Handheld Router Techniques & Tips

Meet your instructor Paul Anthony: woodworker, author and Woodcraft magazine senior editor. Learn about the different handheld routers available and see the variety of ways this workhorse tool can help you in all of your woodworking projects. Paul offers buying advice for bits, sharing his picks for what should be in every woodworker's toolbox.

Learn how to secure your bits into a variety of routers and preview the options available for safety equipment to protect your eyes, lungs and ears from the use of woodworking machinery. Finally, shed some light onto your work as Paul discusses the importance of proper lighting. He'll give you tips for making a simple helper post, perfect for holding lights, a dust collection system and more!

Tackle profiling edges as you learn how to create clean edges with cuts free of tearout. Discover the proper cut order to minimize tearout if you're profiling all edges, and learn how adding a helper piece can help you eliminate tearout on end pieces. Add climb cutting to your technique tool belt as Paul shows you how to make these cuts in the opposite direction. Then, discover how to use an offset baseplate and other guides when profiling round or very narrow pieces.