For full-fledged work with a manual router, in addition to the tool itself, the material and the corresponding set of cutters, it is necessary to have one more component - fixtures. In order for the cutter to form the workpiece in accordance with the master's intent - cutting the material exactly where it is required - it must be in a strictly defined position relative to the workpiece at any given time. To ensure this, numerous devices for a manual milling cutter serve. Some of them - the most necessary ones - are included in the instrument delivery set. Other milling devices are purchased or made by hand. At the same time, home-made devices are so simple that for their manufacture you can do without drawings, using only their drawings.

Parallel stop

The most used device, which comes with the kit for almost every router, is a parallel stop, which ensures the rectilinear movement of the cutter relative to the base surface. The latter can be a straight edge of a workpiece, a table or a guide rail. The parallel stop can be used both for milling various grooves located on the face of the workpiece, and for processing edges.

Parallel stop for a manual router: 1 - stop, 2 - rod, 3 - router base, 4 - rod stop screw, 5 - fine adjustment screw, 6 - movable carriage, 7 - movable carriage stop screw, 8 - pads, 9 - screw stop stop.

To set the device in working position, it is necessary to push the rods 2 into the holes of the frame 3, providing the necessary distance between the support surface of the stop and the axis of the cutter, and fix them with the locking screw 4. For precise positioning of the cutter, you need to release the locking screw 9 and turn the fine adjustment screw 5 set the cutter to the desired position. For some models of the stop, the dimensions of the supporting surface can be changed by shifting or expanding the support pads 8.

If one simple part is added to the parallel stop, then with its help it is possible to mill not only straight, but also curved grooves, for example, to process a round workpiece. Moreover, the inner surface of the bar located between the stop and the workpiece does not have to have a rounded shape, repeating the edge of the workpiece. It can also be given a simpler form (Figure "a"). In this case, the trajectory of the cutter will not change.

Of course, the usual parallel stop, thanks to the recess in the center, will allow you to orient the router along the rounded edge, however, the position of the router may not be stable enough.

The guide bar is similar in function to the rip fence. Like the latter, it provides a strictly rectilinear movement of the router. The main difference between them is that the bar can be set at any angle to the edge of the workpiece or table, thus providing any direction of movement of the router in the horizontal plane. In addition, the tire may have elements that simplify the performance of certain operations, for example, milling holes located at the same distance from each other (with a certain step), etc.

The guide rail is attached to the table or workpiece with clamps or special clamps. The tire can be equipped with an adapter (shoe), which is connected to the base of the router with two rods. Sliding along the profile of the tire, the adapter sets the rectilinear movement of the cutter.

Sometimes (if the distance of the tire from the router is too close), the bearing surfaces of the tire and the router may be in different planes in height. To align them, some routers are equipped with retractable support legs that change the position of the router in height.

Such a device is easy to do with your own hands. The simplest option is a long bar fixed to the workpiece with clamps. The design can be supplemented with side stops.

By placing a bar on two or more aligned blanks at once, they can be grooved in one pass.

When using a bar as a stop, it is inconvenient to place the bar at a certain distance from the line of the future groove. This inconvenience is devoid of the following two devices. The first is made from boards and plywood fastened together. In this case, the distance from the edge of the stop (board) to the edge of the base (plywood) is equal to the distance from the cutter to the edge of the router base. But this condition is met only for a cutter of the same diameter.. Thanks to this, the device quickly aligns with the edge of the future groove.

The following fixture can be used with cutters of different diameters, plus when milling, the router rests with its entire sole, and not half, as in the previous fixture.

The stop is aligned along the edge of the hinged board and the center line of the groove. After fixing the stop, the folding board leans back, making room for the router. The width of the folding board, together with the gap between it and the stop (if any), must be equal to the distance from the center of the cutter to the edge of the router base. If you focus on the edge of the cutter and the edge of the future groove, then the device will work with only one cutter diameter.

When milling grooves across the fibers, at the exit from the workpiece, when milling an open groove, cases of wood scuffing are not uncommon. The following devices will help minimize scuffing, which press the fibers at the exit of the cutter, preventing them from chipping off the workpiece.

Two boards, strictly perpendicular, are connected with screws. Different cutters are used on different sides of the stop so that the width of the groove in the fixture matches the width of the groove of the part to be milled.

The other open slot milling fixture can be pressed tighter against the workpiece to further minimize tearing, but it only fits a single diameter cutter. It consists of two L-shaped parts connected on the workpiece with clamps.

Copy rings and templates

A copy ring is a round plate with a protruding collar that slides along the template and provides the necessary trajectory for the cutter. The copy ring is attached to the sole of the router in various ways: it is screwed into a threaded hole (such rings are in the photo below), the antennae of the ring are inserted into special holes on the sole or screwed.

The diameter of the copy ring should be as close to the diameter of the cutter as possible, but the ring should not touch the cutting parts of the cutter. If the ring diameter is larger than the cutter diameter, then the template must be smaller than the finished parts to compensate for the difference between the cutter diameter and the copy ring diameter.

The template is fixed on the workpiece with double-sided tape, then both parts are pressed with clamps to the workbench. When you have finished milling, check that the ring is pressed against the edge of the template during the entire operation.

You can make a template for processing not the entire edge, but only for rounding the corners. In this case, using the template shown below, it is possible to make roundings of four different radii.

In the figure above, a cutter with a bearing is used, but the template can also be used with a ring, only either the ring must exactly match the diameter of the cutter, or the stops should make it possible to move the template away from the edge by the difference in the radius of the cutter and the ring. This also applies to the simpler version shown below.

Templates are used not only for milling edges, but also for grooves on the plate.

The pattern can be adjustable.

Template milling is a great method for cutting grooves for hinges.

Devices for milling round and elliptical slots

Compasses are intended for the movement of a milling cutter on a circle. The simplest device of this type is a compass, consisting of one rod, one end of which is connected to the base of the router, and the other has a screw with a pin at the end, which is inserted into the hole that serves as the center of the circle along which the cutter moves. The radius of the circle is set by the displacement of the rod relative to the base of the router.

It is better, of course, that the compass was made of two rods.

In general, compasses are a very common device. There are a large number of branded and home-made devices for circumferential milling, differing in size and ease of use. As a rule, compasses have a mechanism that provides a change in the radius of the circle. Usually it is made in the form of a screw with a pin at the end, moving along the groove of the device. The pin is inserted into the center hole of the part.

When it is necessary to mill a circle of small diameter, the pin must be located under the base of the router, and for such cases other devices are used that are attached to the bottom of the base of the router.

Ensuring the movement of the cutter in a circle using a compass is quite simple. However, one often has to face the need to perform elliptical contours - when inserting mirrors or oval-shaped glasses, arranging arched-type windows or doors, etc. Device PE60 WEGOMA (Germany) is designed for milling ellipses and circles.

It is a base in the form of a plate, attached to the surface using vacuum suction cups 1 or screws, if the nature of the surface does not allow fixing with suction cups. Two shoes 2, moving along intersecting guides, ensure the movement of the router along an elliptical path. When milling a circle, only one shoe is used. The fixture kit includes two mounting rods and a bracket 3, with the help of which the router is connected to the plate. The grooves on the bracket allow you to install the router in such a way that its supporting surface and the base of the plate are in the same plane.

As you can see from the photos above, the milling cutter was used instead of a jigsaw or band saw, while, due to the high speed of the cutter, the quality of the machined surface is much higher. Also, in the absence of a manual circular saw, the router can replace it.

Devices for milling grooves on narrow surfaces

Grooves for locks and door hinges, in the absence of a milling cutter, are performed using a chisel and an electric drill. This operation - especially when making a groove for an internal lock - takes a lot of time. Having a milling cutter and a special device, it can be done several times faster. It is convenient to have such a fixture that allows milling slots of a wide range of sizes.

To make grooves in the end, you can make a simple fixture in the form of a flat base attached to the sole of the router. Its shape can be not only round (according to the shape of the base of the router), but also rectangular. On both sides of it, you need to fix the guide pins, which will ensure the rectilinear movement of the router. The main condition for their device is that their axes are in line with the center of the cutter. If this condition is provided, the groove will be located exactly in the center of the workpiece, regardless of its thickness. If it is necessary to move the groove to one side or another from the center, a bushing with a certain wall thickness must be put on one of the pins, as a result of which the groove will shift in the direction from which the pin with the bushing is located. When using a router with such a device, it must be driven in such a way that the pins are pressed on both sides to the side surfaces of the part.

If you attach a second parallel stop to the router, you will also get a device for milling grooves in the edge.

But you can do without special devices. For the stability of the milling cutter on a narrow surface, boards are fixed on both sides of the part, the surface of which should form a single plane with the surface to be machined. When milling, the router is positioned using the parallel stop.

You can make an improved version that increases the area of ​​\u200b\u200bsupport for the router.

Device for processing balusters, pillars and other bodies of revolution

The variety of work that is performed by a manual milling cutter sometimes dictates the need for independent manufacture of devices that facilitate the performance of certain operations. Branded devices are not able to cover the entire range of work, and they are quite expensive. Therefore, home-made fixtures for a router are very common among users who are fond of working with wood, and sometimes do-it-yourself fixtures either outperform branded counterparts or have no branded counterparts at all.

Sometimes there is a need to mill various grooves in the bodies of revolution. In this case, the device shown below may be useful.

The device is used for milling longitudinal grooves (flutes) on balusters, poles, etc. It consists of a body 2, a movable carriage with a milling cutter 1, a disk for setting the angle of rotation 3. The device works as follows. The baluster is placed in the body and fixed there with screws 4. Turning to the desired angle and fixing the workpiece in a strictly defined position is provided by disk 3 and locking screw 5. After fixing the part, the carriage with the router is set in motion (along the guide rails of the body), and milling a groove along the length of the workpiece. Then the product is unlocked, rotated to the required angle, locked and the next groove is made.

A similar fixture can be used instead of a lathe. The workpiece must be slowly rotated by an assistant or a simple drive, for example, from a drill or a screwdriver, and excess material is removed by a milling cutter moving along the guides.

Stud milling fixtures

Tenon cutters are used for milling the profile of tenon joints. In the manufacture of the latter, greater precision is required, which is almost impossible to provide manually. Tenoning devices allow you to quickly and easily complete the profile of even complex joints such as dovetails.

The figure below shows an industrial sample of a tenoning device for the manufacture of three types of connections - "dovetail" (deaf and through version) and through connection with a straight tenon. Two mating parts are installed in the fixture with a certain shift relative to each other, controlled by pins 1 and 2, then they are processed. The exact path of the cutter is set by the shape of the groove in the template and the copying ring of the router, which slides along the edge of the template, repeating its shape.

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There are many tools for working with a manual router. The use of a router is not limited to creating profiles and grooves on parts. This tool can also be used for cutting sheet material.

A simple circular tool for a hand router, which allows you to accurately process the edges of round wooden parts. In addition, it can be used to cut the correct round blanks from sheets of plywood, chipboard, chipboard
and MDF.

Everyone knows that sawing plywood and laminate without chipping is quite a difficult task. If at large enterprises a panel saw is used for this, then at home the cleanest edges are obtained after the cutter.
As for round blanks, in any case, you will need a milling cutter to process the edges.

The device in the photo with a small radius of work, but there is no problem here, you just need to lengthen the main part (rod. To work, you need a piece of plywood or MDF, a bolt with nuts, a wooden lamb and a few self-tapping screws.
Of the tools you need the mill itself, a screwdriver and a saw. Bolt or stud with a diameter of 6 mm. , it makes no sense to take thicker.

We mark a piece of plywood with a width of 50-60 mm. greater than the width of the platform of your router. The length of the strip is 150-170 mm. greater than the radius of the circle you need.
Here, for example, the width of the main part is 200 mm. and length 750 mm. , which will allow you to cut circles with a diameter of about 1000 mm. .

First, draw a longitudinal line in the middle of the base of the fixture. At one end, the line does not reach the end of 25-30 mm. , at the other end we outline the size of the router platform and limit the center line to 20-30 mm short. to markup.

Then, on the marked site of the router, we make holes for the mounting bolts, marking the drilling points along the holes in the sole of the router. In the center we drill a hole with a diameter of 20-30 mm. for cutter.
For a more secure fixation, it is advisable to choose a socket for the router so that the sole fits exactly into it. But this is not necessary, the router can be fixed simply on top of the plywood.

Along the central marked line, we need to go through a groove, with a width not less than the diameter of the axial bolt (stud). We pass the groove with a manual milling cutter with a 6 mm end mill. in diameter.
From the bottom side of the platform, we expand the groove and deepen it with a cutter with a diameter of 10-12 mm. so that a nut with a washer enters the quarters, and only the end of the bolt sticks out from below. We fasten another nut to a wooden lamb, however, any lamb can be.

We assemble the central axis: We wind the stud on the lamb from above, and on the other side we put the washer from below and tighten the second nut. It is desirable that the lower nut with the washer sink flush into the expanded groove.
Here, instead of a stud, a bolt with a sawn off head was used, that is, in any case, a threaded stud is needed.

At the other end of the plywood strip, we fix the router by screwing the screws from below into the holes on the tool platform. Here it is also necessary that the screw heads sink inwards. Close to topic.

When working, the end of the stud that sticks out from below will serve as the axis of the fixture. The length of the bolt must be adjusted so that it protrudes by 7-8 mm. .
We mark the center on the workpiece and drill a blind hole with a depth of 8-10 mm. . We insert the axis of the device into it and adjust the desired rod radius.
Then we tighten the lamb well so that it does not move during operation.

Photo instructables.com
The hole for the axle will then have to be sealed. To avoid problems, it is better to work on the back of the workpiece. That is, when marking and processing the edge with a milling cutter, the part should lie with the front side down. And we drill a hole not through, but deaf, so that it does not come out from the front side.

This homemade product was made and photographed by a subscriber of our group Roman Pchelintsev. It was made based on a milling compass, which was found on the Internet.

To make it, you will need a milling cutter and a jigsaw, it would be nice to have something grinding. A piece of plywood 8-10 mm thick was used as a base. In it, we first mill a longitudinal through groove (in the center) with a 5-6 mm cutter.

Then we change the cutter and expand this groove on the reverse side to a width of 12-16 mm, but by half the thickness of the workpiece.

With a pencil we form the contours of the future compass.

We remove all unnecessary. Symmetry is important here. In the process of finalization, the form was changed to a simpler one.

With the help of the dismantled sole, we mark the holes for attaching the router.

We drill them, countersink, put the router on the screws.

The same, but on the reverse side.

Then we make a slider. This is a piece of metal strip with a thickness of 4 mm., A hairpin with a diameter of 6 mm. and 5 mm piece of screw without thread. All this was planted for welding, the welding spots were sanded and painted.

This separation of the axis and the screw allows you to make a radius of up to 3 cm.

The slider is inserted into the groove on the sole of the router. Moreover, it can be deployed if necessary, which allows you to increase the radius of milling.

From above it is fixed with a lamb screw through a washer.

Another general view.

Now at work. A hole for the axle is drilled in the center of the workpiece. An axis is placed in it and, immersing the cutter in the material, a circle is milled.

The minimum diameter of the milled circles is 30 mm, the maximum diameter is 700 mm.

Now a little about the results of sea trials. What turned out to be inconvenient was the difficulty with dismantling the structure (unlike Zhukov's compass, here you have to unscrew it from the sole and put the plastic one back.), As well as the position of the router. It is desirable to deploy it on the sole by 90 degrees. - this grip will be more comfortable.