Trimming lippings with a router

[BradNaylor]

I use a lot of veneered MDF in my work and always lip the edges with a decent chunk of solid wood.

Trimming these lippings flush with the surface of the board always used to be a problem; and talking with other cabinetmakers it still is for many. Sanding is a nightmare as one slip and you can sand right through the paper-thin veneer and ruin a piece.

I thought I'd share my solution - I have been using it for over a uear now without a hitch. I'm sure others have come up with the same idea but this is for those who haven't!

Install a straight cutter of around 20mm dia in a router and bolt a piece of MDF or MFC to the base like this
http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg15 ... router.jpg

Then set the bootom of the cutter exacly flush with the bottom of the false base by pressing the router down on a flat surface such as the bed of a planer - with the router turned off!

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg15 ... Cutter.jpg

Glue a lipping to a board allowing a step of a couple of mm - no need to clean up the glue.

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg15 ... dBoard.jpg

In a couple of passes with the router remove the step. A much better finish and no break-out is achieved by climb cutting ie working with the direction of the cutter.

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg15 ... outing.jpg

A quick sand with a fine grit and you will get perfect results in seconds every time!

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg15 ... Sanded.jpg

I now keep a router permanantly set up for this job - it works just as well as an expensive lipping trimmer for a fraction of the cost.

Cheers
Dan

 

[woodbloke]

Dan - great idea, the thinness of veneer is truly eyewatering at only .6mm so as you say, one slip with a plane and you're thru' it . I don't do enough of that sort of work to warrant keeping a machine set up permanently so use a very finely set smoother to do the same job but I need to go very carefully with it - Rob

 

[BradNaylor]

I use a very finely set smoother to do the same job but I need to go very carefully with it - Rob

I've not used a plane for this job since a well-known supposedly skilled woodworker took it upon himself to show me how to do it with his very nice LN smoother.

He immediatley flayed a piece of work of its veneer and consigned a full day's work to the scrap bin!

I came up with the router method shortly afterwards and haven't looked back!

 

[tim]

Dan

Thats a good idea - my tweak on it would be to make the support panel deeper to reduce tipping potential esp when the router is connected to a hose, which in my experience only catches at the critical moment :roll: .

Cheers

Tim

 

[motownmartin]

I had to trim some lipping yesterday but used a trim cutter, it wasn't easy to keep the router square along the edge of the worktop.

Shall try this method next time, thanks Dan

 

[lemonjeff]

Dan,
Thanks for passing on this tip, it's gonna come in very useful in the future.

Jeff.

 

[BradNaylor]

Dan

Thats a good idea - my tweak on it would be to make the support panel deeper to reduce tipping potential esp when the router is connected to a hose, which in my experience only catches at the critical moment :roll: .

Cheers

Tim

You're quite right, Tim.

I have several bases that I can bolt to the router; the one in the photos was made for a job where I was lipping shelves back and front - the base had to fit between them.

If I'm lipping big panels I'll use a bigger base to give more support. If I'm lipping round 3 or 4 sides of a panel I'll use a 'V' shaped base to enable me to get into the corner with the router.

Try it and see.

Cheers
Dan

 

[Karl]

Nice idea Dan.

Out of interest, what depth lippings do you normally use?

Cheers

Karl

 

[BradNaylor]

Nice idea Dan.

Out of interest, what depth lippings do you normally use?

Cheers

Karl

It depends on what I've got to hand, but generally about 20-30mm. I like a nice chunky lipping as this really gives a piece the appearance of being made out of solid wood.

It is also a lot easier to get a good even glue joint with a heavy lipping. Also, you can mould the edge as if it were solid wood.

I don't use veneered MDF because it is cheaper. I use it because it is better than solid wood in many situations. This is what I tell my clients. By the time I have finished working with it though, few of them can tell where the MDF ends and the solid wood begins.

Oh, and it's a bit cheaper! :wink:

Cheers
Dan

 

[Mr T]

Another option is to use the router table. Clamp a sheet of mdf to the table leaving a gap of about 25mm from the fence and bring the cutter up to the level of the top of the mdf, then feed the lipped board over the mdf with the lip sitting in the gap. This is quicker as it saves having to clamp boards to the bench to use a hand held router.

 

[ivan]

I do the same, but with a Wealden surface trim bit that has radiused corners, which are less likely to leave a surface mark (?). I rigged up a purpose made base for this job about 250mm long, reinforced with some thick ali angle (without router could flex by a few thou). There's a knob big enough to lean on at the inboard end and an adjustable fence at the other. I thought the fence would help climb cutting with the large diam. trim bit.

Usually edge around 5mm or 15 - 20 if a wearing surface. 19mm car heater hose (about £1.50 /m) makes a good cramping cushion especially for the thinner stuff, and you can blow it up to 75psi* quite safely if you want to add some extra pressure or make a cheapskate air clamp (tap in wedge, open air tap, bingo)

* rated 150psi

 

[BradNaylor]

Another option is to use the router table. Clamp a sheet of mdf to the table leaving a gap of about 25mm from the fence and bring the cutter up to the level of the top of the mdf, then feed the lipped board over the mdf with the lip sitting in the gap. This is quicker as it saves having to clamp boards to the bench to use a hand held router.

If I've got a lot of smallish pieces to do I'll set up somthing similar on the spindle moulder and whizz them through. Doing big pieces like that is awkward however, and I find myself using the hand-held method 90% of the time.

As far as clamping boards to the bench is concerened - I don't. I just use that foamy plastic mesh stuff they sell for stopping rugs moving around on polished floors.

Cheers
Dan

 

[OPJ]

That's a very good idea.

I've seen something very similar on one of Jeremy Broun's DVDs for routing, where he used a scrap of MDF to trim the pins flush on a through dovetail joint. But, you're is fixed to the router - smart thinking.

 

[orangetlh]

One of those Duh why didnt i think of that ideas! We use a pad sander for doing the same job which requires expert working! have lost count of how many doors and panels have gone in the bin after sanding through,

 

[Steve Maskery]

I use a V-base like Dan describes, but I do like Ivan's idea of a radiused cutter. The one thing that you do need for this application is a cutter with good bottom cut.

Talking of bottom cut, where's my ointment?
S

 

[Racers]

Hi,

I have used a plane then a cabinet scraper in the past with very good results but the router idea looks good, but I would space the bit off with a sheet or two of paper then a scraper to finish off, I guess I am a chicken


Hey Steve you wern't using one of these where you http://www.dick.biz/cgi-bin/dick.storef ... iew/710039

Pete

 

[Steve Maskery]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Reminds me of the joke about the guy who bought a toilet brush but decided to go back to using paper instead.

S