Mitre worktops with a 1/4" router.

Borderglazer · Post by **Borderglazer** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 9:38 am

Morning all,
Ive been asked if i can mitre a 38mm worktop for a friend,i only have a 1/4" router and cant afford a 1/2" model at the moment

,is this possible to do with a small router if i take many small passes? and does anyone know where i can get a long 1/4" straight cutter?

Many thanks

Joe

big-all · Post by **big-all** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 11:12 am

several points here

what wattage is your router is it variable speed!!!!!

you can apparently get 1/4 inch cutters buuuuuttttt

when you do shallow cuts of 3 or 4mm cuts you wear out the cutter 3 times quicker because all the cutting apart from the final pass is done by the first 1/8 inch

if you have an accurate jigsaw that you know wont wander you can cut within 5mm of the line and do less passes

Borderglazer · Post by **Borderglazer** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 8:55 pm

Hi Al,
My router is a 1050w 1/4 or 8mm model,i think i might try the jigsawing waste trick,ive got a ryobi which is pretty accurate if i take my time.

I might have a play on some old bits of worktop and see what happens.

Many thanks

Joe

Hoovie · Post by **Hoovie** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 9:46 pm

If you clamp some battens on the lengths for the jigsaw shoe to press against, then that will help stop the jigsaw wandering around

Borderglazer · Post by **Borderglazer** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 9:48 pm

Thanks hoovie,
Obvious when you think about it!

Thanks one and all

Joe

Hoovie · Post by **Hoovie** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 9:49 pm

been there, screwed it up before

big-all · Post by **big-all** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:08 pm

if the router is variable speed around 15 to 30 percent of the input power is lost through the vari speed
so if its not vari speed its a presentable 1350w output equivilent

and your 1/4 inch cutters are as rare as hens teeth so source a cutter well in advance of the job [googling required here]

big-all · Post by **big-all** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:17 pm

Hoovie wrote:If you clamp some battens on the lengths for the jigsaw shoe to press against, then that will help stop the jigsaw wandering around

just make shure your blade cuts parralel to the edge otherwise within a few inches youll be in trouble

Hoovie · Post by **Hoovie** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:22 pm

big-all wrote:
Hoovie wrote:If you clamp some battens on the lengths for the jigsaw shoe to press against, then that will help stop the jigsaw wandering around
just make shure your blade cuts parralel to the edge otherwise within a few inches youll be in trouble

Hmm - should they not do this by default

and by using a edge to press against, correct any deviation due to 'loose' clamoping of the blade

big-all · Post by **big-all** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:36 pm

yes your right but any more than about 1 degree out the back edge cant follow the front edge path as it touches the side which kicks the front over and causes the blade onto a progresivly tighter curve

i woluld say 1 in10 suffer from this

Hoovie · Post by **Hoovie** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:42 pm

didn't know that! thanks for the heads up

big-all · Post by **big-all** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:58 pm

Hoovie wrote:didn't know that! thanks for the heads up

if you get a well engineerd blade where the back edge is thinner than the front edge you can get away with more

Borderglazer · Post by **Borderglazer** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 11:58 am

Big al,
Ive been looking at these people www.hendersons.co.uk , they sell 1/4" worktop templates for different size guide bushes and also 82mm long tct straight cutters.

Thanks for tips chaps

Joe

Teabag · Post by **Teabag** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 6:35 pm

might be a little late but maybe its better to hire the 1/2" router and jig, would save alot of agro...
its cheaper than you or your mate replacing the tops if you mess them up by having ago with something that "might work".

let us know how you got on...

chippymike · Post by **chippymike** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 5:17 pm

agree with Teabag, give speedy hire a ring