Nowadays, a router is generally associated with computer networks rather than woodworking. But routers have been used in woodworking long before computer networks appeared. The woodworking router is a very versatile tool. It can do almost any kind of wood cutting or shaping. The router is a portable power tool, you hold it in your hands and pass it over the piece of wood. But it can also be mounted to a table and be used a stationary tool.

As mentioned, the woodworking router is a very versatile tool. You have woodworking tasks that can only be done with a router, for example edge treatments. Many other tasks can be done very well with the router but you can also use other tools. In this category we have tasks such as cutting curves and joinery work. You also have a lot of tasks that can be done better by using other tools but there the router is a reasonable alternative.

Despite being a very versatile, the woodworking router is a very simple tool. Routers generally have a small motor, around 3 horsepower which generate anywhere from 10,000 RPM and upwards. At the bottom of the rotor is a collet which can be fitted with different bits. The bit determines what you can do with the router. The router base holds the motor. The base has two handles so that you can hold the machine.

You have two kinds of router bases, the fixed base and the plunge base. With a fixed base router, you set the depth of the cut before using the router and the motor will stay the same distance from the wood. A plunge base on the other hand, lets you alter the depth of the cut on the fly. The plunge base allows you to lower and raise the engine in a controlled manner.

The router collet is similar to a drill’s chuck. It is designed to grip the round shank of a bit. The diameter of router bits is either a quarter of an inch or half an inch. But you also have some router bits with 3/8 inch diameter. The high speed of the router complicates things. Drills bits don’t need to be perfectly concentric, the drill speed is not fast enough to create problems. The router on the other hand, often use speeds above 20,000 RPM. The slightest imbalance in the bit will make the router vibrate vociferously. This also means that the collet and its socket must be kept clean. Any sawdust, rust or grit will cause the router to vibrate. Note that recommended router speeds typically decrease as bit diameter increases.