router trimming question

[mac1012]

Hi after my previous questions about routers I received some very helpful advice from you guys on here and I am now successfully template routering my clock movement recesses

I am now in the process of purchasing a router table and my question is this

I can pretty accurately cut out my clocks on my hegner but they need a bit of freckling on the sander to get flat

I know I could make a template and use a bearing cutter to trim to the template , but I was just wondering as the clocks I cut consist of flat sides about 9 inch in length could I then just put against the router fence and then say trim a couple of mm of to make the side completely flat ? the deviations are very small coming off the hegner so this would be a final trim can I do this as opposed to template trimming ?

thanks mark

 

[Reggie]

From what I gather, yes, you should be able to trim a couple of mm off, generally with a split fence so that you offset the outfeed fence from the infeed fence, or failing that a thin shim to offset the outfeed in the same manner, the offset of the outfeed side is to support the trimmed edge of the piece so that you keep a completely flat, straight edge on the work piece, if it's not supported on the outfeed, you'll end up with a non-straight edge.

If you can't offset the fence then a trimming bit with a bearing will do the same job.

I'm not sure what the maximum thickness for jointing is but you can always do it in a couple of passes.

 

[rafezetter]

While I've not built my router table yet, or jointed on it - I intend to do so a lot, so I've done a great deal of reading on it and other things possible and advice from many websites - here's a quick breakdown of relevant advice:

I would echo the split fence route to reduce or remove the possibility of the jointed edge going out of trueness lengthwise as it seems all too easy to put pressure in the wrong place while feeding if you are relying on doing it only on the infeed side.

If the split fence doesn't have the facility to micro adjust an offset on the outfeed to take the cut depth into account - a solution I've considered for my build (can't figure a homemade microadjust easily) is a shim plate made of modelling sheet plastic as it comes in various thicknesses down to almost paper thin, it's hardwearing, and will give consistent results time and again compared to a bit of cardboard - clamp it on the outfeed (or better put behind between the split fence support and the main face if possible) then sight along it, with a known good straightedge to set against the edge of the router bit at it's maximum edge.

A featherboard to keep the work against the fence on the infeed fence (or infeed side if no splitfence) will help so all you need to do is worry about feeding it forwards, if you don't have one they are very easy to make even with a handsaw and a steady hand, if no mitre slot; make a long reach one as described below and clamp to the edge of the router table :

http://americanwoodworker.com/blogs...ather-boards.aspx?t=jigs and fixtures&id=v5_9

While not exactly for what you asked; one last I'd add is if you get to jointing facing edges for glueup, to do them one face up and one face down, the theory being is if there were any discrepancy on the vertical plane they would still marry up perfectly.

Here's where I got some of that and how Niki did jointing without a table; worth a read and good advice in replies too:

https://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/t15747/

Hope that helps.

 

[mac1012]

thank you for your replies and much too consider ! not decided yet which method I will use I see how the shim works just not 100% sure how I would keep clamped on the out feed table the plasic looks a good idea and I get what you mean about linining up with cutter level I getting Dakota table which is now only 89 pounds I was looking at rutlands feather boards but where 35 pounds each and as the mitre slots on table are standard I may shop around

mark

 

[rafezetter]

As a general working rule you don't keep clamped pressure on the outfeed side - ONLY the infeed, for anything; router table, saw table or benchsaw as it can cause kickback where a cutter grabs the wood and throws it back at you. If the wood is perfectly straight and true you won't need it even with a gap adjusted split fence on a router table.

I would seriously consider making your own featherboards, or even asking on here - i'd bet there's guys here with the right sort of scraps (hardwood for the runner, softwood for the feathers) that would do a few for you for less money.

just a heads up, but we've had a couple of people here say how the fence on that dakota table was not great, built to a tolerance of +/- 2mm so you could possible have a 4mm discrepancy - I'm guessing that's not good for you.