When to route?

[Amy Leigh Baker]

Hey everyone,

I just bought my first router yesterday!!! Slept with it last night (it didn't toss and turn a bit), and bought my first two bits today.

My question is simple...

I am making a picture frame. Do I route the edges before I glue it up or after? I would assume before, but then again I have never used a router before. (3/4" oak with a 1/2" roundover bit.)

Thanks,

Amy

[David DeCristoforo]

You can do it either way. But just remember that you cannot rout an inside square corner with a round bit so if you want the profile on the inside of the frame, it's best to do the shaping first.

[John Pahl]

Amy,
IF you are talking about the outside of the frame, I have always done it after. That way I can be sure that the routed edges will line up correctly at the corners and the frame will look more finished. The inside edge can also be done after the frame is together for the same reason but with this you will have to clean the corners up where the bit won't reach. IF you do route before you put the frame together, watch you depth of cut from one piece to the next to everything will line up correctly.

John

[Chris Padilla]

Amy,

Think about the rotation of the bit and how it meets the wood and whether or not you'll be going against the grain. Note that as you route around a piece of wood, the grain direction will change. Also note if the router is flowing along with you or if it wants to come back at you. You'll learn these things the easy way or the hard way but once you get the hang of it, routers are awesome tools than can do a lot!

[Jim O'Dell]

Best thing to do is to do all your routing before you cut the stock to length. That way you don't accidently route into the mitered cut and ruin the piece.
And I'm going to leave your first comment alone..... Jim.

[Randal Cobb]

+1 for all the replies above...

However, you might want to go out and take a few scraps of some of the stock you made the frame with and make some practice cuts. You'll get a feel for how the wood reacts to being routed (i.e., does it splinter, does it leave a smooth finish that will only take a light sanding to finish, does it chip out, etc.). Just remember that a router turns clockwise and you want to route in the opposite (counter-clockwise) direction for 95% of your cuts. Routing in the same direction is called climb-cutting and it can be messy (wood shooting out like a bullet, router hard to handle, etc). So, on the outside of the frame, you'll want to route in a counter-clockwise motion; on the inside of the frame, you'll want to route in a clockwise motion.

Good luck and enjoy your new toy!

[John Thompson]

If you just have to router outside.. I would do it after as John Paul mentioned. If you have to do insides also.. I would do the inside then assemble and do the outside.

But.. if you do decide to assemble and then route both at that time as John Paul mentioned.. take the tip from Chris about directions. You route left to right on outside and right to left on inside. Remember that to avoid problems.

Good luck...

Sarge..

[Lee Schierer]

Rule # 1 for using a router is to take light cuts. Heavy cuts will get you in more trouble than anything else. It will take less time to do the cut twice or three times than to make a new piece.

Oh yes, Rule #2 is always wear hearing and eye protection.

Oh, and by the way, routers are sort of like wood lathes, you never have enough cutters or accessories.

[Chris Padilla]

Rule # 1 for using a router is to take light cuts. Heavy cuts will get you in more trouble than anything else. It will take less time to do the cut twice or three times than to make a new piece.

True 95% of the time but there are bits out there that you only get one shot to cut with otherwise the intended profile may not come forth!

[Prashun Patel]

I'd do the pieces before. You can get some splintering at the outside corners before you get practice (especially if there's any exposed endgrain). Also, you can't get to the inside corners after glueup.

Do you have a table too?

Problem with the router is it quickly becomes a money pit. I can't count the times I've been surfing or shopping and said, "Ooooh, that bit/fence/dustport/table/insert/doohickeypushblock/plungebase/colletextender/routerlift/flipstop/ttrack would really let me do some neat things.

[Jeremy Monge]

Hey everyone,

I just bought my first router yesterday!!! Slept with it last night (it didn't toss and turn a bit), and bought my first two bits today.

My question is simple...

I am making a picture frame. Do I route the edges before I glue it up or after? I would assume before, but then again I have never used a router before. (3/4" oak with a 1/2" roundover bit.)

Thanks,

Amy

Please be careful. Get a lot of advice on how to use a router and like others have said and as with any new tool that you've never used before practice on scrap wood. Also think about what the tool is doing to the wood and think about what could go wrong while using the tool. This will help you prepare on how to react if something does go wrong. Routers can be deceptive and seem safer than they really are!

[Richard M. Wolfe]

On making the picture frame it would probably be best to route the pieces first, cut and assemble. That way if something happens to a piece you are only out one side and not the whole frame. Otherwise you could route the inside cuts first, cut and assemble, making sure the inside cuts match just right and then route the outside.

But before attempting a finished product get some scraps of different kinds of wood and see how the routing process works. Too fast and you get rough cuts and tearout and too slow and it burns and the best speed varies for different woods.

I don't recall if you said the router was to be table mounted. With small pieces appropriate push blocks and a fence is the best way to handle them. The danger of climb cutting has been mentioned. When using the larger bits take small bites (multiple passes). It would be best if you tried something using a small profile bit to start. But by the time you read this you may already have a half dozen picture frames.

Welcome to the fun world of routing. I have a friend who thinks he could build anything using a router and a random orbit sander.

[Greg Hines, MD]

Oftentimes you will find that molding an edge is a lot easier on a router table than with a hand held router. And, often it is easier to mold the edges of a wide board before you rip it to width, whether you are using a table or hand held router.

Doc

[Brian Kent]

Please be careful. Get a lot of advice on how to use a router and like others have said and as with any new tool that you've never used before practice on scrap wood. Also think about what the tool is doing to the wood and think about what could go wrong while using the tool. This will help you prepare on how to react if something does go wrong. Routers can be deceptive and seem safer than they really are!

That last line scares me. Routers already scare me. Now you say they are more dangerous than they look!

[Amy Leigh Baker]

Wow, I posted the question after lunch, then got caught up at work and just checked... 13 replies!!

Taking everyone into account, I think I will route before assembly, because if I screw up once I won't have to start over on all four sides.

Oh, and of course it will be after testing and practicing on some scrap.

Off to the router!!!

Amy