Routers and Router Tables (AW): How to Choose and Use the Most Versatile Power Tool in the Workshop (Tool Smarts) - Softcover

ROUTERS AND ROUTER TABLES, from the editors of American Woodworker magazine, offers practical advice on how to choose and use the most versatile power tool in the shop. Fully illustrated, the book offers buying advice for identifying the router that best suits your needs. It also includes plans for building four router tables and routing workstations, a router lift and several auxiliary fences for special operations, such as producing raised panels and jointing edges. Dozens of shop-tested tips and router table add-ons are included, along with a special section on producing sliding dovetail joints. If you are new to woodworking you will want this book. If you are an experienced woodworker you will want this book. If you are about to buy a new router you will want this book. In this writer's opinion there is only one expert at using the router and that is Patrick Spielman and sadly Patrick is no longer with us. This book is the next best thing. There are many woodworkers involved with the publishing of this book and American Woodworker/Fox Chapel has chosen the best. The book starts with the basics like choosing a router like fixed or plunge base tools and covers trim routers as well. This section looks into router lifts and tables. Further on into the book you will find great plans and ideas for building your own router table along with a router lift. Router bit storage is nicely covered as is the proper selection of bits for plunge work. Raised panel work is covered as is template routing. There are excellent tips to be found on page 130 and you will want to read about joining wood with the router on page 172. This book will be a constant reference for you in your woodshop!

This title offers everything you wanted to know about choosing a router, making a router table, using a router to shape wood and making joints using a router. Mounted in a table with a fence, the shop router becomes as versatile as a shaper and it's a whole lot cheaper. Along with shop test buying advice, this book includes complete plans for four complete router tables and routing work stations, plus dozens of proven, photo illustrated shop tips and router table add-ons. It also includes a special section on amazing sliding dovetail joints, which can only be made on the router table.