# Using a Router table to make blanks



## Geophyrd (Jan 9, 2011)

All,

I recently bought (actually got for free) a router and routing table.  Very cool item...but I have some questions.  If you don't route for pen blanks or know about routing wood, you might want to skip...

1). I used a rabbiting bit to try to take even rabbits out of my blank.  Then, rotating them, I was going to make (basically)  a blank reduced to just tenons, essentially an 'X' if turned on its side.  From there I was going to add other material I'd have a straight up and down with alt material patterning the blank.  When I rotated the blank, I got a different cut than the first one. The next rotation got the first patterning.  And the fourth was same as second.  The blank is square, so not sure why this is happening.

2). Does anyone use router bits to get angles into their blanks?  Seems to me you can get a very fine cut that way...but haven't tried it myself yet.

3). Do anyone use a router for inlay work...laying in of veneers for example?

So that's it for now.  Going with the if all you've got is a hammer, all your problems look like nails.  Got a new tool, trying to figure out how to apply it to my penmaking.

Thanks in advance for the help


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## jttheclockman (Jan 9, 2011)

Geophyrd said:


> All,
> 
> I recently bought (actually got for free) a router and routing table. Very cool item...but I have some questions. If you don't route for pen blanks or know about routing wood, you might want to skip...
> 
> ...


 
Photos would help explain what you are experiencing. Small piece of wood if you are using a router and a pen blank. I would not do it. A tablesaw or a bandsaw may do exactly what you are doing but not sure because I did not follow that well.


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## skiprat (Jan 9, 2011)

LOL, Why on earth would any *sane* person want to use a router on a pen blanks???:biggrin:

Dump the router table and introduce your router to your lathe. :wink: Makes for a neat tool!!!

Here are a few of my '' work-in-progress's ''. All done with a router:tongue:


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## Timebandit (Jan 9, 2011)

Skip,your amazing!!Amazing!!Amazing!!I need to go sit down my head is spinning!!Oh,wait i am sitting down!!I need to go lay down!!!!!!!

Quite stunning!!:wink:



skiprat said:


> LOL, Why on earth would any *sane* person want to use a router on a pen blanks???:biggrin:
> 
> Dump the router table and introduce your router to your lathe. :wink: Makes for a neat tool!!!
> 
> Here are a few of my '' work-in-progress's ''. All done with a router:tongue:


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## LeeR (Jan 9, 2011)

Geophyrd said:


> All,
> 
> I recently bought (actually got for free) a router and routing table. Very cool item...but I have some questions. If you don't route for pen blanks or know about routing wood, you might want to skip...
> [...]
> Thanks in advance for the help


 
Since you are new to routers, and router table, take some baby steps! First, if you are doing your own blanks, such that you might have long lengths of 3/4" X 3/4" stock (ripped from, say, a wide and long 3/4" piece of wood, then you could use a round over bit to knock off all 4 square edges to make your pen blank stock a bit easier to round on the lathe. BUT! -- I would not try this on short lengths, too dangerous!  Maybe on a piece several feet long, which can then be cut down with tablesaw or bandsaw to lenght needed for the pen.  I cut strips from boards all the time since I also make platters and cutting boards from exotics, so I have lots of leftovers for pens. But, the only problem I see is that you may not want to round over the edges, unless this will not interfere with the way you drill your blanks (such as using a drill vise that has a "vee" to hold a corner.

Routers and router tables are great for many woodworking activities, but I have not used mine for any pen making activity yet. Now combining the router and the lathe as skiprat suggests is intriguing!


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## widows son (Jan 9, 2011)

As a matter of fact I just read a book about building a jig use to a router to do fluting and reeding. It would have to be a pretty big pen though.


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## Geophyrd (Jan 10, 2011)

*I can think of a bunch of things to do with a router table*

in making pens.  I agree that a picture would help, will post one tonight (Monday)

1).  Adding inlays
2).  Cutting a core to which material gets added
3).  Putting complex designs into the material (interlocking bits making complex joins, which will carve out a pattern
4).  Using the router to round a segmented piece.  Nothing drives me crazier than designing a blank, trying to make it, just to have it blow apart on the lathe.  That doesn't happen often, but only to my best pieces
5).  I don't just want to use the router table for pens...have other things in mind, but really not sure why its doing what its doing.  When I post the pictures, you'll see what I mean


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## witz1976 (Jan 10, 2011)

WOW Skip...thanks for blowing my mind first thing in the morning.  Need....More.... COFFEE.....!!!


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## PenPal (Jan 10, 2011)

Howard,
Titled using available recources in Advanced Penmaking recently I showed my design pen mill using an outrigger plate affixed to the Quill on my Mill Drill etc using a finishing Router on that same plate. Under on the moveable X Y axis a small modified lathe and affixed 72 toothed gear to create indexing shapes such as I lean to hexagon clean cuts can be made. A pen cut this way finished on my lathe for example. A good reason to use a Router to make a pen.

Have fun I do.  Regards Peter.


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## penhead (Jan 10, 2011)

Just wondering...
presuming you are using a penblank size blank, have you tried using a larger diameter piece of wood to see if the same pattern happens when you cut it...





Geophyrd said:


> All,
> 1). I used a rabbiting bit to try to take even rabbits out of my blank.  Then, rotating them, I was going to make (basically)  a blank reduced to just tenons, essentially an 'X' if turned on its side.  From there I was going to add other material I'd have a straight up and down with alt material patterning the blank.  When I rotated the blank, I got a different cut than the first one. The next rotation got the first patterning.  And the fourth was same as second.  The blank is square, so not sure why this is happening.
> Thanks in advance for the help


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## skiprat (Jan 10, 2011)

Having re-read your problem, I think I understand now.
To me, it sounds like the hieght of the bit from the table is not the same as the distance from the side of the bit to the fence.

Even if the bit is not set properly, you can still get the 'cross' even.

I'll draw a sketch in a minute, but essentially, all four cuts must be done from only two opposite sides. Only If the blank is PERFECTLY square and the bit also perfectly set, then you could do the cuts in any order.

Back soon...

Ok, sketch added. Hopefully it'll make sense. :wink:


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## KenV (Jan 10, 2011)

I think you captured it Stephen -- the indexing of the control surfaces is essential in machining.  

If using pen blanks -- be sure to build restraining fixtures/jigs to protect yourself and other from flying pieces of wood.  Routers and Router tables were not designed for small short pieces of wood.  

The advantage of using a lathe mounting schema is the reference is from the centerline rather than the two surfaces  (one against the fence and one against the table).  

Blessings and think hard about what might go wrong -- and be sure you are well protected if it happens.


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## skiprat (Jan 10, 2011)

KenV said:


> If using pen blanks -- be sure to build restraining fixtures/jigs to protect yourself and other from flying pieces of wood. Routers and Router tables were not designed for small short pieces of wood.
> 
> 
> Blessings and think hard about what might go wrong -- and be sure you are well protected if it happens.


 
Very true and wise words Ken!!!  Feather boards and push sticks don't bleed like fingers:wink:


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## jttheclockman (Jan 10, 2011)

skiprat said:


> KenV said:
> 
> 
> > If using pen blanks -- be sure to build restraining fixtures/jigs to protect yourself and other from flying pieces of wood. Routers and Router tables were not designed for small short pieces of wood.
> ...


 
If Skip decifered exactly what you are trying to do then the critical thing is the blank needs to be dead square and the distance between the fence and the edge of the bit must match the height distance from the table to the top of the bit to get an even cut. This seems possible with alot of tweaking. The use of feather boards, push sticks and a zero clearnce table top screams here. You do realize when turned away the design that skip has show is not what will appear. To me I would do this on a table saw and work the pieces from the center out. In other words do an inlay  of the pieces Skip has drawn in dark color. or the X You do not have to go through the blank because it will be drilled away. Just my2¢ more. That is now 4¢. This is getting expensive.


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## PenMan1 (Jan 10, 2011)

Very true and wise words Ken!!! Feather boards and push sticks don't bleed like fingers:wink: 
__________________

Skip and Ken are right about increasing safety with push sticks and featherboards. EVEN WITH these safety additions care MUST STILL BE TAKEN! A high reving router bit, even with the safety features can STILL send a small pen blank speeding toward your head! DAMHIKT

Let's be careful out there!


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## skiprat (Jan 10, 2011)

Sorry if I'm hi-jacking your post Howard. Once all the safety stuff has been taken care of, using a table still gives some problems. Like in your original problem, every succesive cut is using different reference points to reposition the blank. If the cuts can be referenced by only one point ( ie; the centre of the blank) then it makes the finished article much more accurate. 
I think there were a total of around 108 passes just to make this pen below. But because all of them were done using the middle of the blanks, it still came out fairly accurately. Although the blanks were round when I started, they could have been any old shape.:wink:


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## Geophyrd (Jan 10, 2011)

*Skiprat*

I think you've nailed the problem. Going to try it as soon as I get home. Was wracking my head trying to figure out how it happened. 

Near as I can tell, setting depth and height to the same amount sounds exactly like what might have cause the problem. Cant wait to get home to try it out!

One question, when I'm using the router, it has to be perfectly fenced or the ball bearing pivot blocks the material from going through...did I miss something obvious?


BTW, amazing pens, Skiprat, really nice work!


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## skiprat (Jan 10, 2011)

Geophyrd said:


> One question, when I'm using the router, it has to be perfectly fenced or the ball bearing pivot blocks the material from going through...did I miss something obvious?
> quote]
> 
> I always thought that you use the ball bearing ( sometimes just a pin) for manually guiding a workpiece past a cutter ( like an ogee). The workpiece would either be round or have corners you were trying to shape. I thought that the bearing would be removed and the fence ( only) used when edging 'straight' work?
> I only used my table for making molding or doing dovetails, so I don't really know for sure.


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