OPERATOR'S MANUAL R1801M1 ROUTER With R181FB1 Fixed Base Double Insulated Your new router has been engineered and manufactured to our Ryobi’s high standard for dependability, ease of operation, and operator safety. When properly cared for, the router will give you years of rugged, trouble-free performance. WARNING: To reduce the risk of injury, the user must read and understand the operator’s manual before using this product. Thank you for buying a Ryobi product.
TABLE OF CONTENTS ■ Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................... 2 ■ General Safety Rules .................................................................................................................................................. 3-4 ■ Specific Safety Rules .............................................................................................................
GENERAL SAFETY RULES ■ Avoid accidental starting. Be sure switch is off before plugging in. Carrying tools with your finger on the switch or plugging in tools that have the switch on, invites accidents. ■ Remove adjusting keys or wrenches before turning the tool on. A wrench or a key that is left attached to a rotating part of the tool may result in personal injury. ■ Do not overreach. Keep proper footing and balance at all times.
GENERAL SAFETY RULES ■ When servicing a tool, use only identical replacement parts. Follow instructions in the Maintenance section of this manual. Use of unauthorized parts or failure to follow Maintenance Instructions may create a risk of electric shock or injury. SERVICE ■ Tool service must be performed only by qualified repair personnel. Service or maintenance performed by unqualified personnel could result in a risk of injury.
SYMBOLS Some of the following symbols may be used on this tool. Please study them and learn their meaning. Proper interpretation of these symbols will allow you to operate the tool better and safer.
SYMBOLS The following signal words and meanings are intended to explain the levels of risk associated with this product. SYMBOL MEANING DANGER: Indicates an imminently hazardous situation, which, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury. WARNING: Indicates a potentially hazardous situation, which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury. CAUTION: Indicates a potentially hazardous situation, which, if not avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury.
ELECTRICAL DOUBLE INSULATION EXTENSION CORDS Double insulation is a concept in safety in electric power tools, which eliminates the need for the usual three-wire grounded power cord. All exposed metal parts are isolated from the internal metal motor components with protecting insulation. Double insulated tools do not need to be grounded. Important: Servicing of a tool with double insulation requires extreme care and knowledge of the system and should be performed only by a qualified service technician.
FEATURES SPECIFICATIONS Depth of Cut .................................................................................................................................... 0 - 1-1/2 in. (0 - 38 mm) Collet .............................................................................................................................................................. 1/4 in. (6 mm) Peak Horsepower .......................................................................................................................
FEATURES SWITCH LOCKING ARM DEPTH ADJUSTMENT RING GOLD SPINDLE LOCK BUTTON HANDLE CHIP SHIELD Fig. 1 UNPACKING INSTRUCTIONS WARNING: When unpacking the tool: ■ Carefully remove the tool and accessories from the box. ■ Make sure that all items listed in the packing list are included. ■ Inspect the tool carefully to make sure no breakage or damage occurred during shipping. ■ Do not discard the packing material until you have carefully inspected and satisfactorily operated the tool.
OPERATION WARNING: Exercise caution when using this tool. Careless actions, for even a fraction of a second, can result in serious personal injury. ON You may use the router for the purposes listed below: OFF ■ Routing Grooves, shaping edges, etc. in wood. ■ Chamfering, rabbeting, dadoing, and dovetailing in wood. Fig. 2 ■ Routing edges on plastic laminates. WARNING: Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses with side shields when using your router.
OPERATION WARNING: Never connect the router to power supply when you are assembling parts, making adjustments, installing or removing cutters, or when not in use. Disconnecting the router prevents accidental starting that could cause serious injury. REMOVING AND INSTALLING THE ROUTER BASE TO REMOVE THE ROUTER BASE See Figure 4. 1. Unplug the router. LOCKING ARM DEPTH ADJUSTMENT RING WARNING: Failure to unplug the tool could result in accidental starting causing serious injury. 2.
OPERATION REMOVING/INSERTING CUTTERS See Figure 5. Follow these steps to remove or insert cutters. 1. Unplug the router. TO LOOSEN WARNING: Failure to unplug the tool could result in accidental starting causing serious injury. TO TIGHTEN CAUTION: To prevent damage to the spindle or spindle lock, always allow the motor to come to a complete stop before engaging the spindle lock. 2. Place the router upside down on a workbench in order to gain easy access to collet nut. 3.
OPERATION ADJUSTING DEPTH OF CUT Proper depth of cut depends on several factors: the peak horsepower of the router motor, the type of cutter, and the type of wood. A lightweight, low horsepower router is designed for making shallow cuts. A router with a high horsepower rating can safely cut deeper. Small cutters, such as veining bits with 1/16 in. (1.6 mm) cutting diameters, are designed to remove only small amounts of wood.
OPERATION FEEDING THE ROUTER 6 The “secret” of professional routing and edge shaping lies in making a careful set-up for the cut and in selecting the proper rate of feed. 5 3 DIRECTION (EXTERNAL) See Figure 8. When routing, the cutter rotates clockwise. Therefore, you should feed the router into the workpiece from left to right. When you feed the router from left to right, the rotation of the cutter pulls the router against the workpiece.
OPERATION RATE OF FEED The proper rate of feed depends on several factors: the hardness and moisture content of the wood, the depth of cut, and the cutting diameter of the bit. When cutting shallow grooves in soft woods such as pine, a faster rate of feed can be used. When making deep cuts in hardwoods such as oak, a slower rate of feed should be used. The best rate of feed is one that does not slow down the router motor more than one-third of its no-load speed.
OPERATION DETERMINING DEPTH OF CUT See Figure 12. As previously mentioned, the depth of cut is important because it affects the rate of feed that, in turn, affects the quality of the cut (and, also, the possibility of damage to your router motor and bit). A deep cut requires a slower feed than a shallow one, and a too deep cut will cause you to slow the feed so much that the bit is no longer cutting, it is scraping, instead. Making a deep cut is never advisable.
OPERATION When routing a groove wider than the diameter of the cutter, clamp a straightedge on both sides of the cutlines. Position both guides parallel to the desired line of cut and spaced equal distances from the desired edges of the groove. Rout along one guide; then, reverse direction and rout along the other guide. Clean out any remaining waste in the center of the groove freehand. ROUTING BY FREEHAND See Figure 14. When used freehand, your router becomes a flexible and versatile tool.
OPERATION EDGING WITH PILOTS ROUTER See Figure 15. You can cut rabbets and molded edges using piloted cutters. The pilot, which extends below the cutter, allows the cutter to turn while the pilot follows the edge of the workpiece. Some pilots are solid extensions of the cutter. Others are ball bearing guides that are fastened to the end of the cutter. Arbor-type bits with pilots are excellent for quick, easy edge shaping. They follow workpiece edges that are either straight or curved.
MAINTENANCE WARNING: When servicing use only identical Ryobi replacement parts. Use of any other parts may create a hazard or cause product damage. GENERAL Avoid using solvents when cleaning plastic parts. Most plastics are susceptible to damage from various types of commercial solvents and may be damaged by their use. Use clean cloths to remove dirt, carbon dust, etc. CUTTERS Get faster and more accurate cutting results by keeping cutters clean and sharp.
OPERATOR'S MANUAL R1801M1 ROUTER With R181FB1 Fixed Base Double Insulated • SERVICE Now that you have purchased your tool, should a need ever exist for repair parts or service, simply contact your nearest Ryobi Authorized Service Center. Be sure to provide all pertinent facts when you call or visit. Please call 1-800-525-2579 for your nearest Ryobi Authorized Service Center. You can also check our Web site at www.ryobitools.com for a complete list of Authorized Service Centers. • MODEL NO. AND SERIAL NO.