Template for a manual router installed in a “table”.
More precisely, this is a homemade stop that can be used with a whole set of templates. The workpiece is installed into this stop along with the required template and clamped with cam eccentrics.

As we usually use a hand router when copying parts according to a template. The template is made from durable sheet material, such as MDF. The template is attached to the workpiece with self-tapping screws and the part is passed through with a router using a cutter with a support bearing, or a special copier ring, which is included in the standard set of accessories and is attached to the platform of the router itself.

Top to bottom, cam clamp, template, workpiece.

The device is assembled.

Such options have their advantages; you don’t need a table for a router. But with a large number of parts to be processed, it gets boring to twist the template every time. This method is convenient because the device you make can be used for a long time. And if you also make a set of the most popular templates for it, then time and labor costs will be significantly reduced. An unusual way of working.

The material for the base should be quite rigid; you can probably use plywood with a thickness of 10-12 mm. , but I think a 6-8 mm thick MDF board would be better. . The vertical wall and eccentrics are made of dense wood, oak, beech, or, in extreme cases, birch.

In fact, all parts except the base area can be made from 20 mm thick plywood. , but I think eccentrics made of plywood will be worse than those made of oak.

Holes are drilled on the vertical part for the bolt that secures the cams. The holes are made in vertical rows so that the eccentrics can be rearranged in height, depending on the thickness of the part and the template. The hole markings are in the figure. The thickness of the vertical oak part is 16-25 mm. .

When assembling, the parts are twisted with self-tapping screws, you can coat the joints with glue and the caps must be recessed. Here you need to keep in mind that during operation the base area may fall under the cutter, and sooner or later it will have to be changed. As for the vertical part, handles and eccentrics, they should last a long time. The cams are mounted on bolts with a diameter of 5 mm. . Instead of nuts, it is better to use wings so that they can be easily tightened by hand.

The handles hold the platform and the vertical part together; in addition, you use them to hold the device in use. Make such classic curly ones, or use a simpler option, it’s your choice.

Products made from wood are distinguished by their uniqueness and environmental friendliness, which is why they are so valued. But you won’t be able to make a wooden masterpiece with your own hands without a hand router. In addition, it will need accessories with the help of which the craft takes on a given shape.

You can even make them with your own hands, and no special strength or skills are required. Before working with a router, you must first familiarize yourself with each of these devices, as well as learn how they work. In this article we will look at the most necessary designs for a router.

Device - rip fence

This device, as a rule, is already sold along with the router. Therefore, there is no need to develop and create it independently. For reliable support of the processed material, this element is used. With it, the movement of the cutter becomes rectilinear relative to the base surface, which can be a table guide, slats or straight edge part.

This device makes it possible to quickly mill various grooves and process edges while firmly holding the material.

Guide rail

If you need to make a straight cut with a router, then you cannot do without this device. To make it you will need any flat board, for example, you can use a piece of chipboard.

First you need to find out the distance from the edge of the milling base to the center of rotation, and it is always the same. To do this, you need to screw a guide to the unnecessary part of the material and make a test cut. Then you should measure the gap from the edge of the cut to the tire, to which the radius of the cutter is added. As a result, it will be possible to obtain the required value. For example, it is 59 mm, and the diameter of the groove cutter is 14 mm, that is , its radius is 7 mm.

Then you should draw a line for the cut, from which we retreat a distance of 52 mm (59-7), and draw another one. We fix the guide along it and make the cut.

Circle milling

Compasses are used for such purposes. With their help, the router can move around a circle. The simplest of them is a device consisting of a rod, one end of which is equipped with a screw with a pin, and the other is attached to the base of the tool. Of course, it is better to use a compass equipped with two rods.

In general, there are many proprietary and even homemade devices for a router for cutting circles, which differ from each other in ease of use and dimensions. Quite often, compasses have a mechanism changing the radius of the circle. As a rule, it is a screw with a pin at the end that moves along the groove of the router.

When it is necessary to mill a small circle, the pin should be located under the base of the tool. In these cases, other devices are also used, fixed at the bottom of the device base.

But you don’t have to buy a milling compass to cut out circles. Instead, you can use a rip fence. To do this, the device is attached to a groove on the sole. A screw is screwed into it, which is recommended to be equipped with a sleeve so that its diameter matches the size of the hole. That's it, the compass is done. The radius can be adjusted using the stop.

Devices for replication and copying

To create a series of identical products use:

• Angle lever;
• Copy probes.

There is a scale on the angle lever, the division price of which is 1/10 mm. It allows you to center a stop ring under the cutter, which helps accurately reproduce the shape of the part on the workpiece during copying. It is often equipped with a chip guard and support plate for best edge finishing.

Using copy templates and rings

Copy rings are a round plate with a protruding edge that slides along the base surface along the template. This device provides an accurate path for the cutter to move. Basically, this element is installed on the base of the workbench. At the same time, there is Several methods for attaching it:

• Installation of special antennae in the holes on the sole;
• Screwing the ring into the threaded recess.

Using a template also allows you to achieve more efficient and accurate work. It is attached directly to the workpiece with double-sided tape, and then both parts of the device are pressed to the machine with clamps. Moreover, experienced milling operators advise checking how tightly the ring is pressed to the edge of the template.

In addition, with such a device you can not process the entire edge, but only the corners. Hence, procedure for processing material according to a template- an excellent option for cutting grooves for the product.

Dust removal devices

Professional craftsmen, in order to ensure dust removal, specially buy a technical vacuum cleaner, which is connected through an adapter with a hose to the router. Moreover, it does not interfere with operating the tool, and the markings and place of processing of the product are always open for visual inspection.

It is very difficult to work without a suction unit. But not everyone decides to make such a purchase, since it is too burdensome in terms of money and, moreover, is not always justified. True, there is another solution; you can get rid of dust with a household vacuum cleaner.

Install between the milling machine and the vacuum cleaner hermetically sealed tank. It will catch the bulk of the dust. It is equipped with an additional hose, and a fabric mesh is inserted inside. Moreover, these designs can be purchased ready-made or made with your own hands. By the way, a homemade device will help a household vacuum cleaner to collect even large construction debris and wood dust.

Slot milling device

This device is used for processing longitudinal grooves on posts, balusters and other rotating bodies. The principle of its operation is as follows. A baluster is installed into the body and fixed. Using a locking screw and a disk, the workpiece is secured in a strictly defined position.

After which the carriage is set in motion and the milling a groove along the length of the product. Then the part is unlocked, rotated to the required angle, locked, and the next groove is created.

Instructions for wood carving with a router

Beginning craftsmen may find working with hand tools difficult because the process of operating them seems difficult. That is why, before you start milling, you need to familiarize yourself with the principle of its operation.

Router assembly

The first step is to check the mounting location of the cutter in the machine; as a rule, a collet chuck is used for this. First, you need to select the desired cutter that matches the size of the chuck. If necessary, you can replace it.

But when deep processing is necessary, an option with an extended shank is used, which is inserted into the chuck hole and secured with a key. This must be done carefully without applying force, otherwise you will overcook, which is not the norm for the correct operation of the router. Although it is worth trying to reach a good stop so that the cutter does not wobble. All that remains is to tighten the spindle lock and you can get to work.

After this, the router turns on, you need to get used to the sound and feel the start. It is often because of surprise that many people start getting married.

Depth selection

In addition, you will need to install a milling depth limiter. First, the machine is applied to the product from the edge, while the cutter should not come into contact with the material. You will have to press on it until it reaches the required depth, after which position is fixed.

For a more accurate value, use a phased limiter. You can find out its pitch in the manual for the router. In this case, the regulator is rotated by the required number of degrees.

First of all, the required speed is determined. This is done according to the table in the instructions, based on the diameter of the cutter and the material being processed.

If you have never worked with a router before, then it is better to try your hand at a rough version. In addition, this will help you set the necessary parameters directly in processing mode.

It is also advisable to compare the results after moving the tool clockwise and counterclockwise, toward you and away from you. When milling a product around, the correct direction is counterclockwise, and on the flat side, on the contrary, away from you. Then you can start carving the main workpiece.

Which significantly expand functionality and make work easier.

I decided to post only additional (mostly homemade) tools for the router that I personally tested in my workshop, so the article will be gradually updated with new ideas.

Cutting along the guide

In order to make a straight cut exactly where you need it, you will have to use a guide bar. It can be made from any board with a smooth edge, for example, initially I just used a piece of 16mm chipboard measuring 1200x150 mm. The principle is as follows: the distance from the center of rotation to the edge of the milling base is the same and you need to know it. It's easy to find out. Screw a guide to an unnecessary piece of material and make a test cut. Measure the distance from the edge of the cut to the tire, add the radius of the cutter and get the required value. For my Ryobi it is 61 mm.

Next, we do the following (for example, I use a straight groove cutter with a diameter of 12 mm, i.e. its radius is 6 mm). We draw a line along which the cut is planned, retreat a distance of 55 mm (61 mm - 6 mm) from it, and draw another line. We attach the guide along it. We make a cut and make sure that its edge passes clearly along the first line.

Groove in the end of the board

If you need to select a groove at the end of a board, then it is quite difficult to hold the router straight without swaying it from side to side while moving it. To expand the support for it, simply tighten a couple more boards or a block parallel to the workpiece with clamps, expanding the support. (in the photo I select " " under the back wall on the already assembled one)

Another option for milling grooves in the end of the part (again for a quarter cut) is to use two parallel stops, inserting each into the sole with only one “leg”. At the same time, the router stands quite stable and does not move left or right.

Rounding corners

Often, in our projects we have to round corners, and do it the same way on all parts. To facilitate this process, I offer you a template that will somewhat simplify and speed up the manipulation.

We work with it as follows: thanks to the side stops, the template is easily installed on the parts. We press it with clamps to the part (the corner on it is pre-cut) and use a straight edge cutter (with a bearing) to draw it according to the template.

Compass - cutting out circles

To cut out circles, it is not necessary to purchase a milling compass. Its role may well be fulfilled by... a parallel stop. As a rule, there is a hole in it (if there is none, you can make one). We turn the stop over and install it upside down in the holes on the sole. We screw a screw into the hole mentioned above (it is advisable to equip it with some kind of sleeve so that its diameter matches the diameter of the hole; I used a sleeve from an anchor bolt).

Or like this: with fastening with a self-tapping screw already on the ejected part of the workpiece.

That's it, the compass is ready. The change in radius is regulated by extending the stop.

Dust collector

When processing edges with a router, a huge amount of dust is formed, which cannot be removed at all by a vacuum cleaner. I bring to your attention a homemade dust collector for a router. It allows the vacuum cleaner to remove dust much more efficiently.

Master class on making this gadget.

Another dust collector (the design is simplified, the material is the same) this time, for

Milling table

This is not even a device for a router, but a transfer of this hand tool into the category of machine tools. It frees up two hands, makes it easier to work with large workpieces, and there are many more bonuses, which we will definitely talk about someday.

I wrote about how I made my first milling table in (I haven’t finished writing it yet, because I haven’t finished it)).

Edge base

To remove the overhangs of the 2 mm PVC edges, the sole of the router had to be slightly reworked. Instead of the standard plastic sole, I installed a “step” made of textolite in a clever shape. As a result, I was able to conveniently remove overhangs, almost like using a professional trimmer.

Modification of the rip fence

The standard rip fence has a cutout in the center for the router bit, and not very long arms. Due to this, when cutting along it, the router may jerk when approaching the workpiece and jumping off it. To prevent this from happening, you can lengthen the arms of the stop, for example, with a strip of laminate.

It turns out that a larger part of the stop is constantly in contact with the workpiece (compared to the standard one), which ensures greater cutting stability.

Any products made from natural wood are highly valued due to their environmental friendliness and uniqueness. To create real masterpieces from such natural material with your own hands, you need to have a hand router and have the necessary skills to use it.

In addition, additional accessories for the router are also important, allowing the production of parts of any complexity exactly as they were intended by the author. Homemade devices for such woodworking tools are fairly simple designs, the execution of which does not require special skills or material resources, the main thing is to have the desire. But thanks to their use, processing a variety of parts will become much easier.

Tool table

Milling table with stops

The very first necessary device that makes it possible to conveniently work with such hand tools is a milling table.

The simplest table design consists of a table top, which can be a sheet of chipboard or other similar material with holes for installing tools, as well as a guide that is attached to the table with clamps.

Having made ordinary legs, we get the main device for our hand tools - a table on which we can install any other devices.

Rip fence

A similar device for a manual wood milling machine is often included in the equipment set. But there is always the opportunity to do it yourself. Why is this being done? The stop itself makes it possible to cut the material in a straight line. But it often happens that the cut needs to be made not straight, but, for example, arched.

In this case, it is advisable to make a milling stop, one of the sides of which will be straight, and the other will repeat the shape of the part. In this case, it will be possible to cut wood in different ways. Each master creates templates for such stops with his own hands “for himself”, depending on the purpose of using the milling machine.

Router guides

One of the main components of a manual wood carving machine is its guides. You can make them yourself from ordinary bars.

If one guide is used, it must be tightly attached to the base on which all necessary work will be carried out. To make the entire structure more reliable, while eliminating the possibility of the template shifting, it can be additionally secured with side stops.

If you use such a device for a manual machine, which we made with our own hands, you can always make additional grooves in several products.

Homemade guides are:

• T-shaped;
• On hinges, can be folded like a book;
• L-shaped.

The guides, which look like skis, are quite convenient to use. They can be used with any type of hand router, making work with wooden workpieces as precise and clean as possible.

Devices for processing bodies of rotation

If, when working with such a machine, you have to process certain bodies of rotation, for example, balusters, pillars, and the like, then in this case the process of processing them with a manual milling cutter will become much easier when using another device. It consists of:

• housings;
• a movable carriage on which the tool itself is installed;
• disks with which you can set the required angle of rotation;
• screws that securely fasten the workpieces.

Using such a device, the products will rotate slowly, which will make the processing process more convenient. Thus, you can make a device with your own hands that will become a full-fledged replacement for a lathe.

Compass for router

Such devices for a manual milling machine ensure its movement along the required circle. The design of a self-made compass is very simple, it consists of a main part - a rod, which is attached at one end to the base of the tool, and a secondary part - a screw, which is inserted into the hole of a hand router.

A compass with two rods is more efficient in use. By making it from some transparent material, for example, plexiglass, a metric scale can be applied to the surface of the device, which will make its use even more convenient.

Using an angular lever with a scale, copying is carried out on the workpiece being processed. In this case, it will be possible to center the ring on the cutter with your own hands during work. The angle arm with support plate will ensure precise processing of the edges of the part. The design of such a device for working with hand tools consists of a set of probes, a support plate, and protection from chips.

Small extras

Usually, the set of the hand tool itself contains some minor devices that make it easy and convenient to work with parts of non-standard shape. You can always make such devices yourself or slightly improve existing ones to suit your needs and requirements.

Copy rings. Such accessories are ordinary round plates that determine the movement of the device along the workpiece that is installed on a table or other base. The diameter of such rings is selected depending on the diameter of the cutters.

The diameter of the template will also depend on the selected ring. They are selected in inverse proportion - if the diameter of the cutter is larger than the diameter of the ring, then the template is smaller than the finished product, and vice versa.

Devices for working with a manual machine on narrow surfaces will not allow the router to move to the sides, passing exactly in the center of the products.

Devices for creating spikes. Such accessories are most often used in the manufacture of furniture to create connecting tenons on parts.

How to make accessories for a wood router with your own hands?

Device - rip fence

This device, as a rule, is already sold along with the router. Therefore, there is no need to develop and create it independently. For reliable support of the processed material, this element is used. With it, the movement of the cutter becomes rectilinear relative to the base surface, which can be a table guide, slats or straight edge part .

This device makes it possible to quickly mill various grooves and process edges while firmly holding the material.

Guide rail

If you need to make a straight cut with a router, then you cannot do without this device. To make it you will need any flat board, for example, you can use a piece of chipboard .

First you need to find out the distance from the edge of the milling base to the center of rotation, and it is always the same. To do this, you need to screw a guide to the unnecessary part of the material and make a test cut. Then you should measure the gap from the edge of the cut to the tire, to which the radius of the cutter is added. As a result, it will be possible to obtain the required value. For example, it is 59 mm, and the diameter of the groove cutter is 14 mm, that is , its radius is 7 mm .

Then you should draw a line for the cut, from which we retreat a distance of 52 mm (59-7), and draw another one. We fix the guide along it and make the cut.

Circle milling

Compasses are used for such purposes. With their help, the router can move around a circle. The simplest of them is a device consisting of a rod, one end of which is equipped with a screw with a pin, and the other is attached to the base of the tool. Of course, it is better to use a compass equipped with two rods.

In general, there are many proprietary and even homemade devices for a router for cutting circles, which differ from each other in ease of use and dimensions. Quite often, compasses have a mechanism changing the radius of the circle. As a rule, it is a screw with a pin at the end that moves along the groove of the router.

When it is necessary to mill a small circle, the pin should be located under the base of the tool. In these cases, other devices are also used, fixed at the bottom of the device base.

But you don’t have to buy a milling compass to cut out circles. Instead, you can use a rip fence. To do this, the device is attached to a groove on the sole. A screw is screwed into it, which is recommended to be equipped with a sleeve so that its diameter matches the size of the hole. That's it, the compass is done. The radius can be adjusted using the stop.

Devices for replication and copying

To create a series of identical products use:

• Angle lever;
• Copy probes.

There is a scale on the angle lever, the division price of which is 1/10 mm. It allows you to center a stop ring under the cutter, which helps accurately reproduce the shape of the part on the workpiece during copying. It is often equipped with a chip guard and support plate for best edge finishing.

Using copy templates and rings

Copy rings are a round plate with a protruding edge that slides along the base surface along the template. This device provides an accurate path for the cutter to move. Basically, this element is installed on the base of the workbench. At the same time, there is Several methods for attaching it:

• Installation of special antennae in the holes on the sole;
• Screwing the ring into the threaded recess.

Using a template also allows you to achieve more efficient and accurate work. It is attached directly to the workpiece with double-sided tape, and then both parts of the device are pressed to the machine with clamps. Moreover, experienced milling operators advise checking how tightly the ring is pressed to the edge of the template.

In addition, with such a device you can not process the entire edge, but only the corners. Hence, procedure for processing material according to a template- an excellent option for cutting grooves for the product.

Dust removal devices

Professional craftsmen, in order to ensure dust removal, specially buy a technical vacuum cleaner, which is connected through an adapter with a hose to the router. Moreover, it does not interfere with operating the tool, and the markings and place of processing of the product are always open for visual inspection.

It is very difficult to work without a suction unit. But not everyone decides to make such a purchase, since it is too burdensome in terms of money and, moreover, is not always justified. True, there is another solution; you can get rid of dust with a household vacuum cleaner.

Install between the milling machine and the vacuum cleaner hermetically sealed tank. It will catch the bulk of the dust. It is equipped with an additional hose, and a fabric mesh is inserted inside. Moreover, these designs can be purchased ready-made or made with your own hands. By the way, a homemade device will help a household vacuum cleaner to collect even large construction debris and wood dust.

Slot milling device

This device is used for processing longitudinal grooves on posts, balusters and other rotating bodies. The principle of its operation is as follows. A baluster is installed into the body and fixed. Using a locking screw and a disk, the workpiece is secured in a strictly defined position.

After which the carriage is set in motion and the milling a groove along the length of the product. Then the part is unlocked, rotated to the required angle, locked, and the next groove is created.

Instructions for wood carving with a router

Beginning craftsmen may find working with hand tools difficult because the process of operating them seems difficult. That is why, before you start milling, you need to familiarize yourself with the principle of its operation.

Router assembly

The first step is to check the mounting location of the cutter in the machine; as a rule, a collet chuck is used for this. First, you need to select the desired cutter that matches the size of the chuck. If necessary, you can replace it.

But when deep processing is necessary, an option with an extended shank is used, which is inserted into the chuck hole and secured with a key. This must be done carefully without applying force, otherwise you will overcook, which is not the norm for the correct operation of the router. Although it is worth trying to reach a good stop so that the cutter does not wobble. All that remains is to tighten the spindle lock and you can get to work.

After this, the router turns on, you need to get used to the sound and feel the start. It is often because of surprise that many people start getting married.

Depth selection

In addition, you will need to install a milling depth limiter. First, the machine is applied to the product from the edge, while the cutter should not come into contact with the material. You will have to press on it until it reaches the required depth, after which position is fixed .

For a more accurate value, use a phased limiter. You can find out its pitch in the manual for the router. In this case, the regulator is rotated by the required number of degrees.

First of all, the required speed is determined. This is done according to the table in the instructions, based on the diameter of the cutter and the material being processed.

If you have never worked with a router before, then it is better to try your hand at a rough version. In addition, this will help you set the necessary parameters directly in processing mode .

It is also advisable to compare the results after moving the tool clockwise and counterclockwise, toward you and away from you. When milling a product around, the correct direction is counterclockwise, and on the flat side, on the contrary, away from you. Then you can start carving the main workpiece.

Homemade devices for a hand router. Learn how to use a hand router

Unforgivable Movie Mistakes You Probably Never Noticed There are probably very few people who don't enjoy watching movies. However, even in the best cinema there are mistakes that the viewer can notice.

7 Body Parts You Shouldn't Touch with Your Hands Think of your body as a temple: you can use it, but there are some sacred places that should not be touched with your hands. Research showing.

Why do you need a tiny pocket on jeans? Everyone knows that there is a tiny pocket on jeans, but few have thought about why it might be needed. Interestingly, it was originally a place for storage.

How to look younger: the best haircuts for those over 30, 40, 50, 60 Girls in their 20s don’t worry about the shape and length of their hair. It seems that youth is created for experiments with appearance and daring curls. However, already last.

Top 10 Broke Stars It turns out that sometimes even the biggest fame ends in failure, as is the case with these celebrities.

What is it like to be a virgin at 30? I wonder what it’s like for women who didn’t have sex until almost middle age.

Milling accessories

To fully work with a hand router, in addition to the tool itself, the material and the corresponding set of cutters, you need to have one more component - accessories. In order for the cutter to be able to shape the workpiece in accordance with the master's plan - cutting the material exactly where it is required - it must be in a strictly defined position relative to the workpiece at every moment of time. Numerous accessories for a hand router are used to ensure this. Some of them - the most necessary ones - are included in the delivery package of the tool. Other devices for milling can be purchased or made by yourself. Moreover, homemade devices are so simple that to make them you can do without drawings, using only their drawings.

Rip fence

The most used device that comes with almost every router is a parallel stop, which ensures the straight movement of the cutter relative to the base surface. The latter can be the straight edge of a part, table or guide rail. The parallel stop can be used both for milling various grooves located on the face of the workpiece, and for processing edges.

Parallel stop for a manual router: 1 - stop, 2 - rod, 3 - base of the router, 4 - rod locking screw, 5 - fine adjustment screw, 6 - movable carriage, 7 - movable carriage locking screw, 8 - pads, 9 - screw stop locking.

Edge routing using the rip fence

To install the device in the working position, it is necessary to slide the rods 2 into the holes of the frame 3, ensuring the required distance between the supporting surface of the stop and the axis of the cutter, and fix them with the locking screw 4. To accurately position the cutter, you need to release the locking screw 9 and rotate the fine adjustment screw 5 set the cutter to the desired position. For some stop models, the dimensions of the supporting surface can be changed by moving or spreading the support pads 8.

If you add one simple part to the rip fence, then you can use it to mill not only straight, but also curved grooves, for example, to process a round workpiece. Moreover, the inner surface of the block located between the stop and the workpiece does not necessarily have to have a rounded shape that follows the edge of the workpiece. It can also be given a simpler shape (Figure “a”). In this case, the trajectory of the cutter will not change.

Stop for milling round surfaces

Of course, a regular rip fence, thanks to the notch in the center, will allow you to orient the router along a rounded edge, but the position of the router may not be stable enough.

Guide rail

The function of the guide bar is similar to that of a rip fence. Like the latter, it ensures strictly linear movement of the router. The main difference between them is that the tire can be installed at any angle to the edge of the part or table, thereby ensuring any direction of movement of the router in the horizontal plane. In addition, the tire may have elements that simplify certain operations, for example, milling holes located at the same distance from each other (with a certain pitch), etc.

The guide rail is attached to the table or workpiece using clamps or special clamps. The tire can be equipped with an adapter (shoe), which is connected to the base of the router by two rods. Sliding along the profile of the tire, the adapter sets the linear movement of the cutter.

Sometimes (if the distance of the tire from the router is too close), the supporting surfaces of the tire and the router may appear in different planes in height. To level them, some routers are equipped with retractable support legs, which change the position of the router in height.

Such a device is easy to make with your own hands. The simplest option is a long block secured to the workpiece with clamps. The design can be supplemented with side supports.

By placing a block on two or more aligned workpieces at once, grooves can be made in them in one pass.

Milling grooves on two workpieces at once

When using a block as a stop, it is inconvenient to place the block at a certain distance from the line of the future groove. The following two devices do not have this inconvenience. The first is made from boards and plywood fastened together. In this case, the distance from the edge of the stop (board) to the edge of the base (plywood) is equal to the distance from the cutter to the edge of the router base. But this condition is met only for a cutter of the same diameter. Thanks to this, the device quickly aligns along the edge of the future groove.

The following device can be used with cutters of different diameters, plus when milling, the router rests on its entire sole, and not half, as in the previous device.

Slot milling fixture

The stop is aligned along the edge of the hinged board and the center line of the groove. After fixing the stop, the folding board folds back, making room for the router. The width of the folding board, together with the gap between it and the stop (if there is one), should be equal to the distance from the center of the cutter to the edge of the router base. If you focus on the edge of the cutter and the edge of the future groove, then the device will only work with one diameter of the cutter.

When milling grooves across the grain, at the exit from the workpiece, when milling an open groove, cases of wood scuffing are not uncommon. The following devices will help to minimize scuffing: I press the fibers where the cutter exits, preventing them from splitting off from the workpiece.

Two boards, strictly perpendicular, are connected with screws. Different cutters are used on different sides of the stop so that the width of the groove in the fixture matches the width of the groove of the part being milled.

Another tool for routing open slots can be pressed harder against the workpiece, which further minimizes scuffing, but it only fits one diameter cutter. It consists of two L-shaped parts connected to the workpiece with clamps.

Slot milling attachment

Slot milling attachment

Copy rings and templates

The copying ring is a round plate with a protruding shoulder that slides along the template and provides the necessary trajectory of the cutter. The copying ring is attached to the base of the router in various ways: they screw it into a threaded hole (such rings are in the photo below), insert the antennae of the ring into special holes on the base, or screw it with screws.

Installing the copy ring

The diameter of the copy ring should be as close to the diameter of the cutter as possible, but the ring should not touch its cutting parts. If the diameter of the ring is larger than the diameter of the cutter, then the template must be smaller than the finished parts to compensate for the difference between the diameter of the cutter and the diameter of the copy ring.

Routing an edge using a template and a copy ring

The template is secured to the workpiece with double-sided tape, then both parts are pressed with clamps to the workbench. Once you have finished routing, check that the ring is pressed against the edge of the template throughout the entire operation.

You can make a template for processing not the entire edge, but only for rounding the corners. In this case, using the template shown below, you can make roundings of four different radii.

First you need to saw off the corner

In the figure above, a cutter with a bearing is used, but the template can also be used with a ring, only either the ring must exactly match the diameter of the cutter, or the stops must make it possible to move the template away from the edge by the difference in the radius of the cutter and the ring. This also applies to the simpler version shown below.

Template for rounding corners

Rounding a corner using a template

Templates are used not only for milling edges, but also grooves on the face.

Milling a groove using a template

The template can be adjustable.

Make accessories for the router yourself, or buy ready-made ones?

We will try to answer this question in our article.
For those who make wooden products on their own, a router (especially a manual one) is an indispensable assistant. The power tool itself, even if equipped with an excellent set of cutters, is completely useless without additional accessories. It is impossible to hold a working milling cutter within a given trajectory with your hands.

The rotating cutter will move chaotically, reacting to the vibrations of the tool and the structure of the material being processed. Even the owner of steel muscles and a hawk's eye will not be able to work with this tool without the use of guides and fixing devices.

This is what a wood router looks like

Basic devices are usually included with power tools, but they can only be used to perform simple tasks. More complex guides and templates have to be purchased for additional money, while many of them can be made by hand.

The main thing is to have an idea of ​​how this device looks and works. There is no need to look for ready-made drawings and complex technical calculations. Any master knows better how to make this or that device. The efficiency and convenience of work will be higher, not to mention the savings.

Mechanical assistants for hand router

The most common device that is included in the basic kit.

Rip fence

Accessory - Rip fence

The design is so simple that making it yourself will not be difficult. A guide plane is selected relative to the line of passage of the cutter (in some cases this may be the smooth edge of the workpiece itself), along which the milling cutter moves. The stop can be any flat, oblong object connected to the tool with a fixed rod. For reliability, there can be two rods.

The surface of the guide must be smooth for free sliding. The stop needs to be calibrated.

To do this, a control groove is cut in the workpiece, the distance to it relative to the edge of the workpiece is measured, and the zero mark is fixed. By moving the stop along the rod, you can set any distance with high accuracy.

IMPORTANT! When using two rods, it is necessary to ensure their simultaneous fixation.

The rip fence is used for milling grooves and processing the edges of the product, including selecting a quarter. It is also possible to cut blanks of the same width. Compared to an electric jigsaw, the cut obtained with a milling cutter is smoother and of higher quality. Only the cutter should be of small diameter to save material.
The device can be used when processing rounded surfaces. To do this, a gasket with a cutout in the form of an obtuse angle is installed between the stop and the rounded end of the workpiece.

Guide rail

This device is no different in function from a rip fence, and is designed to ensure directed movement of the cutter along a given path.

A useful assistant when working with a router - a guide rail

The main difference is the ability to choose the angle of movement of the router. To do this, the guide is fixed on the surface to be treated using clamps or suction cups. You can make such a device yourself from a profile or corner of a suitable size. It's good to use an old curtain rod. The main thing is to ensure free movement of the carriage along the guide. For a more stable fixation, it is better to use not one, but two rods. If the width of the workpiece being processed is greater than the length of the rip fence bar, you cannot do without a guide bar.

Using such a device, you can mill grooves along a broken line or trim the edge of a product along a complex trajectory. To do this, the milling cutter stops at the break point, the fastening is given to the guide, which rotates at a given angle relative to the previous direction. In this case, the cutter remains in the workpiece, acting as an axis of rotation. The guide is then fixed again and milling continues in the new direction.

More advanced models have the ability to change the angle of inclination of the router relative to the vertical. This allows you to significantly expand the possibilities of using power tools.

Compass for router

The purpose of this device is clear from the name. Used for milling grooves in a circle or cutting out circles.

Want to make a perfect circle? You will need a compass for the router

The principle of operation is simple. A guide rod with a groove or a plate with calibrated holes is used as a compass leg, allowing you to cut circles of any diameter. A pin is fixed in the center of the proposed circle, around which the entire structure moves. But at the other end of the guide there is a router.
Factory compasses for a router can have a variety of designs. A rod with a support platform and a hinge (the design with two rods is more stable), a plate with a slot or calibrated holes.

Template for cutting circles

The main thing is to ensure reliable fixation of the central pin, otherwise the structure may shift due to vibration and the workpiece will be damaged.
You can make such a device yourself from any durable and smooth material, for example, textolite.

Homemade device for cutting circles

A carriage with a fixing device moves in a sawn groove; holes are provided for attaching the router.
There are also more complex devices for forming ovals. It is based on the same design as the compass, but instead of an axis of rotation, a support with a cross system of grooves is used. Moving along them, the virtual axis constantly shifts, resulting in the formation of a regular oval.

Device for cutting oval holes with a router

Using such a tool, you can make oval cuts both around the nozzle and next to it. The possibilities for choosing the path of movement of the cutter are practically unlimited.

Copy sleeve

Sometimes it becomes necessary to mill a complex pattern or replicate identical cutouts. For convenience and increased speed of work, pre-made templates are used. For example, a template is often used - a tenon cutter.

Copy sleeve or copy ring

Or it becomes necessary to cut several identical recesses for door hinges.
Copy rings are used to move the router along the contour of the template. The sleeve rests against the template, and the cutter exactly copies its profile.

IMPORTANT! The diameter of the copy sleeve is larger than the working diameter of the cutter.

Therefore, when making a template, an allowance is made for the difference in radius ( it is the radius, not the diameter!)
When the cutter moves inside the template, the cutout will be smaller. When moving outside the template - correspondingly more.

Standard copy rings are included with the router. However, it often becomes necessary to make such a device for a specific cutter diameter or an original template. Such work does not present any great difficulties. It is necessary to draw a drawing and order the product from a turner. In this case, it is necessary to ensure free passage of the cutter through the sleeve.

IMPORTANT! When installing the copy sleeve on the supporting surface of the router, it must be centered. For this purpose, special centering cones are used.

Installing a copy sleeve on a router

Templates for the router

These devices are rarely made for milling just one part. The exception is the restoration of a rare item or restoration of a complex structure for which a replacement cannot be found. In most cases, templates for a router are used for mass production of the same type:

• cutting recesses for door locks and hinges
• production of paneled door surfaces
• production of figured platbands
• cutting tenons for joining wooden products
• production of identical blanks for furniture production

Samples of templates of various shapes

With repeated use, the template quickly wears out, and the accuracy of manufacturing parts decreases. Therefore, the template material must be durable and abrasion-resistant. Multilayer plywood and textolite have proven themselves well. More critical templates are made of metal.
Self-made templates are used everywhere. The main thing is to accurately determine the difference in size of the template and the finished part after processing.

IMPORTANT! There are no universal templates. Each matrix is ​​made for a specific router, copy sleeve and the cutter itself.

Wood bits

Processing wooden surfaces and workpieces gives the widest creative possibilities for using a router. Professional carpenters and joiners use stationary machines, but you can literally work wonders with a hand router. For this purpose, there are wood attachments specially designed for high-quality processing of various types of material.

Various cutters (wood bits) for wood processing

With the help of such attachments, you can give any shape to the end surface of the workpiece, cut out an imitation panel on the plane of the door, make skirting boards, cornices, door frames, glazing beads and much more. Moreover, the same nozzle allows you to perform different shaped cuts depending on the angle of application.

An example of the different shapes that can be made using attachments

An experienced craftsman often makes his own cutters for each type of work. To do this, using a template, you need to sharpen each cutting edge of the cutter at the same angle. This is painstaking work, but you will receive a completely exclusive tool that meets your requirements.
However, industrially manufactured wood bits offer a fairly wide selection of shapes that satisfy the needs of most carpenters.

Special kits

Separately there are kits for performing special work - for example, a device for inserting hinges. The device is an individually made or customized template for this type of milling, equipped with specially designed fasteners that secure the tool at the end of the door leaf.

Homemade device for inserting hinges

As a rule, such templates are made independently. Any highly specialized carpenter tries to have an individual set, especially if the work is carried out on the customer’s premises.

Hinge cutters

There are also standard accessories for hinges, in the form of special cutters. You don't need a template to work with them.

Door hinge cutter

When performing home renovation work, you can get by with simpler methods of cutting niches for hinges or grooves for a lock. It is enough to install a second parallel stop on the rods and then the router will be securely fastened to the end of the door leaf. This method is less convenient and is not suitable for mass production of doors, but for one-time work it will save money on purchasing a special kit.

Binding cutter set

A set of cutters specifically for a specific type of work

There are also sets of cutters, each of which cannot be used separately. In such sets, the sharpening of the tips is synchronized, and each subsequent cutter complements the work of the previous one. Let's take a bookbinding kit as an example.

Binding made by a set of cutters

It is by using all the cutters from the set that you can get a joint without gaps.
To increase the versatility of application, typesetting cutters are available.

Universal typesetting cutter

Several complementary cutting attachments are attached to the axis, the arrangement of which can be combined. At the same time, with one set you can perform work that requires several attachments.
Thus, using a variety of devices for a manual router, you can do complex woodworking with your own hands without using stationary milling machines. This issue is especially relevant when living in an apartment, when it is impossible to find a place to place the machine. And with the help of a hand router with a good set of attachments and additional accessories, you can organize a mini-workshop on the balcony. Only when working indoors, it is necessary to ensure removal of dust and sawdust.

Accessories for a hand router can expand the functionality of hand-held power tools and make their use more convenient, comfortable and safe. Serial models of such devices are quite expensive, but you can save on their purchase and make devices for equipping a wood router with your own hands.

Various types of attachments can turn a hand router into a truly universal tool.

The main task that milling tools solve is to ensure that the tool is positioned in relation to the surface being machined in the required spatial position. Some of the most commonly used accessories are included as standard with such equipment. Those models that have a highly specialized purpose are purchased separately or made by hand. At the same time, many devices for a wood router have such a design that making them yourself does not present any special problems. For homemade devices for a hand router, you don’t even need drawings - their drawings will be enough.

Among the accessories for a wood router that you can make yourself, there are a number of popular models. Let's take a closer look at them.

Rip fence for straight and curved cuts

It is possible to ensure the stability of the router when processing narrow surfaces without special devices. This problem is solved using two boards, which are attached to both sides of the workpiece in such a way as to form one plane with the surface on which the groove is made. When using this technological technique, the router itself is positioned using a parallel stop.

Milling devices for processing bodies of revolution

Many accessories for manual milling machines, made by users to suit their needs, do not have serial analogues. One of these devices, the need for which arises quite often, is a device that facilitates the process of cutting grooves in rotating bodies. Using such a device, in particular, you can easily and accurately cut longitudinal grooves on posts, balusters and other wood products of a similar configuration.

Dividing disc

The design of this device is:

• frame;
• mobile milling carriage;
• a disk used to set the rotation angle;
• screws that secure the workpiece being processed;
• locking screw

If such a device is additionally equipped with a simple drive, which can be used as a conventional drill or screwdriver, then milling on it can successfully replace processing performed on a lathe.

Tenon milling device

A tenon-cutting device for a router allows high-precision processing of parts connected using the tongue-and-groove principle. The most versatile of these devices allow you to mill various types of tenons (dovetail and straight). The operation of such a device involves a copying ring, which, moving along a groove in a special template, ensures precise movement of the cutter in a given direction. To make one yourself, you must first select the groove patterns for which it will be used.

Several additional options for expanding the functionality of the router

Why do you need to create additional devices to equip a hand router, which is already a fairly functional device? The fact is that such devices will allow you to turn your manual router into a full-fledged processing center. So, by fixing a manual milling cutter on a guide (this can be), you can not only make the process of using it easier, but also increase the accuracy of the operations performed. The design of such a useful device does not contain complex elements, so making it for a router and drill with your own hands will not be difficult.

Many home craftsmen, wondering how to work with a hand router with even greater efficiency, make a functional work table for this tool. Naturally, such a table can also be used for other equipment (for example, a circular saw or electric drill).

If you do not have a manual milling machine at your disposal, then this problem can be solved with the help of special devices that allow you to successfully perform milling on a serial lathe. Using a milling attachment for a lathe, you can significantly expand the functionality of serial equipment (in particular, use it to process planes, make grooves and grooves, and process various parts along the contour). It is also important that such a device for a lathe does not have a complicated design, and making it yourself will not be a big problem.