Advice on routing letters

[TomTheToolMan]

Hi looking for advice on what to buy to hand rout 4" approx letters in scaffold boards. Plan to then fill with epoxy. Need to put 2 phrases in each, 16 characters long. Doesn't seem much choice of products to buy. Cant afford a cnc machine

 

[Shaun92]

I bought the palm router from Aldi a few weeks ago, it’s cheap at about £30/35 but for the amount I’ll use it it should do the job.
They have really cheap ones on Amazon which would get you started.

https://amzn.to/3jZZW2I

 

[dizjasta]

For hand routing letters have a look at the Katsu Trimmer. It is lightweight and relatively cheap. This trimmer can be fitted with a plunge base which is probably what you need. Aim Tools is an internet place to look at to sort out what
might suit.

 

[mickbc]

I bought a black&decker bd66 plunge router new years ago for edging etc over the years it's done many jobs including door signs for my children's / grandchildren bedroom door garden signs it's not variable speed like the new ones but it does plunge I've done bread boards meat boards including the blood gully, so I should imagine any of the routers that can plunge would do the job for you Ive always done the letters free hand but it's easy to make guides, key is practice on scrap wood till your comfortable with the process don't forget that if your edging to use the correct direction of cut ! Sorry for rambling hope it's been of some help

 

[PerryGunn]

Rutlands do a variety of sign making jigs with the letter templates and some have the option of a router

https://www.rutlands.com/pp+routing-router-jigs-sign-making-jigs+c25000

 

[Essex Barn Workshop]

I looked at the Rutlands kits for the OP as well, but he states he wants to do 4" tall letters and I dont think the Rutlands jig is big enough?
About a year ago on this forum I bought a Trend Routasketch
https://www.tooled-up.com/artwork/prodpdf/trenpage_129.pdfand if you can get hold of one of them, and have a katsu or other suitable palm router i think it would be the perfect solution.

 

[Essex Barn Workshop]

found one for you:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275232098920?hash=item40151c8a68:g:m7sAAOSw2EtiOeb1

 

[TomTheToolMan]

I bought a black&decker bd66 plunge router new years ago for edging etc over the years it's done many jobs including door signs for my children's / grandchildren bedroom door garden signs it's not variable speed like the new ones but it does plunge I've done bread boards meat boards including the blood gully, so I should imagine any of the routers that can plunge would do the job for you Ive always done the letters free hand but it's easy to make guides, key is practice on scrap wood till your comfortable with the process don't forget that if your edging to use the correct direction of cut ! Sorry for rambling hope it's been of some help

Thanks. Dont trust freehand. That's why I am looking for a template set.

 

[TomTheToolMan]

Rutlands do a variety of sign making jigs with the letter templates and some have the option of a router

https://www.rutlands.com/pp+routing-router-jigs-sign-making-jigs+c25000

Thanks. Looked at them but really want 4 inch letters.

 

[TomTheToolMan]

I looked at the Rutlands kits for the OP as well, but he states he wants to do 4" tall letters and I dont think the Rutlands jig is big enough?
About a year ago on this forum I bought a Trend Routasketch
https://www.tooled-up.com/artwork/prodpdf/trenpage_129.pdfand if you can get hold of one of them, and have a katsu or other suitable palm router i think it would be the perfect solution.

Looks a bit complicated. I need 2 sets of 16 characters. Think this will be a bugger to get that routed out and straight.

 

[Lazurus]

Stig,

Could you put on the Amazon link, please? I seem to get untold random suggestions when I search!!

Thanks.

Oh and P.S. one thing to be aware of with abranet- great product tho it is - when used on a hook and loop power sander, the hooks on the backing pad do get worn out relatively quickly, so lose grip. (No drama, just into, really)

Whoops. I’ve just bought one! When I saw that there was a version without cables for £24 I decided I owe it to my fingers to have another way to kill the power. I will report back once it has been fitted.

Rutlands do a variety of sign making jigs with the letter templates and some have the option of a router

https://www.rutlands.com/pp+routing-router-jigs-sign-making-jigs+c25000

I use the Rutland set up a lot and is really easy and accurate, I also have a cnc cut alphabet and numbers jig, again easy and accurate. It may be worth getting someone with a CNC to quote you for a bespoke stencil alphabet at what ever size you require. You could always sell it after and recoup some of your spend.

 

[alz]

I'm pretty sure B&D did their own router letters and numbers template kits. You might be able to come across something on some of the auction websites?

 

[Alwyn]

Check out the Rockler set of letters- only 2 1/2" but work well

 

[JAW911]

Rutlands used to supply a pantograph set up for a hand router which from memory would have produced 4” letters. Might be available on the used market.

 

[Essex Barn Workshop]

i have a laser cutter, and could make individual letter templates for you in your choice of font and size from 3mm plywood or mdf.
How many different characters would you need, and we can work out a price?

 

[Stevekane]

I have a persex set which are I think Trend ones, but I think only around 3ins letters, 4 ins are pretty big, and would look impressive. The offer above might be your only option if you want a template.
I wouldnt trust myself to do it freehand unless you really wanted that freehand style, and this is just a thought, but I wonder how it could turn out if you ran your router between two rails so that all your letters would be the same height, would that introduce a bit of uniformity? And even if the rounded and mid bits were of your own doing and artistic skill could it still look okay? Maybe worth trying a few letters on a bit of scrap.
Steve

 

[TomTheToolMan]

i have a laser cutter, and could make individual letter templates for you in your choice of font and size from 3mm plywood or mdf.
How many different characters would you need, and we can work out a price?

Hadn't thought of doing it like that. I have 4 words that I want to rout. Exceptional, Eyecare, Exquisite and Eyewear. Its for my wife's shop. 4 strips of plywood with each word on it may work.

 

[Essex Barn Workshop]

Hadn't thought of doing it like that. I have 4 words that I want to rout. Exceptional, Eyecare, Exquisite and Eyewear. Its for my wife's shop. 4 strips of plywood with each word on it may work.

My laser cutter doesn't have a bed long enough to do those as whole words, I'd be suggesting individual letters. You'd need only one capital E template for instance, plus a lower case 'e'.
The 16 letter templates you would need to spell out those four words would be:
E a c e i l n o p q r s t u w x y
I'm on a FB group for people with bigger laser cutters, i'll ask on there if anyone has a machine big enough to do the whole words, and ask how much they'd want.

 

[alz]

The B&D router guide for letters and numbers was item number A5622.
Both sets provided came in two sizes, 2.5ins and 1.75ins.

 

[Essex Barn Workshop]

Hi, sorry for the time lapse.
The feeling is that to have the 4 words routed as templates would cost more than getting someone with a cnc to cut them directly into the scaffold boards for you as a one off.
Being realistic, I'd need at least £4 a letter plus postage just to cover the material cost, design time and running the laser for a few hours so tend to agree, get someone with a cnc to run it off as a job.
Good luck.