Wood Router Bits

• Sometimes the fastest method is still the oldest
• Hand tools often do what power tools can’t
• They give you precise control, ensuring a perfect cut

I had a customer call the other day and the Eagle America catalog he used to order from was a catalog he borrowed from his father, that is not that unusual but the catalog was from 2000.  He is not the first customer to order from one of our catalogs from several years ago. I’ve asked "Why do you keep them so long" they usually say they keep it for reference. They would see a woodworking accessory or router bits that they had not seen before. So they hold on to it for when they need that item.

Do you know we carry over 6000 different woodworking tools? We have everything from; router table systems, router bits and router bit sets, saw blades and saw blade accessories, woodworking clamps, sanding supplies, wood carving tools, Kreg pocket hole jigs…. and the list goes on.

A few years back we ran a promotional offer to see who had the oldest catalog and I believe we had multiple customers that supplied us with catalogs from the late 80's and early 90's.

  Yesterday's Catalog                                      Today's Catalog
                                 

Wow what a difference, so don’t be so quick to toss that old Eagle America catalog it just may be worth something in the future.

Working here at Eagle America one question I hear more than any other is" where can I get that information"? I hear it in our outlet store, I hear it on the phones and I see it in emails. No matter what the woodworker is trying to do, setting up dust collection, looking for band saw accessories, questions about shaper cutters, any woodworking accessories that is new to a woodworker them we get questions about that item. Another thing we hear a lot of is, I am interested in one of the Kreg pocket hole jigs which one should I get? Or I am building some cabinets which set of stile and rail bits should I use? Which one of your router bit sets is the best for me? We do our best to answer all the questions we receive within 24 hours.

Did you know we have tech support available where we will take your question sent to us via email to us at tech@eagleamerica.com and pass it to our one of our woodworkers that we have on staff?

 

Don't they look knowledgeable! 

Well back to the question, where can I get this information?
You can find just about anything...
                                                                                                                                                                                                      
 ....ON THE INTERNET!     

There are thousands of website dedicated to woodworking. Places where you can ask questions of your peers or ask professionals like The Wood Whisperer's website.




You can find just about anything you need right here. They have a community where you can access blogs and forums where you can ask questions that will be answered by many people that are just woodworkers like you that want to help their experience is there to help you. Also in their community they have photos of the member's projects. Not to mention many videos that Marc Spagnuolo (The Wood Whisper) does showing how to do certain things or projects start to finish. You can also find Marc's work on You tube talk about a video library that you don't have to buy! You can also find many different woodworking groups that have joined the community, maybe you belong in one of these groups? Do you?

And of coarse what true Wood Whisperer member doesn’t have a Wood Whisperer hat and T-shirt. Well don’t worry you can get these items and more at the store. I should get a free t-shirt for this blog don’t you think?

There is a live chat room where you can discuss your project or anything woodworking related. You can even watch projects being made because there are dozens of people/workshops that stream live video to the site for you to watch.

This is just one site of the thousands of woodworking sites out there on the world wide web. So if you have a specific question maybe we can help. Or if you are looking for a place to go to learn and pick up some tricks of the trade and meet some woodworkers maybe The Wood Whisperers website is where you want to go.

No matter what you are looking for, the Internet can be the best tool in your workshop.

• Can you make something new with your router bits?
• Can you make something new with a wood carving set?
• What about with your scroll saw blades and scroll saw accessories?

• What is the craziest project you have ever made?
• What woodworking tools and woodworking accessories did you use to make them?
• What is the most creative way you have used your router bits?

As a customer service representative at Eagle America, the interaction that I have with our customers is one of the best things about my job. When I hear, "my project came out exactly the way I wanted it to" or ”the router bit did exactly what I needed it to do" it brings a smile to my face. 

Recently, I received an email from Roman and he was simply letting us know he was happy with the shaper cutters that he had ordered from us. He was trying to match a profile from an old building on the south side of Boston. Well you can see for yourself how happy he was and what the final result was.

Roman writes:

Sirs:

Back on 2/25, I ordered a set of exterior door shaper cutters and I felt compelled to tell you how satisfied I was with them.

I was commissioned to build a replacement exterior door for an old building in South Boston.  I needed a set of shaper cutters that offered a similar profile to the original and that were milled to match each other for a snug fit.  The 285-8512 set I received was perfect for the job.  I was building this door from 1-3/4" thick Poplar and wanted to use my Delta shaper to carve each cut with one pass. Setup was easy.  Most importantly, the fit between the joints was perfect, making an extremely tight fit to make the glue-up snug and reliable. A minimum of sanding supplies were needed to finish my project. 

The price you charge for these shaper cutters were also attractive; especially when you consider that you also include both 1/2" and 1/4" center panel cutters and bearings.  Most of the time these are only supplied at an extra cost. 

Rest assured that I'll order again from Eagle America if this product is representative of the other cutters you provide.  Shipping was quick and much appreciated.

Sincerely, Roman

I asked if he would be willing to forward some photo's of his handiwork and he was happy to do so. Here are the before and after photo's of what Roman did with our shaper cutters.

Roman replied:

All of the buildings in S. Boston butt up against each other but they are painted differently. Thus the red/black stripes behind me.  This place is modestly sided but trimmed nicely.

The lumber I used was "torrified" Poplar.  Yes, that's poplar with no finish on it.  They take the lumber and heat it to about 240 degrees until all the cells shrink and the wood turns that brown.....almost burned color.  Since the cells are shrunk, water has no affect on it like normal lumber.  It won't swell or shrink or split or check.  It's extremely stable and perfect for outdoor projects where you'd normally use cedar or teak.  It glues up extremely well.  I used Titebond's waterproof adhesive.

The cutters I bought provide me with about 5" of gluing surface on a 1-3/4" thick board.  So, the joints are extremely tight and should last for many years. 

Here's a close-up of the fit.  The rain started just as I loaded my tools into the car.  The door is simply wet, here.  Torrified lumber takes on a deep......very deep hue when you oil it or wet it.

Roman

Another project that went as planned, as I smile to myself!

Last weekend I took a trip to Dollywood, located in the beautiful state of Tennessee.


This was my first time at this particular park so I really didn’t know what to expect.


When I walked in the front gate, I felt like I was immediately thrown back in time to the mid to late 1800’s. 


The park has many original and historically reproduced buildings and they make a conscious effort to incorporate arts & crafts into the parks experience.

After a short walk up a small hill, I was confronted with this wonderful carving, depicting a woodworker showing his wood carving tools and craft to a curious young child. The sign above the statue read:
 

I was immediately reminded how important it is to pass on the art of using woodworking tools and woodworking accessories to younger generations.


If it was not for my father and grandfather teaching me critical woodworking skills and techniques, I would not be where I am at today.

 

Formal education can only take a person just so far. Learning a craft can help develop critical thinking skills in a child and promote an independence that today’s educational system seems to lack.


So, as the industrial arts leave our children's classrooms, I make a plea to all of those seasoned woodworkers out there. Don’t forget to pull out your wood router bits, router accessories and other woodworking tools and teach someone of a younger generation the craft of woodworking.

They will thank you for it later…

• Woodworking Router Bits
• Table Saw Blades
• Wood Bandsaw Blades
• Scroll Saw Blades
• Woodworking Clamps
• Sanding Supplies
• Wood Carving Tools
• And more!

We get a lot of requests for templates, router jigs and routers bits for making wood signs. One of the best selling kits on the market is the Milescraft “SignPro”. We do sell a lot of this item, but you are limited to 1 letter style in 2 sizes: 1-1/2” and 2-1/2”.

I personally find that very limiting, as I spent 20 years as a manufacturer of high end architectural signage.

There is a definite need for a system that has greater flexibility. I have yet to find anything available that is end user oriented.

I recently watched a new DVD that Eagle America has on how to freehand rout signs. This video shows how easy it is to make your own free handed signs using a router.

The techniques are easy to follow and it appears to be a doable process that almost anyone can do. The techniques in this DVD give you unlimited latitude as far as the letter style, size and layout you choose.

They use plastic letters as a pattern, but you could also use computer generated graphics and spray adhesive.

The video is “Freehand Routed Wood Signs Made Easy” (413-9200). Check it out!

• Fit any machine track with a standard 3/4" x 3/8" miter slot
• Adjustable stops at 45° and 90° positions
• 18" guide bars and a pivoting work support body with pointer and calibration readings
• Click Here

• A premium drilling accessory that will easily outlast conventional steel bits
• Feature a center ground point and two outer spurs for exact drilling control
• For use with 3/8" or larger chucks
• Click Here

• One of our most popular band saw accessories
• Makes fine adjustments simple
• Allows you to easily release the tension on your blades at the end of each use, increasing the life of your blade
• Fits 14" models including Delta (and Jet 12") and most imports
• Click Here

• Protect your investment in Router Bits!
• Trays will help you keep all of your bits clean, sharp and accessible
• The High-Density foam tray includes a wood case and holds up to 100 bits
• There are (50) 1/4" holes and (50) 1/2" holes
• Click Here

• One of our most popular scroll saw accessories
• Protect and organize your scroll saw blades
• Measures 4"W x 5-3/16"D x 6"H
• Comes with 12 unbreakable, removable plastic tubes and identification labels
• Tubes and case are clear for easy identification
• Click Here

I ordered a 20” x 24” oil painting for our 50th wedding anniversary and needed to frame it.

I wanted to use some nice cherry that I have so I set out to create a simple frame that would complement the painting and not compete with it.

I chose a simple profile that was easily done on my router table system with two simple bits, a 45 degree chamfer bit and a basic rabbeting bit. 
 
After milling the profiles on my router table system, I cut the pieces to length with mitered ends.

After applying glue to all the joints, I used some woodworking clamps, specifically, a simple picture framing clamp that keeps everything nice and square. I did not use any fasteners because I planned on adding a simple corner spline. 

After the glue had cured, I cut a slot in each corner using a simple shop made jig and made 1 pass through the table saw.
 

The splines were made to match the thickness of the saw kerf. A little glue was added and the splines were tapped in. After the glue dried I trimmed the excess wood off with a flush trim saw and sanded them flush.

I found that one of the easiest ways to hold a picture into a frame is to use fender washers that overlap the inset picture. The washers are slightly countersunk using a forstner bit just slightly larger than the washer.



 

All in all, a successful little project!