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Mike, Don’t knock it until you try it! This method is commonly used on our jobs when the walls are laying on the deck. Any number of companies make aggressive solid carbide bits with a solid pilot. We use a 3 H.P. router with 1/2″ shank bits. You can plunge it into a window opening and have a perfect cutout in a few seconds…. Far faster and easier than messing around with chalklines and a saw.
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Well, if you decide to rout the openings, make sure you
don't have any nails where they shouldn't be. Makes for a
hell of a surprise, not to mention jolt, spark, dead bit,
etc.
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Hey guys I found the bit I need, now I need to figure out how to make the bearing last a little longer.The bit I'm using is an up twist bit with a guide bearing.Route your window holes and you won't hear the trimmers ever say"If you''re gonna leave the sheathing in 1/4" you might as well not cut it at all, dammit!"
jim thanx for the feedback.
*lubricant? "cause life is short at 20,000 rpm"
*You can get bearing lubricant at any woodworking supply place. You might want to consider keeping a couple spare bearings in the truck too.
*Jim, I don't know if you are an occasional builder or do this for a living, but if you intend to use a router for window openings, you don't want a bit with a bearing. You want a bit with a solid carbide pilot below the cutting edge. They make bits like this for this purpose. Once you start cutting window openings this way, you will never use any other method !
*Greg thanks for the advice on the bit.By the way, do you use a straight bit or twist .All you guys that say chalk and Skilsaw should try this method, you just might like it.I frame for a living, and any way I can save a little time is just fine with me.jim
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Jim, One example of a bit for this purpose would be a Black & Decker # 59109. At the bottom is a very sharp 3/8" carbide plunging point. Above that is a solid carbide pilot and above that is an aggressive single flute carbide cutting edge about 1 1/4" long. It has a 1/2" shank. You just adjust the router so the cutting edge is at the right depth to cut your sheeting. With a high H.P. router, you can push it as fast as you want. Cutting an opening takes a few seconds.
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You can get spare bearings from a bearing supply house for about 1/3 of the price other places charge for them. Also while you are lubricating them be sure to clean out the gunk .
*Jim,I cut out windows with a router when I was building my garage workshop. I lubricated the bearing with WD40. There is also a penetrating oil called BLASTER, which works good on anything.
*Hey Andrew D,Just read your post to Mongo about the guy who uses a chainsaw for roof framing. Well guess what? The 16 inch Homelite chainsaw is the main staple for me and my buddies. We are industrial carpenters at a steel producing plant. Most of the work we do is rough framing and bracing type work. In a steel mill you don't find a lot of 110 volt AC outlets, so using regular circular saws won't work. On every job we go to we carry a chainsaw with us.We do get a lot of looks from other guys every time we fire the saws up, but now most everyone is used to seeing us carrying one. Hey, you would be surprised how accurate you can be with a chainsaw. We cut plywood with them as well as framing lumber. The edges are a bit raggedly, but it certainly beats cutting them with a handsaw.We have bigger chainsaws which we use when cutting 12X12 oak timbers, but the 16 incher is our "bread & butter" machine. Homelite recently changed their chainsaw designs, which is a shame. Their old XLs and Super 2s worked great. The saw's housing was designed so that you could use the saw one-handed when the occaision called for it. Though I don't recommend using chainsaws in a one-handed manner, I must admit that we did it all the time. The new design is such that the machine's center of gravity is farther aft now and so one-handed operation can't be done. The other drawback ( as far as I'm concerned) is that these newer saws don't have the power that the old ones had. Nomatter, we will continue to use chainsaws daily than revert back to handsaws.Davo.
*Good story! I'll have to bring this up the next time I run across one of those worm-drive macho types. "Yeah, well I know this guy..." VRRRRRM!12x12 oak timbers? Where do those come from or get used for? Can't a steel mill use, um, steel for some of this? (It looks bad, you know?)
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See Amana Tool bits #45506, 45508, 45510, 45514, 45516, 45518, or 45520. Any of these are designed for the use you require. I use 45510 and it is excellent for plunge cutting window cutouts.
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another chainsaw carpenter?
I thought I was the only one that got them looks.
Theres nothing like seeing the look on a home owners faces when you fire up a chainsaw, its priceless!
*Yes router bits can be sent to the sharpener along with your saw blades, but my experiance is that it's only cost effective for larger profile/ more expensive bits.
*Maybe I'm crazy,But we don't sheath over window or door openings. We cut them out as we go.If I had to do this, I would never think of using a router. That is tool abuse big time.Ed. Williams
*Ed, you're not planning on starting a group to protect the abused tools out there are you? Seriously, a router is made to spin a cutting bit, they make bits for cutting sheathing, where is the abuse. It is done all the time here, just like using a router to cut out for boxes and openings when hanging drywall. CMT makes some good bits with a plunge point and a solid area between the point and the cutters that guides it around the opening. Never tried one with a bearing, seems like it would be too much trouble.
*Charles,No sir, I'm not out to start a "Save the Tool" foundation. It just seems to me that a router is not the tool for the job described. Although, I could be wrong. It seems that a lot of people do this process. Router bits are kind of high dollar compared to other methods (sawzall or circular saw blades). I'm not bucking the system, I just don't see why it's necessary to cut the holes "after the fact". I got no beef with any method that works for you or yours. It just seems to me that cutting out the "holes" later is just adding more work. You're already there.......why wait?But then again, I could be wrong.Ed. Williams
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We use an old Craftsman router from a garage sale to cut our openings. Bits are plain flush cut/plung type bits. Leave the top of window-door for the final cut as it supports the weight of the opening. Also use it to cut subfloor after glue/screwing. This method is faster, easier, and cleaner cut than a ragged sawzall or marking for circ. saw. Try it, we seldom use the "old method" anymore!
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Hey you guys it's me again.Just wanted to let you know I found my bit, thanks for all the help! To you guys who say a router on the floor is just another tool to clutter the floor,isn't that what were all about,"the more toys (tools) we have the happier we are!"Also we still cut our holes while the walls laying down on the floor.Just framed a 2500 sq. ft. ranch, routed all the openings, it looks really clean and not a speck of chalk or pencil lead was harmed or used in the process.
jim at great white construction
happy holidays!
*Hey Davo, if you're looking for a smallish chainsaw that you can use single-handed, look into one of Stihl's arborist saws - particularly the #019. It's a small, lightweight saw - not overly expensive if I remember correctly. Stihl and Husqvarna also have a few others, but they're intended more for professional arborists. Hope maybe that will help a bit when it comes time to replace one of your old Homelites. - Nick
*Amana bits are also available from home depot. Another good source is Jesada Tools out of Florida. The have a web site. The used to be CMT tools (italy) but started making their own bits. Both CMT and Jesada are the best bits around. Better (and a little more expensive) than Amana. You can call Jesada's customer service and I'm sure they can recomend something (as said before probably a bottom bearing bit). 1-800-531-5559 or http://www.jesada.com. Just watch out for those nails.
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Anybody know a good router bit for cutting sheathing out for windows at the rough frame stage.I have a Craftsmen 1 1/2 horse router with 25,000 rpm,and will be cutting 7/16 OSB only.Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks alot.Jim.
*You can use a straight bit with a bearing,(flush trim), just pop an access hole with your hammer, or use a panel pilot bit. I prefer the straight bit with the bearing more, because the panel pilot bits seem to burn out faster.
*They might make a twist bit with a bottom bearing by now. When I first tried those twist bits for rabbets and dados a couple years ago, I couldn't believe how much better they cut than a straight fluted one, but I've never looked for one with a bearing. Check it out.
*reinhard,I tried the flush w/ bearing and the bearing burnt up in about 4 or 5 windows. Do you have a brand and size that works well for you? Maybe I was doin' it wrong, who knows, I'm more of a saw guy to be honest.jim ,thanks on the suggestion,that's what my woodworking brother said to try.Does anyone know of a good source for router bits .thanks again JIM
*Found one! Amana tool #47130 + 47134 are both "up spiral", #47136 + 47138 are "down" spiral. They are all 1/2" shanks though. (800) 445-0077 I don't know if they will sell you a bit, but they should be able to point you to a local dealer. FWIW - I have a small fortune invested in router bits and I have never been disappointed by Amana. They are a little more expensive than other brands, but they are machined to amazing accuracy. When I have a choice, and it matters, I buy Amana.
*jb, Right on regarding Amana. Very nice bits. I just wish someone local carried them so when needed, I could get one pronto instead of by mail-order.
*Interesting, Amana is what the lumberyard carries. I keep thinking, no, I want a router bit, not a refrigerator or microwave oven...Are router bits sharpenable? Am I a caveman for using a sawzall to cut window openings (not to mention receptacle outlets! ... in plaster)?
*Router bits are indeed sharpenable, but unless they are carbide I wouldn't waste my money. I use Amana and Freud bits and have never been diappointed.
*Jim are you using a 1/4 or 1/2 inch bit? The 1/4 bit will cut better and faster, but will burn out quicker. The 1/2 bit will lag, but has more durability, so it's a preference call. How big is the router? And, are you going counter-clockwise when cutting? I personally don't use my routers for this operation, though I have. I find it quicker to use a circular saw. The router is just one more tool and cord laying around the deck. In the shop, however ,I will use a router for every possible operation. We buy our bits locally, so I really couldn't suggest a supplier, but if you aren't buying the bits for production work or the long haul, Sears has decent bits at reasonable prices.Reinhard
*Andrew,A better tool for those small cuts is the roro zip. I keep finding more uses for mine. There is a learning curve & it would be too slow cutting out windows. You can get them at home desperation for around $80.00
*Sorry, love my sawzall! The plaster is brutal to cut, but a demo blade just sails through it. The Milwaukee is really a very precise tool and can do decent plunge cuts. Also, a coarse blade produces very little dust. Receptacle outlets are a bit extreme, but for window cutouts I can't see the benefit of being too precise. A circular saw is much faster but not usable from inside.I may consider a Rotozip at some point, it sounds very interesting, but nowadays my list of desired tools is a long one ... and my desire NOT to have any more tools cluttering things up is strong! Very conflicted.
*"Am I a caveman for using a sawzall..."What does that make those that use a chainsaw? I've never used a router for windows. I'd imagine the ply and glue being unkind to the bit's cutting edge. All circular saw here. Around here, Freud is retail king. Good bits, I own several. It seems to be either Freud or HSS on the shelves. Anything else is mail order.Carbide bits can indeed be resharpened. You'll need to send them out, though. I have seen, and have had salesmen try to sell me self-sharpening kits, but Pat Warner told me no. Send them out. Especially important with matched bit sets, they'll be sharpened to maintain tolerance between bits. He recommended using Ridge, in NJ. Call at (800) 443-0992.
*Mongo - Have you tried calling Amana and asking them for local retailers? Hard to believe you can't get them in Hartford. Even some of the discount tool houses here have them. Freud bits are good too - I think I have ordered direct from their place in N.C. over the phone.Getting router bits sharpened around here is like getting a real nice blade sharpened, they come back sharp - but not as good as new.
*jb, There are outfits that carry them, it's just that none are local. Within a half-hour drive I've got 3 smallish lumberyards and one of those big orange places. All the yards have Freud, the orange place sells yellow bits.There are a few places up near Hartford (about an hour), the prblem is selection. I hate hearing "Yes, we carry them" only to find that their idea of "carrying them" is a couple of straight bits and a few roundover bits. Even worse, asking for a specific bit and then finding it's not there. I went through that a few times, now I dial 1-800-SEND-IT-TO-ME and lo and behold, in a few days a brown truck shows up with what I need.I've learned that for me, being inherently lazy, that mail order, while a bit slower, is less frustrating.
*Yeah, that can be frustrating, needing the bit today, and chasing after it, place to place. Mail order is sweet. E-commerce promises to be even better with current catalouges online, inventory checking, shipping confirmation...I love it.
*I'm sure there a number of bits that would work fine, but I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would want to do this with a router. I always just snap lines and use a Skillsaw, or on occasion use a recciprocating saw. I router would use too much time, make too much noise and too much saw dust.
*Question: This may be dumb, but why use a router for this? I have used circular and jig saws and on a couple of occasions a sawzall. But never even considered a router. Am I missing something?
*I've had good luck with a router for inside stuff that will show, like trimming paneling flush to a wavy wall. It seems like there should be a real aggressive router bit for rough work, but I couldn't locate one either. Sawzall with a long aggressive blade has always worked best for me.
*Thanks, Mongo. Did you see the post here from someone saying they sometimes framed roofs with chainsaws where power was unavailable -- getting some strange looks but decent results?
*No kidding! The sophisticated retailers essentially open their inventory database to you. A credit card # (or not if they remember you from before) and it's off. I remember amazon as being one of the first to do this well. When I'm especially interested in getting something, the UPS or Fedex tracking number can tell you when it arrives and departs every waystation. Pretty soon you'll be able to get a satellite map with a red dot representing your moving package... (they're putting satellite tracking devices in the trucks now)There's nothing all that innovative about all this ... but that it is suddenly upon us with the spontaneous generation of the Web is amazing. Oh well, enough geekiness...
*Mike, Don't knock it until you try it! This method is commonly used on our jobs when the walls are laying on the deck. Any number of companies make aggressive solid carbide bits with a solid pilot. We use a 3 H.P. router with 1/2" shank bits. You can plunge it into a window opening and have a perfect cutout in a few seconds.... Far faster and easier than messing around with chalklines and a saw.
*3 hp! OK, a caveman router, I can picture this now.
*Wow...but isn't that what handsaws are for?True story...last year I had my son's Cub Scout meeting over my house in preparation for the pinewood derby. Clamps, sandpaper and a coping saw at each work station. One cubbie remarked to his dad upon seeing the coping saw "Look Dad...this thing cuts wood and you don't even have to plug it in!"