question-whats the best way to rout very small pieces unable to hold in hand

allen levine

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new york city burbs
Im experimenting with boxes, and small toys, trying to see if theres a way I can make quickly and inexpensively for someone to sell at a show.
Im not into any of this, but its more of a favor for them.

finished that end table, so figured might as well mess around a bit.

I want to make box feet easily, and small handles.
Very difficult to rout.
Currently, Im using an irwin quick clamp and holding the small pieces and carefully running them over bit.
Any better suggestions?
(larry-I cut up all that walnut you told me was sapwood. Will make alot of boxes and small truck/car toys)
heres a picture of one to show how small one item is
 

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I would mount the router in a table and do the piece upside down. Any of Carol's books could show you how. You should have one anyway.
 
I had to do about 100 small pieces similar to those for a guy wanting to display a coin collection. After doing the router work around the outside I drilled a shallow recess into each to hold the quarters and half dollars in his collection. I did them with maple and used a ogee bit to put some shape on the outside. Of course holding them while using the router table was an issue. I made a holding device from a scrap piece of MDF and cut it so that the blanks had to be forced (slighty) into the pocket that I had cut out to place them in while routing. In other words I cut out a square in the end of the MDF that fit the blanks tightly. I placed another small piece of 1/4" plywood over the top of the cutout to hold the pieces down firmly while the routing was done. That way the piece couldn't raise up or have a chance to come out of the jig. It was slow going since I had to remove it and reposition it 4 times to get just one block done but the operation was a success. It yielded enough pieces without tearout to make the collection display.
 
sounds safer and smarter than what I was doing.
my first idea was to just make a board with a self tapping wood screw in it, and screw it into each foot on the bottom where the hole wont be seen(covered with felt pads when finished), but Ill try a cutout handle.
 
Im experimenting with boxes, and small toys, trying to see if theres a way I can make quickly and inexpensively for someone to sell at a show....

Allen, beware of toys... Federal Regulations require toys to pass inspection - I haven't kept up with the latest, but a while ago I decided it was too messy to try to work around, and I can't believe federal regulations ever get easier - just worse. See www.plesums.com/wood/bedroom/kids.html which applies to toys as well as furniture.

For box feet, I have routed strips (multiple feet together) - do the cross grain part first since that needs a backer to prevent blow out, so the long strip is self backing. Then cut them apart. I use a wooden handscrew two jaw clamps told the pieces for routing the other two sides. These are the big wooden clamps that can hold the workpiece flat on the router table, with just enough sticking out to be cut. (I don't use those clamps for anything except as a router table jig.)
 
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