Has anyone routed with a mitre cutter?

[Mark.R]

I had one of those days today in the workshop! You know when you got it all planned the night before regarding how much you got to do and get held up on something thats giving you grief!

I have had a CMT mitre cutter for my router table for a while. Its a pretty big chunk of metal, and I just cannot get the knack of using it. As the widest diameter of the cutter is to large to offer much height adjustment on the router table, I find I have to make a false table to lift the workpiece. This does not really facilitate in a happy ending! :?

My question is, how do you find this type of cutter? If you use it and find no problem in using it, or know of any web site with pictures illustrating how to use, then please let me know?

 

[Richard Findley]

Hi Mark,

I'm not sure I entirely understand your problem? Surely if you need to run your workpiece on a false table it should be possible (and indeed easier) to lower the cutter? The other option would be to bring the fence forward, showing less of the cutter to the wood.

I have done this using 6mm MDF in a single pass, much bigger and you'd probably need to take a couple of passes to achieve the mitre.

My set up when I use a Mitrelock cutter is this:

I use a sacrificial fence and cut through it with the cutter so the work is 100% supported all through the cut. The MDF base was used to cover the large hole near the cutter as with this cutter I needed to remove one of the rings on the insert:

I hope this is of some help to you.

Cheers

Richard

 

[ByronBlack]

Ideally, your router mounting plate would have removable discs to accomodate wide diamater bits, and your fence would have sacrificial fences.

However, if you mounting plate only allows you to place the bit above it with limited adjustment, the easiest thing to do would get several pieces of thin hardboard, and use them as shims on the router table - cut a hole wider than the diamter of the bit, and stack these together on your router-table.

Now, when you route, after each pass through you simply remove one layer of hardboard, make another pass and so on.

Edit: beaten to the punch

 

[Templatetom]

Not a cutter I use regularly but only last week I had the opportunity to demostrate it's potential when I was asked to assist someone insert a joint where the rail was meeting the corner of the square leg and it was necessary to use the cutter on the end of the rail. I used the router in the plunge mode where I could control the depth of cut in small stages
[url=http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww270/Template-Tom/Dining%20room%20table/?action=view&current=PICT0181S.jpg]http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww27 ... T0181S.jpg[/url]

[url=http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww270/Template-Tom/Dining%20room%20table/?action=view&current=Diningroomtables.jpg]http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww27 ... tables.jpg[/url]


[url=http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww270/Template-Tom/Dining%20room%20table/?action=view&current=PICT0215s.jpg]http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww27 ... T0215s.jpg[/url]

Also I decided to use a 'Floating Tenon' for the joint
Tom

 

[L Harding]

Not a cutter I use regularly but only last week I had the opportunity to demostrate it's potential when I was asked to assist someone insert a joint where the rail was meeting the corner of the square leg and it was necessary to use the cutter on the end of the rail. I used the router in the plunge mode where I could control the depth of cut in small stages
[url=http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww270/Template-Tom/Dining%20room%20table/?action=view&current=PICT0181S.jpg]http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww27 ... T0181S.jpg[/url]

[url=http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww270/Template-Tom/Dining%20room%20table/?action=view&current=Diningroomtables.jpg]http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww27 ... tables.jpg[/url]


[url=http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww270/Template-Tom/Dining%20room%20table/?action=view&current=PICT0215s.jpg]http://s726.photobucket.com/albums/ww27 ... T0215s.jpg[/url]

Also I decided to use a 'Floating Tenon' for the joint
Tom[/quote]

 

[9fingers]

Not a cutter I use regularly but only last week I had the opportunity to demostrate it's potential when I was asked to assist someone insert a joint where the rail was meeting the corner of the square leg and it was necessary to use the cutter on the end of the rail. I used the router in the plunge mode where I could control the depth of cut in small stages

Also I decided to use a 'Floating Tenon' for the joint
Tom

Image tags fixed
Bob

 

[Mark.R]

Thank you for your replies. One problem I have is not much flexibility with my Trend router table. As mentioned, i have the aperture for the router at its widest and it is still of a narrower diameter than that of the actual cutter. This restricts my ability to adjust the height of the cutter.

Talking of which, I wish the manufacturers of router bits would manufacture them with an extra 10mm on the shanks!

Richard, thanks for the pictures. This helps, and I will have to get a proper set up to attach to my table. :wink:

All the best.

Mark.r

 

[Templatetom]

Many thanks Bob for fixing the tags
Tom

 

[devonwoody]

When I use my mitre bit in the router table I am only happy using it along the grain of timber.
(If going across I use the table saw.)
Cross grain routering needs even pressure and no gaps for the timber to slide into.