Help using plunge router on small elements?

[David Leye]

Hi everyone.

I recently got a new plunge router with an edge guide, but I'm not sure how to safely mill a groove in small dimensions of plywood.

I'd like to make a small tray, so I need to put a groove along the bottom of the pre-cut walls for the base.

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If it was a long peice, I could presumably clamp it parallel to the edge of a table, to run the edge guide along.

But because it's so small, I have no room for clamps.

Can anyone help me out?

Do I need to surround it with some sacrificial wood? Is there a better way to route small pieces without a table router?

Thanks!

[ChrisA Edwards]

If you don't have a table saw or don't want a complete through Dado, yes I would surround it with scrap wood and make a set of guides, on the scrap, to guide your router.

[Jim Becker]

Stick it down with double stick tape and surround it with like thickness material to provide proper support for the router base. That said, this kind of grooving process is best done on a router table with a jig to hold the material safely.

[Nick Decker]

Another way would be to make your groove on a longer board before cutting it to size, say 12" long or so, leaving you some room to clamp it down.

[Robert Hazelwood]

It's much easier to do that on the router table, and you can just feed the parts through one after the other instead of stopping and rejigging for each.

You can make a quick table with a bit of plywood or mdf, bolt the router to one side, plunge the bit through. Rig up some legs or just clamp the table to the bench, then screw or clamp on a fence.

[Edwin Santos]

Hi,
One option is to turn your plunge router upside down to turn it into an ad hoc router table. Turn it upside down, set the bit to your desired depth, attach a fence to the baseplate with hot glue or double stick tape or small c clamps. Secure the router in a workmate or bench vise or something similar, grab a push block, and rout away.

Alternatively, you could quickly make a large baseplate out of some scrap plywood, to facilitate what I am describing above. Here is a video of a guy demonstrating the same idea although he made a fairly large baseplate with a pivoting fence which he then clamped to the bench. To do what you want, it can be simpler. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnhKtUKCnFo

[David Leye]

Thank you to everyone here!

I think it might be worth my time to eventually build an adjustable jig to hold small pieces, with a raised edge to guide the router.

Building a table router is also an exciting project idea! I have a cabinet and just need some way to raise/lower the router (maybe a car jack).

You've all given me plenty to think about. Thank you.

[David Leye]

That video is great, thank you for sharing!

My router requires the power trigger to be held to operate, so I need to rig some kind of zip-tie plus another switch on the power cable for safety... but the general idea should work perfectly. Thank you.

[Curt Harms]

Thank you to everyone here!

I think it might be worth my time to eventually build an adjustable jig to hold small pieces, with a raised edge to guide the router.

Building a table router is also an exciting project idea! I have a cabinet and just need some way to raise/lower the router (maybe a car jack).

You've all given me plenty to think about. Thank you.

I was thinking of a bearing guided slot cutter like this:

https://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/bt_slot.html?zoom_highlight=slot+cutter

What brand of plunge router do you have? Some plunge bases have a means to adjust height from above a router table. If you don't have a built-in height adjuster, I have one of these:

http://www.routertechnologies.com/routerraizer.htm

It uses a 16 tpi lead screw so move the router 1/16" per turn. You may or may not wish for a finer adjustment.

[David Leye]

Thanks Curt.

I have a cheap Lidl Parkside router. It's a solid bit of kit, but doesn't have all the extras so it won't fit the Router Raizer.

However, I can just plunge it to the correct depth and lock it in place. That should be fine for a while. If I find myself needing to adjust a lot, it's probably time to make a proper table router :)

[Edwin Santos]

That video is great, thank you for sharing!

My router requires the power trigger to be held to operate, so I need to rig some kind of zip-tie plus another switch on the power cable for safety... but the general idea should work perfectly. Thank you.

David,
What make and model router do you have? I'm really surprised it would not have a locking switch.
Edwin

[Greg Hines, MD]

If nothing else, invert your router, clamp it securely, and use your edge guide as a fence if it is just a couple of small pieces. You will find a router table invaluable for these kinds of operations.

Doc

[David Leye]

Lidl Parkside POF 1200 ... it has a depth lock, but not a constant power switch.

[Edwin Santos]

Lidl Parkside POF 1200 ... it has a depth lock, but not a constant power switch.
Very interesting, haven't seen that particular router before. The spindle lock and the shape of the baseplate look reminiscent of the old Elu routers. I wonder if you might be able to use a spring clamp to hold down the trigger button. Good luck with the project,
Edwin

[Curt Harms]

Lidl Parkside POF 1200 ... it has a depth lock, but not a constant power switch.

David, I think I found a manual (in German) for your router

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1162029/Parkside-Pof-1200-B2.html

If that is the correct manual, page 3 item 5 looks like a power-on lock.

[Charles Lent]

Here is another way that I deal with small part holding. It isn't the best for everything, but it can be used with a router table, stationary belt or disk sander, drill press, etc. I modified the one that I have by adding some sticky backed 80 grit sandpaper to the gripping surfaces and it holds much better. It's a great tool to have for small parts holding and only about $20.

https://www.infinitytools.com/small-workpiece-holder

When using a router with a trigger switch I would tend to surround the piece to be cut with scrap pieces of the same thickness, held in place on my bench with screws, double sided tape, or hot melt glue depending on how many pieces need to be routed.


Charley

[David Leye]

Thanks Curt, that's really going beyond to help someone new. I appreciate it.

Unfortunately, that button is the thumb safety that needs to be pressed before the trigger works. It pops back out when the trigger is released.

I've decided to pick up a short extension socket with an on/off button, and screw it to the tabletop :) That will save me reaching underneath when the thing is spinning.

[David Leye]

Thanks Charley! That will save my fingers one day, so I'll pick up or make something similar.

[Edwin Santos]

Hi,
A poor man's alternative to this holder would be to use high quality double stick tape and a long enough piece of scrap wood. I use double stick tape and hot glue all the time in my shop.
Edwin

[Curt Harms]

I don't recall where I saw the idea or I'd link to it. The cabinet is similar to the "Norm style" router table, rectangular cabinet with a compartment in the center where the router sits and a dust collection port out the back. The router lift is simply a pad of lumber with a piece of threaded rod attached to the bottom. The pad of lumber sits against the top (or bottom in this case) of the plunge unlocked router. The bottom of the compartment directly underneath the router has a threaded T nut, the other end of the threaded rod has a crank. Turn the crank and it pushes on the top of the router. You'd need some sort of guides to insure the pusher block travels straight up and down. The downside to this type mechanism is it might require bending over quite a ways to turn the crank. If you wanted to be clever you could use a 90o gearbox and put the crank outside the cabinet.

[David Leye]

For anyone still following this thread, I wanted to post my solution to this problem.

I decided to make an overhanging router table!

Sure, it needs to be raised manually with the plunge and lock feature, but it will do the job :)

I'll post a decent writeup on the projects forum, and link to it here for anyone reading this in the future.

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Thank you everyone for your ideas and for a great discussion. I learned a lot.

I had to be creative and secure it with through-rods, because the baseplate bolts have a tapered inner diameter, but a constant outer diameter. Like this...
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It's first job will be to make a kid-proof box for my new chisels, and some trays for the kitchen cupboards.

[Nick Decker]

Welcome to the world of router tables, Dave! If it works, it works.

I remember the late router guru Pat Warner describing something similar that he saw at a construction site, sitting on top of an empty 55 gallon drum.

[David Leye]

Thanks Curt.

Yeah, I've used my overhanging "router table" a couple of times now and I think I'd rather make the cabinet style you describe.

I'm amazed by the dust created when routing. It's a fine powder like flour, and shoots so far across the shop. I decided I can only use my overhanging router table on the balcony, because even with dust collection, the aftermath is too much to clean up each time. A cabinet box with top-and-bottom dust collection would help keep this under control.

I've seen people use a cheap car scissor jack to adjust the router height.