In a home workshop, there is often a need to sharpen, smooth an edge, or perform some other operation on metal or wood. Having a milling machine solves these problems. But what to do if there is nowhere to put such large equipment or there is nothing to buy it for? The solution is a milling cutter from a drill. A homemade device will greatly facilitate the processing of various materials at home.
The milling device works like this:
Attention! In the manual version of the router, the nozzle is attached to the chuck.
A drill router can also work on ceramics, glass, and plastic. For each material there is a separate nozzle with its own characteristics:
Using such a tool, you can screw threads, turn grooves and cavities, smooth and give the desired shape to an edge, and turn out holes. The drill will provide the manual machine with an electric motor of suitable power. When selecting it, take into account the power and rotation speed. The second parameter affects the quality of the cut: the more revolutions, the better.
The power depends on the material to be processed. For wood blanks, 0.5 kW is sufficient. But even in this case, experts recommend looking for a more powerful device of 1-2 kW. Such a router will be universal and convenient for working with various materials.
First, think about the structure of the desktop and the layout of the router on it. You don’t have to assemble the tabletop, but buy it in a specialized store, but this is quite expensive. To make your own, use the drawings. A good table will provide comfort and speed up the process of working with a router. The base is a sheet of durable plastic or chipboard with a thickness of at least 12 cm. Plastic is not afraid of moisture, but making a tabletop from chipboard is faster and easier.
Attention! There are other options: MDF or phenolic plastic.
The tabletop is placed on guides. Provide the possibility of adjusting them to adjust the position of the table for your convenience. Also note that the space around the work surface should be protected. This is important when working with a hand router. In addition, the parts require a clamping mechanism.
Installation of a regulation elevator:
Advice. Any holes in the tabletop are cut with a regular hand drill.
This router does not require straps or pulleys: the cutter attachments are put directly on the motor shaft, as in the photo. But you need runners, carriages, and a threaded axle. When the shaft rotates, the carriage moves up and down along it. Sliding runners are guides. After setting the height, the carriage is fixed. The entire apparatus is supported by a housing that is mounted below on the countertop.
Attention! The engine and carriage should not wobble during operation. Otherwise, you will not be able to accurately process the material using a router.
The most difficult manipulation in the assembly is fixing the cartridge and the engine. You will have to buy a special adapter, and entrust its precise balanced installation to a mechanic with professional equipment. After assembly is complete, test the router:
Advice. There are options for homemade milling cutters from a drill, where the rotary lever is moved from top to side.
Sometimes craftsmen additionally equip the device with gears for ease of control.
Advice. The video will help you understand in more detail the technology of making a milling cutter from a drill.
A homemade device has many advantages over a purchased one:
However, such a device does not reach the speed of professional devices and is only suitable for processing materials in small quantities. The milling cutter must be assembled in strict accordance with the technology. Only care and precision in performing work will allow you to obtain a durable and reliable unit.
Many people who like to make various products are often interested in how to assemble a router from a drill with their own hands.
Not everyone has the opportunity to keep a large milling machine at home.
But if the premises are being renovated, then your own manual router may often be needed.
This device can mill wood elements, form edges and perform other work.
A household milling device works as follows. The engine of the device rotates the spindle with a special attachment put on it - a milling cutter.
The cutter is inserted into a collet or jaw chuck. The motor that provides rotation is powered by electricity.
A self-made milling device is capable of processing wood, metal, glass, plastic and ceramics.
For example, making holes for door locks or processing the edges of parts and cavities.
Which attachment will be used for the job depends on the material being milled and can be completely different.
The most accessible wood for processing is wood, so cutters for it are affordable and often found on sale.
Metals have varying degrees of viscosity and hardness. For their milling, attachments differing in their qualities are used.
When selecting them, you should take into account the properties inherent in the metal being processed.
Before making a router for home use, you need to design a table on which the device will be installed.
The tabletop can be prepared using a regular sheet of plywood 1.2 cm thick. Four wooden beams are suitable as support for it.
A hole corresponding to the size of the router is marked on the surface of the plywood, after which a guide is added.
The groove hole for the router is made in a semicircular shape and cut out with an electric or manual jigsaw. After preparing the tabletop, begin assembling the milling device.
The router is made from a drill with your own hands, using an electric drive, the power of which should be from 500 to 1100 W, depending on the width of the material being processed.
The most suitable options are a drill, grinder or hammer drill.
The drill is considered the cheapest and most accessible tool for making a router.
To assemble the device, you will need the following tools, parts and materials:
You don't have to be a professional to work with this list of tools.
Make sure to check the functionality of power tools and compliance with safety regulations in advance.
Assembling the router is much easier if you use the drawings. The process of constructing a milling machine using a drill as a motor is conventionally divided into stages.
Construction assembly stages:
The manufacture of the milling machine does not end there, but it can be used in this state.
It is enough to securely fix the drill with a clamp, tighten the cutter into a chuck of a suitable parameter, secure the entire structure and start milling.
To make the work more accurate and safe, the equipment can be supplemented with certain elements.
For added accuracy and safety, a guide must be used.
As a result of its use, the processing of materials will be of higher quality, since there is no need to visually assess the distance.
Self-tapping screws are used to attach the assembled structure to the working surface. If you are going to process a stack of planks or slats, then you need to make the fasteners as reliable as possible.
Quick-release clamps are ideal for securing a guide that controls the movement of material.
A hand-assembled router has several advantages. It is not difficult to make, and the labor costs are low.
To make a device, it is enough to use the tools and materials available to every tinkerer.
You will only need to buy a clamp and cutters.
But a manual router has significantly more serious disadvantages. All tools assembled by hand and having elements that rotate at high speeds require strict adherence to safety regulations.
You should not neglect installing a special shield on the device, because during work in a home workshop it is difficult to predict the occurrence of situations hazardous to health.
You need to know that the drill has a low speed to mill. Therefore, processing hard materials and performing voluminous work with a milling cutter from a drill is difficult.
Incorrect use of the device will gradually render the drill unusable.
You should use a device assembled by yourself only when you do not need to maintain great accuracy.
Even the use of a guide cannot ensure the most accurate milling.
But if you need a device for processing a small amount of non-solid material, that is, the requirements for the milling cutter are low, then you can build the device with your own hands.
When assembling and using the router, you must always follow safety rules - caution will help avoid injury.
How to make a router from a drill with your own hands? Many people ask this question. This device is very convenient and will help solve many technological problems. However, not every owner can purchase such a device, since the cost is quite high. This is why many resort to making homemade equipment.
It is worth saying that a drill router will be an indispensable assistant when performing tasks such as, for example, construction or repair work, manufacturing a wide variety of wood products and other operations. Such a device will be an indispensable assistant if it is necessary to apply a complex pattern to an already finished structure made of the same wood.
Using a milling cutter that has the necessary working tools, you can not only successfully carry out the operation of milling wood products, but also successfully process finished goods. The tool will be an excellent assistant if you need to form edges on a structure.
It happens that it is not possible to find a place for a large-sized machine. In such situations, a manual milling cutter from a drill comes to the rescue. It can be made by almost anyone who is willing to spend several hours studying the drawing and becoming familiar with the materials, and then devote time to assembly. However, here it is necessary to understand that a home-made model is not capable of replacing a serial one 100%. There is one significant difference here. A milling cutter from a drill involves the use of a conventional electrical device, the chuck of which can reach a maximum speed of 3000 rpm. Factory models of machines are capable of reaching speeds of up to 30,000 rpm, the difference is obvious. It is also worth considering that the gearbox of a conventional drill is quite weak and it is not designed for long and intensive work. You can operate it this way, but this will lead to rapid wear.
The simplest model in terms of assembly is a vertical wood router made from a drill. It is possible to make it yourself. Its use will help solve most household problems. In order to successfully assemble a type from equipment such as an electric drill, it is necessary to have the following tools and materials on hand:
A manual milling cutter is made according to the following plan:
In order to change the depth of cut during operation of such a model of a milling cutter from a drill, it is necessary to adjust its position in the clamp.
There are several devices that can be added to make this device more convenient to use, as well as slightly expand its functionality. For example, you can add a device such as a microlift, which will move the drill in the vertical direction. If everything has become clear on how to make a wood router from a drill, then few people know how to make a microlift, and therefore here are brief instructions:
It’s not difficult to make a router from a drill, but you still need to know the operating principle of such equipment. It is worth noting that it is quite simple. The main element is a motor that rotates and transmits this rotation to a spindle made of durable material. An attachment - a milling cutter - is put on this part. It can be designed to work not only with wood, but also with metal. The cutter processes workpieces that are laid on the frame of the device. It is worth paying attention to the fact that if we are talking about a manual router, then the element for processing will not be attached to the spindle, but to the chuck. Depending on the material being processed, the type of cutter itself also changes. As for working with wood, the simplest models are suitable. The strength requirements are not too high, and the speed can be low. For metal, you will have to use already reinforced models, especially if you need to process brass. To work with glass, you will have to purchase a part made of high-quality hard alloy.
Naturally, simply assembling a router from a drill is not enough; you need to properly care for it so that it lasts long enough. Experts offer some of the following advice:
The homemade device has several undeniable positive qualities. The first is, of course, the minimum amount of material costs for assembly, especially compared to purchasing a ready-made model. Naturally, ease of assembly is also one of the biggest advantages. It is always possible to easily transform an already assembled manual milling machine into a full-fledged machine, if necessary. You can process not only wood, but also other materials if you choose the right cutter.
However, homemade products also have some disadvantages that are also worth considering. The processing speed of such a cutter will be much lower than that of a factory cutter. The safety margin of such a tool will also be much lower than that of an industrial unit.
It’s safe to say that if there is no need to perform complex operations, then a drill router is an excellent solution.
A router is an indispensable tool for all kinds of woodworking and is actively used by professionals. But if a home craftsman needs it for one-time work, then it makes sense to try to make it with your own hands from available tools. Of course, a homemade wood router, made, for example, from a drill or grinder, is not capable of completely replacing a standard tool. But some simple operations that do not require particularly clean processing can be performed with such a unit.
Making a milling cutter from a drill with your own hands is easy and quick, since this tool already has a chuck into which you can clamp the cutter shank. But since the drill develops low speeds, about 3000 rpm, it will not be possible to achieve good quality machining of the part.
For comparison: a milling machine reaches speeds of up to 30,000 rpm.
Ideal as a stand for holding a drill vertical drilling device, which can be purchased at a power tool store. You just need to change the equipment, and the homemade router is ready.
You can also use a similar stand make from laminated chipboard, as shown in the following pictures.
For example, with such a homemade device you can make a groove in a laminated chipboard board under a T-shaped PVC edge no worse than using a ready-made router.
It's no secret that an angle grinder is often used for grinding, polishing and milling various surfaces with disc and cup attachments. But if you screw a collet onto the spindle of the unit, you will get a grinder milling cutter that can work not only with disk cutters, but also with any equipment that has cylindrical shanks.
If you clamp a cutter made of carbide material into a collet, you will get a metal milling cutter.
Also, to make a router, you can attach a regular one to the spindle of an angle grinder. jaw chuck from a drill.
The photo above shows an attachment for an angle grinder that turns it into a manual milling machine. You can understand how to make the device from this video.
Very often, craftsmen make various machines from a washing machine engine: wood lathes, drilling, sharpening, circular, as well as stationary milling machines. To make the latter, you will first need to make a table using the method described above. Next, on the motor shaft it is necessary install collet for clamping cutters.
Since it will not be possible to attach it to the motor shaft without an adapter, you will have to order one from a turner.
You will also need to do lifting mechanism for convenient adjustment of tool extension. It is made from two pipes that act as stands on which the engine is mounted, and a threaded rod.
One end of the pin enters the nut fixed to the bottom of the table, and the other rests against the lower part of the motor. A swivel wheel is rigidly fixed to the stud, with the help of which the height is adjusted.
To prevent dust from getting on the motor when the machine is operating, you can place a small piece of foam rubber on top of the motor.
The machine with numerical control (CNC) is mainly used for for engraving and figured wood carving. It is controlled using a computer, thanks to which very complex patterns can be cut out on workpieces with high precision. In China you can buy ready-made mini CNC machines for making souvenirs at a price of about 10,000 rubles.
Of course, you can purchase all the parts for the machine and assemble the CNC router yourself. But if you look at the cost of all the components, it will be much cheaper to purchase a finished product with already configured software.
The purpose of a surface thicknesser is to calibrate wood blanks to one size in thickness.
On the basis of a milling cutter, you can also make some semblance of this unit.
You can make a thicknesser from a milling machine yourself from a pair of guides mounted on a flat surface and a platform on which the milling machine is mounted. The part that needs to be equalized in thickness is fixed on the table, under the platform with the unit. The milling cutter first sets the required offset of the equipment, after which the entire surface of the part is processed.
Using a milling machine as a drive, you can make mini jointer for processing small-sized workpieces. The picture below shows what parts a portable jointer consists of.
It is also possible to make stationary jointer from a router for processing long workpieces. You can learn how this is done from the following video.
How to make a router from a drill with your own hands? Many people ask this question. This device is very convenient and will help solve many technological problems. However, not every owner can purchase such a device, since the cost is quite high. This is why many resort to making homemade equipment.
It is worth saying that a drill router will be an indispensable assistant when performing tasks such as, for example, construction or repair work, manufacturing a wide variety of wood products and other operations. Such a device will be an indispensable assistant if it is necessary to apply a complex pattern to an already finished structure made of the same wood.
Using a milling cutter that has the necessary working tools, you can not only successfully carry out the operation of milling wood products, but also successfully process finished goods. The tool will be an excellent assistant if you need to form edges on a structure.
It happens that it is not possible to find a place for a large-sized machine. In such situations, a manual milling cutter from a drill comes to the rescue. It can be made by almost anyone who is willing to spend several hours studying the drawing and becoming familiar with the materials, and then devote time to assembly. However, here it is necessary to understand that a home-made model is not capable of replacing a serial one 100%. There is one significant difference here. A milling cutter from a drill involves the use of a conventional electrical device, the chuck of which can reach a maximum speed of 3000 rpm. Factory models of machines are capable of reaching speeds of up to 30,000 rpm, the difference is obvious. It is also worth considering that the gearbox of a conventional drill is quite weak and it is not designed for long and intensive work. You can operate it this way, but this will lead to rapid wear.
The simplest model to assemble is a vertical wood router made from a drill. It is possible to make it yourself. Its use will help solve most household problems. In order to successfully assemble a milling-type machine from equipment such as an electric drill, it is necessary to have the following tools and materials on hand:
A do-it-yourself hand milling cutter from a drill is made according to the following plan:
In order to change the depth of cut during operation of such a model of a milling cutter from a drill, it is necessary to adjust its position in the clamp.
There are several devices that can be added to make this device more convenient to use, as well as slightly expand its functionality. For example, you can add a device such as a microlift, which will move the drill in the vertical direction. If everything has become clear on how to make a wood router from a drill, then few people know how to make a microlift, and therefore here are brief instructions:
It’s not difficult to make a router from a drill, but you still need to know the operating principle of such equipment. It is worth noting that it is quite simple. The main element is a motor that rotates and transmits this rotation to a spindle made of durable material. An attachment - a milling cutter - is put on this part. It can be designed to work not only with wood, but also with metal. The cutter processes workpieces that are laid on the frame of the device. It is worth paying attention to the fact that if we are talking about a manual router, then the element for processing will not be attached to the spindle, but to the chuck. Depending on the material being processed, the type of cutter itself also changes. As for working with wood, the simplest models are suitable. The strength requirements are not too high, and the speed can be low. For metal, you will have to use already reinforced models, especially if you need to process brass. To work with glass, you will have to purchase a part made of high-quality hard alloy.
Naturally, simply assembling a router from a drill is not enough; you need to properly care for it so that it lasts long enough. Experts offer some of the following advice:
The homemade device has several undeniable positive qualities. The first is, of course, the minimum amount of material costs for assembly, especially compared to purchasing a ready-made model. Naturally, ease of assembly is also one of the biggest advantages. It is always possible to easily transform an already assembled manual milling machine into a full-fledged machine, if necessary. You can process not only wood, but also other materials if you choose the right cutter.
However, homemade products also have some disadvantages that are also worth considering. The processing speed of such a cutter will be much lower than that of a factory cutter. The safety margin of such a tool will also be much lower than that of an industrial unit.
It’s safe to say that if there is no need to perform complex operations, then a drill router is an excellent solution.
