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The router is the most efficient tool you can have in your shop. Versatile and light weight it can be used mobile to create many beautiful designs and shapes to the edges and faces of wood. The router can be attached to a router table for more precision work and allow the woodworker to make precise edge markings to cabinet door edges and moldings.

The router operates at very high speeds and adjusting them to your needs can be done, but it can also be tricky. Determining the speed of the router bit will be on how hard of wood you are trying to finish with the router. The softer the wood the less speed you need. The harder the wood, the more speed you will need. It is always best to use the router on a scrap piece of wood until you get the best speed for a nice finish and to do this is to adjust the speed control on top of the router,

The router has a big red knob on the top that allows you to set router speeds according to the need of the bit you use. Different bits require different speeds for a good smooth finish. This speed adjustment is what makes the router so popular in a wood shop. Some routers have numbers telling you of the dial select you want, others just have notches for fine adjustment to the bit speeds. A good rule of thumb is to use scrap wood of the same wood you use to fine tune these bits to the finish you need.

Routers require higher speeds for etching on the surfaces of wood planks. The bits are required to penetrate and move slowly across the woods surface and for this operation the rpms of the bit are probably at their highest setting depending on how hard the wood is. For softer woods like white pine and popular woods the settings could be lower, but if the router bit is burning the wood during operation you may need to decrease the speed of the bit. This will save your router bits sharpness as well and keep them from dulling out to soon into the project.

Sharp router bits can make or break a router operation. The duller the bit the more speed you will need from the router and this can hamper the finish and purpose of the router. Keep you bits sharpened by taking them to a local machine shop. They have the tools to sharpen the small bits and you should never attempt to do them your self. Keeping your router clean and the bits sharpened can extend the longevity of your router and your bits. Improving your router skills and awareness to the tools operation can give you experience on setting up the router and adjusting speeds for the bits.

Learn more about this author, Rex Coker.
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