Edge Routing; Edging With Pilot Bits - Craftsman 315.275100 Owner's Manual

OPERATION
EDGE ROUTING
Place router on workpiece, making sure the router bit does
not contact workpiece. Turn router on and let motor build to
its full speed. Begin your cut, gradually feeding cutter into
workpiece.
WARNING:
Upon completion of cut, turn'motor off and let it come to e
complete stop before removing router from work surface.
WARNING:
Never pull router out of work and place upside down on
work surface before the cutter stops.
EDGING WITH PILOT BITS
See Figure 20.
Rabbets and molded edges can be cut using piloted cutters.
The pilot extends below the cutter. Some pilots are solid
extensions of the cutter. Others are ball bearing guides that
are fastened to the end of the cutter. The pilots allow the
cutters totum while the pilot followsthe edge of the workpiece.
Arbor-type bits with pilots are excellent for quick, easy, edge
shaping. They will follow workpiece edges that are either
straight or curved. The pilot prevents the bit from making too
deep a cut; and holding the pitot firmly in contact with the
workpiece edge throughout prevents the cut from becoming
too shallow.
Whenever the workpiece thickness together with the desired
depth of cut (as adjusted by router depth setting) are such
that only the top part of the edge is to be shaped (leaving at
least a 1/16in. thick uncut portion at bottom), the pilotcan ride
against the uncut portion, which will serve to guide it. See
Figure 20. However, if the workpiece is too thin or the bit set
too low so that there will be no uncut edge to ride the pilot
against, an extra board to act as a guide must be placed
under the workpiece. This "guide" board must have exactly
the same contour -- straight or curved -- as the workpiece
edge. If it is positioned so that its edge is flush with the
workpiece edge, the bit will make a full cut (in as far as the bit
radius). On the other hand, if the guide ispositioned as shown
in Figure 20 (out from the workpiece edge), the bit will make
less than a full cut -- which will alter the shape of the finished
edge.
NOTE: Ifdesired, any of the piloted bits can be used without
a pilot for edge shaping with guides, as preceding. Also, the
size (diameter) of the pilot that is used determines the
maximum cut width that can be made with the pilot against
the workpiece edge (the small pilot exposes all of the bit; the
large one reduces this amount by 1/16 in).
ROUTER
TOP EDGE SHAPING
ROUTER WORK GUIDE
PILOT - -- - _-------_.--_
WHOLE EDGE SHAPING
Fig.
20
I- 6
4 PROPER CUTTINGSEOUENCE
1/4iN.TO1 iN.
Fig. 21
When routing all the edges of a panel or board, rout the end
grain first. Any splintering that occurs at the corners will then
be removed when routing the edge. Start each side 1/4 in.
away from the end. Feed the cutter into the wood until the
pilot contacts the uncut edge. Then, slowly back the router to
shape the corner. Next, move the router forward to shape the
rest of the edge. Be careful to keep the pilot pressed against
the uncut edge. Repeat this procedure on each side of the
panel. Figure 21 shows the proper sequence of cuts to make
when edge routing four sides of a panel.