anyone have good tips for cutting small rings with a router?

[req 5,000+ posts]

i recently have been trying to use my router more and more to cut my baffles. i just read online that instead of plunging all the way through the wood its good to do it in steps. also, instead of plunging straight down, its good to plunge as you cut the circle to rid yourself of that little divot at the end of the cut.

so how do you cut things like tweeter baffles that are 1.5" in diamater without loosing fingers? i dont really comphrend how you can cut a circle that small unless there is some little secret to it.

i dunno. please fill me in. i also now know that the bit has a lot to do with how your cutting edge turns out. carbide\tungston will supposedly live 10x longer that high speed steel. so looks like im off to the store to buy a better bit //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/verymad.gif.3f39c5c2fd57527b671fad3efdfac756.gif

anyone have any good router tips then? i have a nice jasper jig, i just need help using it correctly i suppose.

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[bonesninja 5,000+ posts]

i can't help with the router part but i have a Rotozip with a circle attachment that i use for that purpose....works freaking awesome

 

[lilmaniac2 5,000+ posts]

Hole saw //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[mlstrass 5,000+ posts]

x2 on a hole saw for circles that small.

When routing you don't cut the entire depth in one pass. I normally do 1/4" at a time, so 3 passes to get through 3/4" MDF or whatever...

 

[req 5,000+ posts]

but how do you cut a 1" circle out of a 2 inch circle?

i mean its to small to rotate the router around, and after you cut the outside diamater out, and you are going for the inside, unless you have a router table its extremly dangerous. is there a secret that i dont know?

 

[tRidiot 10+ year member]

http://www.coastaltool.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/a/lenox/holesaws.htm?L+coastest+pmln9270ffbb20bb+1188142668

 

[SethPhillips 5,000+ posts]

tip: watch ur fingers

 

[bonesninja 5,000+ posts]

req...cut the inner hole first, then cut the outer

 

[req 5,000+ posts]

explain to me how i can cut the outside hole if i have no focal point because the inner one is gone.

:duh:

 

[SethPhillips 5,000+ posts]

make a jig? possibly???

 

[lilmaniac2 5,000+ posts]

holesaw noob

 

[CrazedCat 10+ year member]

If you dont have a router table you can use a piece of scrap wood. To make baffle rings what you do is mark the center point of the work piece. Then slightly off from that center point you want to countersink 2 screws into your work piece and the scrap wood to secure it down. Then cut the outer diameter first, then the inner diameter.

But yeah anything less than 4" diameter just use a hole saw.

 

[Blazin_Jason 10+ year member]

Hole saw //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

holesaw noob

Maybe you missed it. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[Immacomputer 10+ year member]

To illustrate what CrazedCat said, I made a sketchup drawing in case things were not clear:

The long tube going through everything would be on screw and you should really do two to keep it from rotating on you but I got lazy. The center hole is for your jig to rotate around.

That method is the best to use if you can't use a hole saw attachment for your drill.

 

[bjfish11 5,000+ posts]

Use a hole saw. Cut the outer first. Put it in a bench vise, and then cut the inner. Never done it, but thats how I would do it. LOL