39 – Sculpted End Table (3 of 6)

Video - January 24, 2008

In this episode, I start by gluing the leg blanks to the aprons. I then cut the rough shape out on the bandsaw. And finally, I use the template and a flush trim bit in the router table to get the exact shape we’re after. I also spend a good deal of time discussing the dangers involved with this routing operation. And finally, an nice treat for everyone: a Nicole Break!

Discussion

Vic January 24, 2008 10:30 pm

That was awesome, Marc! Other than the fine print, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone cover the more intricate points of table routing.
Without knowing better I would’ve done climb cuts on the “danger” portions of the leg after getting them as close to the template as possible just to avoid any tear-out. Did you do that, pray or what was your strategy at that point? That particular issue is what keeps me away from the shaper. I’m scared enough when I use my 3HP router in a table. My buddy is bringing his shaper into the shop, but frankly, I don’t know if I’ll ever have the cojones to use the darn thing.

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Tooladdict January 24, 2008 11:43 pm

Whats up with the Wayne’s World esque back drop. The wood paneling took me back to Wayne Campbell’s basement. Only thing missing was the extreme close ups.

For real, The last few episodes have been by far my favorite. It seems like your a lot more comfortable, and having a ton of fun. Keep it up.

Rock on Marc

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Tomcat1066 January 25, 2008 4:37 am

Another great episode Marc. We still need more Nicole though, but the Nicole break was a nice start ;)

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Bob January 25, 2008 6:23 am

Marc, that was a great episode. Using the oscillating sander on the tricky spots to reduce material before using the router is a great idea. I really enjoy your podcasts. Keep up the good work.

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Roger (rjack) January 25, 2008 7:11 am

Another great podcast! I second Vic’s question about climb routing. Also, I notice that you have alot of hand tools hanging in the background. You are starting to look like a real galoot. :)

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Mike Kapotsy January 25, 2008 7:14 am

Marc,

I would like to do projects like this but I don’t own a router table like yours. I only have a small shaper table. Do you have any plans for building a table like that or would you just recommend buying one?

Thanks,
Mike

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David January 25, 2008 7:32 am

Marc, thanks for pointing out the danger zones with the end grain. A lot of shows would have passed this point over. Not only is it a major safety point but it’s those finder points that take projects from good to great. As far as the dentist, I hate it for ya, we’ve all been there.

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Mike January 25, 2008 8:37 am

Great video Marc. I too was wondering about the posibility of a climb cut – did you take on this task with this particular project?
Can’t wait to see it all come together!

Nice shot of Nicole dancing – you should have joined her! Most women don’t like to dance alone (but, as most of us know, most wood workers just can’t dance!!)

Mike

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thewoodwhisperer January 25, 2008 9:29 am

It’s Waynes World, Party time, Excellent!! lol

No making fun of my fancy wood paneling! :)

To answer some questions, this is NOT a case where I would climb cut. With so much material in contact with the bit (because its 8/4), even that little 1/8″-1/16″ edge can pull that piece out of your hands. So I can’t safely recommend it.

As for the router table Mike, can’t you adapt the shaper to do some of these tasks? Well if not, and you decide to go the router table route, I do recommend buying a top. But definitely build the base (the easy part). A router table top and fence is one of those high-effort/low yield jobs, in my opinion. So I would rather just buy one with a nice lift system. Then build a cab. that suits your need. Norm’s Deluxe Router Station is by far the most popular plan out there if you want a plan.

Thanks everyone!

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Germain January 25, 2008 9:29 am

Thanks for the cameo, Nicole. You’re such a good sport!

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muddler mike January 25, 2008 9:42 am

another great one, Marc. right on track with the content i think we all want to see.design processes and considerations, troubleshooting, etc. well done!!! Now, ifd we can just get the background music back during the voiceovers :)

looking more and more professional every time!

Mike

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Marianne January 25, 2008 9:43 am

Great episode Marc – a couple of questions though.

Is that Turtles figures sitting in your tool cabinet (the one with all the drill bits)? :D

I also see a European type plane but with a strange screw on top – what is that exactly? I’m European but haven’t seen that kind before.

Thanks :)

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morningwood January 25, 2008 10:04 am

Once again, Da Bomb!

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morningwood January 25, 2008 10:05 am

Hey! How do I get my own picture by my comments?

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Mattias in Durham, NC January 25, 2008 11:05 am

Looking forward to watching this episode…

Morningwood: See this post:
http://www.thewoodwhisperer.co.....t-avatars/

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Stephen January 25, 2008 11:36 am

Great episode, but have to say Go Pats :)

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Jason January 25, 2008 12:44 pm

Great episode Marc! Hey I got a question about the time you devoted to the grain direction and tear out from the router. What is the difference between what you were talking about and say routing around a table top on the end grain sides of the top? I always just went around the top, should I be doing something different?

Thanks,

Jason

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Kip from Nothern Illinois January 25, 2008 12:51 pm

Marc and Nicole,

As always very well produced Episode.

I agree with everyone else about the spindle sander reducing the amount of wood the router had to cut as inspiring Very insightfull. I never would of thought of that on my own.

Using a shaper however might have an advantage. For this job you would be using a bearing with different sized guide rings mounted ontop of a rebate (rabbit) cutter head, instead of the bearing on the flush cut router bit. This allows you to adjust the depth of cut and work up to an actual flush cut to the template. My set of collars came in icrements of 5 mm (obviously a European set). This is about 1/6″ or .020″ per cut. Irealize the sander could bring it in closer.

I just wanted everyone to know a shaper isn’t the wood hog it is percieved to be. I think the large mass of the cutter head actually reduces chatter wich would reduce chipping., The cutters have 3 and some four cutters which leaves a smooth surface while maintaining reasonable feed rates.

Hope this makes sense!

Thanks again for another professional Episode, Your best yet!!

Kip

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Austin Dienner January 25, 2008 1:40 pm

great show.
I like the new hand tool wall

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alexander January 25, 2008 4:15 pm

i like the episode. It is time, like i said way before: Get rid of your 7518! Put in the OF2000 or OF2200. That porter-cable you own can be dangerous.

The camera work and clarity are the best on the web, guaranteed!

thanks again for the show!!!…

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Rusty January 25, 2008 6:08 pm

Great episode! I can’t wait to see the finished product!

Just a thought on your routing-against-the-grain issue. Why not skip the danger zones on the first pass, flip the workpiece over, stick your template to the other side, now clean up the danger zones with the grain feeding in the correct direction?

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thewoodwhisperer January 25, 2008 6:33 pm

I would if I could Alexander! :)

Rusty. I guess the only reason I wouldn’t do that is laziness. Its a real pain working with that double stick tape. With the proper precautions, you shouldn’t have to resort to something like that. But if you were real nervous about it, that could certainly be a reasonable option. Good idea!

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Austin Dienner January 25, 2008 6:55 pm

If you skipped the danger zones like rusty said, could you switch bits to one with the bearing on the other end and then run the piece w/ the template against the table?

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thewoodwhisperer January 25, 2008 7:03 pm

Sure could!

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Ron January 25, 2008 9:59 pm

I found a 1/2″ router bit at Woodworkers Source that had a slight spiral to it, not a straight hunk of carbide and not a true spiral either. A good two inches high and did wonders on some 8/4 mahogany (I used a circle jig so the bearing was not needed).

While thrilled with the small angle the cutter presented to the wood I’ve found in my limited experience that 1/2″ collets grip better than 1/4″ – and that plunge routers don’t make that good of a table router choice.

So you might want to try the larger bits next time to control suspected drift in the height that you mentioned. Unless you have a preference for the 1/4″ you could share with us.

Less “dancing” Nichole and more working Nichole. She could ask you questions; e.g. “Why are you using the spindle sander there instead of the router?”, “Why aren’t you making more money?”. OK, maybe too realistic. :p

Nice progress – going to be a looker. :bow:

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thewoodwhisperer January 25, 2008 10:06 pm

Hey Ron. Thanks for the tips. I almost never use a 1/4″ bit unless I have no other choice. This particular bit was indeed 1/2″ shaft. I suspect the reason it started slipping was because the router is a little old. And I am not the first owner. So I think its time to just order a new collet. But I agree about the stability of 1/2″ bits.

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- Sherman June 16, 2009 11:32 am
  
  Marc,
  
  A number of years ago I built a router table from Mark Sommerfield. One of the tricks in his instructional video was not to let the router bit bottom out in the collet before tightening down. The collet is built to pull the bit down as it gets tighter. He recommended putting a small bit of foam rubber or other material that would hold the bit off the bottom but still compress as the collet is pulled tight.
  
  Reply
Brian January 25, 2008 10:29 pm

From what I’ve read a shaper would’ve made this a lot safer. In a shaper you can reverse the direction of the motor. So you would cut as much as you could in one direction. Then, reverse the motor direction and feed in the opposite direction in the other spots so you are always going in the proper direction.

Keep up the good work Marc! Looking forward to seeing the rest of the series

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Vic January 25, 2008 11:23 pm

Just an FYI, I have the Bench Dog router lift for the PC7518….Love it!
Oh and I have a scary story. I was doing template work, without a table, on the pergola tails ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/s.....538090123/ ). I slipped when I had a two inch pattern bit in the router..running. They explode! After I changed my britches, I chucked up another pattern bit and proceeded with much more caution.

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BarryO January 26, 2008 12:46 am

Hey, Marc,

You just need to get a hot lady dentist. Makes those trips seem not quite as bad, like they do when it’s some old coot. ;) And Nicole won’t bug you as much about going, either.

And don’t forget the Nitrous …

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Art Mulder January 26, 2008 3:23 pm

Hey Mark, looks like this’ll be a great table when done. I think the new design/curve for the legs is better.

One question.. I found the video on the home page to be very choppy. Did you cut the frame rate when encoding this episode? Or is it maybe my system/network…

…art

ps: Floss. ;-)

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alexander January 26, 2008 9:48 pm

If you could you would. NICE.LOL Why is that marc?

lates

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Bas February 1, 2008 10:57 am

Hey Marc – on the laziness aspect, not sure who it was but I saw someone route a piece that had the template both on the top and the bottom. Sure, you have to duplicate the template first, but after that you can flip top to bottom easily.

(Oh, and if you’re going to include slow-motion video of Nicole, there has to be at least one gratuitous hair-toss shot. Perhaps you can rig the cyclone to blow air for extra effect)

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john mc dwyer March 2, 2009 6:14 pm

please please could you make a video on shaper set up and operation cabinet doors etc. i have all these cutting heads and its hard to figure out they proper placement and spacing.
i like your work and would love for you to show me the proper operation and set up
john

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- thewoodwhisperer March 2, 2009 6:17 pm
  
  Would love to John. But I don’t actually have a shaper. If I ever find a realistic way of getting this information documented in video, I most certainly will.
  
  Reply
Tom April 20, 2009 8:12 pm

Hi,
I have watched all of your episodes up to this number so far.
Now,I noticed on your danger zones that if you put a piece of ply on both sides, marked the grain line with a sharpie on the ply, then flipped the piece over to get the grain from the other side/direction, you won’t have to fight the problem.

Does this make sense?
Tom

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- thewoodwhisperer April 20, 2009 8:45 pm
  
  Makes sense, but you would need a second template to do it. Not that big of a deal to make another one. But the real tricky part would be getting both templates aligned perfectly so that when you flip it over, you don’t have a slight variance.
  
  Reply
Stephane D February 14, 2011 11:44 am

Last week, I had the same problem with my router and grain direction. I should have watch this video.

Thank’s

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Jay February 12, 2012 8:40 pm

Marc,

What is causing the sparks around the 5:15 time when you’re at the bandsaw?

Jay

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer February 13, 2012 8:01 am
  
  most likely the blade making contact with the bearing or guide.
  
  Reply
  - Jay February 13, 2012 8:48 am
    
    Yikes! I’ve never had sparks but am wondering if it’s the larger bandsaw that you have or that wide blade…
    
    Thanks for the reply. If you have more thoughts please also feel free to email me in lieu of replying here.
    
    Reply

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39 – Sculpted End Table (3 of 6)

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