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Tools for router work

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A router is a motor holding a spinning cutter, and everything about the result comes from what guides it. Freehand it wanders; against a fence, a bearing or a template it is one of the most accurate tools in a workshop. All 36 here are grouped into the machines, the cutters, and the things that guide them, since the third group is where the work actually gets done.

14 are marked essential: the cutters and guides that cover most jobs before you buy anything specialised.

Part of the full power tools list, 66 tools in 11 groups.

Routers 6

The machine matters less than what guides it, but the base type decides which cuts are possible at all.

  • A plunge router power tool with two vertical spring columns, twin handles and a flat baseEssential

    Plunge router

    Springs let the spinning cutter be lowered into the middle of a workpiece and lifted clear. That is what mortises, stopped grooves and inlay recesses need, and a fixed base cannot do.

  • A fixed base router power tool with a cylindrical motor in a round base and side handles

    Fixed base router

    Depth is set before the motor starts, which makes it steadier and lower for edge work. Preferred in a router table, where plunging is irrelevant anyway.

  • A compact one handed trim router power tool with a small round baseEssential

    Trim router

    A small one handed router for flush trimming, small profiles and hinge recesses. Light enough to control precisely, which makes it the one that gets used most often.

  • A cordless router power tool with a battery pack and a compact base

    Cordless router

    A trim or mid size router on a battery, for site work and for cuts where a trailing cable would drag across a finished face. Shorter runtime under a heavy cut.

  • A benchtop router table with a flat top, an insert plate and an adjustable fence

    Router table

    Mounts the router upside down under a flat top with a fence, so the wood moves and the machine does not. Far better for small parts and repeated profiles.

  • A metal router lift insert plate with a height adjustment screw and a crank handle

    Router lift

    Raises and lowers the motor in a table from above, in measurable increments. Turns height setting from a fiddle underneath the table into a dial you can read.

Router cutters 12

Straight cutters remove sections, bearing guided cutters follow an edge, profile cutters shape one. Four of these cover most work.

  • Straight cutter: A two flute straight router cutter bit with a plain cylindrical carbide edgeEssential

    Straight cutter

    Cuts a flat bottomed groove, rebate or mortise. The workhorse, and the cutter that most needs a fence or a template because it carries no reference of its own.

  • Flush trim bit: A flush trim router cutter bit with a ball bearing at the tip below the cutting edgeEssential

    Flush trim bit

    A bearing the same diameter as the cutter, so it trims an overhanging edge exactly level with what is beneath. Template work and laminate edges both depend on it.

  • Round over bit: A round over router cutter bit with a concave cutting profile and a bearingEssential

    Round over bit

    Turns a sharp edge into a radius, guided by its own bearing. The most used profile in furniture, because a rounded edge takes a finish and survives handling.

  • Chamfer bitEssential

    Chamfer bit

    A 45 degree bevel with a bearing. Also cuts mitred edges on panels for boxes, which is the second job people discover it does.

  • Rebate bit: A rebate router cutter bit with a horizontal cutting edge and a set of different sized bearings

    Rebate bit

    Cuts a step along an edge, with interchangeable bearings setting the width. One cutter, several rebate sizes, which is what makes it worth having over a straight cutter and fence.

  • Cove bit: A cove router cutter bit with a convex rounded cutting profile and a bearing

    Cove bit

    A concave quarter circle, the opposite of a round over. Used on its own for a decorative edge and paired with a round over for a matching lid and base.

  • Ogee bit: An ogee router cutter bit with an S shaped cutting profile and a bearing

    Ogee bit

    An S curve combining a cove and a round over, which is the traditional moulded edge on a table or a door panel. Large, so it wants a shallow first pass.

  • Dovetail bit: A dovetail router cutter bit with a tapered flared cutting head

    Dovetail bit

    A tapered cutter that undercuts the sides of a slot, cutting both halves of a dovetail joint. Only used with a jig, since freehand it cannot be lifted mid cut.

  • A horizontal slot cutter router bit with a circular wheel and a bearing on the shank

    Slot cutter

    A horizontal wheel cutting a slot into the side of a workpiece rather than the face. For biscuits, T moulding and any groove that has to run along an edge.

  • Rail and stile set: A matched pair of rail and stile router cutter bits with mirrored profiles

    Rail and stile set

    A matched pair cutting the profile and the mating groove for a frame and panel door. They must be set to the same height or the joint sits proud.

  • Spiral cutter: A solid carbide spiral upcut router cutter bit with a helical cutting edge

    Spiral cutter

    Helical edges that shear rather than chop, pulling chips up or pushing them down depending on the twist. Much cleaner in plywood and veneered board.

  • Cutter set: A wooden case holding an assortment of router cutter bits in fitted holes

    Cutter set

    A boxed assortment, which is decent value if the four useful profiles are in it. Half the contents of a large set are typically never fitted.

Fences, bushes and jigs 8

Where the accuracy comes from. A router held freehand wanders; guided, it is one of the most precise tools in the shop.

  • A router side fence attachment with two guide rods and a flat fence faceEssential

    Side fence

    Two rods and a face that runs along the workpiece edge, keeping the cut parallel to it. Only as straight as that edge, which is worth checking before trusting it.

  • A set of round metal router guide bushes of graduated diametersEssential

    Guide bushes

    A collar in the base that runs against a template. Remember the cut sits offset by half the difference between bush and cutter, so the template must allow for it.

  • An aluminium straight edge guide rail with two clamps at its endsEssential

    Straight edge guide

    An aluminium rail clamped across the work for the router base to follow. A fence for any cut a side fence cannot reach, and dead straight regardless of the workpiece.

  • Dovetail jig: A metal dovetail router jig with a comb template and clamping bars

    Dovetail jig

    A comb template that positions both halves of a dovetail joint. Fiddly to set up once and then repeatable, which is what makes it worth having for drawers.

  • A router circle cutting jig with a long arm and a pivot pin

    Circle cutting jig

    A pivot pin and an arm, so the router swings a true circle or arc. Cutting a circle any other way means sanding a jigsaw line into round, which never quite works.

  • Hinge jig: A router hinge recess jig template with a rectangular cut out and clamps

    Hinge jig

    A template that positions a hinge recess in a door and its frame to match. What makes a hanging door line up rather than nearly line up.

  • MDF templates: Several curved MDF router template shapes stacked on a bench

    MDF templates

    Shop made shapes in MDF that a bearing or a bush follows. The reason a router repeats a shape identically twenty times, which is most of its value in production.

  • Double sided tape: A roll of double sided woodworking tape on a wooden bench

    Double sided tape

    Holds a template to the work with nothing standing above the surface for the base to hit. Clamps are stronger and always in the way of something.

Setting up and safety 10

Cutter changes, dust and hearing. This is the group people skip and then regret.

  • Two flat open ended router collet spanners on a wooden surfaceEssential

    Collet spanners

    The pair that came with the router. Both hands are on the collet with the machine unplugged, and a substitute spanner rounds the nut, which then needs replacing.

  • Spare collets: Two router collets of different diameters with a collet nut

    Spare collets

    Sized to the shank, and worth replacing when worn. A worn collet lets the cutter creep down mid cut, which shows as a groove that deepens along its length.

  • A router dust extraction port adaptor with a flexible hose attachedEssential

    Dust extraction

    A router makes fine dust faster than almost any other tool, and MDF dust is worse than most. Connecting the port also clears the line so you can see it.

  • A pair of over ear protective ear defenders with a padded headbandEssential

    Ear defenders

    A router under load sits above the level at which hearing damage accumulates. This is one of the few tools where a single long session is enough to matter.

  • A pair of clear wraparound safety glasses with side coverageEssential

    Safety glasses

    Chips leave the cutter at 20,000rpm, and a fractured carbide tip leaves faster than that. Full wraparound, because router chips arrive from the side too.

  • Two rubber soled push blocks with plastic handles

    Push blocks

    For a router table, keeping hands away from a cutter that is under the workpiece and out of sight. The table hides the cutter, which is exactly the risk.

  • Featherboards

    Featherboards

    Angled fingers that press the work into the fence and resist it moving back. They hold the piece more consistently than a hand can and never get tired.

  • A small digital depth gauge with a display and a sliding base

    Depth gauge

    Sets cutter projection to a measured figure rather than by eye against a rule. For matching a groove to a board thickness, that difference is the whole joint.

  • Two F clamps with steel bars and wooden handles on a benchEssential

    Clamps

    The workpiece must not move, and a router pushes sideways with real force. Two clamps well placed also mean both hands stay on the machine where they belong.

  • Cutter cleaner: A spray bottle of router cutter resin cleaner with a brass brush

    Cutter cleaner

    Resin build up on a carbide edge makes it cut like a dull one and run hot. A soak and a brush restores it, which is cheaper than replacing a cutter that was fine.

Choosing router work tools

The list above is what exists. This is how to decide which of it you actually need, what separates a tool worth keeping from one that ends up at the back of a drawer.

Feed direction, and why it matters more than anything

The cutter spins clockwise seen from above. Feed the router so the cutter's rotation pushes back against your movement and it stays pressed to the fence and cuts cleanly. Feed it the other way and the cutter climbs, grabs and drags the router along the work at speed.

In practice that means moving left to right along the near edge of a workpiece, and anticlockwise around the outside of a panel. Inside a cut out it reverses: clockwise. This is the single thing that separates clean router work from frightening router work.

Against the rotation
The cutter should resist your feed, not help it. That resistance is what holds the fence contact.
Outside edges anticlockwise
Around the outside of a panel. Inside a cut out, the opposite way.
Climb cutting grabs
Feed the wrong way and the cutter pulls the machine along the work faster than you can react.
A deliberate exception
A very light climb cut can reduce tear out on figured grain. Light, and only once you know why.

Depth of cut in passes

A router will take a deep cut in one pass, badly. It burns, it deflects, the cutter chatters and on a large profile it can stall or split the workpiece. Two or three shallower passes take about the same time overall and produce a completely different surface.

As a guide, no more than the cutter diameter in depth per pass on softwood and less on hardwood. A plunge router's turret stop exists precisely to make stepped passes repeatable, and it is the feature most often ignored.

Shallow passes
Roughly the cutter diameter per pass at most, and less in hardwood.
Use the turret
A stepped stop makes each pass repeatable, which is what it is for.
Last pass light
A final thin pass cleans up chatter from the ones before it.
Burning is a symptom
Too slow a feed, too deep a cut, or a dull cutter. Never a reason to push harder.

What the cutter shapes tell you

Straight cutters make grooves, rebates and mortises, and follow a fence or a template. Bearing guided cutters carry their own reference, so a profile follows the edge of the work with no fence at all. That bearing is why they are the easiest cutters to use well.

Profile cutters cut a shape rather than a slot: round overs, chamfers, coves and ogees. Jointing cutters cut two mating parts, so a rail and stile set only makes sense as a pair and has to run at a set height.

Straight
Grooves, rebates and mortises. Needs a fence, a bush or a template to follow.
Bearing guided
Carries its own reference, so it follows the edge. The most forgiving cutters to start with.
Profile
Round overs, chamfers, coves. Shapes an edge rather than removing a section.
Shank size
12mm or half inch is stiffer and chatters less than 8mm or quarter inch. Use the larger where the router takes it.

Fences, bushes and templates

A side fence references off the workpiece edge, which is fine when that edge is straight. A guide bush references off a template, which lets a shape be repeated exactly however irregular it is. A bearing references off the work itself.

The guide bush has one trap: the cut sits offset from the template by half the difference between the bush and the cutter. Every template has to be made that much larger or smaller, and forgetting it is the classic first template mistake.

Side fence
Parallel to a straight edge. Simple, and only as straight as the edge it follows.
Guide bush
Follows a template. Allow for the offset between bush and cutter or the shape comes out wrong.
Bearing
Follows the work directly, no setup. Limited to the profiles that come with one.
Straight edge clamp
A clamped batten is a fence for any cut a side fence cannot reach.

Dust, noise and the things people skip

A router produces more fine dust per minute than almost any other workshop tool, and MDF dust in particular is the reason routing without extraction is a bad habit rather than a shortcut. Most routers have a port; connecting it also lets you see the line.

The noise is genuinely damaging at close range: a router under load sits well above the level where hearing loss accumulates. Ear defenders and eye protection are not optional here, because a cutter fragment leaves at 20,000rpm.

Extraction, always
Fine dust in volume, and MDF dust is worse. It also clears the line so you can see it.
Ear defenders
A router under load is above the level that accumulates damage. Every time, not just long jobs.
Eye protection
Chips leave at cutter speed, and a fractured cutter leaves faster.
Unplug to change cutters
Both hands are on the collet with a spanner. Nothing else should be able to happen.

Frequently asked questions

What is a router used for in woodworking?
Cutting grooves, rebates and mortises, shaping edges with a profile, trimming laminate and veneer flush, and cutting repeated shapes from a template. It does all of it by spinning a cutter at high speed while something guides the machine along a line.
Which way should you feed a router?
So the cutter's rotation pushes back against your movement, which keeps the machine pressed to its fence. In practice that is left to right along the near edge, anticlockwise around the outside of a panel, and clockwise inside a cut out. The wrong way makes the cutter grab.
How deep can a router cut in one pass?
Less than you think. Roughly the cutter diameter in depth per pass in softwood and less in hardwood. A deep single pass burns, chatters and can split the work. Two or three shallow passes take about the same total time and leave a far better surface.
What is the difference between a plunge and a fixed base router?
A plunge base lets the spinning cutter be lowered into the middle of a workpiece, which is what mortises and stopped grooves need. A fixed base sets the depth before you start and is steadier for edge profiling. Combination kits give you one motor and both bases.
What router bits do I actually need?
A straight cutter, a flush trim bit with a bearing, a round over and a chamfer will cover most work. Those four handle grooves, template trimming and edge finishing. Buy the rest when a specific job calls for them rather than as a large set up front.
What size router bit shank is better?
The larger one your router accepts, usually 12mm or half an inch. A thicker shank deflects and chatters less, which shows directly in the finish, and it lets a bigger cutter run safely. Keep 8mm or quarter inch for small cutters and trim routers.
Why is my router burning the wood?
Almost always feeding too slowly, cutting too deep in one pass, or a dull cutter. Burn marks mean the cutter is rubbing rather than shearing. Move a little faster, take a shallower pass, and if it persists the cutter needs replacing rather than more pressure.
Do I need a router table?
For small workpieces and repeated profiles, it helps a great deal, since the machine is fixed and both hands guide the wood. For large panels and site work the handheld router is the only option. Many people end up with the same router used both ways.