Routing

Routing turns a sawn edge into a finished one, and cuts the joints that hold work together. The machines run from around 1000 W for one-handed edge work up to 2200 W for deep cuts in hard material; the lighter routers set depth to a tenth of a millimetre, the heaviest offset their guide rods to resist twist under load. The cutter range is the deeper half: chamfer and roundover profiles for edges, groove and spiral cutters for housings, dovetail cutters for drawers, rebating cutters for panels, T-slot cutters for fittings. Most take an 8 mm shank. HW carbide holds its edge far longer in board and abrasive material; HS steel cuts cleaner in softwood and costs less to replace. Reversible-blade cutters swap a blunt edge for a fresh one rather than the whole cutter.