If you’ve ever had a wobble when you’re routing, the editor knows exactly why!
One of the most basic mistakes with freehand routing is not to judge how well the router is supported and guided, and not taking steps to avoid the damaging catch, divot or uneven surface that results. These problems are easily overcome by using one or more of the following techniques that gives better support and running surfaces.
Helpful tips
A basic router and straight fence are okay on flat surfaces where those surfaces extend beyond the limits of the machining, but if you run right to the end then the support will also run out. A nasty divot inevitably occurs as the cutter digs in. Starting with the fence, on cheap routers they have quite small surfaces, but usually have two holes so you can screw on an extended wooden sub-fence. If you can’t extend the workpiece then you can, at least, extend the fence. If it runs across the cutter gap in the fence it gives smoother support, without catching on the end of the workpiece.
The router base is a certain size and most of the time this is okay. If you are working on the edge of a workpiece then the router can seem unbalanced; to remedy this use an extended base with a knob. You can buy a ready-made one, but it is cheap and easy to make your own.
When routing out hinge recesses or machining mortises on the narrow edge of a board it can be a very wobbly operation. This is easily countered by clamping another section of wood alongside the workpiece and flush with the top. Better still, it’s best to have a piece that is longer than the workpiece and clamped to the fence side of the job so the router is fully supported in both axis. If you are mortising for rails to fit into table or chair legs, leave the mortise end of the leg overlength so you are guaranteed enough support for the router base. This can be planned for at the cutting list stage.
Choose the right cutter because the wrong cutter, such as an aggressive stagger tooth or an overly large router fitted with a tiny roundover cutter, will be rather unbalanced and not so easy to control. Some routers do literally wobble because they have a screwed-on plastic facing on the base that may be bowed. Check that your router base is truly flat using a steel rule. If not, you may have to consider fitting a piece of phenolic resin sheet bonded in place, so you have a stable machine.
If you want to remove background areas around a relief carving, or you want to flush trim an infill piece glued in a crack in a flat surface like a table, then the router cannot sit on the job itself. Instead, make a pair of wooden skis so the router can glide over the top, trimming off excess wood as you guide it around the workpiece.
You can remove the problem by mounting your router in a router table, so the workpiece can then be passed smoothly along the fence. Holddowns or pressure fingers will help to keep the workpiece stable and pressed against both fence and table surfaces. If you are attempting to machine the edge of a small section, it is much easier and safer to do this on a router table with a much wider board, then cut off the section you want and repeat as necessary.
