First time with a router

[big-all]

yes shank size

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Well, got the thing today... stupid question I reckon, but how do I measure whether it's ¼ or ½? Is it just the hole in the chuck?

If it's been misdescribed, it's going back...

Yes it's a 1/4in router - 1020 watts is nowhere near powerful enough to drive a large 1/2in shank cutter (and it would be potentially quite dangerous to even try it). The smallest 1/2in routers are generally about 1400 watts, but most trade routers (the sort you'd use on a kitchen worktop joint, a lock mortise or a solid wood mortise) are in the 1800 to 2300 watts range

 

[Roger465]

Thanks guys - I've already arranged to send it back, as the seller has realised his mistake.

With my new plan involving brackets etc, I won't be needing it now anyway.

Ummm... if I wanted to smooth the edges of the side pieces of the bed, what would be the easiest way? I don't want to spend a fortune on tools I'll possibly never use again... would a cheap plane or something do it?

Thanks

 

[big-all]

you buy planed/dressed/par/pse timber all ready finished

 

[Roger465]

you buy planed/dressed/par/pse timber all ready finished

Yes I'm getting PAR, but the edges are still quite sharp - as it's a bed, I wondered if I might round them slightly...

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

My boy broke his bed the other day, in particular one of the original horizontal beams (that was in retrospect undersized) I replaced the horizontal beams with some good sized softwood joists, I merely used a couple of coach bolts through the uprights into the ends of the joists on each side, jobs a goodun, I could have easily sunk the bolt heads and fitted a plug to hide them, seems like a lot of talk in this thread about various techniques that could be achieved with some low tech.

 

[big-all]

Yes I'm getting PAR, but the edges are still quite sharp - as it's a bed, I wondered if I might round them slightly...

thats the main job for the router 3-6mm radius round over bit all exposed timbers sides/slats/ ends /legs headboard
but not a big monster a small 500-800w hand held or 1/4" trim router

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Yes I'm getting PAR, but the edges are still quite sharp - as it's a bed, I wondered if I might round them slightly...

You don't need a router for that - sandpaper wrapped over itself 3 or 4 times and held in the crook of the fingers will take the arrisses off and leave a 1 to 2mm round-over

 

[Deleted member 174758]

My boy broke his bed the other day, in particular one of the original horizontal beams (that was in retrospect undersized) I replaced the horizontal beams with some good sized softwood joists, I merely used a couple of coach bolts through the uprights into the ends of the joists on each side, jobs a goodun, I could have easily sunk the bolt heads and fitted a plug to hide them, seems like a lot of talk in this thread about various techniques that could be achieved with some low tech.

Horizontal beams? Do you mean the rails perchance? The reason for using a router is to create a perfectly uniform depth mortise (difficult to achieve for many people) - if the ends of the rails are a snug fit in the mortise you only need a single bed bolt at each end of the rail because the mortise stops any tendency of the rail to twist when placed under load and the load from the rails is transmitted into the lower cheek of the mortise. Without a mortise and just a butted connection you really need two large diameter dowels and a bed bolt - the dowels transmit the loads into the legs and prevent twisting (one dowel and a bed bolt and you can still get twisting) whilst the bed bolt secures the joint. Quite simple, I thought

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Sure the rails, I used two coachbolts, 8mmØ I recall, at the top and bottom of the rail, the joint is strong. I just went for the over-engineered beefy bolts approach.

 

[big-all]

You don't need a router for that - sandpaper wrapped over itself 3 or 4 times and held in the crook of the fingers will take the arrisses off and leave a 1 to 2mm round-over

i dont do handraulic

 

[Roger465]

Just a wild idea - which I don't really fancy, but would save me a lot of hassle... the main reason I want a new bed is to have it about 6" higher than the existing one. I tried using furniture riser things, but they're hideous, and not quite high enough anyway.

Somebody suggested extending the existing legs (3 x 3 timber), and I suppose I COULD think about it, but... I'd want to use 3 x 3 for that too, and not sure how I could fix the extensions on? I mean, presumably I'd drill holes in the existing legs, and matching ones in the extensions, and put some sort of metal rod or thick dowel in, but...

1. How would I ensure precision of drilling - ie that the holes were perfectly central, and parallel to the sides;
2. What would I use for the dowel?

Answers on a £50 note please

 

[Deleted member 174758]

You could do that - it's how we sometimes replace newel post tops on stairs. Large diametet hardwood dowel is available from firms like Appleby Woodturning, but drilling it accurately takes a large diameter, matching auger bit and a fairly powerful electric drill capable of running at a slow speed (e.g.150 to 200rpm). Getting the auger bit centred is easy enough (line across corner to corner x 2), drilling true can be achieved by clamping a couple of straight battens onto adjacent faces and eyeballing from straightness off them.

 

[Diver Fred]

Me thinks you need a project rather than a bed (first).

Have a look at the link and it's successors. That will help you cut square and give you lots of ideas.

 

[Roger465]

OK... so I got the timber last week, came down with God-awful cold (you forget how bad they can be, what with worrying about COVID etc), and am struggling to put it all together today.

Endless problems and hair-tearing over what should really be quite a simple job, but am at final assembly stage.

I bought some brackets which are specifically recommended for this application, but find them worse than useless. The locating pins are very loose in the hooks, so the whole bed just flops about all over the place if you touch it - certainly wouldn't want to lie on it.

Have I done something stupid?

Thanks