I was doing some simple woodworking and needed a router. But since I was not sure that this tool would be needed often, I did not buy it and made the router myself from an angle grinder. I thought that this experience would be useful to readers, and then I will tell you how to make a wood router from an angle grinder with your own hands.
Hand tool
So, how to make a milling cutter from a grinder... It is important to use a vice or clamps to securely hold the workpiece. Otherwise the part will not be stable. Using various methods, you can make a milling machine from a grinder. I'll tell you about one of them.
You need to start by developing drawings of the basic base of the tool. The best solution is to make a metal base. It must have sufficient thickness and weight. All this affects how reliable the device will be. Let's move on to creating a plate for fixing - a bracket for attaching an angle grinder. The same material is used as the base. It is also important to make connectors for the back of the instrument. They should be made in the place where the handle is located. Blanks can be made of any shape.
Parts of square pipes are welded to the edges of the fixture. Products that are longer and have a smaller diameter will be guides. They must be welded to the base. In order for the tool to be fixed as securely as possible, you will need to create and weld metal “ears”. To fix the tool at the required height, you need to make a mount. To do this, you will need to weld two nuts and place threaded rods in them. Wing nuts must be attached to them using welding. Thanks to this manipulation it will be easy to fix the tool in the required position.
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As an adapter, you need to place a drill chuck on the attachment. To install it, you need to cut the thread in advance. It is cut from the inside and must match the angle grinder shaft. After which the drill chuck is screwed onto the shaft and the necessary cutter is installed in it. Next you need to assemble the machine and secure it in the bracket.
Necessary materials
In order to make a milling bed for an angle grinder with your own hands, you will need the following parts, which every craftsman probably has in his workshop, garage or dacha:
- two steel profiles (one must be wider than the other so that it fits freely into it) of square or rectangular cross-section for the manufacture of support structures for the frame;
- sheet of metal (steel or stainless steel) 7-9 mm thick for the sole and other structural components;
- an angle grinder or a drill with the grinding wheel and half-casing removed (and the drill with a chuck, respectively, so that the axial shaft is open);
- an old drill chuck (it will have to be modified, after which it can no longer be used for drills) - it will be a “nozzle” for the cutter;
- fastening elements: bolts, clamps, nuts.
Important. To work on metal, the workshop must have a vice, a saw blade (with teeth for cutting metal), an electric drill (hand or machine), a grinding wheel, electric welding, drawing instruments for preparing models (including a chemical pencil, crayons or markers).
Stationary tool
The design includes the following elements: a table top with a lined rail, a drive and a solid base.
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The following types of such devices are distinguished:
- fixed table top – movable tool;
- movable base – stationary tool.
Design Features
A standard router consists of the following components:
Base or frame.- Work stand.
- Electric drive.
- Electric motor.
- Working mechanism.
If the base and work table can be made from scrap materials, then the working head, electric motor and cutters are a little more difficult to build.
When considering the option of using a grinder to make a machine, it is important to provide for the presence of a stepper motor in the design. The drawings take into account that the installation of the cutter requires the use of stepper motors. Creating a working head is not an easy task. These characteristics immediately affect what abilities the machine will have.
The following technical characteristics are important:
- Electric motor rotation frequency.
- The power of an electric motor.
- Desktop scale.
- Maximum weight of workpieces.
Movable base - stationary tool
It is necessary to make sure that the tabletop is mobile and the grinder is motionless. So that the tabletop can be moved under it, you need to build a structure of guides. It is important that the tabletop is securely fastened. We fix the angle grinder on the vertical bed. It should be strictly to the side of the workbench.
Algorithm of actions:
- make a wooden frame (you can also make it from corners);
- install plywood to the frame;
- to make a good milling cutter from an angle grinder, you need to create connectors specifically for the shaft of this tool;
- using clamps you need to fix the device in the frame itself;
- Make guides on the tabletop so that the part can be moved freely;
- the surface needs to be sanded and painted.
As a result, you will make a device with a vertical attachment..
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Self-tapping screws should not be visible above the surface of the countertop. As for the guide rails, it is important that they can be easily rearranged and removed. The best option for fixing them is self-tapping screws.
To use all the capabilities of a homemade milling machine, you will need to buy additional attachments - cutters.
You can clearly see how to make a router from an angle grinder in this video:
A slightly different look at the question - about the advisability of making a router from an angle grinder, see this video:
Important rules for cutting wood
Cutting and processing wood can be done using a well-known device - an angle grinder. A power saw made from a sanding device will help you handle small wood jobs.
Milling with a grinder will require compliance with the following rules:
- use the attachment only for wood products;
- work is carried out with gloves;
- the unit must be securely fastened;
- minimum operating speed;
- before use, you should make sure that the material does not contain nails, screws or other metal components;
- the mechanism must be kept in one plane, avoiding distortions;
- The nozzle is replaced when the power supply is turned off.
Cutting discs
They are made from tungsten carbide, which is highly durable. Depending on the depth of cut and the number of teeth, there are several types of cutting discs. To choose which drive to purchase, follow these guidelines:
- If you use the wheel infrequently and for a short period of time and cut a variety of wood, you should choose a disk whose teeth have a beveled shape.
- When processing soft wood species, a wheel with straight teeth is used.
- For cutting medium-density wood, particle boards and USB boards, it is best to use wheels with trapezoidal teeth.
General information
Tools and accessories
A vertical router, unlike a standard drill, has a flat base, namely a sole on which it will stand and move along the table or part being processed. The body will be fixed and begin to move vertically along the guides. In order to make a homemade router based on a drill, you need to make a stand and attach an electric drill to it.
If you wish, you can replace the plywood with laminate or chipboard of the same thickness. A cutter made from an electric drill will be much more convenient for work if the sole, that is, the base, is made of organic glass with a thickness of 1 to 1.2 cm. In this case, the work area will be clearly visible, as well as the markings on the board. Metal clamps and fittings should be used as simple as for water pipes.
The size should be selected according to the diameter of the drill body, just above the chuck. Secure the wood router with screws 0.5 cm in diameter and 2 cm in length. Self-tapping screws of this size are very often used to make crafts from wood. They can be used to attach brackets, shelves and hooks. Often, after repairs, screws remain, and they can be replaced with self-tapping screws, the diameter of which is 0.55 cm and the length is 1.8 and 2.2 cm.
In order to make a wood milling machine from an electric drill, you need the following:
- Wrench.
- Electric drill.
- Drills 0.4 and 0.8 cm.
- Spade or core drill.
- Electric jigsaw.
- Screwdriver.
As a rule, in a home workshop or garage you can easily find all the necessary tools, and a screwdriver can be replaced with a Phillips screwdriver, a jigsaw with a hand hacksaw for wood.
How to choose the power of wood milling machine equipment for your home workshop
The manual router is designed specifically for work in small workshops or on the road.
It is difficult to process large batches of lumber on it; such a machine simply cannot withstand the volume of work. Bulk workpieces are easier to process on stationary machines. A comment
Andrey Feofanov
Tool selection specialist at VseInstruments.ru
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“To create complex designs on wood, you will have to purchase several types of cutters. Some of them can be made independently, others can be purchased in specialized stores.”
Low-power machines are quite suitable for home and household use. For example, 400 W is enough for small jobs and drilling in soft wood. Machines of this power can be used for cutting grooves. The price of manual wood routers is low, however, the range of functions is very limited.
If you plan to expand the specifics of processing, then it is better to opt for a model with a power of at least 1 kW
With such equipment you can easily work on any type of wood. This is quite enough for household needs. For professional use, it is recommended to choose a machine with a power of at least 1.5 kW. It is not always possible to buy such a wood milling machine, because the price can reach several tens of thousands of rubles. With such a machine it will be possible to process large volumes of wood, as well as plastics, soft alloys, such as aluminum; it will “eat” any type of cutter. Remember that the time it takes to complete a task depends on the power.
Spindle rotation speed is a very important characteristic that affects the price of a wood milling machine; you should pay attention to this parameter when choosing equipment. Processing dry or wet wood of varying densities is most effective at certain speeds
The dimensions of the working platform and the distance from the spindle axis to the worktop determine the dimensions of the workpieces being processed. The accuracy and depth of processing of the part, as well as the ability to select the desired cutter, depend on choosing the right spindle for a wood milling machine.
Dust extraction - when processing wood, an exhaust volute is an irreplaceable thing. Sometimes, for such purposes, ordinary vacuum cleaners are used, which are attached at a certain angle to the frame.
Dimensions and weight of the machine - for an amateur, a compact desktop model is suitable, which is installed on a workbench, and after use it is put away in the pantry. If you have a workshop, it is more advisable to assemble a full-fledged wood milling machine on a bed with your own hands. If you plan to work on a construction site, choose a manual router.
A comment
Andrey Feofanov
Tool selection specialist at VseInstruments.ru
Ask a Question
“The manual electric top-type milling cutter can be stationary or submersible. Fixed models are cheaper, however, less functional. In such a tool, the cutter cannot move relative to the device body.”
Much more convenient to use is a plunge router, the drive motor of which is mounted on special guides and can move along them along with the working attachment during processing. The design of plunge-type milling machines also has a special spring, which ensures the lifting of the working attachment after processing has been completed with its help.
If, in the process of purchasing top-type milling cutters, you choose which one is better, then you should definitely pay attention to submersible models, which are perfect for both professionals and beginners
CNC router
A machine with computer numerical control (CNC) is used mainly for engraving and figured wood carving. It is controlled using a computer, thanks to which very complex patterns can be cut out on workpieces with high precision. In China you can buy ready-made mini CNC machines for making souvenirs at a price of about 10,000 rubles.
Of course, you can purchase all the parts for the machine and assemble the CNC router yourself. But if you look at the cost of all the components, it will be much cheaper to purchase a finished product with already configured software.
Principle of operation
The operating principle of a lamellar router is quite simple. Thanks to the gearbox, the torque from the engine is supplied to the cutter. The latter is fixed to the shaft. The installed casing protects limbs from getting into the cutting area, and the cast platform allows you to securely position the device on the surface.
