The router table went up in smoke :D

[Louise-Paisley]

It's not pining for the fjords, it's passed away, joined the choir invisibule, bereft of life, deceased, dead, it is no more..

But as a testament to its quality it was at the final moments managing to cut a rabbet 6mm x 3mm deep so it was really being pushed to the limits!

I think the main problem was it could see me working on my new shop built table, it realised its complete and utter inadequacies meant it was destined for the nearest skip and it committed suicide in a spectacularly stinky smoky fashion LOL

Anyway, it will not be sadly missed! I have got the table base made almost, its is all glued and screwed and clamped up as I type, so hopefully tomorrow I will get the top fixed on and a bit of a storage cupboard made in the base to pile some of the associated bits and bobs in rather than them cluttering up every horizontal surface in the shop.

It's not going to be a work of art, its just an MDF box really, but 22mm MDF so pretty sturdy (22mm thick MDF takes some lifting onto trestles on your own!!!) - If I get enthusiastic I might throw some paint at it but its just a router table so looks are not important as long as it works. I am going to fit 4" castors so its easy to wheel out to use.

All in all its been a constructive afternoon in the workshop, I made an 8 foot straight edge saw guide - not sure if I am going to cut it to work with the jigsaw or the circular saw yet, made the second wheel rim and got a good bit of the table made. Not bad for about 3 or 4 hours workin (and another 2 or 3 hours standing around smoking and day dreaming about having a workshop where I don't have to breathe in to get around an 8 x 4 sheet of MDF)

 

[Dusty]

Evening L-P I know the feeling when routers die , my Axminster White 1/2 inch died last year , both the sleeves that contain the brush's vibrated out , so I glued them back in and fine for another 12 months , then fizzle fizzle pop and good night .....no pulse .

I am currently working on a router table too , I have already got the trend plate from my last attempt and a new Trend T11 ek ready to be fitted , currently welding the frame and am using 18mm resin ply as the table .

Kind regards Sam

 

[Louise-Paisley]

The table that died was a really garbage quality Aldi special - I was not responsible for buying it, my pal got it and insisted it was a bargain. Yeah it was because it has done maybe an hours work and gone up in smoke LOL

I am using 22mm MDF throughout, I have some resin ply which I would prefer to use on the table top but its not big enough. I will probably make a router plate with it to inset in the table though - just have to see what develops really, its not so much a planned project as a throw it together as I go along.

I don't really need the table for much, mostly template trimming really, so a little bit rough and ready won't be a big problem and the way I see it if I made the thing from rough sawn timber it could not be a lot worse than the thing that died LOL

 

[Tony Spear]

a workshop where I don't have to breathe in to get around an 8 x 4 sheet of MDF)

I never have that problem (mainly 'cos I'd never get me and an 8 x 4 sheet in my so-called "workshop"!) :wink:

 

[DIY Stew]

All in all its been a constructive afternoon in the workshop, I made an 8 foot straight edge saw guide - not sure if I am going to cut it to work with the jigsaw or the circular saw yet, made the second wheel rim and got a good bit of the table made. Not bad for about 3 or 4 hours workin (and another 2 or 3 hours standing around smoking and day dreaming about having a workshop where I don't have to breathe in to get around an 8 x 4 sheet of MDF)

Louise why don't you make your straight edge for use with both the circular saw and the jigsaw?

Stew

 

[Louise-Paisley]

All in all its been a constructive afternoon in the workshop, I made an 8 foot straight edge saw guide - not sure if I am going to cut it to work with the jigsaw or the circular saw yet, made the second wheel rim and got a good bit of the table made. Not bad for about 3 or 4 hours workin (and another 2 or 3 hours standing around smoking and day dreaming about having a workshop where I don't have to breathe in to get around an 8 x 4 sheet of MDF)

Louise why don't you make your straight edge for use with both the circular saw and the jigsaw?

Stew

It is a guide with a straight edge fixed to a strip of hardboard, then you cut the hardboard with the saw against the straight edge. The result being that in future the saw blade runs exactly against the hardboard edge so it is extremely easy to line up directly on the cut line - no having to measure an offset for the guide.

I think there is a name for this thingyjig, but for the life of me I cannot think what it is I have seen it referred to as. I made a small 3 foot one for the jigsaw and it is almost invaluable, with the limited size of the workshop dragging out table saws etc is a pain (and it scares me to death) so this little doo dah gets used an awful lot.

 

[DIY Stew]

All in all its been a constructive afternoon in the workshop, I made an 8 foot straight edge saw guide - not sure if I am going to cut it to work with the jigsaw or the circular saw yet, made the second wheel rim and got a good bit of the table made. Not bad for about 3 or 4 hours workin (and another 2 or 3 hours standing around smoking and day dreaming about having a workshop where I don't have to breathe in to get around an 8 x 4 sheet of MDF)

Louise why don't you make your straight edge for use with both the circular saw and the jigsaw?

Stew

It is a guide with a straight edge fixed to a strip of hardboard, then you cut the hardboard with the saw against the straight edge. The result being that in future the saw blade runs exactly against the hardboard edge so it is extremely easy to line up directly on the cut line - no having to measure an offset for the guide.

I think there is a name for this thingyjig, but for the life of me I cannot think what it is I have seen it referred to as. I made a small 3 foot one for the jigsaw and it is almost invaluable, with the limited size of the workshop dragging out table saws etc is a pain (and it scares me to death) so this little doo dah gets used an awful lot.

Louise what I meant was if you put the straight edge onto the hardboard so there is an overhang on both sides, then run your circular saw along the straight edge on one side, and run your jigsaw along the other side you will have a saw guide for both.

I have one but made mine with MDF instead of hardboard.

Stew

 

[Louise-Paisley]

Louise what I meant was if you put the straight edge onto the hardboard so there is an overhang on both sides, then run your circular saw along the straight edge on one side, and run your jigsaw along the other side you will have a saw guide for both.

I have one but made mine with MDF instead of hardboard.

Stew

Of course with just a tiny bit of common sense that is a great idea. Unfortunately I was fresh out and just put the HB on one side #-o

On the plus side I got the top on the router table, made up a plate with resin ply and a steel plate which I cut keyhole slots for the router quick release pins.

I got the wheel rims trimmed down to size and the grooves cut in them, the compass jig thing I made works very well, much better than the compass attachment that works with the parallel bars, really easy to adjust and also keeps the router more stable vertically.

Used the new table to round over the rims, the joy of being able to quickly and easily wind the bit up and down - Bliss - Now I need to knock up a small drawer to put the bits in and box in the router section. I have a dust extractor ordered which should be here Wednesday so I will get a pipe fitted into the router base ready.

I even managed to convert a well battered and beaten up chisel into one which cuts wood with ease, not nearly scary sharp but quite pleased it was sharp enough to cut the round corners into square ones - It's a start at least

All in all another enjoyable day in the workshop, the only problem is enthusiasm for anything else is waning, I must get my working head on again