Router Bench

[eribaMotters]

If you don't make a mess then you haven't done a good job.

Colin

 

[Roberto Flintofski]

If you don't make a mess then you haven't done a good job.

Colin

I sweep everything into a pile, hoover it with the dust extractor then open the garage door and blow the rest outside!

 

[DBT85]

What happens when you lift the router out before it's fully stopped spinning, and it makes you jump. Lesson learned.

Yeah you stop doing that pretty early

 

[Doug B]

We all learn by our mistakes Bill & we learn more correcting them.
As has been said I’d use some of your collected purple dust & mix it with glue, I’d opt for epoxy resin though such as Araldite, do a small test mix first to see how it looks when dry. I’d definitely fill the hole though as if your luck is anything like mine I’d end up catching something important in it & regret not sorting it before.

 

[Spectric]

Expect an order for some mitre track in the near future!

Have you thought of this system instead, far more versatile than mitre track

Micro Jig MATCHFIT Dovetail Clamps - Pair

Create your own dovetail clamp tracks with any standard 1/2” 14-degree dovetail router bit, eliminating the need for expensive aluminium tracks.

woodworkersworkshop.co.uk

and the system demonstrated MATCHFIT Woodworking Jig and Fixture System | #1 Best-Seller in Jigs and Fixtures

 

[billw]

We all learn by our mistakes Bill & we learn more correcting them.
As has been said I’d use some of your collected purple dust & mix it with glue, I’d opt for epoxy resin though such as Araldite, do a small test mix first to see how it looks when dry. I’d definitely fill the hole though as if your luck is anything like mine I’d end up catching something important in it & regret not sorting it before.

Well I have plenty of scraps and shavings to build up a patch, I'll give this a go. I Might use a large chunk to fill most of the error, then patch it up with a resin mix. It probably will be noticeable, but on the other hand I think like you say, having a flat surface is more important than aesthetics.

 

[billw]

Have you thought of this system instead, far more versatile than mitre track

Micro Jig MATCHFIT Dovetail Clamps - Pair

Create your own dovetail clamp tracks with any standard 1/2” 14-degree dovetail router bit, eliminating the need for expensive aluminium tracks.

woodworkersworkshop.co.uk

and the system demonstrated MATCHFIT Woodworking Jig and Fixture System | #1 Best-Seller in Jigs and Fixtures

I've got grooves for those on the front of the benches already (although I haven't got any clamps yet )

The mitre track was more because I was thinking of having a mitre fence to work with angles that aren't 45 or 90. I could easily make some blocks to hold pieces at various angles, but then I'd need a stack of them which takes up a lot of room.

Obviously on the vertical sections there's not much call for anything other than clamps, so mitre track seems a bit excessive. I could certainly also run grooves across the benchtop though if the only need was clamping.

 

[Spectric]

I think you will find that with a matrix of these dovetail grooves any angle is possible using the green fixings. It is just so versatile and if you watch the video it has so many uses and especially with making jigs. I never got the point of benchdogs until I realised putting dovetail groves inbetween suddenly gavethem a whole new purpose and made it possible to use benchdogs for location and grooves for clamping.

 

[billw]

Started on the fence today. Hacksawed down the head of a couple of coach bolts to fit into the t-track, one works slightly better than the other, but I had two bolts lying around that I doubt I'd ever use so that was a bonus. I've made most of the carcass but found out that the piece of valchromat I had cut to size is actually not flat, so I'll need to replace it.

I've also made a small box to go behind the NVR which sits nicely on one of the cross beams in the base, I'm just waiting on some clips to finish wiring it up properly. The height adjuster and collet spanner are both hanging from the legs now so they're easily accessible. WIll make a little tray to put spare collets, hex keys and spare screws etc.

Will post some photos soon.

 

[stimpy]

The Incra stuff is great too Peter, the plate is absolutely superb. Would never have coped without the template though!

Expect an order for some mitre track in the near future!

Haha... I was gonna say I presume you had a template!! Just made my template this afternoon and it won't be looking quite so grand!.. ( But better than I expected - ahem!)..

 

[Roberto Flintofski]

Get some.e more photos uploaded!!

 

[billw]

Marked out the main two boards.

Tested the fit of the board on the table to make sure the holes were in the right place. One of these bolts runs really well, the other is a stubborn little so and so.

Started test fitting the pieces together

Looking good so far!

I only have two of the support pieces cut which is why they've moved on the last photo.

My 6mm router bit should arrive tomorrow so I'll be able to finish off doing the slots. The dut port area needs tidying up too. I've cut the perspex for the guard but that needs grooves in it too.

 

[mikej460]

Very smart Bill

 

[Roberto Flintofski]

All coming along nicely ! you love your Purple MDF ( Joke ) - The Ply looks jolly nice stuff too, all we seem to be able to get here is crappy stuff!

Must try to get outside and start doing mine tomorrow, want to be able to offset the outfeed table in increments of say 0.5mm using shims to be able to kind of use the router as a table top thickness if you get my drift but on its side to edge joint boards

 

[Snettymakes]

I particularly like the coloured mdf, it very much changes the look. I've enjoyed Dennis's use of black (charcoal?) MDF.

 

[TRITON]

If you don't make a mess then you haven't done a good job.

Colin

Er...um... Thank goodness for that, I was getting worried..

 

[billw]

More done today - if Amazon would get a shift on and deliver my 6mm router bit I could do pretty much everything except fit the cover for the dust port.

So when I trimmed down the coach bolts I realised the cut offs were long enough to make two shafts for holding the front panels on. I've got some male handles but the shaft is too short on them. I've found some M6 washers too so I've barely had to spend anything extra to make this.

Once the slots are routed into the vertical back plate I can start glueing it all up.

 

[billw]

Getting there!

Left a couple of parts to cure overnight, will fix a few more tomorrow but all the grooves and holes are cut and done. I have one part left to make, the dust port cover, but I tried one of my hole drills earlier (came with the Makita drill) and it was absolutely pants.

All things considered though I should have a fully functioning fence after tomorrow. I might need to replace the parts that clip into the t-track at some point although I tested them today and they held out OK.

 

[mikej460]

Excellent stuff Bill, it's looking great, was it a hole saw or a forstner bit you tied for the dust port? I used a forstner.

 

[billw]

Excellent stuff Bill, it's looking great, was it a hole saw or a forstner bit you tied for the dust port? I used a forstner.

Yeah hole saw. I think I might go down the forstner route, although during today's testing the extraction from the router's port cleaned most of the mess up, so I might leave the additional table top extraction as something to do in the future.

I actually have bench space and tools to make something proper now!