# Affordable Router Plane?



## TimeTurnsElastic (May 4, 2015)

Well, I still haven't been able to afford a router yet because work's been slow. But I need to cut some dados. Watched some YouTube videos and the best method I saw of cutting dados by hand used a bench chisel and router plane. Unfortunately the only router planes I was able to find online were vintage ones on fleabay - not cheap by hand tool standards (mostly $75 and up). Are there any tool manufacturers that still make them, and if so, at affordable prices?

Alternatively if anyone has any suggestions on good techniques for cutting dados sans router or router plane, it would be greatly appreciated. I could still use a back saw and a chisel. But how to clear away the waste well enough to get a nice clean joint?

Thanks!!!


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Funnily enough a router plane will cost about the same as a router. People are crazy about their hand tools that way. Personally, I'd keep an eye on craigslist. In my area routers pop up fairly often, usually in the <50$ range. Depending on your budget, craftsman also has their fixed based router for ~80$, and a fixed/plunge base combo for ~100$. You could also cut a dado fairly well with just a table saw and standard blade, making multiple side by side passes. The same trick also works with a hand held circular saw, but is a little more prone to inaccuracy. A back saw and a chisel would work, that just seems horribly tedious to me


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## asevereid (Apr 15, 2012)

Look up Peter Sellers on YouTube... He's got a video that shows how to make a router plane in a pinch.


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## Bill White 2 (Jun 23, 2012)

PAUL Sellers. Not Peter.
Bill


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## asevereid (Apr 15, 2012)

Bill White said:


> PAUL Sellers. Not Peter.
> Bill


Sorry! 
My bad.... Working outside all day and it's pretty damn warm out.


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

*Dados*



TimeTurnsElastic said:


> Well, I still haven't been able to afford a router yet because work's been slow. But I need to cut some dados. Watched some YouTube videos and the best method I saw of cutting dados by hand used a bench chisel and router plane. Unfortunately the only router planes I was able to find online were vintage ones on fleabay - not cheap by hand tool standards (mostly $75 and up). Are there any tool manufacturers that still make them, and if so, at affordable prices?
> 
> Alternatively if anyone has any suggestions on good techniques for cutting dados sans router or router plane, it would be greatly appreciated. I could still use a back saw and a chisel. But how to clear away the waste well enough to get a nice clean joint?
> 
> Thanks!!!


Time Turns
Dados are among some of the simpler joints to make. 
I don't know what power tools you may already own, but dados can be cut on a radial arm saw, a table saw or with a portable circular saw if you don't have access to a router. 
When you d vide to buy, I think you will enjoy a router much more than a router plane. It will be much more versatile. 
Welcome to our forum and good luck.


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## TimeTurnsElastic (May 4, 2015)

Thanks everyone for the helpful suggestions.

EpicFail - I live in Los Angeles where there are few good used tools deals to be had. You're very right about router planes costing almost as much as routers, I'm definitely going to save my $. Do you know if it's acceptable on this forum to ask if anyone's selling a router in the classifieds?

Bill & asevereid - thanks for the heads up on the Paul Sellers tutorial, I think I'll try my hand.

Toolman - thank you, glad to be here! I do have a TS and circ saw, so if I fail to build a decent router plane I'll go one of those routes. Agree on a router over a router plane, I was just hoping a router plane might be an affordable alternative to tie me over for this project but that doesn't seem to be the case. Hopefully work picks up soon!


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## maybedave (Mar 4, 2014)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_2a_FwjAgk


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## Keith Mathewson (Sep 23, 2010)

Why do you want to use a router plane instead of a electric router and What is your budget for a router plane?


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## TimeTurnsElastic (May 4, 2015)

Keith, embarrassingly it is more about finances (or lack thereof) than anything else. I built props and sets for the entertainment biz for years but work has really dried up recently and I took this as an opportunity to go back to school for interior design -- not the best time to get into a "hobby" like woodworking I suppose, hah! That said, as marginal as $100-$150 for a halfway decent router might be to many, it's cost prohibitive for me. Long story short, I'd been needing to cut some dadoes but didn't have money for an electronic router, yet thought I could go "old school" and try my hand with a backsaw and bench chisel, and clean out the waste with a simple dado plan...only to discover a decent plane will run me about the same amount of $... Terribly sorry for the long ramble, lol!

In any case, since my OP I ultimately found a Craftsman 315.17540 in like new condition for only $25. So I'm giving it a go with that, despite its obvious limitations and questionable build quality. Some kind forum regulars even suggested a possible crowd funding type pool to help outfit me with something a little better, for which I'm humbled and grateful, though not so sure that will ever come to fruition. So for now, I'm making do and learning some routing basics as best I can, and just thankful for all the wonderful advice I've been receiving from the kind folks on here.

Anyway, sorry for the long answer to a simple question. I AM very interested in taking on some WW projects entirely by hand and interested in acquiring some hand tool essentials such as a router and shoulder plane, and maybe a few chisels. But the original question was more about finding an economical solution to the project at hand.

If you have thoughts or advice, any wisdom for a novice beyond what's already been bestowed is always appreciated!

Cheers,
Tristan


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Bill White said:


> PAUL Sellers. Not Peter.
> Bill


Now don't downgrade Peter. I bet he could come up with something.

George


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

A huge problem in the modern world of woodworking is the spread of bad information about tools and processes.=p


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## Keith Mathewson (Sep 23, 2010)

Tristan,

I have a router plane for sale at a price I know you can afford.


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## TimeTurnsElastic (May 4, 2015)

Keith, that's very kind of you to offer, this is a tough hobby to be obsessed with when one's finances are rough! I'd like to take you up on your offer, so please let me know how to proceed! Thanks again, you're a good man.


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## Keith Mathewson (Sep 23, 2010)

Hi,

Take a $1 bill and put it in an envelop. Write you name & address on the back and send it to
4841 West Marginal Way SW, Seattle Wa 98106

Enjoy,
Keith


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## TimeTurnsElastic (May 4, 2015)

*Thank You!*



Keith Mathewson said:


> Hi,
> 
> Take a $1 bill and put it in an envelop. Write you name & address on the back and send it to
> 4841 West Marginal Way SW, Seattle Wa 98106
> ...


Done and done! Thanks Keith, that's extremely generous of you, and a perfect example of why this is such an amazing community :thumbsup: I'll be mailing an envelope your way tomorrow morning! Really can't thank you enough, times have been tough for me lately but when work picks up again I'll be sure and pay it forward.

Would it help for me to send a padded SASE envelope?


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Keith Mathewson said:


> Hi,
> 
> Take a $1 bill and put it in an envelop. Write you name & address on the back and send it to
> 4841 West Marginal Way SW, Seattle Wa 98106
> ...


You, you are why I still enjoy hanging around this forum. Good to know people can still be awesome


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## Keith Mathewson (Sep 23, 2010)

Thanks, Just send it in an envelope.


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## TimeTurnsElastic (May 4, 2015)

epicfail48 said:


> You, you are why I still enjoy hanging around this forum. Good to know people can still be awesome


Hey epicfail48, you're not so bad yourself  Throwing out that crowd funding idea to help get me a decent router was absolutely one of the kindest things anyone's ever done for me.

And then this, from Keith...

Man, I wish this thing had a rockstar emoticon for the both of you!


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## TimeTurnsElastic (May 4, 2015)

Ok, so this is more of a project related question and I don't mean to hijack my own thread, but because it pertains to the possible application of the dado plane Keith is kind enough to be sending, here goes. I'm new to fine woodwork as well as a novice when it comes to working without power so please don't go too hard on me!

I am hand-making a simple "case study" type planter from pine. Four equidistant legs joined by two crossing brackets the planter itself rests on. Picture is one of these brackets; to join them I am doing some half laps. I made the cuts with a gents saw and have been cleaning up with a detail sander. But as you can see, my work is none too clean. (I mocked in the other bracket and it's a snug enough fit they'll join but with a few small visible gaps :thumbdown

…unless I can clean things up. Particularly note the slight rounding in the corners. I also may have passed the halfway depth by 1/16 to 1/8. Not going to lose sleep over that part as I'll just have to compensate a bit on my other half lap. But obviously I do need to be very delicate in attempting to clean things up further. What is recommended for squaring off the corners and flattening the cut edges?

Do I wait for Keith's plane and make a few gentle passes? VERY gently chip at the rounded corners with a chisel (I only own one, a Marples 5/16)? Or just leave be and accept the imperfections? As mentioned, the other crossbar does slot in, but I don't have much play at all: less than 1/16 in width, the depth maybe a hair more because I can just do the other half lap a little shallower as I don't care if they're not a perfect 50-50 fit.

Thanks guys.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

First: you can absolutely make a dado with a backsaw and a chisel, rather than a router plane or router. It just takes more care and time. Make the side cuts carefully, and use a knife to mark the depth. Start using a chisel to run across the grain, removing triangular sections of waste, so you wind up with a "W" sort of shape. Once you're down enough that it gets awkward, set the chisel into the central triangle of waste, bevel down, and start removing waste that way. With the bevel down you'll have a lot of control, and shouldn't be at much risk of going too deep. For the final passes, come in from both ends of the dado, to avoid blowing out the wood at the exit.

Second: you shouldn't need to clean up once you're done cutting. The sanding is why you're getting rounded corners, unfortunately. If you cut a dado across the grain and you need to make it slightly larger, use a chisel instead of sandpaper to widen it. Ideally you'd use a chisel wider than the material, but if that's not available use what you've got. In your current situation, I'd probably wait for the plane to arrive: fixing those corners freehand with a chisel could be tough.


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