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> I'm looking at the full page ad in the sears Xmas tool gift catalog. It
> lookis like the thing is a 1/8 inch bit, or maybe just a little larger, so
> the kerf is not going to be much different than what you would lose to a
> table saw, or a carbide tipped circular saw.
> The bits are rather unusual in design. The tip of the bit looks like a
> wood drill. this is probably for making the plunge cut, or penetrating the
> material. About an inch, the spiral of the drill's cutting edge twists and
> runs nearly in line with the length of the bit for a little over an inch,
> looking a lot like a straight cutting router bit.
> The ad blurb says "Slices material rather than the riping action of
> jig, reciprocating, & crcular saws."
> In the days before lasers were cheap enough to use for cutting out parts,
> plenty of plywood was cut with computer driven (numerically controlled)
> routers that moved in the X-Y axis on a machine that looked a lot like an
> overgrown pen plotter. Instead of an ink line being placed down, though,
> the router would cut out the part. This just looks like a light duty
> router, or maybe a heavy duty Dremel Mototool, with a small diameter
> cutting bit.
> I think if you took a decent router, put in a 1/8th inch staight cutting
> bit, or the smallest you could find, then you could use that to cut parts,
> too.
> Just some thoughts
> Paul G. Jacobson
Hi all ! Again, as with the belt sander, the router is a tool that, with a straight cut bit, can get away from you in a snap. You should try it on a scrap of plywood, draw a curved line and clamp the wood down and then try to follow the line. It ain't easy. Can be done, if done slowly, and with good strength, but, not for everyone!! Before you make an undesired curve of your own, and ruin or shorten your boat, try it out.
Rehd
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Guillemot Kayak - High
Performance Wooden Sea Kayak Designs
