Can You Engrave Wood Signs With a Laminate Trimmer?

Trimmers and Routers

• Both laminate trimmers and electric routers consist of an electric motor with a collet chuck mounted on the spindle. The base of the housing attaches to a smooth sub-base that slides over the workpiece. Cutting depth adjusts with a thumb wheel. Operators guide the machines with the aid of templates, fences or cutting bits with bearing guides included. While the cutting edges of bits might measure an inch in length, cutting with the entire edge places too much stress on the machine. A laminate trimmer holds bits with a one-quarter-inch shank and a maximum cutting diameter of 1 1/8 inches.

Approved Uses

• Laminate trimmers see the most use in trimming the edges of counter tops or veneered tabletops flush with the wooden base. On trimming bits, bearings mounted below cutting edges prevent the bits from cutting past the edge of the underlying wood. Laminate trimmers can also handle light routing, but only cut slots one-eighth inches deep in one pass. The smallest bits cut a slot of one-sixteenth inch in width. Efficient cutting speed varies with the bit diameter. When pushed too fast, trimmers make rough cuts, motors overload and small bits break. Cutting bits overheat and burn the workpiece when pushed too slowly.

Carving Signs

• To carve a wooden nameplate or other small sign with a laminate trimmer, you need a sturdy workbench and a way to clamp the workpiece securely to it. The face of the workpiece supports the trimmer sub-base. Either a router or a laminate trimmer needs at least half the width of the sub-base on the face of the wood for good control. To remove waste, make successive passes to clear wood out to a one-eighth inch depth. Lower the bit another one-eighth inch and repeat to increase the background depth. Routing freehand easily goes wrong, so practice on scrap wood first.

Accessories

• Clear acrylic sub-bases allow a better view of the line you follow, but sawdust makes seeing the guidelines difficult. A template adapter that mounts to the bottom of the sub-base shields part of the bit in an acrylic tube. The side of the tube follows a template fixed to the workpiece, cutting down the chances of disastrous mistakes. Most trimmers require one-hand operation by gripping the body of the motor. A sub-base with side grips, modeled after full-sized router designs, allows two-handed control. All trimmers throw sawdust, chips and an occasional broken bit. Always wear a dust mask and eye protection.