T-track on router table fence: on the front or the top?

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jimmer

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most diy ones sem to have t-track on the front. i figure it'd be more useful than on the top, except for flip-down stops parhaps?
not an option to do both at the moment - i don't have enough T-track.

opinions?
 
The only reason to have t track on the fence is to hold something against the fence. Why would you have T track on the top?

I bought the UJK fence from axminster. Its very good. It has T track on top and the side.
i've used the side tracks many times. Still waiting to find a reason to use the top one.
 
well yeh, kinda my thoughts bob. only thing i've seen is a ujk flip-down guide. but cna't see me needing that.
are the fixing knobs/bolts at a fixed distance on the ujk guide by the way?
 
This is the one I have. i see the price has gone up since I bought mine.
https://www.axminster.co.uk/ujk-technol ... nce-508273

I looked at that flip down stop, but to be honest, when I'm using stops on the router table I want a really firm clamped edge, that stop could flex a bit and all my stuff is small precision pieces.
I just use these
https://www.axminster.co.uk/ujk-technol ... p-ax889088
which work well on the fence or in the T track that I put in front of the table.

I did buy these
https://www.axminster.co.uk/ujk-technol ... air-502711
But I wasted my money as I have yet to find any application that they are good for.
 
I have a pair of these:
502711_xl.jpg

https://www.axminster.co.uk/ujk-technology-universal-fence-clamps-pair-502711

Although mine were bought from Amazon (more cheaply), they're pretty good (and apparently identical, apart from the colour). They might be a good solution, but obviously the "proper" fence needs to be close to the same height (or you use the rather awkward approach shown in one of the Axminster pictures).

Personally, I mainly use an auxiliary fence to support tall things properly (I made it for use with a mitre lock cutter, and it has an odd sliding carriage for that), so being able to clamp onto the front of the fence is really handy. It doubles as a sacrificial fence (i.e. zero clearance), but if that was the sole purpose, a short fence would suffice and those clamps would be spot on.

They're also dead handy for holding my belt sander to a benchtop.

Hope that helps a bit.

E.
 
I've tried them a few times, but the bent rod just twists and loosens the whole thing.
They look pretty on the wall, mind.
 
Well...

... I was going to say "try a half nut on the thread" but before making a total twit of myself I put some callipers on the thread of mine - 9.3mm OD (which isn't exactly helpful), and FWIW the clamp's thread is similar. The unthreaded bit isn't circular, but is around 8.35mm. So that ain't gonna work.

But mine don't rotate easily - they're actually quite stiff. Could you use thread-lock? It's not as if you need to change the amount the peg projects too often (for the fence application, anyway). Other things that might do it (without doing damage or gumming it up forever) include PTFE tape (of the water plumbing sort - gas tape is a bit thicker), or possibly something like a shellac-based varnish (let it dry before reassembly). Meths will remove it if you need to.

It is rather a shame - if they had stuck to standard thread, say 8mm, a locknut would have been the perfect solution.

Hope one of those does it for you. If it turns out to be some thread form that is a standard (somewhere!), please post it up, as I'd be keen to d othe locknut thing if mine loosen up - lacquer would work, but it's a lot more faff.

E.

PS: there are two generic types of thread-lock: obviously use the sort that allows later disassembly, not the permanent one!
 
Mine are so loose I can just rotate the bent bit and the main body unscrews like a fairground carousel.

If I ever find a pressing need for them I'l rummage through my nuts and bolts box, but theyve been on the wall for at least a year now and I havent felt the need since the first attempt.
 
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