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Routers are powerful tools that operate at high revs and cut a significant volume of shavings from your workpiece. Even a small cordless hand router held in your palm can cause serious injury.
Use a non-slip drawer liner as a router mat and clamp your workpiece whenever possible.
Safety tip: Always wear the appropriate safety equipment (safety glasses, gloves, ear muffs and a mask, for example) and always follow the instructions for the product or equipment.
The router is mounted upside down on a routing table, so it will behave differently than when it’s used in the ordinary orientation. Therefore, don’t start with complex, ambitious projects. Build your skills at a realistic rate, starting with one or two simpler projects that allow you to master the forces acting on a workpiece when the router is inverted.
A homemade router jig or template can speed up cutting repetitive shapes such as finial profiles on fence pickets. As with a routing table, use your jig to cut one or two dummy profiles and get the feel of how the router behaves. Be mindful to move the router so the bit spins against the direction of travel, not in the same direction as the router is moving. The instructions will show you how to do this properly.
Your router will come with a few basic bits, as well as a side fence for working parallel with a straight timber edge, and a guide bushing or template guide.
These standard inclusions will only serve to wet your appetite for the D.I.Y. possibilities the versatile router tool opens up. While the best plan is to match a router bit’s shank diameter to your collet (a segmented band or sleeve) size, a collet sleeve that adapts a ¼ inch bit for use in a ½ inch collet is also available.
Router bits can be divided into two broad types. The first has a ball bearing that allows the bit to follow a template or shape the edges of wood to cut decorative moulding. The other doesn’t have a bearing and is normally plunged directly into a workpiece.
Here are the most common types of edge-forming router bits:
These are popular router bits designed to plunge into the centre of a piece for grooves or inlays:
Choose well-machined bits with tungsten carbide cutting edges so you get the maximum value from the fine height adjusters on your router tool. If you enjoy challenging projects and want to create wood joints such as dovetails, a dovetailing bit enables you to cut the tails and pins at precisely the same angle, but a cheaper one is unlikely to deliver professional results.
Check out our guide on how to choose a router.
Photo Credit: James Moffatt, Getty Images
Asbestos, lead-based paints and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber are health hazards you need to look out for when renovating older homes. These substances can easily be disturbed when renovating and exposure to them can cause a range of life-threatening diseases and conditions including cancer. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer or visit our Health & Safety page.
When following our advice in our D.I.Y. videos, make sure you use all equipment, including PPE, safely by following the manufacturer’s instructions. Check that the equipment is suitable for the task and that PPE fits properly. If you are unsure, hire an expert to do the job or talk to a Bunnings Team Member.
