God Bless The Router!!!!

[Jdurg]

Okay, I'm a newbie at woodworking so you'll probably see a lot of posts from me thinking that these basic tools are brand new creations that nobody's ever heard of.  I've just never been exposed to woodworking and figured that building my control panel, then my cabinet would give me good practice.

So far, I have a power drill, a shop-vac, a jigsaw, and a router.  The power drill, sadly, is cordless but it was a gift and it does the job when needed.  It's just that it's not all that great when it comes down to multiple button holes in one day.  Then again, it could be the cheap set of spade bits that I bought.  I just can't find the 1 1/8" forstner bits around me.  They are only in big sets that I don't really want to spend the money on right now.  I think with a sharper/better bit it will cut through the plywood no problem at all.  I only have about a dozen more button holes to drill.   

The jigsaw is a cheap free one that came with my router purchase.  It's a $26 equivalent but the thing looks like it was made by Fisher Price.  The more I use it, the better I'm getting with it.

The coup-de-gras of my tool set is the Rigid Plunge/Fixed router.  The router comes with a plunge base and a fixed base as well as vacuum attachments so I can hook it up to my dry vac in order to pull the dust away.  I'm seeing a TON of dust come out from simple 3/4" Poplar Plywood.  I can't even begin to image what MDF would do!  (This is the main reason why my cab is being built with good plywood and not MDF.  Dust, weight, and I just feel like it.  ) 

The router is simply fantastic.  I can't image living without one now.  I'm using it to clean up the straight edge cuts that I attempted to make with my jigsaw, and also for the cleaning out of the internal cut I made for my 4-way joystick.  The 4-way cut-out is incredibly smooth and straight.  The carbide flush-cutting bit I bought is amazing.  It can work through 3/4" plywood like it's nothing, and better yet, it's a plunge-cutting bit as well.  I love the thing!  Once I get the main CP cut and the button holes drilled, I'll go and route out the areas for the joysticks and other controls.  I still need to wait for the trackball and spinner to arrive in order to cut out an area for them.  If everything works out with the spinner, I may not even have to route anything and just drill a hole for the bolts that secure it, then drill a hole for the shaft.

Anyway, how did people live before routers?  It helps cut a straight line, it recesses joysticks, it cleans up internal cuts, it smooths out edges, it cuts t-molding grooves, it cuts speaker holes, it makes life worth living. 

I love this thing and can't wait for my CP to be finished. 

[Tahnok]

Next on your list, if you want really versatile tools, is a table saw. You'll have a ton of resources at your disposal with a table saw and router.

Also, eventually, you might want another router. A lot of operations can be done so much faster with a couple of good routers.

[Jdurg]

Well today I found out that a hand planer is the best hand tool to have.  After getting more work in with the jigsaw, I discovered that if I can get within about 1/8" max of the line I drew out I can use the planer to straighten out the edge and smooth everything out nicely.  God I love woodworking. 

[ChadTower]

Newly discovered enthusiasm is awesome, even to just be around.  I'm down in my basement framing the foundation wall cursing to hell slanty slabs and the cramped space I have to work in... I feel better having read that.   

[Jdurg]

Happy to help out.     It's just amazing taking a blank piece of plywood, drawing out a design on it, then using some power tools and hand tools to turn it into something functional.  I still am waiting for my trackball and spinner to arrive before I get into the heavy duty routing, but for now with the edges straight and clean, the button holes drilled and the bolt holes drilled out, it's all looking really good and makes me wish I had more room for a workshop.   

Now, I keep watching New Yankee Workshop on PBS and am COMPLETELY jealous by what Norm Abrahm has for his workshop.  He has all the space, all the jigs, all the bits, all the blades, and all the equipment that a man could want.  I can only image the awesomeness of a cabinet that he could put together!  I need to go and get the plans he used to make a poker table that I saw on the show a year or so ago.  God I would kill to have half the equipment he has!  I was just happy to see him use the exact same clamps that I have in my shop.  If Norm is using them, they must be god. 

[WaRpEd]

The New Yankee Game Cabinet.
I like it let's send that in as a show Idea.

[ChadTower]

Now, I keep watching New Yankee Workshop on PBS and am COMPLETELY jealous by what Norm Abrahm has for his workshop. 

He also has no guards on anything and sticks his fingers right next to cutting blades on every cut they show.

[sparcade]

Jdurg,

I'm with you on the router.  I love my router! Mine is a hand me down from my dad.

Things got be at least 25 years old.  Works great.

[Jdurg]

I thought I was going to hold off on routing out the recesses for my joysticks until my trackball and spinner arrived, but I couldn't wait.  Today I routed out the ares for my joysticks and it was great!  The jig I used resulted in completely consistant joystick recesses and VERY smooth bottoms.  The test I did with dropping the sticks in was great.  The bolt holes lined up great, and once bolted in these joysticks aren't going ANYWHERE.  The holes do look like they were cut by an amateur, but they work. 

I still love my router and it was the best investment i've ever made.  It's the first brand of routers that RIDGID has ever made, but it is incredibly good.  The plunge base is great, as is the fixed base.  I can adjust the depth by 1/64" and have it remain accurate.  I love this thing!!!!!!   

If I wasn't under the influence of alcohol right now, I'd figure out something to use my router on at this moment!  (But I NEVER touch a power tool of any kind if I've even had one beer in the past few hours.  NOT worth the risk).

[fixedpigs]

so many uses of 'great'...!

jdurg...do you have a mustache...?

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=KphC-hpuyPc[/youtube]

[ChadTower]

My kids eat those bars all the time.  They're pretty good.

[javeryh]

Now, I keep watching New Yankee Workshop on PBS and am COMPLETELY jealous by what Norm Abrahm has for his workshop. 

He has an AMAZING workshop but he also has unbelievable skill.  I've been watching him for years and I always thought "if I had the tools he has I could build the same things" and now that I have some of those tools and have gotten into woodworking a lot more recently, I realize how good he truly is.  Also, David Marks from "Wood Works" (on DIY Network) is sick even though I hate almost everything he builds.  I bet Norm could crank out an arcade cabinet carcass in an afternoon.

[Jdurg]

I would really like to see him build a cabinet.  He'd probably find some odd species of plywood, use fancy joints and stain the thing and make it look like a work of art.  I should go to his website and suggest that he do that!   

Last night I went and cut the slot for the T-Molding on my Control Panel top.  Once again, the router made insanely quick work of that even though the slot-cutting bit resulted in a LOT of dust being created.  God I love this tool.  I was a bit hesitant to spend close to $200 on a router, but now that I did I couldn't be happier.

[Jdurg]

I'm watching New Yankee Workshop right now, and all I can say is "I want Norm's workshop."  Or at the very least, I want him to be my friendly next door neighbor.  It's amazing how many tools, and more importantly how much talent, this man has.