Routing

Whether you're cutting a rounded edge or adding fine details to your woodworking project, these tips and tricks will help you get the most out of your workshop router.

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  How to Build a Router Plate Template with Scrap Wood and Bondo Filler

  A few pieces of scrap wood rounded out with Bondo auto body filler can make a perfect template to fit around your router’s insert plate.

  
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  How to Stabilize a Router on a Rabbeted Recess When Building a Cabinet

  When building cabinetry, a bit of long, flat scrap wood can help you stabilize your router for cutting rabbeted recesses in the back panel.

  
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  How to Prevent Wood Burn and Remove Burn Mark Discoloration from Routing

  How to remove the discoloration caused by wood burn on decorative edging or molding caused by a router

  
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  Shaker Dresser Project

  A modernized version of an American classic, this maple Shaker-style dresser combines old world design with modern techniques.

  
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  Turned Multi-bit Screwdrivers Project

  In this relatively simple woodturning project, you can build a wooden handle for a screwdriver with a storage compartment for all your bits.

  
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  Tall Kitchen Chair Project

  This kitchen chair is built with the height of standard kitchen counters and islands, using attractive black walnut and skillful design.

  
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  How to Make a Simple Router Jig to Increase Stability for Trim Edging

  Using an old 4 x 4 fence post, you can stabilize your plunge router, which can be a little loose when you are routing some lipping.

  
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  How to Prevent Router Tearout with Featherboards and Sharp Router Bits

  Tearout is a big problem for a lot woodworkers, and can take a lot of sanding to get rid of, but a featherboard and sharper bits can curb it almost entirely.

  
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  How to Prevent Router Bit Slip with Silicone Caulk and Scrap Melamine

  To prevent your bit from slipping after bottoming out, a little drop of dried and cut silicone caulk can be a good bumper for the collet hole.

  
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  Top Trim Routing Techniques: Duplicating Parts

  For smaller parts especially, trim routers can effectively duplicate multiple parts quickly and effectively using tried and true templates.

  
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  Top Trim Routing Techniques: Cutting Hinge Mortises

  Creating hinge mortises on your doors isn’t that much different than standard routing with a template, guide collar and standard trim router.

  
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  Top Trim Routing Techniques: Profiling Edges

  Laminate trimmers have plenty of power for edge trimming, and with the right technique you can cut perfect, clean edge profiles with your router.

  
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  Top Routing Techniques: Cleaning Up Veneer

  One application of the trim router is squaring up veneer edging with a few quick passes with a trimming bit or a sheer angled flush-trimmer.

  
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  Top Trim Routing Techniques: Trimming Shelf Lipping

  One of the most important router techniques to learn is how to shave a piece’s shelving without damaging your piece, called trim routing.

  
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  The Trim Router’s Top Ten Best and Most Versatile Workshop Uses

  Small and lightweight, the trim router is more than just a smaller version of your shop router, it can do the job of many tools in your shop.

  
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  Top Trim Routing Techniques: Mortising Inlays

  Making mortising inlays require thin flush cuts, and the small cutting size of the trim router makes it the perfect tool for this cutting job.

  
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  Top Trim Routing Techniques: Hole Drilling

  Just like you can with a plunge router, you can use a trim router and a template to drill perfect holes for shelf pins better than you can with a standard drill.

  
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  Top Trim Routing Techniques: Signmaking

  Even without a plunge base, you can use your trim router and a few letter template guides to carve out softwood signs in almost no time.

  
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  Features Worth Shopping for in a Trim Router

  Modern trim routers include many special features that can significantly expand their usefulness in the shop, both built-in and as attachments.

  
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  Top Trim Routing Techniques: Cutting Joinery

  Trim routers may not make the best options for cutting joinery, but for small-scale projects or shelf dadoes, it can make those cuts very well.