Need advice for buying router to build wood airplane....

[corsair82pilot]

I have a Porter Cable, and love it. Get a router table, too.




This shows the rib screwed to a template. I am using a 1:1 copying bit.

[jtrom]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I am gonna buy a small hand held (I saw a nice 1 horse power Bosch at the store). I can use a friends big plunge router if I run into a big job. I'm gonna wait on the router table, as I really don't need one for this stuff even though it would be nice. If I get a larger router some day I will probably build my own table as cheap store bought tables seem to small and the large ones are $$$$$$$$$$.

[Piet]

I am just finishing a Pietenpol Aircamper and I think it would qualify as a wooden airplane. I like WLIU have several tools. I have 3 routers and 1 dedicated to the router table. They are all cheap routers. I have a Craftsman, a Black & Decker and the other 's name I can't recall. I like having multiples because I don't have to breakdown a setup to do another routing job. I do most of my heavy duty wood removal with a tablesaw and finish with my"cheap" routers. I have a good table saw with a good fence although it was cheap ..... used. You can get by with a cheap table saw but my Delta 10" contractor model only cost me $80 and a new cheap saw is like $150. Note the trim under the date stamp is an "L" shape or corner trim made from a red oak board 2 X 8. Every bit of it done on the table saw, even the chamfers. A quality 60 or 80 tooth carbide blade and it running true saves a lot of sanding. That said a band saw or scroll saw would be a nice addition to you tool chest. I have both but for building a Pietenpol again and could only have one or the other I would choose the scroll saw. I saw aluminum with it up to 0.080 or so. Choose a scroll saw by how easy the blade is to change. The first one I had was a bear to change so I gave it to a guy I didn't like!
Take this advice for what it cost you!
Jerry

[Piet]

>corsair82pilot,
I am no trying to hijack the thread but doing a real good job of it.......
Your copy method is great. I assume you are using a bushing on the router to follow the pattern. I made a pin router by using a wood dowel the same size as the router bit. It was adjusted down so it almost touched the bit and on a home made pivot. All it accomplished was to make it so you could see the pattern. It is not any better than what you are doing just in my case I wanted to see what was happening and made following the pattern easier for me.