Router +/- table?

[twodoctors]

Hi all,

Going back to the original reason for getting back to woodworking, I am trying to make myself a target pistol grip... which essentially is a grip for a pistol with lots of contouring etc. A bit like what you would see in the Olympic.

With all the power tools that I've acquired, things are going a bit smoother than when I was wrestling with the handtools. However I am stuck again, trying to gouge out gaps within the piece for my fingers (the stage where a larger amount of material is removed before contouring with file/sanders. The thing don't think I can get a clean channel without using a router.

Router are not that expensive. The bits for it are though! What I would like to know is whether I need a router table as well. I am guessing I do as the piece I'm working with is not big (~120 x 70-ish), and the whatever jig the router has got won't workin in such small piece.

What kind of table should I look for. Any other tips?

Adrian

 

[Petey83]

Steyr, Morini, FWB or Walther??

I would have thought a dremel (or other rotary tool) with a sanding drum would be a better tool for this or failing that a set of sanding drums from screwfix for a few quid that can be chucked up in a cordless drill.

If you go the router route then yea I would suspect you will probably need a table unless you can come up with some sort of jig - maybe something like I have seen guys use to inlet rifle actions into stocks but i suspect this will be hit and miss.

If i am honest I think you are more likely to destroy the work piece or injure yourself using a router - table or no table.

If it were me and I was doing it for the first time I would look to a decent set of rasps and profile by hand - far more forgiving than any power tool and not as slow as you would think.

 

[twodoctors]

Browning Buckmark. I shoot Gallery Rifle... so not quite target shape but that's the aim.

I do have rasp and file and that's what I started with. Very laborious work and the v1 and 2 wasn't much to write home about. On my last 3 goes with Cherry. I tried drilling to remove some material but not much success (not damage the piece yet so I'm ok for now...

 

[MikeJhn]

Would something like this do: http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-hd ... eal-718669

Mike

 

[sunnybob]

A router is too much tool for that job. Either hand held or table mounted you'll chew through the wood in a second and then its your soft fingers into the cutter.

Get your self some FIMO modelling clay. cut the grip too small for your fingers. the put the clay on and squeeze your fingers into the clay for a perfect fit. Bake the clay in the kitchen oven and its all done.
Then, if you want, you can colour it any way you want.

These were my handguns pre 97. the yellow on the grip of the grip of the target pistol is FIMO. its available in many colours.

 

[twodoctors]

Thanks Sunnybob.

They don't sell grips for my pistol in the UK... at least I haven't found one. That's why I'm also reluctant to put stuff on it or modify it since if I mess up that would be it. I guess I'm trying to get a smiliar effect as what you did with your target pistol. I shoot Gallery Rifle and many comps require offhand shooting, so as much as I want to I can't make a proper target grip. I need a bit more material at the heel like yours, especially with the heavy 12" barrel. v2 had a big heel, but the overall shape didn't feel right. Plus it was made in Oak from B&Q, which chips a lot. My wood man said the B&Q ones are over kilned and are too dry so prone to chipping. Also much more expensive!

I shall go back to the rasp and file and finish it that way. At least I have a bandsaw and sander now so I can remove the excess a bit quicker for certain bits. What I really need is a bobbin sander... I have bought the drill-attached sanding drum from Screwfix already, but I think it's only 80grit so will take a while to remove the material.

Still need a router at some point... ;-D

Adrian

 

[lurker]

Adrian,

Bob is right. The chances of a F.U. are greatly enhanced by using a router
Just work it by hand, as I think you have concluded.

However don't let that stop you buying a router. :lol:
Many here have been buying a cheap trim router; have a look for recent posts.

 

[MikeJhn]

For a bobbin sander this is a bargain: http://www.justoffbase.co.uk/Oscillatin ... GwodDP4IeQ transformed my way of working.

Mike

 

[twodoctors]

For a bobbin sander this is a bargain: http://www.justoffbase.co.uk/Oscillatin ... GwodDP4IeQ transformed my way of working.

Mike

I have been looking at something like that. A basic bobbin sander is about £140. This one looks good... but I'm looking at the secondhand market only for now. I'm known to have shorter attention span, but woodworking is something I've always liked. If I can get good results with my work I'm sure I'll stay longer. :-D

Adrian

 

[marcros]

I shall go back to the rasp and file and finish it that way. At least I have a bandsaw and sander now so I can remove the excess a bit quicker for certain bits. What I really need is a bobbin sander... I have bought the drill-attached sanding drum from Screwfix already, but I think it's only 80grit so will take a while to remove the material.

Still need a router at some point... ;-D

Adrian

Have you got a decent rasp? I have a cheap, but hand stitched one and it is very quick at stock removal. https://www.dictum.com/en/tools/woodwor ... -cut-rasps (I have a couple of the Hattori ones)

 

[novocaine]

make a sled for your bandsaw so you can hold the grip in different planes and you can do most of your contouring on the bandsaw, then finish using rasp and files.
having done it by hand for a rohm and a gamo I can see why you'd want to do it with power tools. easy to get it very very wrong, very very quickly though.

and as Bob has done with fimo, I used a modelling clay that air set (no need to bake) to do 1 of them as well, worked a treat, till I broke a finger and it was too tight.

shame both are now gone. still got the winrack though.

 

[lurker]

For a bobbin sander this is a bargain: http://www.justoffbase.co.uk/Oscillatin ... GwodDP4IeQ transformed my way of working.

Mike

Does it kick up a dust ?

 

[MikeJhn]

It has a dust extraction port at the side to take any dust that falls down into the machine, but will not take away any airborne dust off the side of the bobbin or belt, I have addressed this with a vacuum hose attached to the back of the table.

Mike

 

[Neil S]

How about the microplanes that Axminster sell?
I've not actually used one but they look like they might be useful for hand shaping.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/microplane-h ... s-ax830559

-Neil

 

[twodoctors]

Thanks for all the above suggestions.

While looking at Belt Sander (thought it might be cheaper than getting a table one as I already have a 305mm sander), I came across the B&D PowerFile.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Decker-3 ... B000XSP72K

Which is obviously cheaper than a table top machine. Probably will do what I wanted it to do, and probably do this job ok. There's also an attachment for it so that it can work like a table belt sander where there's a bit of flex (which I guess is not achievable with a big belt sander.

https://www.partshopdirect.co.uk/black- ... p90524082/
http://www.2helpu.com/PDMSDocuments/EU/ ... 00E_UK.pdf (p4 of the manual)

There's a Clarke version which is surprisingly more expensive.

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke- ... ower-file/

But the arm does bend. Not sure how useful that feature is for me.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-247 ... AY2A5EK9HX

Silverline is a bit cheaper still, same as the Clarke ones in fact. With the extra attachment on the B&D I should be able to do outside curve as well which I don't think I can manage with normal handheld belt sander either.

I think I'm going to get it from Amazon and have a look. Worst case scenario I'll return it (unused) if it doesn't suit my needs. A bit cheaper from third party via amazon but I'll pay the extra £4 for the peace of mind.

Will report back.

Adrian

 

[novocaine]

I have an air driven belt sander, it's great, but a very specilised tool that really doesn't get used much. I use it when cleaning welds and the such like. fixed head, but because it's air driven it's tiny and can get in to lots of hard to reach places a grinder cant.

if you've got a compressor already, then go pneumatic, I think ALDI had them on sale recently.

 

[twodoctors]

It's official. Black & Decker KA900E is amazing.

Narrow like a normal file. With the 60 Grit belt it takes material off as quickly as a rasp, but without using much elbow grease. Not tried the other grit yet but it will do the job I need to do. I'm sure the finer grit will be used for finer sculpting etc when the time comes.

For £43.19, it's bloody amazing. I may not have bought the other power tools and got back into wood working if I have found this earlier. :-O

Adrian

 

[pcb1962]

It's official. Black & Decker KA900E is amazing.

Narrow like a normal file. With the 60 Grit belt it takes material off as quickly as a rasp, but without using much elbow grease. Not tried the other grit yet but it will do the job I need to do. I'm sure the finer grit will be used for finer sculpting etc when the time comes.

I have the Makita version of that tool. Guaranteed to destroy anything it touches. It's a very very rare occasion when it appears to be the right tool for a job, and even then it invariably isn't.