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

[jtrom]

Looking for a router to cut my 3/32 plywood ribs off a template. Router also needs to be able to cut the 3/4 inch template for the ribs and cut out the spar made of 3/4 inch spruce. Also needs to do intricate work such as making 1/4" by 1/4" grooves. Will a small laminate trimmer handheld router work for this?...and do I really need a router table for this kind of work?

[Tom Downey]

I have one of these http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Porter-C...ht_1889wt_1216 since I bought it I've never used my big Sears router.

it will accept all the 1/4 bits and with an adaptor it will take all the dremil bits too.

[Tom Downey]

you might want these too,http://www.grizzly.com/products/Rout...-2-Shank/H5555

[WLIU]

I will suggest that the thin stock will be cut easily and cleanly by any of the small 3/4 hp or 1hp "laminate trimmer" style routers using 1/4" shank bits. For spar stock, to get the clean cut and precision that I think that you want, you will be better served by a larger router in the 1 3/4 hp range and bits with 1/2" shanks. For both sizes, the work that you are doing only needs straight bits with either a top or bottom bearing to follow a template with.

I find that when shaping 3/4" plywood, the 1/2" shanks in my 1 3/4hp Dewalt hand held router does nice clean cuts if I take 1/8" of material off on each pass. If you are tapering board stock, set yourself up so that the bit is rotating, and your are moving the router, to cut with the grain, not against it. Cutting against the grain will often result in splintering that you don't want to have to fix.

You do not need a router table for the work that you describe. But once you have a router or two, and you start expanding your woodworking into non-aircraft stuff, you might find that you want to build a router table to make nicer looking doors and drawers for your workshop storage and maybe the new kitchen that your wife will suddenly ask for....

Best of luck,

Wes

[Tom Downey]

For the work on a wooden aircraft the dremil tool with a router attachment will do it all.
But if you are doing a 1/2" cut in real oak there is never enough power.

[Mike Switzer]

I personally don't like to buy any (electric) power tool not made by Milwaukee, but Dad has a Makita router that is pretty nice. Bosch is good also.

[WLIU]

With routers, as with most other tools, you get what you pay for. If you are making templates from 3/4" stock, and you want them to last through making a number of parts, you will be using harder material. So I will suggest that the router that you bring to that job will need to be a little more powerful and precise than you might use for some other tasks.

This is the educational part of home building. You can do lots of jobs with a Dremel tool, but it will take a long time and you will need to use hand tools for the follow on finish work to get a high quality result. Using a tool that is more closely tuned to the specific job at hand makes the work go 10x faster with 10x more quality. And I find that, within limits, every more capable tool that I buy opens the doors to solving other workshop challenges more quickly and with a higher quality result.

In the router world, Bosch is near the top of the line, with Porter-Cable and Dewalt (made in the same factory I think) not far behind. Makita does well for smaller jobs but seems to be somewhat less durable and precise. Like many tools, holding one in your hand will let you see a lot of the differences. Features that are less obvious, but that make your work easier, are the "soft start", the location of the on-off and speed controls in relation to where you grip the tool, and the balance point of the tool in relation to the size of the base.

And if you are working with wood for your airplane, take yourself to a real woodworking store like Woodcraft or Rocklers in addition to the big box discount places like Lowes and Home Depot. You will find much more knowlegeable people, classes, higher quality choices, and even tools that you did not know existed to make your work easier and safer.

Best of luck,

Wes

[Tom Downey]

If I were 17 and had intentions to be a wood worker the rest of my life I'd buy the best tools possible, But If I were building 1 aircraft on a budget, I'd buy the cheapest tool that would do the job.

[WLIU]

I can' resist offering the opinion that if you are involved in an airplane with wood components, and you finish and fly the airplane, you WILL be a woodworker for the rest of your life, whether you plan to or not. I started out with hand tools and a little wood airplane in front of me. I now have a full blown shop with dust collection, all of the major power tools, and bench space for the work. Accumulated one tool at a time. You have to love the building... and the tools.

Regards,

Wes
N78PS

[FlyingRon]

I like Porter Cable, but I agree with Tom, unless you have need for massive horsepower (and this application appears not to be it), get the little guy. It's hard on your arms and tedius to use the big guy when you don't have to. Mine's been clamped into my router table forever.