Router Table Insert

[PaulK]

Nearly have my saw bench/router table design complete and have decided to use a Router Base Plate from Rutlands to attach my shiny new Triton 1/2" router. The base plate is 9" x 12".

two questions:

1) how close to the front edge of the table should I install the base plate?

2) should I install T-track between the router base and the edge of the table (not sure when I would use it)? If so again what sort of distances should I be using between the edge of the table to the T-track and then from the T-Track to the router base?

Paul K.

 

[RogerS]

Hi Paul and welcome to the forum.

I will be watching this thread with interest as I have exactly the same questions.

My thoughts so far was to keep the router as far away from the front as possible so as to be able to support the widest material. The drawback then is being able to easily get underneath to wind the router up. Also, leaning across the table could be dangerous.

T-track at the front is used, for example, to hold a featherboard that keeps the workpiece tight up against the fence. See here

I may well base my dimensions on existing table tops like the Jess'em

 

[devonwoody]

The plate needs to be placed towards the rear of the table as far as practical. I have the Triton table and the centre of the bit is 230mm(9") from the rear edge of the table. Over the four years of using this equipment this rear edge measurement has never presented any routing position problem for me.

 

[colinc]

Paul,

I'm sure that another member has been waiting for quite a while for his insert plate to arrive from Rutlands so it may be worth checking availability before placing the order. I don't know but it's possible that Woodworkersworkshop carry the Woodpecker plates which may be worth looking at.

As to positioning, I've gone for near the front. My top is 25" deep x 37" wide and the spindle is exactly 10" from the front edge (my previous table was 11"). My thinking is that most of the work I do is small and it will be more convenient to use sleds on the front edge if the cutter's closer to it.

Of course I can always turn it around if I need to and work from the back or the side! When I have done a bit of workshop organising the table will be accessible from all sides so I have a choice of approaches. For this reason the fence I'm making will clamp to the table.

I can clamp feather boards to the front at that distance. I've decided to keep the top clear of tee track for now until I can be sure I cannot manage without it. In my old table I found the two fingerboard tracks constantly collected dust and debris.

Here's a pic of my efforts.

colin

 

[devonwoody]

Colin,

You have two different rear edges, very useful :wink:

A sliding table (carriage) is very useful because you can set perfect right angles (or any angle) when doing mouldings, so having space at the front can accommodate this accessory.

Please remember Tony, and have a safety guard to accommodate the router bit and a fence.

 

[Barry Burgess]

Devonwoody
I use the Triton router table in a separate ca2000 which allows me to use the standard router fence or the ca fence at the back (ie on the wrong way) and as a final option I can use my maxi sliding table. The last two options allow for trenching across a wind range without having to take the router out of the table

 

[Barry Burgess]

Sorry ca should be WC

 

[Anonymous]

Mine is mounted towards the front rather than the back to allow plenty of room for the fence and it's mounting.
I cannot see why one would place it towards the rear as this just cuts down the maximum distance between the cutter and the fence (the most important measurement) whilst giving no real advantages.

Mine is here

 

[Barry Burgess]

Tony who do you do your dust collection??

 

[George_N]

I built my table to the same design as Colin and as he said, if you need more support for a wider workpiece you just flip the fence round and work from the back of the table. I did this last night when rounding over the edge of a cupboard door I'd made.


cheers

George

 

[Chris Knight]

It is nice to have room in front of the cutter/fence when you are working on large panels. However, most of my work needs room between fence and cutter as mentioned by Tony. It would be nice to have the option and Colin seems to be heading this way.

I do recommend that you have enough overhang on the table top to permit clamping stuff on the table with good solid C or F cramps. Feather boards and secondary fences for example can be fixed this way

 

[Anonymous]

Tony who do you do your dust collection??

Mine is the NYW table, straight form uncle Norm's plans except for the top which I adapted to suit the incra.
There are dust guide plates in the main section and I drilled holes in the (home made) rotuer plate to pull air down. Collection is fromt he rear.
Works very well.

 

[Barry Burgess]

Tony your mods would help as uncle Norm's version does not work when you are trenching (dados). I have put a slot in the table to the left of the cutter to catch the dust that does not get collected from behind or below

 

[devonwoody]

Excuse hijack?

Barry did you ever see the triton table top conversion put out by Neil on Ubeaut. He has basically fitted an aluminium plate across the whole top and then the fence sits on top of the new surface. He had trouble with items protruding ablove the original deck.

 

[Barry Burgess]

Excuse hijack?

Barry did you ever see the triton table top conversion put out by Neil on Ubeaut. He has basically fitted an aluminium plate across the whole top and then the fence sits on top of the new surface. He had trouble with items protruding ablove the original deck.

Yes it certainly helped but I am trying to do a cross Norm/Triton table with the maxi extension table and the WC table fence. I have already converted the Triton to use 4" extraction without in my view removing any of the fence properties
Sorry all for the hijack

 

[PaulK]

Thanks for the replys everyone.

Checked with Rutlands today to make sure they had everything before I placed the order (thanks for the warning Colin), should be here tomorrow (fingers crossed).

The bench top I am putting the router into is 1000 x 640 mm. The idea was to put the router at the opposite end to the table saw so that I could use the table saw fence and still stand 'in front' of the router (i.e. with the cutter between me and the fence). I have decided to move the router further in (left) giving me plenty of room front and back and sacrifice some of the storage space below, think I will have plenty enough but you can never have too much storage . This give me about 400mm from the spindle to the front of the table and 600mm plus the width of the table saw between the spindle and the fence (minus the width of the fence ~140mm). I am building the fence from Ian Dalziel's 4-in-1 station from his GWW article. I will also lay down a strip of T-track 'in front' of the router parrallell to the fence for feather boards.

Thanks again for everyone's input.

Paul K.

 

[Ian Dalziel]

I am building the fence from Ian Dalziel's 4-in-1 station from his GWW article. I will also lay down a strip of T-track 'in front' of the router parrallell to the fence for feather boards.


Paul K.

you mean someone actually read the article and is having a go....i am impressed =D>



Ian

 

[colinc]

Ian, you are too modest. I too have the bits cut out.

Colin

 

[devonwoody]

Paul,
I am very concerned.

Are you saying that your router bit to the fence is going to be 600mm less 140mm.

Be careful that you do not operate the bit on the wrong side of the cutter and get a climb cut which can be very dangerous.

It could be so easy to make a cut forgetting which side of the spinning bit to operate on with so much space available in a thoughtless moment.

 

[PaulK]

Ian,

You really are to modest, it is an excellent article! I am only hoping that building it is easier than tracking down the two volumes of the magazine!

I have changed the design sligthly due to space considerations and my saw table is larger than the one you designed it for. I am hoping to make a square version with a machine in each corner, will post pictures as soon as I can set up a web page to link to. This all started because the fence on my saw is useless and I think the one in your article will prove to be both accurate and sturdy.

Devonwoody,

I agree, I too am worried that in a 'senior' moment I could use the wrong side of the cutter. I am planning to score a centre line through the cutter spindle the full width of the table and draw big red arrows with feed direction each side of it. That should remind me each time I use it.

Paul K.