Home DIY

drill vertically straight holes

Not very deep ones, and you'd ideally need an upcut/spiral bit and they are not cheap. You can plunge straight down with a normal straight router bit but it doesn't have a nose/web so for pecking straight in it's a bit of a bodge. You can splunge straight in if you're doing slots or pockets as you then move around to clean up the spot you just plunged into. Or as I find, you kind of have to plunge down and start moving at the same time or because of the dull centre, it won't go any further.

I'm still a fan of my trim router, that came with a plunge base as well as the normal trim base. Although I have yet to actually use the plunge base. I also bought a second trim base to use as the mount on the underside of a homemade router table.

I would think (and this is for the stuff I have done, YMMV), that a full sized router would have been too big and cumbersome. I have yet to find the trim router lacking. Of course, if I had more space, then a full sized one might have allowed me to do more stuff. Like you suggested, a flattening jig would be hopeless with a trim router.

For drilling straight holes, pillar drill is king. Or a guide block in second place.

I had to buy one for doing my stairs and some bits at home + a pack of 12 bits. I'll be finished with it in about a month. I paid £220 you can have it for £110.

Router
Bits

It will have had no more than 2hrs use.

Anyone else routinely running a dehumidifier?
Despite a Panasonic Inverter heat pump tumble dryer, our old/poor quality conservatory
which leads doorlessly from the kitchen, still exhibits prodigious quantities of condensation.
An aged Amcor dehumidifer (from Argos originally, but 2nd hand), usually sorts us out.

Except ...

Couple of weeks ago it stopped working. Not even the quiet hum of a fan.
Obvious checks didn't cajole it into restarting.
This morning found time to take the plastic two-piece shell off.
Not that I am in any way an engineer, but nothing on the small pcb looked burnt out,
none of the refrigeration connections were damaged or loose.
The fan however.
A lot of dust/ cobwebs/fibres on the electric motor, the blades and cowling.
Wet wipe collected most of them, then all that I could reach.
Reconnected to Mains, (Caution, exposed machinery/circuits can be dangerous),
and fan restarts it's endless rotation.
Power switched off, two-piece shell reassembled, all securing points refilled with screws,
water container re-inserted, powered up and it's whirring away.

Note to self: stick the vacuum cleaner against the air inlet and outlet meshes on a routine basis.

Cheers all.

This is basically why I'm still struggling to suggest what I'd like for xmas.

Although the pillar drill is actually what I want, it's got to stay on hold till I sort the outhouse out.

@Señor_Bear - Cheers. I will drop you a msg in the new year.

I had an Erbauer briefly before taking it back. I got it to reshape some Ipe decking planks but I didn’t bother to find out how to use it properly. I was gouging off 1cm of 2cm thick hardwood at a time. The vibration was something to behold. At some point the router bit fell out, fortunately not while it was running. The experience scared me so much I returned it. In hindsight, in proper use, it’s probably a great router. I have since learned how to use a router properly and have a Bosch palm router.

That does seem like a common experience with routers. One of the important things to consider is shank size. If you decide you like routing and want to make fielded panel doors or using a template to cut worktops you'll need the larger size shank for the bits.

The smaller routers are so much easier for bearing guided edge routing though so most professionals end up with a large one and a small one, then possibly a palm one on top.

Frightening vibration and enormous amounts of dust are 2 of the down sides though. I wouldn't use it as a pillar drill, they tend to wander very quickly for all the reasons already mentioned.

I remember the days when I had a trend catalogue behind the cushion of the sofa and used to dream of all the projects I could get up to.

I've used the palm router on a few box-making projects, mostly the flush trimming bit. Really pleased with the results. I do approach it with a huge amount of respect though. It still amazes me that something so incredibly dangerous can be sold to pretty much any idiot who hasn't done their homework, such as myself. When I have more space I might get a router table so I at least place some bounds on the damage it can do.

Not to put you off, but a router table is arguably more dangerous because you're more likely to have your fingers near the cutter.

Spindle moulders (a very big router table for doing mouldings) are notorious for taking peoples fingers off!

I would also say that a router is a fantastically versatile tool, and once you know how to use one, they become indispensable.

I got the Axminster catalogue in the post a while ago. Reading it took me right back to leafing through the toy pages in the Argos catalogue 30 years ago.

Routers are terrifying. I inherited a chunky 1/2inch one with all the watts and rpms, but use the 1/4 inch one more.

What want now, though, is a drill press that I can use with one of my existing drills - i don't want to have to buy another drill with a small enough collar (43mm), or a pillar drill.

Unsurprisingly my Miele vacuum doesn't like being used as a shop vac. Any recommendations for something cheap and ok but must importantly small?

Good job. Slow and steady works albeit somewhat soul destroying. I had to do 14 frames like that. Never again (hopefully).

Do you have Dura Vac out there? Really happy with ours, even use it on the rug in the vault sometimes (shhhh).
https://duravac.ca/

I have one of these which is OK for most jobs I do. https://www.axminstertools.com/ujk-technology-drill-guide-with-10mm-chuck-106072

Cheers but doesn't look like a UK thing.

Is that as good as it looks?

What are its limitations in your experience? You still need to control the downwards force and speed i guess?

I have the biggest Titan one and it’s worked well considering it was so cheap.

This one looks pretty compact.

I need to build a frame to support an acrylic bath - Is using untreated 2x2 complete madness?

I only ask, as I have a whole load spare, and it would be nice to use it up.

It's not as if there's going to be any standing water

Maybe paint it all in something oil based?

Cheers. I have other titan stuff that is decent so that's a possible.

Flush trimming is definitely the fun end of routing. I have a little Festool one for trimming veneers which is easy work. Any kind of guided routing where the router is well supported can be quite relaxing.

I like to watch some good old fashioned safety videos every so often to get a visual image of how fast things can go wrong. I did rout the end of my finger with a Festool domino and was lucky to be within 5 minutes walk to Chelsea Westminster hospital where a plastic surgeon specialising in hand surgery was training, he came to A&E and made sure I could still play the guitar.

Ouchies, may I ask the circumstances that lead this to happen? (So I can add to my list of do's and don'ts)

I'm putting up some floating shelves. The section of the Hafele bracket that goes into the wall is 60mm long. I want to use Fischer's Duopower plugs, but they come in 50mm and 80mm lengths. Should I use the 50mm or the 80mm?

Depends on the application. You’re welcome to borrow mine for a week and give it a try. It’s not cheap so if it doesn’t work for you then you’ll know before you buy it.