Main > Woodworking
Router confusion - plunge vs fixed
Borkunit:
Awesome, thanks! Not surprisingly it didn't occur to me that the joystick hole was in fact and edge...
Timoe:
Trust me dood. Get a fixed base router and you'll have all you need to build arcade stuff.
If you want to make those wooden christmas signs that say the Gunderson's Family Home all silly and grooved out and what not, then you need a Plunge router.
If you have extra money buy a router that comes with two bases, Bosch and Dewalt have great models.
Druxar:
A long time ago when I was reading one arcade building project site, the guy said he routed out channels in the inside of the cab to run wiring neatly. I assume I'd need a plunge for that rather than trying to (mis)use a fixed?
ScottS:
--- Quote from: Druxar on December 30, 2006, 12:30:21 am ---A long time ago when I was reading one arcade building project site, the guy said he routed out channels in the inside of the cab to run wiring neatly. I assume I'd need a plunge for that rather than trying to (mis)use a fixed?
--- End quote ---
It might be easier to use a plunge router, but it's not strictly necessary. If all you have is a fixed-based router, you'd drill a pilot hole that's slightly wider and deeper than your router bit. Position the fixed-based router so that the bit is in the pilot hole you made with the drill and not touching anything then start it up and route away. WARNING: if the pilot hole isn't big enough, the bit will make contact before it reaches full speed, which may cause the router to twist or jump, which may result in serious injury! It's very important to size the pilot hole correctly and let the router spin up to full speed before attempting to move it.
I've also seen lots of guys, include Norm Abram from The New Yankee Workshop, make plunge cuts with a fixed-base router. As long as you have the right bit (e.g. spiral upcut) and are careful, it's not a big deal.