I am new to wood routers and have what might seem a dumb question but here goes.
I have a Porter Cable 690LRVS router and a 1/2 inch radius roundover bit. I want to round the edges of my pieces but the bit has a flat at the top which is larger than the diameter of the center hole of the router base. This prevents the bit from retracting above the base so the edge ends up with a step above the roundover. I also have a 1/4 inch radius roundover bit which does fit inside the base center hole and this permits me to cut a radius without a step but I really want a 1/2 inch radius.
Am I missing something or am I stuck?
Thank you for any help
john hendrie
Replies
No problem. Either modify your base or add a sub-base (assuming your bit shank's long enough).
It's a tool, make it do what you need.
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
On an old B&D commercial rounter the same problem, took off the plastic base and screwed a pc of 1/4'' ply to the router base (with the right hole in it). The bit had a guide so round or square or oblong base, didn't make a difference-just a flat surface to ride on.
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On an old B&D commercial rounter the same problem, took off the plastic base and screwed a pc of 1/4'' ply to the router base "Exactly what I did to my PC. It's the base I use.
change the base..
modify what you have
or go to a larger router...
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I like the Milwaukee over the Bosch in this case myself....
PC does or did sell bases with different dia. for the center hole and there are plenty of aftermark available if you do not want modify the orginal base.
I have several bases for my routers, on some of them I have chucked the bit into the router and then screw the base down onto the router bit, this will bore out the plastic base. Obviously you cant use these bases for the templet guides any longer.
Also you can do as others have suggested, make a simple base out of 1/4" ply and make whatever size hole you want in it. These are handy when you want to screw a guide or some other modification to the bottom.
Doug
You & me both.
I too have several bases to go with my several routers.
I like using those nylon cutting boards as bases. They are cheap easy to cut to make a base & they don't scratch soft woods.“How many observe Christ’s birthday! How few, his precepts! O! ‘tis easier to keep Holidays than Commandments.” —Benjamin Franklin
PC makes a base plate that doesn't have the guide bushing set up in it, pn 42188, it has a 2-1/2-inch center hole. I would however look at one of the aftermarket bases, with an offset handle. They are pretty convenient. Lowes or Home Desperate should have them.
Or, you could just buy a plate for mounting your router in a table, and leave it on the base pretty much permanently. That's what I do. It gives you a nice wide base, you can drill and tap it, so you can use it as an offset base, and they typically come with a set of inserts so you can vary the throat diameter.
You should get the book, "Woodworking with the Router", by Bill Hylton. It is a very well written and extensive guide on how to do most anything you want with a router, in a safe and controlled manner. It's the best router accessory you can get, and the cost is less than the cost to purchase just the plans for all the jigs, and router tables he shows you how to build.
Edited 1/20/2007 6:23 pm ET by Jigs-n-fixtures
Thank you all for the great suggestions. Too bad PC doesn't cover this in their (very inadequate) instructions. I will try screwing a plywood base to the base plate and that should solve my problem.Thanx againpoppi
Poppi
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&endeca=1&isbn=1561587745&itm=1
Another suggestion is http://www.patwarner.com
The first is a book by Pat and the second is his web site.
You can get a lot of info from both of these sorces.
Good luck
Doug
Head over to your local counter top fabrication shop and they will have all kinds of great material to make base plates. They will have scraps or sink cutouts from Corian or other products like that.
Go to a local plastics supplier and make a base. You can make it with the hole size you need and off set it so it will set more balanced on the work piece.
or
Can you use a router table? They usually have different sized inserts for the various sized bits as well.
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Edited 1/22/2007 9:42 am by Sancho
You missd the description Sancho. The bit will not retract into the base, so he is getting a fingernail edge on the wood.
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