A few questions ????

[DaveO]

OK, I need some sound advice, so I'll ask y'all.
First, it has been brought to my attention that my choice in router plates may not be the best, and after looking at the selection available I realized that the difference in price shouldn't make my decision. So what do y'all recommend for a router plate to use with a DW 618.

Second, I need advice/ideas on the best way to attach 4" flex DC hose to the back of my router cabinet. I plan to leave a pigtail of 4" hose with a "Y" going to 2.25" hose to the fence and attaching it to my main line DC hose when I will use the table.

Third, is it better to have my router table fence move in T-slots embedded in the table or just clamp it to the overhang of the table edge.

Fourth, and good ideas for fence construction. I am torn between using angle iron with a wood facing or make it out of all wood.

Thanks for the brain pickin'. I appreciate all the help y'all give me in my endeavors. I may become a good woodworker someday with y'alls help

Dave

[McRabbet]

Dave,
1) I know you are concerned with the Rousseau Router Plate being crowned, but I've got two of them and the crown is so slight that I've never detected any error with joints cut across it. I'd stick with it. The newer ones come with a set of leveling screws (I originally used some laminate shims with my 1st one). I've got my Porter Cable 693 in one and my new Milwaukee 5625 3-1/2 HP in the other.... ;
2) Buy a plastic 6" Jointer Hood like this http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPR...6&LARGEVIEW=ON (part No 894-731 at the top) at Lowe's or Woodcraft or The Woodworking Store and use an appropriate hose clamp for the flexible duct (your "Y" should work okay);
3) I'm a firm believer in no T-Track or miter slot and to clamp any fence or fingerboard units to the table edge. Track accumulate some chips and limits your positioning flexibility; and
4) Steve DeWeese made his own and others have as well. Ken Massingale has a good one in http://ncwoodworker.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1097 that uses Corian on the faces. Another photo was shown in a thread on shaper fences from a router table http://ncwoodworker.net/forums/attac...1&d=1136658364. I have a very expensive, but very accurate JoinTech Cabinetmaker's Fence system (they will be an exhibitor at the Charlotte Woodworking show).

Hope this helps some ... my .02

Rob

[D L Ames]

Originally Posted by DaveO

Second, I need advice/ideas on the best way to attach 4" flex DC hose to the back of my router cabinet. I plan to leave a pigtail of 4" hose with a "Y" going to 2.25" hose to the fence and attaching it to my main line DC hose when I will use the table.

Dave

Dave, I'll shoot a photo tomorrow of how I set my DC up. It sounds pretty much like what you are trying to do and I did it all with PVC fittings.

D L

[Monty]

Don't make me mislead you on that plate. The crown is not much, and the Rousseau packaging even lists it as a "feature". I have noticed that as I move a long workpiece across the plate, eventually it will reach a point where it tips just a tiny bit from the infeed side to the outfeed side - you can't make it lay exactly flat across the plate. That just bugged me. Does it really matter? I really don't know - probably not. I have been accused of being, shall we say... compulsive about little things like that!

Anyway, your new thread prompted me to dig up an old WN thread that I remembered on that plate - here is a link. Reading through that reminded me that I had the starting pin ALMOST come loose during routine use one time. Got my attention real quick - like looking down the barrel of a gun!

[NCPete]

Hey, a WN thread which didn't disintegrate!


Insom, forgive my ignorance, what is the 'starting pin'?

[woodguy1975]

Originally Posted by DaveO

OK, I need some sound advice, so I'll ask y'all.
First, it has been brought to my attention that my choice in router plates may not be the best, and after looking at the selection available I realized that the difference in price shouldn't make my decision. So what do y'all recommend for a router plate to use with a DW 618.

I like the Bench Dog plates. They are very heavy and flat. I tried to get one for my horizonal router table, but they didn't have the right one for me.

Second, I need advice/ideas on the best way to attach 4" flex DC hose to the back of my router cabinet. I plan to leave a pigtail of 4" hose with a "Y" going to 2.25" hose to the fence and attaching it to my main line DC hose when I will use the table.

Use a PVC fitting for this. It will be smoother for air flow.

Third, is it better to have my router table fence move in T-slots embedded in the table or just clamp it to the overhang of the table edge.

I've had both. Either works well, but I think you'll find the T slots handier because you don't have to worry about clamps or keeping the clamp engaged while moving.

Fourth, and good ideas for fence construction. I am torn between using angle iron with a wood facing or make it out of all wood.

Again I've done both. I think a wood based fence works just fine. I just use shims to make sure it is dead square to the table. If you already have a peice of aluminum angle use it, but if not just make it out of wood.

Thanks for the brain pickin'. I appreciate all the help y'all give me in my endeavors. I may become a good woodworker someday with y'alls help

Dave

Thanks,

John

[Monty]

Originally Posted by NCPete

what is the 'starting pin'?

If you are using a bearing guided bit and are not using the fence, you use this pin to support the workpiece initially as you ease the wood onto the bit's bearing. Then you transfer the support onto the router bit and the pin just sits there while you finish your cut. The problem is, the pin is stuck in the phenolic, and can vibrate loose... which can get dangerous. You don't want a little piece of steel dancing & rattling around on your router table right next to a bit that's spinning at 20K RPM!!!

[NCPete]

ok, that's what I thought it might be. thanks for clarification.

[Travis Porter]

For dust collection I cut a hole in the back and had a 4" adapter and used a wye. The PVC would work quite well and be cheaper (you keep harping on how cheap you are).

For the crown, I have not had one with a crown, but my woodpecker table did have a slight sag when I put my heaviest router in it and the plate was a 1/4 inch thick. It really didn't cause me any problems. I would suggest that if your plate or whatever you use doesn't have leveling screws to put some in or rig something up. My new top also has lateral adjustments to keep the plate snug and that is a plus. Pretty simplistic in the way it works as well.

For the fence, t track does fill up with dust and does become a PIA, but it is convenient and simplistic. My only recommendation here is whatever you do, put some kind of tape measure or alignment system to each side to be able to know when you have the fence parallel to the miter track (if you have one) or from of the table.

As for what to make the structural part of the fence out of metal. I made the adjustable fence in Wood Magazine and had to make it 3 times due to my stupidity of not making sure dadoes were full depth, another time due to one section not being square, and finally because I drilled holes in the wrong place. If I did it over again, I would use angle aluminum to hold it square and upright and face it with would and put adjustable fences on it from there.

Which reminds me, I need to try and sell my old router table.

[gator]

Dave -

Check my 'Shop' pics for table, fence clamping and fence construction (use 'second version of fence'), For DC which is not shown really good, my table is at the end on a DC line so I have a 4" going to the plenum and a 2½" going to the fence, both off of the main line. If I ever have to change, I will run the 2½" into the back of the plenum and just use the 4" out of the plenum.

George

[Mountaincraft]

I agree with those who don't like T tracks on the horizontal surface. A router table can make an enormous amount of sawdust. On my previous router table, I just put the fence on the table with about 2" overlap from the center of the router, drilled 2 holes, then cut slots with a plunge router into the fence from the holes using a straight edge. I held it in place with knobs and through bolts. Never had a problem.

My current router table is built into my table saw and I attached the router fence to the saw fence.

[hpetty]

I built my drill press table with embedded T-Track running back to front and don't like it at all. When my new fence comes (tomorrow??) from WoodPeck I'm going to use Norm's plan and rout through holes to mount the fence with T-Bolts. Hoping the DC in my RT will take care of keeping it clean.

[mshel]

Dave,

Looks like I might be in the minority but I like T track mounted in the top of my RT. Good DC will eliminate most of the stuff that normally gets in it and thus far, it hasn't posed a problem for me. I chose to make my own fence from plans I found in a PW (I think) mag and it has a lot of flexibility for using hold downs, feather boards and also for adjusting the fence in or out depending on the diameter of the bit being used. I personally don't like to have a large gap between my fence and the bit. Might just be a quirk but I think it also provides maximum support for the stock and limits any chance of what I will call router snipe on the tail end of the pass. Anyway, take a look at this and if you want more info, let me know.

Mike

[Splinter]

I'm building a second router table and Dave's post had several of my questions. Expanding on Dave's third question. I have seen (WOOD Dec. '01 issue 13 the T-track for the fence mounted on the outside edges on the table. Has anyone had any experience with this style of fence? It seems this style would eliminate the dust/chips in the track problem.

[DaveO]

Dolan (AKA Splinter) that is a great thought. I may have to use that. I'll give you credit of course.
Dave