Freehand Routing; Router Tables - Craftsman 315.175070 Owner's Manual

FREEHANDROUTING
See Figure 22.
Fig. 22
When used freehand, your plunge router becomes a
flexible and versatile tool. This flexibility makes it
possible to easily rout signs, relief sculptures, etc.
There are two basic techniques for freehand
rouUng:
• Routing letters, grooves, and patterns into wood.
• Routing out the background, leaving the letters
or pattern raised above the surface as shown in
figure 22.
When freehand routing, we suggest the following:
• Draw or layout the pattern on workplace.
• Choose the appropriate cutter.
Note: A core box or V-groove bit is often used for
routing letters and engraving objects. Straight bits
and ball mills are often used to make relief
carvings. Veining bits are used to carve small,
intdcate details.
• Rout the pattern in two or more passes. Make the
first pass at 25% of the desired depth of cut. This
will provide better control as well as being a guide
for the next pass•
• Do not rout deeper than 1/8 in. per pass or cut.
Freehand routing is an excellent example of how
to use the plunge routing feature of your router:
• Choose the appropriate cutter, set desired depth of
cut, carefully check set-up, and secure workpiece.
• Make a test cut in a scrap piece of wood from the
same workpiece if possible.
• Depress plunge lock release and raise cutter from
any preset depth of cut. This also permits raising
cutter inside router subbase.
• Place router on workpiece inside pattern to be
routed.
• Grasp handles securely and depress switch trigger
to start your router.
• Let motor build to full speed, then gradually plunge
cutter into workpieca until stop bar comes into
contact with depth stop.
• Release plunge lock release to secure depth of cut
setting.
• Begin routing out the pattem, continuing until a
complete pass at this depth of cut has been made.
• Several cuts that require repositioning of router
may be needed for a particular job. If this situation
exists, depress plunge lock release and raise
cutter inside router subbese after each cut,
reposiUon router for next cut, gradually plunge
cutter into workpiece until stop bar contacts depth
stop, release plunge lock release and continue
routing.
• After all cuts have been made, depress plunge lock
release, raise cutter inside router subbase, remove
router from workpiece, release switch trigger, and
allow cutter to come to a complete stop.
A
WARNING: Do not use large router bits for
freehand routing. Use of large router bits when
freehand routing could cause loss of control or
create other hazardous conditions that could
cause possible serious personal injury. When
using a router table, large router bits should be
used for edging only. Do not use router bits that
are larger in diameter than the opening in router
base•
ROUTER TABLES
WARNING: Do not use with router tables that
H
fail to conform to safe woodworking practices and
offer proper guarding for the cutter. Failure to
comply can result in an accident causing possible
serious injury.
The use of Craftsman routers in router tables offered
by other manufacturers has not been investigated for
compliance with applicable safety standards.
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