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Episode 3 of I Can Do That – Season 4 features one of my favorite tools in the shop – the router. While routers are great for adding round-overs and decorative edges to pieces of wood, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
It took me a couple years of woodworking before I really started to get comfortable with handheld routing (using a router without a router table), but two pieces of advice really helped me:
- Make multiple passes. It may take marginally more time, but you’ll increase your accuracy and the router will be easier to maneuver.
- Get a router with a plunge base. The first router I got was a fixed-based, 1-3/4 HP Porter Cable model. I used it to do round-overs and cut some chamfers, but it wasn’t until I purchased a plunge base for it that I started to reach for it more. The plunge base made the router more user-friendly and easier to adjust. Plus, it made stopped dadoes and grooves less harrowing. It was well worth the money I spent, and I haven’t reached for the fixed base since.
In this episode of I Can Do That, we talk routers and making two essential router joinery cuts: a dado and a rabbet. Plus, you’ll learn how to make circles and arcs with your router, too. Check it out!
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
