Make a wood chain

I really have no idea what use this chain might have, but its fun to make and surprisingly easy. The key is making two simple jigs. Once those are made, you can crank out links by the dozen. Then figure out what to do with the chain!

You will need a flush trim router bit and a roundover bit. Make sure they are sharp: I had a difficult time keeping my dull roundover bit from burning or mangling the wood.

I got the idea for this project from The Router Handbook, by Patrick Spielman. I have a very old edition, but it has been updated since then. Its a good book, especially for beginners.

Porter Cable router

Ive had some time to really test out my new router. You may recall that Porter Cable sent it to me after hearing of my old router woes. The 690LRVS is the first variable speed router Ive owned. It has a 1-3/4 horsepower motor and two collets: one for 1/4" bits and one for 1/2" bits.  Not only that, but its about half as loud as my old router. There is no question that Porter Cable makes sturdy tools.

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Categories: a, chain, make, wood