My eBay bargain

[griffindodd]

Awwwww my first router 

Picked this puppy up on eBay for $130 shipped. Completely unused, still in box with sealed accessory pack, let the routing begin!!!!!



Not sure if the price written on the box was the original price the guy paid.

[yaksplat]

Nice find.  You can't go wrong with bosch.

[TopJimmyCooks]

Your first, but it won't be your only one.  It will soon call out to its' little brothers - the laminate trimmer and the Colt.  Enjoy it in good health. 

[Slippyblade]

I messed around with wood for years and years and never really understood what purpose a router served...  Then I bought one.  Now I have three.  I have fully crossed over to the Dark Side...  They have biscuit joiners over here too!

[Sparkolicious]

Nice find! Love me some Bosch tools! 

[laminarflow]

I bought a router 6 years ago but have lived in fear of using it! Must actually try to use it soon!

[Ond]

I bought a router 6 years ago but have lived in fear of using it! Must actually try to use it soon!

I managed to countersink a spinner assembly to the bottom of a wood panel last night.  Had no idea what I was doing or what bit to use.  Just looked at each bit until I found one that looked like it'd do what I wanted.  Then you just adjust the height and go for it.

This (Jims) is the attitude to take to routers, never let em smell fear!  .  There are some basic safety factors (eye protection, dust mask) and common sense precautions, after that it's just practice and getting a feel for how they behave.  I recently sold one of my cheaper routers to a guy at work, with it he got about 20 mins of lessons from me.  He keeps thanking me all the time me when he sees me at work  .  Best thing to do when starting out is always practice on scrap timber first the cuts you intend to make in your work.  I still do this all the time.

Mistakes I've made with routers and learnt from.

1. Never lift a router above the work when routing within a tight circular cutout, the first time I did this (yes I've managed to forget this rule several times since) the router went into insane wobble mode and ripped the ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- out of the clean work to that point.  I threw the router in a screaming fit, still spinning across the (empty of people) yard.

1.a. When you're finished routing a section always let the router come to a complete free spining stop before lifting it away from the work - see point 1.

2. Never throw a still spinning router in anger, the brief catharsis is promptly offset by greater dismay at the smashed router casing.

3. Always tighten the collet firmly enough to prevent the bit from slipping, my router table has some nice gouged channels in the metal after a bit slipped on me.

4. Check the condition of bearings on flush trim bits to make sure they are spinning nicely - they can be cleaned or replace as needed

5. Keep plunge routers clean so they plunge nice and smooth and set plunge depth carefully, i.e "plunge you sod!  Oops not that far!

6. Give each and every routing job 100% of your attention and focus, don't rush it or get impatient.



Have fun

[yaksplat]

This why I'm a fan of using a plunge router.  As long as you set up the depth correctly, you can always be sure that when you raise the bit back up, it's now safe to set the router down and the bit is clear of the base.  Of course you have to set the depth correctly, otherwise you can make a mess really quick if you get too comfortable.

The rule is: Never get comfortable to the point that you get lazy.

[TopJimmyCooks]

Just do what I do.  A router for every bit and every bit in it's proper router.  Don't have to adjust nothin'.

[yaksplat]

Just do what I do.  A router for every bit and every bit in it's proper router.  Don't have to adjust nothin'.

I need another 58 routers?

[TopJimmyCooks]

There's only 5 or 6 bits you really need. 

[Ond]

This why I'm a fan of using a plunge router.  As long as you set up the depth correctly, you can always be sure that when you raise the bit back up, it's now safe to set the router down and the bit is clear of the base.  Of course you have to set the depth correctly, otherwise you can make a mess really quick if you get too comfortable.

The rule is: Never get comfortable to the point that you get lazy.

Yeah, there's jobs where using plunge is well suited but I usually actually prefer to lock the router off and work by carefully postioning the router in place, its one less thing I have to think about when working the router into the timber i.e. the downward pressure to maintain penetration (sorry for the suggestive terms, hey we're talking wood working here!).

While I'm at it I should put some context around my hissy fit router chuck.  I don't normally lose it in that way if I stuff up, I just start again, but this lapse in concentration came after several hours of effort on a furniture grade piece of timber that had various elaborate router cuts with switching between custom router base plates (for radius cuts) that I'd made.  On MDF I'd just Bondo over the mess and re-route it clean, not possible on expensive hardwood.

[yaksplat]

I'll add in the avoid loose clothing suggestion.

I was wearing an open flannel shirt over a tshirt and I managed to hang the flannel shirt right into the bit.  It wound the shirt in and mangled it in about a quarter second.  Fortunately, it was an older, much less powerful router and it pulled in enough shirt to stall the motor. 

I still wear the flannel when I'm working in the basement in the winter, but i always take it off before i turn a tool on.  It's a good reminder seeing the mangled edge of the shirt. 

I also have the gouged piece of wood displayed that i was working on when i cut off the tip of my finger on the table saw.  Accidents can happen, but they're completely avoidable.

You'll never realize how fast a router can damage something when you lose control of it, until you have it happen to you.