Simple router lathe for round legs

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colinc

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As a bit of an experiment, I built a crude router lathe to see if it was practical to make both accurate tapers and long straight section. So far, so good.
 

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Cool!
I have a hankering to do this with a table saw - pretty much the same jig, I think. I have also (YouTube) seen it done with a bandsaw. Which one is best, most consistent etc, I have no idea. I do known that the router looks like the scarier option .
 
Trainee neophyte":2gp9qpc8 said:
Cool!
I have a hankering to do this with a table saw - pretty much the same jig, I think. I have also (YouTube) seen it done with a bandsaw. Which one is best, most consistent etc, I have no idea. I do known that the router looks like the scarier option .

The table saw is by far the scarier and incorrect choice. A table saw blade is not designed to be laterally loaded and also has much higher energy in the rotating mass than a router. So if it goes wrong on a table saw then its going very badly wrong.

I suspect the main reason you see the router as scarier is because its hand held? The answer to that is to build your jig over a router table. As a comparison - would you be comfortable doing this with a hand held circular saw? I would seriously hope not.
 
#-o
Brandlin":1u9tcniq said:
Trainee neophyte":1u9tcniq said:
Cool!
I have a hankering to do this with a table saw - pretty much the same jig, I think. I have also (YouTube) seen it done with a bandsaw. Which one is best, most consistent etc, I have no idea. I do known that the router looks like the scarier option .

The table saw is by far the scarier and incorrect choice. A table saw blade is not designed to be laterally loaded and also has much higher energy in the rotating mass than a router. So if it goes wrong on a table saw then its going very badly wrong.

I suspect the main reason you see the router as scarier is because its hand held? The answer to that is to build your jig over a router table. As a comparison - would you be comfortable doing this with a hand held circular saw? I would seriously hope not.
Thanks for the advice - my router is basically uncontrollable, as far as I can see. It all goes brilliantly well for most of the cut, and then just when I think all is perfect, it leaps off in a random direction, occasionally towards my trouser area. It may just be I have a possessed Makita. The thing I like best about the table saw is everything happens over there, whereas the router happens next to my belly button. A router table would solve this.

Seriously, I almost never use the router, so I never get any practice, so I never use it. It's a 50/50 chance of destroying my workpiece, so it only comes out when there is no other way. If I spent a couple of days routing endless scrap to practice, I dare say I could get competent. Must, absolutely must build a router table. Unfortunately, there's quite a lot on the "must" list.
 
Trainee neophyte":31z0654d said:
(...) my router is basically uncontrollable, as far as I can see. It all goes brilliantly well for most of the cut, and then just when I think all is perfect, it leaps off in a random direction, occasionally towards my trouser area. It may just be I have a possessed Makita. The thing I like best about the table saw is everything happens over there, whereas the router happens next to my belly button.

Sounds to me as though tyou are routing in the wrong direction - known as climb cutting - and the router is pulling away from the cut. In table saw terms that would be the equivalent of feeding wood through the blade from the back of the table to the front - sure it will cut (assuming you've been an silly person and removed, riving knives and guards - which you would probably have to do to use the saw a s a lathe as you suggest), but it will be barely controllable and pretty freaking dangerous. I'm sure you wouldn't try that.

You may feel as if the table saw blade is 'over there' but if you apply lateral load to a circular saw blade, and it flexes, grips and bites in the wood then that heavy spinning plate of death will be propelling wood (or itself) 'over here' faster than you can fill out the Hospital admission papers.

The basic physics of spinning objects means a router is a significantly safer item than a circular saw. And a router in a table safer than a table saw. Its entirely possible to make both very safe to use - but that means knowing how to use them. For a router this means understanding the direction of spin of the cutter and feeding the material to avoid climb cutting... and on a router table, not 'trapping' the stock between cutter and fence...
 
Hi,

My router just sits there on that jig making shavings with no untoward tendencies. I am using a bottom cutting bit and the surface finish is pretty good

Sorry to say, but I wonder if your technique is the issue? You might find it worth attending one of the available courses as your router should be your flexible friend. I have to admit to owning six routers of various sizes and a variety of jigs.

If you are anywhere near Derbyshire I would be happy to discuss and demonstrate.

Regards,

Colin
 
colinc":13grfomu said:
Hi,

My router just sits there on that jig making shavings with no untoward tendencies. I am using a bottom cutting bit and the surface finish is pretty good

Sorry to say, but I wonder if your technique is the issue? You might find it worth attending one of the available courses as your router should be your flexible friend. I have to admit to owning six routers of various sizes and a variety of jigs.

If you are anywhere near Derbyshire I would be happy to discuss and demonstrate.

Regards,

Colin

That's a very kind offer Colin. If only I were close enough to take you up on it. If you ever happen to be passing through the Peloponnese, on the other hand...I have tea, and or cider.

I have only recently learned there is a right and wrong direction for a router cut (I picked my user name for a reason), and all my router problems are almost certainly user error - at least I know this fact well enough to be circumspect. I have a router job coming up soon (windows need fixing #-o ), so I will put in some serious practice and some serious study for that. Of all my kit, the router is the thing I am least confident with, and know the least about. Hence not wanting to use it much.
 
I may yet take you up on that.

Thing is, you have a support network here with people much more experienced than I sharing their knowledge. Do use it, ask questions or explain what you want to do and ask for advice before you turn the machine on.

Just because you are a distance away doesn’t mean we can’t use thing like messenger to chat live and help each other.

Regards,

Colin
 
That is ingenious. Presumably you achieve the taper by inclining the rotating work piece?

I recall seeing Tom Thackray at the Harrogate woodworking show using a Trapping Plane to make tapered spindles and a crowd gathering as it was mesmerising to watch.
 
I have only recently learned there is a right and wrong direction for a router cut (I picked my user name for a reason), and all my router problems are almost certainly user error - at least I know this fact well enough to be circumspect. I have a router job coming up soon (windows need fixing #-o ), so I will put in some serious practice and some serious study for that. Of all my kit, the router is the thing I am least confident with, and know the least about. Hence not wanting to use it much.

I have 5 routers, 3 of them makita.
I use the large makita solely in the router table (its been in the dark for 5 years now) and do a large amount of work with it. I actively seek ways to use the router table where other more skilled woodworkers would use hand tools.
I have a small bosch on a sled for flattening, and this is a first class way of learning which direction to cut in. Even when only removing a couple mm across the surface, if I move in the wrong direction it takes control of that large lump of mdf sled and goes haring off across the wood in all directions and manages to cut even deeper than its set to as it tries to dig through to australia. Cut in the correct direction, and its as gentle a a new born.
I have a powerplus (not recommended by the way) fitted to a circle cutting jig. I dont use that very often, but if you need circles or rings, theres nothing finer.
The 2 small makitas are used as roundover tools. each is permanently fitted with a different sized roundover bit. When I made the adirondak chairs with 20 plus planks of wood on each, it was so simple to whizz round every edge of each plank.

Move the router table to the top of the "round tuit" list :lol: 8)
 
My ineptitude has taken over the thread somewhat - apologies for that. More on topic, I found a nice video of doing it with hand tools: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CcdGuvczxgo - Mr Harry Rogers makes a rounding plane.

Router table is already on the list, and I will need it for the window repair, so next few weeks, probably.
 
colinc":1oomscax said:
I may yet take you up on that.

Thing is, you have a support network here with people much more experienced than I sharing their knowledge. Do use it, ask questions or explain what you want to do and ask for advice before you turn the machine on.

Just because you are a distance away doesn’t mean we can’t use thing like messenger to chat live and help each other.

Regards,

Colin

And once again, I am astonished at the generosity of members of this forum, willing to lend time, effort and sometimes equipment, to complete strangers on the internet. Above and beyond, and much appreciated. If I run into "challenges", I may well take you up on that offer of assistance.
 
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