up and change as shown above and your talents. Beginners are all welcome as well…

To record and post your talents:

I was thinking of using the point and shoot camera set on the video feature, a tripod and Youtube to document each of the people interested in showing their talent. The idea is to show how you change and set up your router. Remember Youtube has a maximum video length of 10 minutes and a maximum size of 2 gig. The video has to be taken in one continuous take with speed NOT being a factor. We are looking for video showing the best way to change router bits that are completed with both safety and accuracy the main focus.

As the reward to the winners I will feature the top three Youtube videos on my Blog and give the lifetime membership (Total value, $189.00) to our TRW video.

I will do the winner blog posting on September 01, 2010, hopefully we will have YOU the interested router enthusiast joining in on the challenge. SO, get your router and camera out and start practicing. Once you have completed your video, upload it to my Youtube group called routerworkshop.

How to Capture Your Customer’s Information

Many small businesses capture their clients’ information in some way or another. Some businesses follow the low-tech route, and just ask their clients to fill in a simple form with their names, physical address, email, and their birthdays and anniversary on exchange for some kind of perk (coupons, discounts, etc.).

Other businesses capture the information online; either with a form in their websites, or by using services such as third parties, email, etc…The nice thing about online capturing is that when customers enter the information themselves there are fewer errors to deal with. Many businesses do both: online and offline capturing.

Click here to see the full PDF Article…

Happy selling,
Jose L Riesco
Riesco Consulting Inc.

Capturing the Art of Your Craft

Comments from Rick

This is a first of a series of posts from Robert Bezman a professional photographer talking about taking great photos of your woodworking creations. I have started this new category called “Photo Your Stuff”

Now on with today’s post…

You just completed another wooden work of art. So, are you ready to take the next step?  Funny thing about next steps… it reminds me of the unofficial slogan of the Illinois Highway Department:

“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there!”

This article is the first in a series that will not only help you decide where you want to  go, but will provide dozens of tips on the best way to get there. Whatever you decide to do with your project, chances are pretty good it will involve taking pictures.

Click here to get the PDF article called “Capturing the Art of Your Craft”

So who is Robert Bezman?

Robert has been a professional photographer for more than 12 years. For the past 5 years, he has had a thriving website whose focus has been providing Digital Photography Tips to beginning and intermediate digital photographers.

How mass production fits into the learning process…

So you’re a beginner and interested in learning how to use the router, or you’re a intermediate router enthusiast and would like to hone your skills,right? Then the mass production project is for you and remember this can be done with any project.

Here we are ready to create 50 boxes used as a series of gift boxes for your Christmas baking, well maybe not 50 but how about 20 boxes. OK we have decided to create a mass produced gift box, what next? What can we learn from a mass produced project? Just think about it for a moment. I think we can learn the following:

1) We will write out the different processes needed to create such a project. Planning is important in the process of construction your project either for one or fifty.

2) We will then look at each process and decide which ones need a jig or fixture to be able to mass produce individual parts or to assemble the just created parts. With this you will be thinking of the best way to construct any part of the project.

3) As each of the processes are completed multiple times you get practice, practice and more practice. If your project needs a rabbet joint on the top and bottom of the box parts you get to cut four sides per piece and two pieces per box. If you have twenty boxes you need to make one hundred and sixty rabbet cuts.

That’s is a lot of practice, right!

4) The order of processing is important! In the planning process you need to put the order of cuts in the right place. So what do I mean? If you have 2 pieces that need the same rabbet cut but one needs four cuts and one needs two cuts, which piece is cut first? And why?

OK you don’t think it matters, right? You would be wrong if you thought that, why? Because if you cut the one with four cuts first that’s a one hundred sixty cuts, right? Then when you finish the forty pieces with the four cut pattern, what do you do to the first piece that needs just two cuts?

You’re right you make four cuts just as you did the last forty times and you have just ruined the piece that needs just two cuts. But if you reverse the order you would have only made two cut on that piece and you wouldn’t have ruined the piece that needs four cuts.

5) Stacking and marking the cuts with an X is important. OK we have thinking time and cutting time. Keep the two separated! During the thinking time you mark X where the pieces need to be cut and pile the like pieces into like piles. When you are ready to cut then these piles are positioned in a place that allows you easy access to all the parts that are the same and are ready to be cut. The other pieces are located out of reach until they need to be cut then they are brought into position.

In conclusion, the mass produced project gives your the router enthusiast structure, planning and practice. All good traits used to master the router and it’s many uses.

Open the discussion on a router table…

Rick: I started this thread about buying a router table and come across Joe’s response to my post in the Router Forums. Thought it would be good to open the floor and have a discussion on some of the different thoughts about the router table.

Caution: Some of my responses to Joe’s comments have irritated me, hopefully you will be able to see past my frustration.

Click here to see the thread, I welcome all comments at the bottom of this blog post or as a post in Router Forums.

Rick: So let’s get into it…my posts are in black, Joe’s comments are in red and my response to Joe is in blue.

Quote: Originally Posted by BobandRick View Post
I was told by my son Mark that many members were interested in comparing the router tables out in the market. He wants to know, what is needed to compare commercially built router tables? The first thing that come to my mind was, what do you need a router table for? You are a beginner and you received your grandfather’s Sears router complete with the packaging. This router has rounded over three boards and then was quickly put back in the box and left there for the next 30 years.

Joe: Ummm.. not the case for most here. Some of us have been using routers for quite a while and have never invested in a commercial router table.

Rick: I was talking to the the beginner and the use of a simple router table. Down below Joe talks about your commercial fence, so what is it you have a commercial router table, fence or you don’t…

Quote: Originally Posted by BobandRick View Post
You found this tool and have heard that it is the most versatile tool in the workshop. Now you own one of these tools and you want to know more…so why the router table? Most of them out there can round over a board and cut a rabbet joint, that’s it. Each of the manufactures create the same style with subtle differences but for the most part they are all the same and of course they can round over the board and make a rabbet joint. So again why do you need to spend hundreds of dollars for something as useless as that? You can have the same thing by just taking the sub-plate off your router then using this sub-plate to match and drill the holes on a piece of 1/2 Good One Side plywood approx. 24″ X  48″. I would put the router at one end of the plywood leaving it equally from the two sides and the end. The commercially built ones would have you put the router in the center of the plywood. Mount the router and screw the 1/2″ plywood on the end of your workbench and you are set…you now can round over a board and create the rabbet joint. Cost about 10 bucks…

Joe: Not so. There are large and significant differences between manufacturers of router tables. And none that I know of uses plywood. Thankfully. Also not every table has the router mounted in the center. Many are offset. The better manufacturers offer options. Also, for that $10 cost you’ll get about $10 worth of accuracy. Stay away from plywood and go with an MDF core surface, it’s rigid and flat.

Rick: Now you are really blowing a pile wind, MDF??? give me a break? Rigid? Plus what is the material on the face and back? 13 layer Baltic Birch is the best core with Formica mounted on both faces. But let’s not move onto this just yet we are still just learning how the use the router in the router table position. Remember this is your first router table…it needs to be simple.

More of Joe’s dribble…$10.00 gets $10.00 worth of accuracy. hmmmm….so how much you spend determines how accurate your router table is to make the round over cuts?

Quote: Originally Posted by BobandRick View Post
So again you ask what router table to buy? There must be more to the router tables out there right? No there really is not much more out there, they have no idea how to make the rabbet/dado joint or the box joint to say the least. They make it virtually impossible to change router bits, remember the hole for the router is the middle of the table leaving no place to put the router while changing the router bits. They all do it this way so is that really what you want to do?

Joe: Actually there is plenty out there. A diverse group of products. They do not make it virtually impossible to change the router bits. Those are changed the same way on any table, lift out the plate. Simple.

Rick: More wind without merit….Identify the tables please that don’t mount in the center of the table leaving no room to place the router on the table top?

Quote: Originally Posted by BobandRick View Post

Next two questions are related to router bit storage. So question 2, where do you put the router bit after you have taken it out? and 3, where do you get the next router bit from? Is there a system used to hold your router bits built into the table? Again the answer is over at the workbench in a box full of plastic cases…

Joe: Ummm no. Why are there a box full of plastic cases? Why not one large case where all your bits can fit? or a drawer in your workbench to store them? I’m not sure what the point is here. Is there some magic bullet? The bits have to go somewhere no matter what router or table you use, right?

Rick: Commercial tables out there do not address this issue…if they do give examples.

Quote: Originally Posted by BobandRick View Post

Next, let’s talk about the fence. Did you ever look closely at the router bit and really decide for your self how much fence you really need to mold the edge of a board. Using just the bearing it is about 1/4″ so why a 30 inch fence. We agree that router bit does the cutting, right? And you agree with me that you need a small amount of fence to get the board on the router bit and off the router bit, right?

Joe: Simple, the longer and straighter the fence the more support, safety and accuracy in the cut. Not every piece cut is 10″ long.

Rick: So for a 10 foot piece you need a 10 foot table fence? Joe says, The longer the fence the more support, safety and accuracy? Hummm…I don’t think so, how much fence support do you need after it has been cut. If anything the addition of more fence is more dangerous. I can see adding more table support that is the same height as the router table for long pieces.

OH…by the way the height of the tables in your workshop need to be 5 inches lower than the distance from your bent elbow to the floor. Everybody is different heights so there is no general height used for everybody. Having 2 or 3 smaller work bench tables at the same height as the router table is better than one large router table. With these extra tables we can position them in the correct table support positions used to cut all your pieces.

Quote: Originally Posted by BobandRick View Post

Being cautious let’s say 6″ on the in-feed and 6″ on the out-feed. So then 4) why do all these router tables make the same sized fence leaving it to be 24 to 30″ is length…To be honest with more fence you have the chances of not getting your board to touch the router bit at all, it becomes a real problem. A bit of a warp in the project piece makes it difficult to mold the edge. So why such a long fence?

Joe: Again, what about long workpieces? Board not touching the router bit at all?? You guys work with boards with warped edges? That’s not safe or smart. Square straight stock is pretty basic to all woodworking. Unless you’re working with curved pieces in which case you wouldn’t be using a fence anyway.

Rick: I addressed these concerns above…

Quote: Originally Posted by BobandRick View Post

Now let’s look at a real gem, how they mount the fence to the table? This is suppose to be a feature…each have a T slot, a T-nut with a bolt and I think they want you to make the fence parallel with the side of the table. That is so you can use your table-saw miter gauge to do cross cuts. That’s right they want you to use a tool designed to be used with the table-saw to be used with the router.

Joe: Sometimes it’s desirable to have the fence parallel with the edge of the table. A miter gauge is useful in keeping the work piece square to the fence. And the miter gauge is not used exclusively on the table saw. It can be used for a variety of tool applications.

Rick: When do you think that the fence needs to be parallel to the edge of the table…the minute you put the fence on the table it is parallel to the router bit. The router bit cuts the material and not the edge of the table, right? Don’t get confused by this person and his mis-information.

Quote: Originally Posted by BobandRick View Post

So that is just a few things to ask when looking for a router table…I think you will find that most of these commercially purchased router tables are basically the same and work as described above…So to start you should use my plywood table with a 2 X 2 fence with two C-Clamps to start…

Joe: Again, some c-clamps and a short fence are fine for small pieces, but what about larger ones? How does a 2 x 2 fence give you support for vertical work?

Rick: Vertical work hummm…in one breath he talks about safety then in the next breath he describes work from the vertical position. A very unsafe way to rout. The only two reasons that I see is vertical panel raised bits and the lock miter bit. For either of these cuts requires a special fixture and some talent to complete. The vertical panel bit is a very poor solution that is dangerous at best.

Joe: What material are you using for the fence? will it remain straight? High quality commercial fences will. What about safety? where is the bit guard mounted on your homemade fence? How about dust collection? Your fence account for that? Mine does. As do most well made commercial fences. As well as safety, something you failed to mention. What type of surface does your “plywood” table have? Is it rough? Won’t that require more effort to feed the stock through? Sounds like that might be unsafe.

Rick: Hummm…wood is a good start and yes pick a piece that is straight and true. I assume here we are talking about a aluminum extrusion, which you can’t cut the profile into the in-feed side of the fence and is at best a good fence to round over the edges. A wood fence that has two 1/2 holes cut in the center, one to receive the bit and one used to clear the router chips is a good start. The router bit guard in most cases is clear piece of 1/4 Plexiglas mounted over the two 1/2 holes. The router fence is a piece of equipment that gets used and abused by the routed chip break cuts of each and every new router bit set up. They come in various shapes and sizes used to rout your material safely. It is best made of a simple piece of either wood or polyethylene and remember they are replaced based upon the router set ups you do. In most cases they are changed out often.

Rick: Dust collection is best served depending on the amount of router chips being cut. 1/4 round over bit or a 3/8″ rabbeting bit can be done easily with a vacuum hose clamped in place over the clearing 1/2 hole…again fancy is not always the best way to make your cuts.

Rick: Plywood surface is Good One Side Plywood with either a Formica cover or a good coating of floor wax. Remember this is your first router table used to get you started. Keep it simple.

Joe: It seems to me that it it is more important for someone just starting out using a router to make the learning process as easy and as safe as possible and NOT to focus solely on the cost. High quality well made tables provide large flat work surfaces. High quality well made fences provide straight true rigid, accurate and safe work surfaces and include protection from sharp bits and include dust collection.

Rick: More wind without merit, no examples etc…

Joe: My advice for someone purchasing a router or router table, as with all tools, get the best quality tool you can afford. There are a myriad of manufacturers out there and a wealth of information about them on the internet. Educate yourself.

Rick: The only bit of advice with merit is in his last comment.

Inspiration from Malcolm

Words and Photos of Inspiration:

I have been making baskets and boxes using the heart joints for about 10 years. I even used the jig to make all the drawers for a couple sets of kitchen cabinets. I know the customers were really pleased to see those.  Attached are a few photos of a basket that I recently made. The basket with the silk flowers I made for my wife for her birthday in November 2009.

Malcolm

Nice to hear from you. I belong to KYANA WOODCRAFTERS CLUB in Louisville, KY. We started it in 1984 and have around 150 members. I have purchased all of your video on router projects for the club library, and have watched all of them. How is your dad? You two were heck of a team in those videos especially with your “fine adjustment tool – hammer”.

Thanks for the kind words Malcolm, Bob and Rick

The Three Ways to Grow Your Business…

To my Blog followers,

I have decided to add this new category about how to move your hobby to a business.  It is called “Marketing your Hobby” My consultant to this category is Jose L Riesco, Jose is a very good consultant for the small business owner and has good insight on how to set up your hobby into a business…I hope you will enjoy the information that Jose has prepared for us.

Rick Rosendahl

NOW on with today’s post…

Most business owners try to grow their business in order to grow their income. However, they usually try to grow their business linearly, focusing on one area of growth at a time. Not many business owners set up a goal for themselves by thinking geometrically.

The good news is that there are only three ways to grow a business. Here they are, nicely described for you:

1. Increase the number of your clients.
2. Increase the amount of money that they spend with you.
3. Increase the frequency of their purchases (number of times that they buy from you).

So, what can you do to grow your business geometrically instead of linearly? It is very simple: you need to grow all three areas at the same time. Every small increment in each of these three areas will combine to create a geometrical growth.

You need to stop thinking linearly and think geometrically. This is the way to really grow a business and to make you leap way ahead of your competitors. When you apply this multiple growth on the three ways to grow your business simultaneously, you will become a dominant force in your area/specialty. Download the three part PDF here

Jose L Riesco,

Marketing Consultant

Jose Riesco worked in the IT industry for 18 years and owned a restaurant before dedicating himself to help restaurateurs and other small business owners with their marketing. Jose has brought top proven marketing practices to the small business industry, making a unique contribution to this business. By creating a unique client-centric Strategy, small business owners will be able to dramatically increase their sales while having happy and repeated clients.

The Rabbet and Dado Joint…

Probably the most common wood joints are the rabbet, dado and the groove. The groove is the same as the dado with the only difference the cut is made with the grain. These joints are usually used to create furniture and kitchen cabinets.

The rabbet joint is used to tie the top of the furniture piece to the case of the cabinet. The way this is done is by using a sub-top. Next we need to make the dado cut used to receive the bottom for cabinet case. For the back of the cabinet you can use either the groove or the rabbet. If you use the groove you will have the 1/4″ thick back inset about 3/8″ with the rabbet cut you will have the back flush to the edges of the sides.

The material list for the rabbet, dado, and groove is the same. You need to create these wood joints with the depth of cut set at 1/2 of the material thickness. This technique makes it easy to create the material list. If you have a cabinet that is 32″ long X 12″ deep X 24″ wide how to you make the material list.

First ask yourself how many pieces? We have 2 sides, 2 – 1 top/1 bottom, and a back.

To calculate the size of the sides of the cabinet is very easy. The width is equal to the 12″ depth of the cabinet. The length of this piece is the same as the overall length of the cabinet. This is always the same with any cabinet you are looking to build.

Next we look at the top and bottom. These parts have to tie into the side pieces with either the rabbet joint for the top and the dado joint for the bottom. You remember me talking about the depth of cut and how important it is to making this cut one half the material thickness. In this case the depth of cut is 3/8″ or 1/2 of 3/4″ thick material. one half cut leaves one half material and 2 half material equals a whole material thickness left. To get the length of the top and bottom you minus one material thickness from the overall length of 24″. That makes the overall length of the T/B pieces 23 1/4″

Now we need to compensate for the back to by pass the bottom and go to the edge of the sides. To do this we need to subtract 1/4″ off the overall depth of 12″ or the overall width of the cabinet. See the measurement of 11 3/4 is the results of 12″ depth that has subtracted the 1/4″ back thickness.

Lastly we have the back cut into the sides and the top again we are using a rabbet joint cut into the sides and top making it easy to add the back to the cabinet. Again remember the 1/2 depth theory.

You need to learn both the methods of construction with these joints as well as the way to calculate the measurements for the pieces of the project. Here is the calculation procedure:

1) Determine the out side measurements of the cabinet. The cabinet is 36 long X 24″ deep X 48″ wide.

2) Identify how many pieces are included in this cabinet. FYI: 5 parts

3) Next create the material list, I am going to let you make this list up as home work. Hint: use mine as your guided sample.

Using the Router as a manufacturing Tool…

Talking to local businesses…

So you want to create a special project that can be duplicated many times over…let’s say you have talked to the local Wine Store or any store that sells small gifts to their clients. You are creating a sample gift box that is used to replace the wrapping paper. It holds a wine bottle, a bottle of high end perfume or that special knick-knack. This box is made of MDF and has been painted with the Faux finish. The cost of production is approximately $1.50 each.

You present this to the Store manager and mention that this box can have their custom logo painted into the finish. Cost of each box is $9.95 without the logo and $14.95 each with the logo in groups of 10 boxes per order. Use your sample box as your sales tool…get the orders then create the manufacturing line around the construction methods.

You explain that the boxes can be made into any shape and/or size. You can even work with the store to create a in-store special event that groups four wines into one gift box. The store creates a special price that includes your gift box. Retail price of a four wine hand made gift box is $29.95 and works as the gift box plus once brought home it can be the modular wine storage system on the pantry shelf. It’s a collectible item…

Manufacturing with your Router…

Well today’s post is about using the router to create many projects made the same way. As you create this one design then develop the manufacturing process that will then create ready to sell multiple projects. With this technique you can create many items very fast and accurately. The process is to create Jigs and Fixtures that are designed to aid you in the construction operations.

Here is the step by step system for the manufacturing technique,

1) Identify the project you want to duplicate,
2) Make a list of construction processes,
3) Identify the processes that require assistance,
4) Create Jigs and Fixtures for the identified processes,

Test the processes with your new Jigs and Fixtures by creating a pro-type run of let’s say ten items. This is where you have the list of construction operations, required Jigs and Fixtures, and the workstations set up to manufacture your projects. It is recommended to set up each workstation with separate routers and template guides. You need to set up the entire manufacturing line.

Here is an example, the Magic Box from episode 103,

1) Using the dynamic box calculator create a sample box using the inside measurements from the dimensions of one of your favorite wines. This is going to be your sample bottle used to generate sales.

2) The list of construction processes:

A) Using 3/8″ MDF size the 3 different pieces,
B) router the two pieces one side with two rabbets and
C) one top/bottom with four rabbets,
D) router the inside groove in all side pieces,
E) Mark the groove on the outside of the piece,
F) Glue and place into the gluing jig,
G) Cut apart the lid/bottom using the small jig,
H) Sand the manufactured box,
I) Antique and Paint the finished box,
J) Package and deliver to client.

3) Processes that need assistance:

F) Glue and place into the gluing jig, (see project PDF to see gluing jig)
G) Cut apart the lid/bottom using the small jig, (See Project PDF to see the jig to separate the lid and bottom)

4) Make the jigs…

Hopefully this has been a help with regards to the many uses of the router in the manufacturing process. Just one more point, be sure to add a clear Avery label on the bottom of the gift box with all your contact information. Plus add four small felt stickers one on each corner. These will act as small protective feet used to keep your painted surface from being transferred to the clients furniture.

Watching TRW in full screen mode…

This is a short video tip on watching TRW video in full screen mode. We have taken every effort to show the video in as good quality as possible over the Internet. This video shows both the size and quality of video you can expect in the TRW paid membership. Cost to join is just $4.00 per month and with that you receive 4 new episodes. We deliver 1 new episode each week for 183 weeks.

Watch the video below showing how to view at full screen. Click here to join…

http://www.routerworkshop.net/Full_Screen_Video_Playback/Full_Screen_Video_Playback.flv