Things You'll Need:
- Plunge router
- Wood stock
- Table on which stock can be secure clamped
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Step 1
Decide on the router design (bit) that you will be using and insert the bit into the router. Each router model has a slightly different method of changing bits, but most models make the job extremely easy.
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Step 2
Adjust the dept of your cut. You do this by releasing a lever on the handle of the router which allows the base to move up and down in relationship to the fixed bit. If you have a large bit you may want to begin with only a small amount of the bit exposed and after the first layer of material has been cut, then expose more of the bit and run the router over the material a second or even a third time until the full dept of the cut has been made.
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Step 3
Turn on the motor of the router BEFORE touching the bit to the wood. The bit must be free of the material when the motor is started or you run the risk of a severe kickback of the machine. Let the motor get up to speed and then plunge the bit into the stock.
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Step 4
Attach a plunge router to a router table (with the router inverted) in the same manner you would a fixed-base router. Locate the holes in the router's base that line up with the pre-drilled holes in your router table and use bolts to secure the router to the table. Because of the plunge router's movable base it is possible to start the router bit at a low level (i.e. a shallow cut) and raise it up above the table's surface by degree--this is particularly useful when using a large router bit or when cutting hard woods.
