Dewalt Router any good? and joystick mounting hardware

[tyson171]

Hey everyone, so i finally ordered all of my joysticks, trackball, buttons, spinner ect, now i need to buy a few more tools.  I saw a dewalt router at lowes for around 80 dollars (i don't mind spending a little more for a decent (not top of the line) tool, has anyone used one of these?  My plans for the router are as follows.....cut slots for the t-molding (just in the control panel), recess my joysticks, cut the circle for the trackball and recess the trackball, and i was thinking about starting my holes in the plexiglass with some kind of drill bit (once again any suggestions?), then finishing the cuts with the router (is that bit called a flush trim bit?)  I'm cutting 3/4" mdf board as well.  I looked quickly the other day and there were tons of bits, so what type and size bits do i need to do this?

Also what kind of screws do people use to mount the joysticks? (mine didn't come with any, they are happ competition joysticks).  I want the joysticks to be pretty sturdy as well, i think i've read that people use carage bolts?  I'm going to have plexiglass and just some standard artwork over the cp, but do people still recess the carage bolts or use another form to mount the joystics?  Thanks you very much for your time...i've never really done any wood work at all, so i'm pretty clueless to which bits/exact type of router i need, but once i have the right tools i can figure out the rest!  Thanks again!

[Franco B]

Routers have come down in price tremendously in recent years and you can get a good router for little money at all.

Obviously Dewalt is a good make so you should be fine on the quality front. If possible get a router that has both 1/2" and 1/4" collets as that is the shank diameter of most bits. Also make sure it is a plunge router with a depth stop.

As you said its a good idea to start the holes in the acrylic with a drill bit, I would recommend a forstner bit to do this. I would also suggest using a 1/2" diameter flush trim bit to route the excess. In that case you want a forstner bit somewhere around 3/4" to make the starting hole.

As for joystick mounting there are a few options. You can recess the holes if you are using carriage bolts or there are a couple of other options in [this] thread that you may want to consider.

[MrMojoZ]

I've always just cut holes in plexi with the correct size forstner bit, I didn't need to do any clean up with a router. Whats the benefit in doing it the way ya'll are referring to?

[fixedpigs]

I've always just cut holes in plexi with the correct size forstner bit, I didn't need to do any clean up with a router. Whats the benefit in doing it the way ya'll are referring to?

mainly it just decreases the room for error significantly...

[Chadwick]

DeWalt routers are very good quality and it should serve you well for many many years.  Assuming it is not a laminate router, it should come with both 1/4" and 1/2" collets.  $80.00 is a great price for a DeWalt.

The router bits you will want/need are:

Flush Trim Bit - (bearing on bottom) - 1/2" O.D. x 1" C.E.L. x 1/2" Shk.
Straight Plunge Bit - (no bearing) - 1/2" O.D. x 1" C.E.L. x 1/2" Shk.
Slot Cutter w/ Arbor Assembly -  3- Wing, Carbide-Tipped, 1/16" (or 3/32") Kerf

The flush trim and straight plunge should be 2-flute, carbide-tipped router bits.  Get 1/2" shank bits whenever possible, but if you can only get 1/4" shank bits, don't sweat it.  They will work just fine and you aren't going to put enough of a load on the bits to break the shank as it is high speed steel.

As for pre-drilling in acrylic, use a drill bit with a "V" point (sometimes called a through-pont) and not a bit with a brad point (sometimes called a crown point).  A forstner bit, as Franco mentioned, will work well for this because the center spur of the forstner bit will have a similar geometry to a "V" point drill bit.

Use sharp tools and keep your RPM's low when you drill the acrylic to reduce/avoid remelt.  When routing, Friction is your enemy.  Don't let bits "dwell" in the cut as this causes heat build-up and accelerates the dulling of your carbide.  If you see smoke... you're doing something wrong or your tools are too dull.

Good Luck!