Advice on router and bits, please

[Aaron Coffee]

Haven't been working on my mini cub woody lately, have got the trim done on one side, I clamped boards to the side marked them and used a band saw to cut them hold them back up to the side remark and sand down to the desired fit. Have been thinking about using a router and a trim bit to do the other side(thinking of only doing the outside to match the profile and would still do the inside with band saw). I have a cheap wal-mart Skil router(1/4 shank), what do I look for as far as a trim bit and will I be able to find one big enough to trim 3/4 material, also does anyone have any thoughts or ideas on a small trim router, HF has one for $29.
Thanks
Aaron

[Dusty82]

You can get surprisingly good results with an inexpensive router if you pay close attention to the set up and rout the material slowly. I worked with a pair of $45 Black & Decker cheapies for about 12 years, when Santa finally graced me with my Porter Cable.

I'd avoid a trimming router for cutting into 3/4 inch material - it just wasn't made for material that heavy. It would be fine for rounding over, chamfering, or other small edge treatments, but not cutting all the way through. Trimming routers are designed for softer, thinner materials like countertop laminate, veneer, and in some cases, drywall. I think you'd be sorely disappointed trying to cut through 3/4 inch plywood with one.

Better to spend that money on a good quality 1/4 inch flush trim bit. If it were me, I'd look for a top bearing, carbide tipped 1/4 inch flush trim bit - they come in cutting lengths as long as 1 1/2 inches. For the occasional home user, bits made by Freud or Bosch will do quite nicely - expect to pay $20-$30 for the bit.

I'd make a template in the shape of your opening for the top mounted guide bearing to ride against and rout the opening in three passes - cutting 1/4 inch deep with each pass. That'll help eliminate burning the bit and the plywood. Hogging out 3/4 inch of material in one pass puts a lot of strain on the router and the bit, and I personally don't do it with anything less than a 3hp router.

Get a good quality bit, take your time with the set up, and rout slowly and you should be just fine with the router you have.

[dh]

Stay away from HF bearing bits. I have had bearings seaz after 12' of cut and burn the wood. If you won't use it often look at the pawn shop for a router.

[ssrjim]

At 3/4 inch cut it a 1/16 to 1/8 inch of the line before you use the trim bit. It would be fine with most of the material gone. After all it is a trim bit not a cutting bit

[Wolffarmer]

I have a Skill router, forget the model # but it is a current one. If you want it you can have it.

The chuck will often let the bit slip, I can't trust the thing. and have replaced it with a PC router

I have heard that people have had decent luck with the HF trim router and if I wanted to try one I might get that one. But get a good bit. Like the guy in the Shopsmith videos said about getting a circular saw. "If you have $150 to spend on a circular saw. Spend $50 on the saw and get a $100 blade"

Randy