Rockin' Ride #3: Router Work

Published Jan. 14, 2009 at 4:04 a.m.

I started this project out with the SketchUp design so I printed full-size templates to make my pieces. My original idea was to use 1/4” hard board as a pattern for a pattern trimming bit. I cut out the hardboard on the scroll saw and then cleaned them up with my spindle sander.

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I tried to use the pattern bit on a practice dog dish stand with some leftover wood and didn’t have good results. I think my pattern bit is probably not the highest quality and I was having trouble with the hardboard as a template. I don’t think it’s stiff enough despite its name and it causes some gouges in the dog dish stand.

My friend suggested I use 1/2” MDF and offered the use of some scrap MDF he had along with his router table and pattern bit. I remade the patterns out of the MDF and things went really well. I found out that the 1/2” MDF was even easier to work and shape than the 1/4” hardboard.

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I did have a small problem on the last piece I was trimming down. I think there was some strange grain or something because I was trimming along just like every other board and a whole piece went flying off. I figured that was a good stopping point for the day so I glued it back together and left it overnight. I finished cleaning up that piece with the spindle sander.

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I finished up on my router table with a half inch round-over bit. I was only planning on doing that for the seat and neck pieces but once I did those I really liked it. I rounded over most of the pieces with either a 1/2” or 3/8” round-over.

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At this point I had all the pieces shaped and sanded initially. You can see them displayed on my assembly/finishing table.

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And as you can see, I had lots of assistance from my shop helper.

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Assembly pictures coming soon.

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