For full-fledged work with a manual router, in addition to the tool itself, the material and the corresponding set of cutters, it is necessary to have one more component - fixtures. In order for the cutter to form the workpiece in accordance with the master's intent - cutting the material exactly where it is required - it must be in a strictly defined position relative to the workpiece at any given time. To ensure this, numerous devices for a manual milling cutter serve. Some of them - the most necessary ones - are included in the instrument delivery set. Other milling devices are purchased or made by hand. At the same time, home-made devices are so simple that for their manufacture you can do without drawings, using only their drawings.
Parallel stop
The most used device, which comes with the kit for almost every router, is a parallel stop, which ensures the rectilinear movement of the cutter relative to the base surface. The latter can be a straight edge of a workpiece, a table or a guide rail. The parallel stop can be used both for milling various grooves located on the face of the workpiece, and for processing edges.Parallel stop for a manual router: 1 - stop, 2 - rod, 3 - router base, 4 - rod stop screw, 5 - fine adjustment screw, 6 - movable carriage, 7 - movable carriage stop screw, 8 - pads, 9 - screw stop stop.
To set the device in working position, it is necessary to push the rods 2 into the holes of the frame 3, providing the necessary distance between the support surface of the stop and the axis of the cutter, and fix them with the locking screw 4. For precise positioning of the cutter, you need to release the locking screw 9 and turn the fine adjustment screw 5 set the cutter to the desired position. For some models of the stop, the dimensions of the supporting surface can be changed by shifting or expanding the support pads 8.
If one simple part is added to the parallel stop, then with its help it is possible to mill not only straight, but also curved grooves, for example, to process a round workpiece. Moreover, the inner surface of the bar located between the stop and the workpiece does not have to have a rounded shape, repeating the edge of the workpiece. It can also be given a simpler form (Figure "a"). In this case, the trajectory of the cutter will not change.
Of course, the usual parallel stop, thanks to the recess in the center, will allow you to orient the router along the rounded edge, however, the position of the router may not be stable enough.
The guide bar is similar in function to the rip fence. Like the latter, it provides a strictly rectilinear movement of the router. The main difference between them is that the bar can be set at any angle to the edge of the workpiece or table, thus providing any direction of movement of the router in the horizontal plane. In addition, the tire may have elements that simplify the performance of certain operations, for example, milling holes located at the same distance from each other (with a certain step), etc.
The guide rail is attached to the table or workpiece with clamps or special clamps. The tire can be equipped with an adapter (shoe), which is connected to the base of the router with two rods. Sliding along the profile of the tire, the adapter sets the rectilinear movement of the cutter.
Sometimes (if the distance of the tire from the router is too close), the bearing surfaces of the tire and the router may be in different planes in height. To align them, some routers are equipped with retractable support legs that change the position of the router in height.
Such a device is easy to do with your own hands. The simplest option is a long bar fixed to the workpiece with clamps. The design can be supplemented with side stops.
By placing a bar on two or more aligned blanks at once, they can be grooved in one pass.
When using a bar as a stop, it is inconvenient to place the bar at a certain distance from the line of the future groove. This inconvenience is devoid of the following two devices. The first is made from boards and plywood fastened together. In this case, the distance from the edge of the stop (board) to the edge of the base (plywood) is equal to the distance from the cutter to the edge of the router base. But this condition is met only for a cutter of the same diameter.. Thanks to this, the device quickly aligns with the edge of the future groove.
The following fixture can be used with cutters of different diameters, plus when milling, the router rests with its entire sole, and not half, as in the previous fixture.
The stop is aligned along the edge of the hinged board and the center line of the groove. After fixing the stop, the folding board leans back, making room for the router. The width of the folding board, together with the gap between it and the stop (if any), must be equal to the distance from the center of the cutter to the edge of the router base. If you focus on the edge of the cutter and the edge of the future groove, then the device will work with only one cutter diameter.
When milling grooves across the fibers, at the exit from the workpiece, when milling an open groove, cases of wood scuffing are not uncommon. The following devices will help minimize scuffing, which press the fibers at the exit of the cutter, preventing them from chipping off the workpiece.
Two boards, strictly perpendicular, are connected with screws. Different cutters are used on different sides of the stop so that the width of the groove in the fixture matches the width of the groove of the part to be milled.
Another open slot milling fixture can be pressed tighter against the workpiece to further minimize burrs, but it only fits a single diameter cutter. It consists of two L-shaped parts connected on the workpiece with clamps.
Copy rings and templates
A copy ring is a round plate with a protruding collar that slides along the template and provides the necessary trajectory for the cutter. The copy ring is attached to the sole of the router in various ways: it is screwed into a threaded hole (such rings are in the photo below), the antennae of the ring are inserted into special holes on the sole or screwed.
The diameter of the copy ring should be as close to the diameter of the cutter as possible, but the ring should not touch the cutting parts of the cutter. If the ring diameter is larger than the cutter diameter, then the template must be smaller than the finished parts to compensate for the difference between the cutter diameter and the copy ring diameter.
The template is fixed on the workpiece with double-sided tape, then both parts are pressed with clamps to the workbench. When you have finished milling, check that the ring is pressed against the edge of the template during the entire operation.
You can make a template for processing not the entire edge, but only for rounding the corners. In this case, using the template shown below, it is possible to make roundings of four different radii.
In the figure above, a cutter with a bearing is used, but the template can also be used with a ring, only either the ring must exactly match the diameter of the cutter, or the stops should make it possible to move the template away from the edge by the difference in the radius of the cutter and the ring. This also applies to the simpler version shown below.
Templates are used not only for milling edges, but also for grooves on the plate.
The pattern can be adjustable.
Template milling is a great method for cutting grooves for hinges.
Devices for milling round and elliptical slots
Compasses are intended for the movement of a milling cutter on a circle. The simplest device of this type is a compass, consisting of one rod, one end of which is connected to the base of the router, and the other has a screw with a pin at the end, which is inserted into the hole that serves as the center of the circle along which the cutter moves. The radius of the circle is set by the displacement of the rod relative to the base of the router.
It is better, of course, that the compass was made of two rods.
In general, compasses are a very common device. There are a large number of branded and home-made devices for circumferential milling, differing in size and ease of use. As a rule, compasses have a mechanism that provides a change in the radius of the circle. Usually it is made in the form of a screw with a pin at the end, moving along the groove of the device. The pin is inserted into the center hole of the part.
When it is necessary to mill a circle of small diameter, the pin must be located under the base of the router, and for such cases other devices are used that are attached to the bottom of the base of the router.
Ensuring the movement of the cutter in a circle using a compass is quite simple. However, one often has to face the need to perform elliptical contours - when inserting mirrors or oval-shaped glasses, arranging arched-type windows or doors, etc. Device PE60 WEGOMA (Germany) is designed for milling ellipses and circles.
It is a base in the form of a plate, attached to the surface using vacuum suction cups 1 or screws, if the nature of the surface does not allow fixing with suction cups. Two shoes 2, moving along intersecting guides, ensure the movement of the router along an elliptical path. When milling a circle, only one shoe is used. The fixture kit includes two mounting rods and a bracket 3, with the help of which the router is connected to the plate. The grooves on the bracket allow you to install the router in such a way that its supporting surface and the base of the plate are in the same plane.
As you can see from the photos above, the milling cutter was used instead of a jigsaw or band saw, while, due to the high speed of the cutter, the quality of the machined surface is much higher. Also, in the absence of a manual circular saw, the router can replace it.
Devices for milling grooves on narrow surfaces
Grooves for locks and door hinges, in the absence of a milling cutter, are performed using a chisel and an electric drill. This operation - especially when making a groove for an internal lock - takes a lot of time. Having a milling cutter and a special device, it can be done several times faster. It is convenient to have such a fixture that allows milling slots of a wide range of sizes.To make grooves in the end, you can make a simple fixture in the form of a flat base attached to the sole of the router. Its shape can be not only round (according to the shape of the base of the router), but also rectangular. On both sides of it, you need to fix the guide pins, which will ensure the rectilinear movement of the router. The main condition for their device is that their axes are in line with the center of the cutter. If this condition is provided, the groove will be located exactly in the center of the workpiece, regardless of its thickness. If it is necessary to move the groove to one side or another from the center, a bushing with a certain wall thickness must be put on one of the pins, as a result of which the groove will shift in the direction from which the pin with the bushing is located. When using a router with such a device, it must be driven in such a way that the pins are pressed on both sides to the side surfaces of the part.
If you attach a second parallel stop to the router, you will also get a device for milling grooves in the edge.
But you can do without special devices. For the stability of the milling cutter on a narrow surface, boards are fixed on both sides of the part, the surface of which should form a single plane with the surface to be machined. When milling, the router is positioned using the parallel stop.
You can make an improved version that increases the area of \u200b\u200bsupport for the router.
Device for processing balusters, pillars and other bodies of revolution
The variety of work that is performed by a manual milling cutter sometimes dictates the need for independent manufacture of devices that facilitate the performance of certain operations. Branded devices are not able to cover the entire range of work, and they are quite expensive. Therefore, home-made fixtures for a router are very common among users who are fond of working with wood, and sometimes do-it-yourself fixtures either outperform branded counterparts or have no branded counterparts at all.Sometimes there is a need to mill various grooves in the bodies of revolution. In this case, the device shown below may be useful.
The device is used for milling longitudinal grooves (flutes) on balusters, poles, etc. It consists of a body 2, a movable carriage with a milling cutter 1, a disk for setting the angle of rotation 3. The device works as follows. The baluster is placed in the body and fixed there with screws 4. Turning to the desired angle and fixing the workpiece in a strictly defined position is provided by disk 3 and locking screw 5. After fixing the part, the carriage with the router is set in motion (along the guide rails of the body), and milling a groove along the length of the workpiece. Then the product is unlocked, rotated to the required angle, locked and the next groove is made.
A similar fixture can be used instead of a lathe. The workpiece must be slowly rotated by an assistant or a simple drive, for example, from a drill or a screwdriver, and excess material is removed by a milling cutter moving along the guides.
Stud milling fixtures
Tenon cutters are used for milling the profile of tenon joints. In the manufacture of the latter, greater precision is required, which is almost impossible to provide manually. Tenoning devices allow you to quickly and easily profile even complex joints such as dovetails.
The figure below shows an industrial sample of a tenoning device for the manufacture of three types of connections - "dovetail" (deaf and through version) and through connection with a straight tenon. Two mating parts are installed in the fixture with a certain shift relative to each other, controlled by pins 1 and 2, then they are processed. The exact trajectory of the cutter is set by the shape of the groove in the template and the copying ring of the router, which slides along the edge of the template, repeating its shape.
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Since the milling machine is a widely used tool among amateur and professional carpenters, additional tools such as copy sleeves and rings will be indispensable when working.
In this article, we will tell you how to make a copy ring for a router yourself, we will figure out what copy sleeves are for, and how to handle them in work.
What is a copy sleeve for?
It helps to confidently guide the cutting elements of the router along a complex trajectory, while maintaining the distance between the cutter blade and the edge of the template. As a rule, it is used in conjunction with various templates and rules that follow the edge of the part. The outer edges of this tool necessarily go beyond the boundaries of the sole of the tool.
Installation should be done using two mounting bolts. They are mounted in threaded holes on the sole of the router, which are available there. There is a separate class of bushings, they have height adjustment. They must be used where a snug fit of the sleeve itself to the template or rule is required over an extremely large area. They are fixed with a clamping screw or screwed in from the bottom of the plate. The manufacturer makes the diameters of the guide surface of the sleeve different in size and does this in order to be able to work with cutters of different diameters, as well as to create combinations of cutters with bushings. The length of the segment limited by the edge of the template and the cut line is determined by the difference in the diameters of the guide plane of the copy sleeve and the cylinder. When working with a template, this parameter should be taken into account. The length of the segment from the sleeve to the cutter is approximately 3–4 mm. This is done in order to ensure the free exit of chips that occur during operation. To protect the workpiece, it is important that the flange and heads of the fixing screws of the sleeve do not protrude beyond the plane of the sole of the milling machine. The bushing flange must be flat, fit tightly into the groove intended for it. Before installing the sleeve, it is necessary to clean this groove from chips and resin. The thickness of the template plays an important role in the process. At the same time, it should be of such thickness that the sleeve does not rest against the workpiece. This is necessary so that it does not spoil the part with a protrusion. With its help, you can engage in milling liners, recesses, as well as cut out various decorative elements.
Copy ring for router Fiolent
The copy ring is a round plate with a protruding shoulder that slides around the template when working. In this way, the required trajectory of the cutting element of the milling cutter is provided. The ring is fastened with screws on the sole of the milling machine. During operation, the ring protects the template from the cutting action of the teeth of the cutter. The copy ring is characterized by such properties as strength, reliability, durability, wear resistance.
On the Russian market, you can purchase these Fiolent products at a low price - about 10–20 USD. e. Fiolent's products are budget-friendly and designed for the mass segment of consumers.
Do-it-yourself copy sleeves for a router
In some cases, the manufacturer does not complete the milling machine with such an important tool. To make this necessary fixture yourself, you will need a duralumin or sheet metal washer, a threaded metal plumbing extension. The manufacturing process is as follows:
- A nut corresponding to the thread of your extension is selected and cut in such a way that a ring is obtained in the process.
- Then it should be pierced.
- A round platform is cut from a metal sheet or aluminum 2 mm thick. On it, it is necessary to cut off a certain amount of material from the sides, having done this on a grinding machine, and place it on the sole.
- We set your tool vertically and mark the places for fixing through the holes in the sole.
- The holes are drilled with a small diameter drill and then with a drill that matches the diameter of the mounting bolt.
- We put on the washer and tighten the nut. We clamp the part in a vice and cut the angle grinder millimeters of thread so that it is flush with the nut.
- We clamp the part with a vise and shorten it.
- After that, we align the part on the grinding wheel, insert and fix it in the sole of the tool.
In this article, we tried to briefly highlight the key points regarding bushings, talked about how they are made, and talked a little about such a useful tool as a copy ring.
The topic of our next post is milling according to a template using a copy ring (or sleeve). This device is usually (not always) supplied as standard with the router. But they can be bought in addition and in addition - other diameters. The ring is attached to the sole of the router with a pair of screws or latches (which is more convenient). 
The whole point of copying using this technique can be described as follows: the edge of the ring that enters the sole of the router is guided according to the template, while the cutter naturally does not reach the template, but runs parallel to its edge. As a result, the cut follows the contour given by the template, but deviates somewhat from it (the greater the difference between the outer diameter of the cutter and the template, the greater the offset). 
This technique greatly simplifies life when adding many of the same type of elements (for example, hinges, locks, etc.).
(30mm-10mm)/2=10mm
The result obtained, as an upward correction, must be taken into account when making the template itself. This, of course, creates some inconvenience in the manufacture of templates, but they are not critical.
Well, in conclusion, let's attach to the cut groove the part under which this groove was cut (hidden Italiana Ferramenta) 
By removing the pattern, we get such a neat result. In general, using a copy ring is sometimes not only possible, but necessary. 
The right tools and accessories can add even more value to your router.
In the workshop of every woodworker - regardless of skill level - there should be at least one router. This versatile tool works tirelessly, shaping edges, making connections (anything from simple grooves to dovetail studs), and selecting recesses for inserts (such as inlays) that decorate the product. The right attachments and accessories can add even more value to this machine. Here are six first-rate additions that will increase the functionality of your router. You will find an even greater number of devices, tips, plans and videos on working with a router in the WOOD-Master magazine. Two free videos on setting up and using a dovetail jig and tips on getting the most out of your router table.
1. BUSHING THAT GUIDES
By installing the copying sleeve in the foot hole of your router, you can use it for routing along a guide or template, which will allow you to get perfect details. Since this method uses a simple groove cutter that does not have a bearing, you can even plunge the cutter into the material in the middle of the workpiece.
2. ADVANTAGES OF THE SUBMERSIBLE BASE
Fixed base routers typically cost less than plunge routers and still be able to do most of the milling work in your shop. But many fixed base routers can also be purchased as part of a set that includes a plunge base. This will allow you to start and end the pass in the middle of the workpiece. An example of such operations are flutes and blind grooves, as well as recesses in carved plates made using a milling cutter. The electric motor is easily moved from one base to another, which provides the versatility of two routers at a price slightly more than the cost of one device. In addition to this, you can attach a fixed base to the router table; to switch to manual milling, it will be enough to rearrange the engine in the submersible base.
3. MILLING TABLE - CONTROL OVER THE SITUATION
Installing the router upside down on the router table allows for a greater degree of control over the workpiece and the machining process, especially when working with workpieces that are too small to hold by hand. Whether you buy a commercially manufactured router table or build it yourself, a perfectly flat work surface, a precise adjustable longitudinal stop and an efficient dust extraction connection are among the main requirements for it. In addition to these basic requirements, also look for a reliable switch to start and stop the router and comb clamps that provide complete control over the workpiece.
4. DEVICE FOR MILLING PERFECT SLOTS
This device will allow you to mill grooves in the walls of cabinets that ideally match the thickness of the shelves. No special cutters are needed to work with it - it is designed to work with a conventional groove cutter and a copy sleeve (we used a sleeve with a diameter of 25 mm and a cutter with a diameter of 12 mm). First, select a 10 mm wide and 10 mm deep fold on the inner edges of both guides (A). After that, assemble the fixture, guided by rice. 1. To adapt the guides to work with cutter and sleeve of other diameters, use them to reduce the width of the folds in the guides. The remaining protrusion will exactly match your cutter/sleeve combination. To adjust the fixture to the desired slot width, slide it onto the shelf as shown in rice. 2. Press the guides (A) firmly against the workpiece and tighten the wing nuts. Remove the fixture from the shelf and attach with clamps to the workpiece to be grooved, aligning the gap between the guides (A) with the groove marking lines on the workpiece. After installing the router on the guides, adjust the overhang of the cutter. Make the first pass by leading the core along one of the guides, and then the second pass along the opposite guide.
You can find a detailed description of the manufacture of this fixture and the cutter storage system.
5. SWALLOW TAIL
Dovetail joints have long been considered the hallmark of quality carpentry work. An accurate and easy-to-use open dovetail tool will allow you to earn the right reputation without years of practice. Some fixtures allow you to expand your repertoire to include dovetails with varying spacing between pimples (which gives the impression of being handmade), as well as semi-hidden dovetail, sliding dovetail, and even straight box dovetails, for which uses additional templates included in the kit or purchased separately.
6. CUTTER STORAGE: ADD AS NEEDED
This modular cutter storage system fits any drawer and expands easily as your cutter collection grows. The selected square sizes, which are related to each other as 1:2:3, increase the number of possible options for placing cutters. As you can see in the photo, there is also space for wrenches, copy sleeves, and there is also one large square with holes for storing nozzles for a drill. To build your modular storage system, cut a 19mm thick MDF board lengthwise and then crosswise into 32mm, 64mm, and 96mm squares. In the center of each square, drill a hole with a diameter slightly larger than the cutter shank - this will make it easier to remove the cutter from the socket: for cutters with 8 and 12 mm shanks - 8.5 and 13 mm in diameter, for drill bits with 3/32” shanks and 1/8” - 2.8 mm and 3.6 mm, respectively. Dip the squares in an oil-lacquer mixture, such as Danish oil, and then, after removing excess product with a cloth, place them to dry on a mosquito net laid on the trestle. When the coating is dry, place the squares in the drawer. To fill the extra space, use tightly fitted strips of hardboard 6 mm thick, and use the resulting trays to store various accessories.
To expand the functionality of a hand-held power tool, to make its use more convenient, comfortable and safe, devices for a manual milling cutter allow. Serial models of such devices are quite expensive, but you can save on their purchase and make devices for equipping a wood router with your own hands.
Different kinds of devices can make a truly versatile tool out of a hand router.
The main task that the devices for the milling cutter solve is to ensure that the tool is located in relation to the surface to be machined in the required spatial position. Some of the most commonly used attachments for milling machines are included as standard with such equipment. The same models that have a highly specialized purpose are purchased separately or made by hand. At the same time, many devices for a wood router have such a design that making them with your own hands does not present any particular problems. For home-made devices for a manual milling cutter, drawings will not even be required - their drawings will be quite enough.
Among the devices for a wood router, which you can make yourself, there are a number of popular models. Let's consider them in more detail.
Rip fence for straight and curved cuts
It is possible to ensure the stability of the router when processing narrow surfaces without special devices. This problem is solved with the help of two boards, which are attached on both sides of the workpiece in such a way as to form one plane with the surface on which the groove is made. The milling cutter itself, when using this technological method, is positioned using a parallel stop.