Study Finds 94% of Woodworkers Own a Router They Are Afraid to Use

A comprehensive survey by the Woodworking Research Alliance has confirmed what most woodworkers have long suspected but never admitted: the overwhelming majority own at least one router they are genuinely frightened of. The study, which surveyed 12,000 woodworkers across North America, found that 94% own a plunge router, 89% have never used it at full depth, and 67% described the sound it makes as 'a demon being fed through a jet engine.' 'I bought it because every YouTube video says you need one,' said respondent Karen Miller, a hobbyist woodworker in Ohio. 'It's been in the box for three years. Sometimes I open the box, look at it, and close the box. The bit just spins so fast. Why does it need to spin that fast?' The survey revealed elaborate avoidance strategies. Forty-one percent of respondents said they have redesigned projects specifically to avoid routing operations. Twenty-three percent admitted to buying pre-routed molding and sanding off the finish so it 'looks hand-done.' One respondent confessed to hiring a neighbor's teenager to operate the router while they 'supervised from the doorway.' Router manufacturers have responded by launching a sensitivity campaign called 'Route Without Fear,' which includes instructional videos filmed in pastel-colored workshops with ambient music and a narrator who speaks in the tone of a meditation app. 'We understand that the router can be intimidating,' said DeWalt spokesperson Michael Torres. 'It removes material at 25,000 RPM and will ruin your workpiece in a fraction of a second if you lose focus. But it's perfectly safe.' Torres then paused and added, 'Wear safety glasses though. And hearing protection. And maybe a face shield. Actually, full PPE. Definitely full PPE.'