Router Bits

At the time I bought my first router, the multipurpose Bosch 1617/18 series, I was shopping around for some bits, and I happened to be in that orange Big Box store. Although they don't normally sell router bits, they did have a set lying in the bargain bin. I can't remember what I paid, but it was peanuts. They were never the best router bits, obviously, but they have served my needs to date. I've replaced/upgraded the 1/2" straight cut and flush-trim bits after the originals wore out while some of the more unusual bits have never been used.

Still, I very recently built my dream router table, and I decided it was time to upgrade the bits as well. After much consideration, I ended up with a 13-piece set from Freud, and I added one extra bit I use a lot that wasn't in the set:

I want to combine the two sets since there is not complete overlap and because it is sometimes useful to have "less good" bits for rough cutting big projects. I came up with a 4 x 9 grid where the bits I expect to use the most are at the front and similar bits are arranged in columns: 

Ultimately, I want to keep the router bits in the top drawer of my new router table....so I need to make some custom storage trays. I'm using scraps of walnut-veneered plywood to make the trays. I wanted to have few extra spaces, so I made my grid 4 x 10. 

Drilling the first hole. The bits have 1/2" diameter shanks; I'm boring 5/8" diameter holes and using plastic inserts which hold the bits:

The inserts protrude about 1/2" below the plywood trays:

I set up a backstop on the drill press and went into production a with a 5/8" Forstner bit:

The holes are spaced at a mixture of 1-1/2" and 2" on center to accommodate bits of varying sizes: 

Using plywood strips to build a supporting frame inside the drawer:

Trays installed into drawer...the gap at the front of the drawer is designed to accommodate the pair of wrenches I use to change router bits.

My original router set came with some detailed labels, which have been very useful over the years, and I didn't want to dispense with them entirely. However, I don't really need all the information these labels provide at this stage.

I finished up making may own labels using a mixture of Photoshop and the internet, and, after twiddling around to get the right size, I printed them out onto self-adhesive paper and stuck them in place:

The big picture includes a few blank spaces, six actually, for potential expansion. After that, it may have to be one in, one out.

A long-awaited update on the deck

Everybody has problems. Some of them are more serious than others, but we all have 'em. When John Lennon sang that "...there are no problems, only solutions" it is widely agreed that he was talking bollocks. He was certainly speaking without knowledge of our deck and the monster list of issues we've had with it. 

If you're not already familiar, please don't bother reading the other fourteen (14) parts of the series, just know that the deck above the garage was leaking, and getting worse every year. I know, a deck above a finished ceiling, who'd have thought? Anyway, back in August 2023 we started trying to fix/replace the deck and, after much more than our share of problems, we were patting ourselves on the back at finally getting the deck boards down in June 2024. The "finished" deck looked like this:

By November of 2024 I had rebuilt the steps which lead down to the front yard...

...and we were considering options for new railings and a spiral staircase down to the rear yard:

And then.....wait for it....and then it started raining. Yep, that's right, raining. We quickly learned that, in spite of our best efforts, the deck was still leaking into the garage; it wasn't as bad as it had been, but we could not ignore it... 

After much consideration of what to do next, we took the only action that we had open: fill the gaps between deck boards with caulk. Although filling the so-called drainage grooves won't help shed water, it should prevent any further leakage into the garage. Several weekends in December 2024 were spent very carefully installing caulk into the deck grooves. We even covered the fresh caulk with tape to prevent contamination with leaves, cat footprints etc.

However, after more rain in the early weeks of 2025, it became obvious that the caulking was in fact our latest failure. On close inspection of the deck, it was apparent that the caulking was heavily blistered, and thereby porous - the deck was actually leaking more at this point than before we started working on it. 

In the Spring of 2025, I decided to take a completely new approach to the problem: I started working on my '67 F250 truck instead and switched off completely from the deck. When the truck was done (you never say finished!), I moved on to swapping the engine in the '68 Mustang. The deck was the last thing on my mind for months, and I was all the better for it. 

Having said all that, the very fact that this post is being painstakingly typed out indicates forward progress. That movement was born out of the realization that I had to do SOMETHING before the proper rain comes. So, almost a year since I last wagged a finger in that direction, I came up with a three four point plan to rescue the deck once and for all:

1. Get as much blistered caulk out of the deck grooves as possible.

2. Install caulk which is not sensitive to UV-light.

3. Cover the whole surface with a waterproof membrane like on a proper roof.

4. Put the railings back and get on with life.

Step one is not as simple as it sounds - removing cured/blistered Lexel is complex at best. After some experimentation, it turned out that the ideal removal tool has a sharp V-shaped blade which fits perfectly into the grooves between boards. The one I used is designed for making linocuts:

Although it worked quite well, using this tool by hand across the entire deck would have taken weeks and more hands than I have available. The first modification I made was to file down the wooden handle...

And insert the tool into a three (3) foot steel gas pipe. This makes the tool mush heavier such that it can be used with two hands and slid several feet along a groove with a single thrust, so to speak. 

Further modifications included fixing the blade into the handle with super glue and wrapping nichrome wire around the end of the tool to stop the wood splitting. The tape stops the wire from unravelling. 

The battlefield after a number of "thrusts:"

Waste caulk can be swept away....

The replacement caulk I am using is UV-resistant. Installation this time around was focused on getting plenty of caulk laid down without worrying about the overall appearance:

Installation of the replacement caulk was completed this past weekend, and as of right now we have had one half day of rain with no evidence of water intrusion. We have rain forecast for at least the next ten (10) days - it is winter after all - so by the end of that we should know the score. 

To be continued...

More Picture Frames

Just last month I made a batch of custom picture frames, and I thought at the time that it would be a while before I made any more....Wrong! I already need more due to the recent arrival of a series of prints I had forgotten I'd ordered. I'm going to make two identical frames and rotate the artwork, mainly because I am running out of hanging space. I'm using more recycled oak; these pieces came from an old table and have a number of holes to work around.

The base material is 1/2" x 5/8" oak:

Several passes through the router table and I have my basic molding - I rounded over both visible corners and cut a 3/16" square rabbit:

Mitered the molding into appropriate pieces - the internal size of the frames is 11-3/4" x 16-3/4" and I am not using any mount card. 

When assembling rectangular frames, it is important to construct pairs of long and short sides first, all in the same orientation. Each pair can then be coupled: 

The oak frames were sprayed first with primer...

...and then several coats of black semi-gloss:

I had a piece of 18" x 24" glass leftover from the last batch of frames. I cut off an 16-3/4 wide section and then trimmed both pieces. 

I'm planning to rotate the artwork in these frames, so I installed turn buttons instead of staples and tape as I usually would:

Cleaned the glass, mounted the artwork and installed D-rings and picture wire:

I have a selection of six reproduction adverts from the London Underground; these two are going up first:

New Kittens and D

We recently adopted two kittens to keep Delilah company. They came from a litter of seven cuties.

Ozzy 

Luna

Delilah

To be continued....