Minimum steel thickness for Magswitches

[siggy_7]

After much deliberation over the plethora of available products, I've decided to go down the DIY route for my (first) router table. In order to provide clamping to the surface for featherboards etc, I'd like to use Magswitches as I don't have a vacuum clamping system at present (which is less convenient anyway) and I don't want to mess around with having to clamp things under/through the table. My plan therefore is to build a thick MDF table top sealed to help with dimensional stability from water ingress, and attach some sheet steel to the top so that the Magswitches will work, with a steel or steel surfaced central insert. Presumably there is a minimum thickness of steel for Magswitches to work to something approaching their advertised strength, but what does the performance vs thickness curve roughly look like? I'd rather not have to make the whole thing out of 6mm steel plate if I can.

 

[RogerS]

Why go to all that bother? Why not inlay some t-track in your top and use normal featherboards?

 

[Chems]

I think its a good idea, I hate T-track in my top, stuff always seems to get caught on it somehow.

If your steel is bonded well to the substrate I wouldn't have though the thickness really mattered much. Just make sure you get like mild steel, because not all steel is magnetic.

 

[woodbloke]

Why go to all that bother? Why not inlay some t-track in your top and use normal featherboards?

As has been discussed previously, 'T' track isn't mandatory in a router table...you can use one without, but as ever, it's horses and courses etc - Rob