Router question

[Astralstroll]

Whats the smallest radius you could cut with a router? The reason for asking is that want to construct a new base for my Lightbridge and incorporate three nicely radiussed lobes on the base for adding the levelling feet. Ive seen a pic from Carbon (?) where he did something very similar to what Im trying to achieve. The radius on the lobes looked a bit small though so Im wondering whats possible.

Dave.

[Extreme Fencer]

Hi not sure what you mean. If I want to cut circles I fix my router in a wooden bench vice. My father made me a metal plate that screws to the base.

I can then fix a piece of timber from that with a screw on it to act as the centre of my circle.

Then by lowering the router base the bit cuts into the timber I then gently turn the piece to cut the circle out.

You have to be carefully not to catch your fingers , got the scars to prove it

[JamesF]

You'd cut the rounded section using a round edge router bit and cutting along the length of the edge, surely?

James

[pete_l]

If you use a router bit with a ball bearing guide, the guide will follow whatever template you attach to the piece you want to route. If you're talking about routing an outside edge, the radius of curvature can be as small or as large as you please.

Briefly, you'd cut a template out of 6mm plywood and either pin it or use double sided tape to attach it to the work piece, then have set the router depth so that the ball bearing guider is against the template and make sure you're routing in the right direction.

[8kids]

It would be easier to mark out your base and rout in between your "feet lobes". I would then cut the lobes using a jigsaw and finish with sandpaper . That would be quick and easy. You can make various attachments for routing circles, the easiest is a length of threaded bar with a hole at one end, the centre of the radius, just fix with a screw, and you can then slide the router to where you want and lock it off with the thumb screws.

As with all routing it's best to remove material in stages, resist the temptation to blast it off in one go.

Gary.

[Steve Ward]

The only thing that will limit the size of the radius achievable is the diameter / radius of the bit that you are using .

This applies obviously only to the size of any internal radius .

There are plenty of vids on YT to help .

[Carbon]

Although I had no control over the exact radius of arcs and circular cuts, what I did was use existing bolt holes on the base of the router as pivot point to make small radius cuts.