Router

The router, or shaper, is used to remove specific portions of a piece of material. Most commonly it is used to put a shape into the edge of a board. There are literally hundreds of shapes that can be made by changing the cutting bit that goes into the router. Safe use of the router can really enhance the look of many woodworking projects from cabinets to cutting boards, doors to trim.

A router uses shaped bits with blades inset into them to cut workpieces. The bit spins around at high rates of speed, carving out the shape into the board. In our class we mainly use a router that is attached to a table and we pass the workpiece through the table. This picture is an example of how we make lamp bases as one of our projects.