anybody use one? where’d you get it?
i poked around Lowe’s and Home Depot but (not surprisingly), no luck…
i don’t even know what to search for online.
thanks
Shapers Australia have one and also have an agent(s) in the US as well I believe.
hobbiest warning
$18 I use a 1/2" straight cut with 2-1/2" cutting length like this - also seen these at my local Lowes & Hdepot for about $29
http://www.woodcraft.com/product.aspx?ProductID=405326&FamilyID=8038
works perfect for me on close tolerance poly boards. have not touched the saw or blocked a rail in over 50 boards, as a side plus, I’ve become pretty decent at making hardboard templates
variable speed router (low rpm) and safety glasses!
drop me a pm if you want details
hey bud,cool clamps!
them stock vice grip Issue?
my 1/2 '' router is heavy and intimidating
ah love thet ol' 1/4'' chuck
an the weights just right...
a spiral sheet rock cut out bit is my fave
...ambrose...
thanks for the responses guys.
Dean, i'll have to check Shaper's Australia... haven't had a chance yet.
Oceanrider, that one looks real trick but i really need one with a bearing at the top.
Bud, that looks like exactly what i'm looking for and your description of it's use is reasurring too. that's exactly what i hope to achieve... i'll send you a P.M.
Ambrose, my 1/2" router is kinda intimidating also, i may pick up a trim router for this and fin boxes in the near future... i've seen those spiral bits in the sheetrock section, haven't seen any with a bearing? have you?
I have had and used other bits with a bearing.
the sheetrock bit has no bearing
and I just run the smoothe section of the shaft
as the guide on the masonite ...
eventually the bit will snap off at the friction spot
and if I keep it laboring in one spot
on the masonite it will start to smoke stink
I can collet to the end of the bit
and allow for full extension of the bit
maximizing the depth of cut like 2'' goes to 2 3/4'
then I just pull saw the rest of the thickness of the blank if'n it's
real thick,close tollerence blanks cut clear through .
...ambrose...
madness comes in many forms
the bliss while reinventing the wheel
is just one form of madness.
Harbor freight, 6.99 http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42804
The 1/4" bit works perfect for me in my trim router. I’ve only used it for eps, not poly, and it doesn’t go all the way through the thick parts of the blank, but the edges are square within like 2.6" of the bottom, so it works for me. Can’t beat the price, either. I have a 1/4 bearing (also from a HF set), that keeps it within like 1/16" or less of my original template.
About 7 years ago I had a bunch of bit’s custom made with a 1/4" Shaft 4" Long with a 3 1/2" Cutting Length in Case Harden Steel.I used a Hitachi trim router with a bushing guide. I would go to the shop this morning and take photo’s of the router and bit. My Vice Clamps I got from Harbor Freight with 12" reach and welded swivel rounds on the tips to prevent damage to the foam. People in the shop I was working at laughed at me for all the time I took making jigs and tools. I actually had just as much fun building different tools as I did shaping. After a while most of the shapers at the shop bought router bits off me. I should make more of them I guess?
Back to the subject: You need a 3" length or longer router bit (Down Spiral) at least 2 fluted. I have 4 fluted. However my cuts are cleaner than you really need.
2 Fluted will be fastest. With foam it’s not that critical. PU no problem. With XPS you need to use a router speed control and slow your router down 30% to keep from melting the foam.
SD
Get your self some used mill ends from a cnc shop. make sure you get a 1/2 chuck bit with a minimum of 1/4 dia cutting surface. They come in all sorts of lengths up to about 6". I use the high Helux style bits, they are a fast flute type made for cutting soft material, They move fast and don't clog the router with lots of fine dust. (they look like a push lawnmower reel blade) Make sure you reduce the rpm of the router to no more than about 6K. If not the bit will wobble, break, and lodge in your heart....just in time for your wife to come out with a cold drink and watch you bleed out. Almost been there done that....just about killed the dog one time too. So unless you own a kelvar vest do as I say.
I had a long bit wobble out and bend to 90`
I haven’t picked up my router since…scared the piss out of me.
I'm not as polished as resinhead however here's my hacker jig and a extra bit for doing outlines:
Not as polished my ass...that thing looks sweet. I just don't know where to get a Kelvar vest cheap, does harbor Freight sell one?
Just make one!!!
I had no idea your ass was polished Resinhead. Did you use Sureluster?
stop it......your making me blush!
Cool! Looks dangerous! A friend of mine who used to be a production shaper said he had a bit break and stick straight into the wall of the shaping bay! I guess you would need a full template for each board you make as well.
MW
**I guess you would need a full template for each board you make as well. **
You must be kidding?
I never used a router bit to cut out my outlines. I've always used a circular saw with a masonary blade. Takes me 7 min to template, cut and true the outline. Been doing it for about 18 years now.
So what I meant by that was: If a customer wanted a board that was 3/8 wider in the nose would you have to use a diff template as the bit cuts off the template. Or say you have a design or a 6'0 outline that's made for a 18 1/2 inch board and you want to shape one that's 19 1/2. Will you make a new template for that board or just leave the kink at your center point. The pics in the thread with the clamps have full half templates.
Again, I don't use a router so I don't know. Just wondering.
The story I told you about the bit sticking into the wall was completely true by the way. It happened to Denis Kirk from Hawaii when he was running Laminations Hawaii. Maybe that's why it was suggested that you use a 1/2 inch bit.
Mahalo,
Mike Woo
surfding,
Oh by the way. I'm always open to new techniques to improve the quality of my work as well as speed up the process. The only thing is that I travel to Japan and Bali to shape so masonite may be a problem to bring.
Mahalo,
MW