bumpy router table!!??

[neilyweely]

I just spent ages routing out a piece of kitchen worksurface, to fit a tile router plate, and with a strip to allow the use of a sliding carriage, for tenons etc. Cut the hole, leaving a lip for the tile, all good. So, its all finished now, lets try the tile in the hole. Perfect.

Except its a bloody bumpy white tile!!!

I am hoping I will be able to get another tile to fit, trouble is even if it is a standard size I have managed to cut it so precisely it only fits one way round, so another tile at 200mm (think thats the size) may well not fit anyway,

Is 200mm a standard size? And whilst I am at it is a normal wall tile really gonna be ok? I was told a tile was a good cheap alternative to phenolic. I have looked for a plastic chopping board, but poundshop are out, and M+S are expensive. Any ideas.

Also, will I be ok drilling a couple of holes in the edge of the Bandsaw cast iron table to mount hinges for the Router table?

Thanks folks.

Neil (who is daft as a brush. )

 

[p111dom]

Personally I've never heard of a tile being used as a router plate. I would have thought a granite tile or pan stand from Asda would be flatter but it still seems like a weird idea to me. What if it cracks with the vibration and disintigrates with the bit spinning. Humm. I made mine from an off cut of 10mm Lexan perspex. There's a guy sells all sizes down a boot sale in the NE. I have used alot for jigs etc. Very flat, very stable, very drillable. I had to buy a special bit to drill the wall tiles in our bathroom. That was a right pain.

Nothing wrong with drilling into the cast iron top. Cast iron is pretty soft for metal. Just any warranty issues with the saw if it's new ish and how would it effect the table tilt? Again I've not heard or seen anyone add a router table to a bandsaw before.

 

[CWatters]

Not sure if suitable but many DIY stores sell transparent sheet glazing. Possibly too thin?. If not they will probably have chopping boards the way they are going.

This was the sort of thing I was thinking of..

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/WEB-TRADING-UK ... 7012QQtZkm

or this looks better 12mm polycarb...
http://search.stores.ebay.co.uk/Plastic ... 51QQsofpZ0

A4 sheet for £10, A3 for £20. They have other thicknesses cheaper (eg 8mm or 10mm).

 

[neilyweely]

P111dom -

Problem is I am in a single garage and decided to forgo the TS in here and leave a bit of space. So I have a bandsaw and RAS set up and I have left the other tools under the bench to slot into place when needed. I could do this with the RT, but I rather liked the idea of having it on the side of the TS, and now that is not possible wondered if there was any reason the BS wouldn't do.

Warranty wise, its an old Startrite, so not an issue. It has a nice size table, no tilt, so thats not a prob either, but thinking about it you have put me off really!!!! Think I'll just slot it into the spot reserved for all the other stuff. (I got a load of MDF panels the same size and mounted the thicknesser, planer, sander, grinder etc onto the panels. Then I made a recess in the bench for them all to slot into. Works well. The router table may be too big for it though. )

And I will take your advice nd stick with some sort of plastic. Maybe I can trace round the tile and get an exact fit like that.

Cwatters -

I do have some sheets of plastic glazing, but it is too thin. What about gluing a piece onto some ply? Then I could screw the router to the ply and cover the screw holes (countersunk) with the glazing. Would this work? And if not, why not? I cannot see why it won't, but I just tried to use a bumpy white tile as a router table insert!! :?

Thanks folks

Neil

 

[mailee]

If I were you Neil I would have a look on e-bay for phenolic plate. It can be picked up cheaply enough and is perfect for router plates. My first router plate was one of the old Trend sub bases for a router and it worked well. I now have two or three laminate plates for different routers that I can use in my table all home made to fit a different make of router I own. Never heard of using a tile though. :wink:

 

[Mr Ed]

I think for the cost I would buy a router plate rather than make one.

That said, I made my first one from 6mm aluminium sheet which was OK. It only cost a couple of quid and being ally was easy to cut and drill.

Cheers, Ed

 

[p111dom]

, but thinking about it you have put me off really!!!!
Neil

Didn't mean to put you off. I think the tile idea is a bad one. As for mounting it on the band saw it's hard to see the advantage without seeing the machine but that's not to say there isn't any. I went for years in my last house using a raw MDF board for my router table that I clamped in my workmate when I wanted to use it and that worked.

 

[Derek Willis.]

Tile sounds dangerous to me, buy yourself a piece of alloy plate, only about a fiver, you can't break that, but whatever you do I bet you very soon put a proper Phenolic plate in it's place.
Derek.

 

[neilyweely]

Ok point taken, phenolic it is.

I have been talking to a friend about this, and it seems this is the only way to go. However I have found another vote for the tile, marble this time, but theres a fella on you tube who has used one on his RT.

Now I need to figure a way to fix a fence to the table. I really would like to avoid the clamp route, and maybe route a couple of lines parallel to each other allowing a fence to be moved back and forth from the router bit (a la normal RT). Any suggestions on the fence issue?

Thanks for all your help folks.

Neil

 

[Derek Willis.]

For the fence, cut slots like the mitre guage slots,either side of the top, use a base with two guide runners, and drill through for two Tee nuts under the top into which you have Bristol lever or similar bolts, fence is attached to this base which will slide back and forth.
PM me if you want a picture uploaded.
Derek.