by Gordon Warr |
With formal training as a woodworking craftsman and later as a professional teacher , Gordon is well known to most woodworking enthusiasts through the remarkable number of articles and books he has had published .
In the woodworking industry the router has proved itself to be the ideal tool for batch production work . But , it is not only in the professional market that it can lend a hand in saving woodworkers both time and effort . For the home craftsperson or the small craft workshop , the router offers versatility second to no other power tool . Combined with the |
vast range of intricately shaped cutters now available , the routing concept requires only a little imagination and innovation to turn a two dimensional profile into a three dimensional object . Good examples of this method of production on a small scale are my toys by the ‘ metre ’. Toy cars , lorries and trees , as pictured here can all be simply and quickly produced by this method , along with other similar outline designs such as buildings , boats and animals . Each is cut with one or a combination of basic cutter profiles , machining along the length of the timber ready for crosscutting to separate each individual item . A router table is essential for this |
Gordon Warr suggests a simple method of producing toys by the metre !
work , both for safety and accuracy . For cutting some of the profiles a router of at least 900 watts will be needed , while the larger radius cutter will require a 1 / 2 inch shank capacity . You will probably find that many interesting shapes can be made up using your existing cutters .
Alternatively , refer to the new Trend 1998 / 9 catalogue to trace out various profiles and make up your own combinations before purchasing your cutters . Remember that having machined the cutter profiles on the
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Autumn 1998 |