First time with a router

Roger465

Roger465

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So I’m going to build myself a new pine bed (what the boredom of retirement will do to a man…). I’m reasonably OK with basic woodworking, but for this I’ll need to cut some slots in the legs to fit the side pieces into, and I guess I’ll have to buy a cheap router.

SF have a recon one for £40, but I know nothing about them. Also it doesn't come with bits… LIDL had one for the same sort of price till I went in yesterday, to find them all gone…

Trouble is, I’ve never used one, and want to be sure this one will do what I want. Essentially I need to cut slots about 50mm deep, 32mm wide. Will all routers be capable of this, and what sort of bit would they need?

And I suppose the ends of the slots will be rounded – would you just square them with a chisel?

Thanks :D
 
you will struggle to do anything that deep with a 1/4" router

I see its got a 3/8" collet but thats an uncommon size
the most common size bits are 1/4" 1/2" 8mm

you need a 1/2" router to do that ideally

however if you want to try routing first time and want to keep to a small budget, then you could do it this way

1) mark out your mortices
2) drill out the bulk of the material with a sawtooth bit
3) use the router and and rout the sides of the mortice -probably not to full depth, its too much for a small router
4) finish with a chisel
 
mrrusty said:
No you don't need to. Use some 8mm standard beech dowels for basic location, plus a couple of cross-dowel bolts
Click to expand...

Thanks, that's an interesting idea - but I think that would leave the bolt heads exposed? I'd like this to look natural... I'm replicating an existing bed, where you can see only wood...
 
Roger465 said:
Thanks, that's an interesting idea - but I think that would leave the bolt heads exposed? I'd like this to look natural... I'm replicating an existing bed, where you can see only wood...
Click to expand...

Not an experienced woodworker but wouldn't an easier most cost effective and stronger way to achiever this would be to pre-drill holes where the legs connect to the side pieces, counter sink the holes on the outside face and screw the pieces together, then using a scrap piece of the same wood make some dowels which are inserted in the c/s hole... cut off the excess dowel and sand down to a near invisible finish.

This is just how I've seen it done in videos like the below. (time stamped)

 
For a bed frame just screwing the side rails to the legs will not be good enough. The stresses are quite large being both shear and tension (particularly if there is a fair bit of bed activity) and screws will soon work loose. If you use dowels + dowel bolts the dowels deal with the shear stresses and the bolts provide the tension to hold everything together.
 
first action get a mattress this is the most important action as size varies

the way i make strong bed frames is side rails from 6x1" par[143x21mm] the length off the mattress say 1900mm +12mm[+21mm+44mm each end so 65+65+12+1900=2042 the legs are 2x2"par[44x44m]placed at the head and tail off the bed just inside the side rails so not only is the frame screwed together but the legs reinforce the joint if your interested will give full details
but you need a router to roundover all edges to remove sharpness
 
mrrusty said:
particularly if there is a fair bit of bed activity
Click to expand...

Oo-err Missus :oops: Not as much as there used to be, but still some, and I am a big guy :giggle:

OK I'm determined to go down the router route (!) and will buy a 2nd hand ½" one off eBay. I'm retired, this is just a little project to keep me busy, so if it all fails it's not the end of the world.

So what kind of bit will I need to cut slots about 50mm deep and 32mm wide?

Thanks also for the other construction methods, with little wood plugs etc, but I just can't warm to them, sorry... also maybe more difficult when the bed has to come apart for house moves etc...
 
50mm deep is very deep for a router. Are you sure that's right? 32mm width is also a pretty large diameter cutter, so it must be a 1/2in shank cutter, and it will need a powerful router (I'd say 1800 watts or more) to drive it, but also a router where you can reduce the spindle speed to around 16 to 18,000rpm (full speed on 1/2in routers is generally around 22 to 24,000rpm these days) - over that it will simply not be safe to use that duametee of cutter. Take a look at Wealden Tools T1432M (31.7mm or 1-1/4in). Your router will need to have a side fence (ideally two) with fence rods and you will need to make the cuts in multiple passes of maybe 5 to 10mm depth increments, depending on how hard your timber is. The fences thing isn't a killer as it is possible to make-up a sub base with fixed fences attached to yourself out of acrylic plastic ot Tufnol and softwood.

It is also possible to make big cuts like this with two passes of a smaller diameter router cutter (e.g. 19 or 20mm - which have the advantage if being able to run at full speed, so no need for a variable speed router).

It is also possible to use a circular saw with a side fence to "hog out" the majority of the cut in a 5 or 6 passes (stopping 1 to 2mm shy on depth and width), break out most of the waste with a hand chisel, then use the router to just clean up the cut. TBH that's what I'd do as it is faster than trying to rout such a big slot and less work for the router or its' cutter (or you, for that matter) and you can use a smaller and cheaper router cutter, too
 
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JobAndKnock said:
50mm deep is very deep for a router. Ate you sure that's right?
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm basing my design on my old bed, and that's what it's got. But it was built by a professional, with presumably the right machines for that sort of job...

JobAndKnock said:
Take a look at Wealden Tools T1432M (31.7mm or 1-1/4in).
Click to expand...

Would this one be the same? Easier for me to pop down to Screwfix...

JobAndKnock said:
It is also possible to make big cuts like this with two passes of a smaller diameter router cutter (e.g. 19 or 20mm - which have the advantage if being able to run at full speed, so no need for a variable speed router).
Click to expand...

That sounds sensible. It must be very clear I haven't the first clue about what I'm doing here, so I'll just feel my way a bit at a time, and hopefully not cock it up too badly :eek:
 
Roger465 said:
Would this one be the same? Easier for me to pop down to Screwfix...
Click to expand...
Not really - that is 12.7mm diameter cutter. I thought you needed 32mm width. Even with two passes itvis far safer to go to a 19 or 20mm diameter cutter than making three lots if passes with a 12.7mm cutter. BTW I've been using Wealden for about 20 years - they are reliable and their cutters are a lot better quality thsn SFX. 9 times out of 10 SFX deliver next day providing you order befire 2pm

At 32mm wide x 50mm deep that is a heck of a groove and would have more than likely required a spindle moulder as us it nearing the limit of what can be sensibly be done with a router, unless, of course, it was done by hand with back saw, auger bits and a chisel... Any chance of a sketch with some dimensions? This seems like a lot of expenditure for something which is probably easily done in perhaps another way
 
JobAndKnock said:
Not really - that is 12.7mm diameter cutter. I thought you needed 32mm width. Even with two passes itvis far safer to go to a 19 or 20mm diameter cutter than making three lots if passes with a 12.7mm cutter.
Click to expand...

Ah, sorry, completely misunderstood - you can tell I'm on unfamiliar ground here. OK, understood - but if you think I'd be better using the 19/20mm cutter I'll go for that? I don't care how long it takes...

JobAndKnock said:
At 32mm wide x 50mm deep that is a heck of a groove and would have more than likely required a spindle moulder as us it nearing the limit of what can be sensibly be done with a router, unless, of course, it was done by hand with back saw, auger bits and a chisel... Any chance of a sketch with some dimensions? This seems like a lot of expenditure for something which is probably easily done in perhaps another way
Click to expand...

Here's a couple of pictures of the existing bed. Don't worry about the red numbers. The two side pieces, and the headboard cross-members etc, simply go into slots in the legs, which fit the cross-section of the planks, and are about 2" deep. Then the cross-pieces are presumably glued in place - the long side pieces go into the slots in the top and bottom legs, then are secured by a few big screws that go in diagonally....

20220201_112959.jpg
20220201_112948.jpg
 
That looks like a mortise and tenon joint and I have to admit that I'd got the (wrong) impression that you needed to cut a long groove :whistle:

Now I know what it us you are trying to do I reckon I know how your man made it - he like as not used a square chisel mortiser (or even chopped it out by hand). Frankly, the best way to get something like that cut is to find a local joinery shop - the sort of place that makes replacement wooden windows or repairs sash windows - and ask them to chop out the mortises for you (you'd need to mark out for them, first, though).

Failing that, as square chisel mortisers are a bit expensive, I think the next best thing is to beg, borrow or heaven forbid buy (!) a small pillar drill or a portable electric drill and drill press and use that to bore out the majority of the waste, finishing the holes square into the corners using a fairly wide chisel (32 to 40mm) driven with a mallet or a hammer. To keep your chisel cuts plumb you can always clamp a square piece of planed timber to the face of the leg and use that as a guide if it helps
 
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