Now that all of the pieces are rough cut, it is time to cut them to their precise dimensions. The next 6 or 7 pages illustrate my method of making very precise cuts using a router with a straight cutting bit. The first step is to use a scrap piece of wood to determine exactly how far away from the edge of the router base the straight bit will cut. Clamp a straight edge cutting guide (like this) to the piece of wood and then use it to guide the router and make a short cut into the wood. Mark where the straight edge is and then remove it from the wood. Then measure from where the straight was to where the edge of the cut is. Mark that distance on the wood and keep it as a reference (or just write it down ona piece of paper). If you have a plunge base and a fixed base for your router, you’ll have to do this for each base.
Note that I've written the dimension for my router as "2 3/4 + 1/32nd." Of course, that is the same a 2 25/32nds". But it was easier for me to remember this way! The extra 1/32nd" was most likely due to my own idiosyncratic way of making the marks on the wood and drawing the lines. That’s why it is best to do this on a scrap of wood and determine what the precise measurement is for your set up and the way that you draw your lines. Then, always be consistent about the way you mark dimensions and you’ll never go wrong. |
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