Get More From Your Router
A veteran trim carpenter shares his secrets for using routers to make perfect mortises, splines, edge profiles, and more.
Synopsis: Former finish carpenter Kit Camp describes six types of projects for a handheld router: crisp edge profiles, sturdy splines, hardware mortises, deep mortises, production curves, and accurate casework. He includes tips and techniques for handling the router for each type of project, in addition to five overall tips for getting the most out of your router.
I’m a little embarrassed to admit just how many routers I own, from small laminate trimmers to 3-hp monsters. Let’s just say it’s more than a dozen, and less than two dozen. For someone buying their first router, I would recommend a combination kit with a plunge and a fixed base. These are available with either full-size (11⁄2-hp to 2-hp) or trimrouter size (1-hp to 11⁄4-hp) motors. My favorite full-size combo kit is the DeWalt DW618PK($200), which I have been using since I tested router kits for the magazine a number of years…
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