Carpentry and Woodworking - Best way to route a design?

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Thermal
12-22-05, 12:08 PM
I have this design I want to put on my dartboard, advice? Do I need to buy a router or will a dremel with the router attachment work? Below is a pic of a somewhat similar design. Advice? Suggestions?
http://atlas.walagata.com/w/thermal/o87.jpg


majakdragon
12-22-05, 02:33 PM
I love the Dremel router attachment for things like this. Small, easy to control and see where you are cutting. The smaller bits will also do well in those close areas such as the "points" in your design.
One word of advise. I don't know what kind of wood you are working on but I would take an exacto knife and do a few passes around the design before routing. This will keep the wood from chipping out on the edges. Good luck.

Pwrbait
12-22-05, 04:17 PM
I agree with dragon. For something small, I love the router attachment for my dremel. Use a spiral upcut bit for the cleanest cut. If you have a scroll saw, that also would be the way to go. A router is really not made for doing work like this without a template and pattern bit. Now if your not cutting all the way through and are just looking to put this design on the doors, then I would highly recommend making a template out of hard board, then using a router with a v-groove pattern bit.
Chris


majakdragon
12-22-05, 04:32 PM
I freehand most of my stuff. If I need a long straight line I clamp a straightedge on the work. I do mostly portraits with mine.

Thermal
12-22-05, 08:04 PM
Thanks guys.... Dragon, I'll more than likely be using oak. I'm still in the planning stages of this project. As soon as I start I'll take pics of the entire process. I'm going to make a dartboard cabinet, with a "new age medeival / gothic" look. I've found door knobs, drawer pulls and hinges that all match, and will probably go with a black woodgrain finish. I'm still trying to figure out the light issue......