Router Bit Odyssey

[charlessenf]

I had made a simple trammel out of a scrap piece of 1/4" ABS plastic sheet (about 24" x 4") - because I needed a lid for a 5-Gal Plastic bucket I'd turned into a chicken feeder. And, thus a groove in a scrap of plywood wide enough to accommodate the top lip of the bucket. Basically, I fastened the trim router to one end and drilled a hole 'the right' distance from the 1/4" spiral bit only to discover that 1/4" was a bit too narrow. And, thus drilled another hole and widened the groove sufficiently to work - if not a perfect match.

It worked, but the idea of drilling a new hole every time I change the diameter needed was not at all ideal.

I happened upon the video (linked to below) and decided to adopt (in plastic) his sliding pivot (and, later, his edge guide).

First, I trimmed the piece of ABS to match the width of the router base so as to cut the 3/4" shallow recess for the sliding pivot dead center (as far as the router was concerned) as well as a 1/4" slot dead center down most of that shallow groove. I did both it as done in the video.

However, when I first imagined cutting that 3/4" wide x 1/8" deep recess and went to my bit collection to find a bit to do the job, I got confused. I had bits with the proper diameter (bits which I know now to be called straight bits), but the carbide cutters on mine did not appear suitable as the cutters along the end/bottom of my bit did not extend across the full diameter of the (bottom of the) bit leaving the center of the bit w/o any carbide cutter!

I admit, I had to go back to the video and tried and stop the motion to allow me to get a decent image of the end of the bit he'd used as he swiftly swapped it out for the 1/4" bit he used to cut the slot. I never was able to get a clear picture of the bit.

I first I thought to post a question here asking "What do you call a router bit used to cut a shallow (1/8" deep x 3/4" across) groove." At the time, the idea was that one of you would tell me what to get from Klingspor.

I do believe it took me hours of ruminating before it came to me that, since a router goes round and round*, those little edges of my straight bit would take out material from edge to edge - Duh!

"Good thing I hadn't posted my question to NCWW," I thought after chucking up that old bit and cutting the groove required.

After I'd proceeded to fabricate the sliding pivot point (out of some bar stock from a scrap bin), I noticed that there was a significant chunk of carbide cutter missing on the bit I might have used and went online to find a replacement.

Then, to my surprise I found the bit I'd thought I'd needed next to one identical (if cleaner) than the one I'd used and needed a replacement for.

It turns out that there is a straight bit with cutters going across the diameter of the bit. It is also a straight bit (apparently), and is designed for making a groove with a ?very flat? bottom? (Bottom Cleaning 3/4 in. Dia. 1/4 in. Shank Carbide Tipped Router Bit) So, maybe I wasn't so crazy after all!

At that point I decided to share my experience - brain fart? Senile moments? Has this ever happened to you sort of sharing - and an excuse to show off my new adjustable trammel and edge guide along with my Washer on Shelf Edge Trammel Retainers!

Though i might well argue ad infinitum that I was as right as I was wrong and decided not to 'plow ahead' without thoroughly checking my hypothesis since I only had so much of the ABS at hand.

The project is done and my questions resolved. Hope someone finds this sharing worth the time required to to read it.

* Whoa-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho And it comes out here

 

[Wilsoncb]

Thanks for sharing, nice circle maker. I like to use spiral bits when doing something like this. I have a variety of sizes, some up cut and some down cut (no compression bits due to cost). Depends on the material and task which one works best. Here’s a good diagram I found helpful?

 

[tvrgeek]

I started woodworking building loudspeakers, so have used a similar DIY jig for 40 years. It finally got so many holes for different routers I had to toss it. I also used that disk router plate with pins but it seems never to be the exact side of any drivers.

I found it best to start with small V groove bits to clear waste, then widen to final with up or down cut depending on surface needed.

 

[charlessenf]

Thanks for sharing, nice circle maker. I like to use spiral bits when doing something like this. Here’s a good diagram I found helpful?

Thank you! Funny how quickly he made the thing in the video compared to the hours I put in scrounging for bits of suitable material, steel bar not too thick, not too thin and as wide as a router bit in my collection, scrounging for bolts that might serve (I've saved pounds of the stuff - only somewhat sorted), a scrap of wood for the edge guide, screws to fasten it. In between feeding chickens, gardening, setting up trail camera in chicken coop. It all looks so simple! Beguiling, actually. I think I may build a couple more of his 'accessories.'

I did use a spiral bit for the slot. It was a solid carbide affair I found at the local Habitat that appeared to be about 1/4" (though I didn't know for sure 'cause stuff at the ReStore seldom comes with any documentation).

Thanks to you, I've a chart to compare it with to discover if it's up or down or compressing a bit.

Curious, was it clear - my initial confusion over the cutters on the 3/4" straight bit?

BTW - This latest thunder storm (4.5"!) taught me an Electrical Lesson. The fridge went out. OMG the thought of the replacement costs! The outlet was dead! So, maybe the fridge will survive. The breaker marked Refrigerator wasn't tripped! I took the cover off the breaker box - best to double check. If it was a bad breaker, I would be halfway to replacing it. But the breaker tested GOOD - they all did! Geeze, there's power to the line to the kitchen circuit - could I have failed to tighten a screw on a duplex outlet somewhere in the run? The wife can't make toast! Geeze, none of the outlets in the kitchen are working! The lesson? Simple:


Checklist; Electric Failures; One Each:

In case of a loss of power
FIRST CHECK YOUR GFCI OUTLETS!
I'll Have to put that one on the checklist right after
FIRST CHECK TO SEE IF IT IS PLUGGED IN!
Is this what getting older's all about?​