Router table question

I always begin by drilling out the majority of the hand hole on the drill press, then I use a 1/4” masonite template with a pilot bearing on the router table to shape the hole to the desired form.
If the wood is thick enough I let the walls of the hand hole act as a pilot guide for a round-over bit.

Thanks, Splinter. I don’t understand the part about the template with pilot bearing.

-- Kim, Ajijic, Mexico, http://tinyurl.com/7w5fm25

I don’t have any photos of the process being used on the tray project I posted, but my latest tissue box project shows the same process for the top.

Great info, Splinter. So you first used a straight bit and then a roundover?

-- Kim, Ajijic, Mexico, http://tinyurl.com/7w5fm25

I plan to clear out the openings on the drill press with a 1” drill bit. Just need to clean up the openings with a roundover.

-- Kim, Ajijic, Mexico, http://tinyurl.com/7w5fm25

Yes, the straight bit will get your hand hole identical to the shape of the template, then the round over will be able to follow the shape of the hole for a smooth contour.

After drilling out the waste for the hole, I’ll use a jig saw or scroll saw to get as close to the outline as possible to make the initial routing easier.

Using the top/bottom bearing bit allows you to always be cutting with the grain and helps to greatly reduce the sanding.

Excuse my ignorance. I don’t understand the template part. Do you tape the template to the workpiece?

-- Kim, Ajijic, Mexico, http://tinyurl.com/7w5fm25

make a side piece template from 9 mm ply to the exact finished shape and size. Drill or jig saw most of the scrap out. Then stick the template to your desired piece of wood, either with double sided tape, or even a couple of slim nails and use a flush trim router bit. This gives you the finished shape with straight sides, then use a bearing (or pilot) guided round over bit to soften all the edges.

-- my projects can be seen at www.pbase.com/sunnybob

Kim,
Splinter was talking about using a template to insure that the profile is accurately cut. The bit will have a bearing on the top that is meant to act as a guide so it you create a template of the handle and use double stick tape to adhere it to the rough cut handle opening, the router bearing will travel around the template and create a neat, precise profile. Template usage in routing is a real easy way to insure clean, accurate edges and moldings. The template should be made of 1/4” ply or MDF or some other easily fabricated material. It will sit on TOP of the material so that the bearing rides along the top edge and the profile will be cut on the lower surface. First use the straight bit, then follow on with the rounder. You won’t need the template after you clean up the handle with the straight bit. the bearing on the rounder will nicely ride on the smooth surface you created with the straight bit.

Here is a website that will help. https://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-plans/routing/templates-for-router-success

This one is actually a better descriptor and shows both top and bottom bearing bits in use. https://www.woodmagazine.com/tool-reviews/routers/fast-easy-template-routing

Regards,
Dave

-- DaveS2, Canton GA aka pdwoodwerkz

I’m bamboozeled. The only way I see a 3 1/2 long x 1” template working is if I drilled out my opening maybe 3” long x 3/4 wide so I would have some surface to tape the template to over the opening. The template is still a mystery. Isn’t there a way to accomplish smoothing out the inside of the handle opening without a template?

-- Kim, Ajijic, Mexico, http://tinyurl.com/7w5fm25

Dave did a better job explaining 8^)

I use double sided tape to hold the template to the piece.

Your photo looks like the handle is just a straight slot, no curve. That’s fine, you just need to drill the ends like you suggest with a 3/4” bit, then using a jig saw or other cutter, join the two holes to form your slot. You can then clean up the slot with a rasp. A template lets you use the router for the clean up so it is faster.

Once you have your slots finished, you can then use your 1/4” round over bit with its pilot bearing in the router table. The bearing will ride along the walls of the slot you drilled/rasped.

I posted a project of serving trays that show the finger slots I cut with a curved router template. I didn’t show the template but on the third photo you can see the rounded edges.

Thanks, Splinter. That’s the way I’ll go. Any advice on feed direction?

-- Kim, Ajijic, Mexico, http://tinyurl.com/7w5fm25

You can only go one way with the round over. Since it is in a table, you need to work the bit around CCW in the slot.
I’d try for 3 passes to get close to your full 1/4” depth.

Save one last cut as a skim cut, that is raise the bit maybe a 1/32” or less. This lets you remove most of the burns and should leave the cleanest edge. End grain routing around those curves at the ends of the slot always seem to burn a bit and require some finger flexing sanding action (the part of woodworking I detest the most!)

Many ways to do this.

I would draw out the handle slot with pencil or pen, drill out a 1/2” hole inside the handle slot, use a jig saw to cut inside the lines, then use a spindle sander with an 1/2” or 3/4” sanding drum to sneak up to the pattern drawn with pencil, then use a router bit (1/4” round-over with bearing) to soften the edges of the handle.

Thank you, sounds like a plan.

-- Kim, Ajijic, Mexico, http://tinyurl.com/7w5fm25