A serious router bit - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

cmac2012 · #31 05-08-2013, 12:19 PM

What? There is something about the web I don't know already?!

That sounds good. I knew about the + thing but not the -.

barry12345 · #32 05-08-2013, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmac2012

A shaper would be nice. I rarely need one and I only need 10.5 feet of this crown molding. It's hot huge - about 1 7/8 wide - 3/4 thick. Nobody makes it, that much is certain - the house is approx 80 years old. I inherited this job mid stream and God only knows what happened to the piece I'm replacing, wasn't saved, that's for certain.

I don't know what I was thinking that hand held would work at all with this one. Took major focus to control the thing and the results were poor in my brief test. The table test came out pretty smooth but at the very least I'm liable to beat the hell out of my router the way this thing is vibrating. I weighed the bit - it's a shade over 9 oz. The bearing and shaft are both 1/2" so I tried a crude balance check and it failed badly (see pics). I sharpie marked the end that hung down the first time and every test, the same side would hang down, not even close, and the edges on those two levels are not that sharp.

I ground a fair amount off of the wing part without the carbide to get it to behave balanced with just that crude test. Sorta surprising. Even at 14,000 that's a big bit, ought to be better out of the box than that. Didn't notice any difference with it back in the router though - I was hoping for a small improvement given how out of balance it was.

I probably should get a slower and stronger router. I'm guessing if I get a speed reducer box my Porter cable will lose a little of its 1 3/4 hp. A buddy on another site recommends a Porter Cable 7518. It's a tough one as I rarely need a 3 hp router.

I have a lightly used 7518 porter cable from ebay some time ago. They are powerful and popular beasts. Expensive new in Canada. Purchased primarily to do kitchen cabinet doors. Use it mounted in a base. Really I would like to have a true shaper.

Soon I will need an automatic dovetailing machine. As long as equipment returns it's cost in a reasonable period I do not mind the aquisition costs.

TwitchKitty · #33 05-08-2013, 10:47 PM

Back in the good old days there was a website called Badger Pond.

cmac2012 · #34 07-22-2013, 02:59 PM

I finally got the business with the bit straightened out and the crown molding made. Pictures are with it held in place with the pressure of being just a shade long. Bit tricky as I had to cope both ends, if I wanted to go with one piece, which I did.

A major tip of the hat to Brian Carleton who offered to balance the bit, as I was complaining about gnarly vibration. I mailed it to him, he did the deed and mailed it back. Huge difference, I ran it briefly at top speed (holding it so an exploding bit wouldn't aim shrapnel at my midsection) and it was virtually vibration free. For the actual cutting, I ran it at approx. 15K rpm, using a speed reducing box I got one eBay.

Came out pretty good, looks almost like the original, and though it's not exactly the same, no one will notice. Anyone new to the thread, who wants to ask why didn't I just go out and buy some of it, well uhhh, if you can find that style for sale now, some 6 or 7 decades after the house was built, yer a better man than oy am, Gunga Din.

Dee8go · #35 07-24-2013, 10:32 AM

I've cur large coves on a table saw by passing the wood diagonally over the blade and raising it with each pass until I get the depth I want. I also have some large router bits for shaping wood, but they scare me, too. I do have a couple of sets of door making bits that include panel raisers, which are pretty large bits.

I hesitated to mention the table saw approach, as I think you are a way more experienced wood worker than I am, but if you haven't tried it, you might find that works well for you.

link · #36 07-24-2013, 11:35 AM

While not as fun, when I had a similar problem, I went to a local mill shop with a sample and they made me 40’ (their minimum order) of perfectly matched molding. Iirc the cost was about $2 per linear foot.

cmac2012 · #37 07-24-2013, 01:22 PM

That's an excellent price. My experience with custom molding or siding is they want $200 just to set the blades up, and then a fee per foot. If I was doing several rooms, in total, would be worth it.

cmac2012 · #38 07-24-2013, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dee8go

I've cur large coves on a table saw by passing the wood diagonally over the blade and raising it with each pass until I get the depth I want. I also have some large router bits for shaping wood, but they scare me, too. I do have a couple of sets of door making bits that include panel raisers, which are pretty large bits.

I hesitated to mention the table saw approach, as I think you are a way more experienced wood worker than I am, but if you haven't tried it, you might find that works well for you.

I could see how that would work but I can see difficulties. You'd need to rig a diagonal fence and would need to press the board to the table very firmly at all times else have serious roughness.

Then again, I had a fair amount of roughness in my piece, I put a piece of sticky back 80 grit paper on a piece of firm styrofoam camping pad to use as concave surface sander.