Router Table Fence Design

[Nick W]

You won't be able to use the outfeed one when jointing?

Just stick it on spacers.

Same goes for the cutter guard.

BTW how is the fence attached to the table, and how will you adjust it backwards and forwards?

 

[Neomorph]

You won't be able to use the outfeed one when jointing?

Just stick it on spacers.

Same goes for the cutter guard.

BTW how is the fence attached to the table, and how will you adjust it backwards and forwards?

Bang on the money. I redesigned a featherboard with a shim behind it (I know, I know I was going to do away with shims lol). The router guard I completely missed until you mentioned it Nick. I also found that the vacuum box area was too narrow and would end up not being able to fit a panel raising bit. That's the beauty of Sketchup... if you screw up you don't waste any wood heh.

Fitting the fence to the table is going to be an experiment. I'm going to use some bearing guided shelf runners to keep the fence parallel. Then on the one side use a T-Track and a bolt/lobe nut to fix it in place. I'm waiting for the runners to come from my supplier so I can test them on some old black ash chipboard before I fit them to the real table though as others have expressed doubt. Hell the runners were cheap enough (£2.38 + vat) so if they don't work I can actually use them for drawers anyway.

These are the ones I've ordered -> Ball bearing Full Extension Runner/Slide L=250mm/10" (Pair). Hopefully it will mean I can lock the fence with a single bolt. If not it will still be worth a try. If nobody experimented we wouldn't even have routers would we heh.

 

[Ed]

Hi Neomorph,

Nice looking fence!

Where are you planning on placing the drawer runners? On the side of the table or in the top surface? Would dust be an issue getting in the runners?

Not sure if you know this site, but lots of info here on using drawer runners as cheap linear bearings: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15768

Cheers

Ed

 

[Neomorph]

Hi Neomorph,

Nice looking fence!

Where are you planning on placing the drawer runners? On the side of the table or in the top surface? Would dust be an issue getting in the runners?

Ed

I had the very same thought when I was testing a mockup out of my old chipboard furntiture. I was going to use the runners embedded into the surface of the table but no longer. I found that after only a short time that dust was escaping and hiding in the recess. Possibly when using the extractor it would be less of a problem but I'm not going to chance it. I'm probably going to fit them recessed into the sides like you say.

Thanks for the link by the way.

Edit: I've now come to the conclusion that I'm going to recess them under the table sides. That way they are well out of the way of any dust that escapes the vacuum.

I just want to say that the comments and advice I have received from members of this forum have saved me from a whole heap of grief if I had just gone ahead and built the fence from an earlier version. I would have ended up with a fence that wouldn't allow panel raising bits, would have gotten the runners jammed up with dust, would have found that the router guard and featherboards wouldn't have worked with the table in Jointing mode... and many other problems. Without you I would have had to rebuild the fence from scratch it had so many faults with it.

This is the reason we need a designing forum area... to help other people with designing stuff. I've found that when designing you get a type of tunnel vision and it's only someone outside who can spot errors that are right in front of you. 8)

 

[LyNx]

I've now come to the conclusion that I'm going to recess them under the table sides. That way they are well out of the way of any dust that escapes the vacuum.

Got any pics, can't get my head around that one :?

Andh

 

[Neomorph]

I've now come to the conclusion that I'm going to recess them under the table sides. That way they are well out of the way of any dust that escapes the vacuum.

Got any pics, can't get my head around that one :?

Andh

I'll post some shortly... Just working it out...

 

[Neomorph]

Well here is the latest design for the fence plus table top. There are a couple of dust diverters at the sides where the drawer runners are hidden. Hopefully it any escaping dust will be prevented from fouling the ball bearings this way.

 

[LyNx]

hmm, i still don't see where you are fitting the runners. Are they under the light grey panels either end??

Andy

 

[Neomorph]

hmm, i still don't see where you are fitting the runners. Are they under the light grey panels either end??

Andy

This shows where the runners connect to the fence

Here it shows where I've removed the fence (the runners unclip) and folded the table top.

 

[LyNx]

Ahh, right i see.

What length runners did you get for this?? As you have to extend the runner fully to allow you to remove the i 'think' you may have a problem :-k

Andy

 

[Chris Knight]

John,

I think there is a danger of getting carried away here! IMHO, you are over-engineering the thing without addressing a critical issue with router table fences which is positioning. That is where something like the Incra comes into its own.

There are of course many solutions other than the Incra and I had one (cheap but effective) for years which worked fairly well but as yet I don't see such a thing in your fence.

I would rather have a simple strip of wood that I can quickly and easily place in the correct position than any other form of fence that is hard to position.

 

[Neomorph]

Waterhead the positioning factor is the reason I'm using the runners in the first place. If you want to use the mitre gauge strip your fence NEEDS to be exactly paralled to it. Using the ball bearing drawer runners means the fence will always be parallel to the gauge strip.

You also have to understand that I am going to be using it for Jointing and possibly using it for an inverted jigsaw as well (cheap bandsaw function lol) so keeping it parallel has been my major requirement here.

 

[Neomorph]

Ahh, right i see.

What length runners did you get for this?? As you have to extend the runner fully to allow you to remove the i 'think' you may have a problem :-k

Andy

Oh pooh!

I just realised you are right as I hadn't included the rear panel in my test piece. lol.

Edit: Nope... Still works...you just slide the fence back before lifting it off and then folding the top down.

 

[Anonymous]

Waterhead the positioning factor is the reason I'm using the runners in the first place. If you want to use the mitre gauge strip your fence NEEDS to be exactly paralled to it. .

No it doesn't!!!!

It is not safe practice to run wood against the fence and the mitre.

It is bad practice to run the mitre gauge with wood against the fence. You should be using a small block of wood clamped to the fence to position the wood and then run the piece apst this block before engagin the cutter.

The wood runs through the cutter touching ONLY the mitre gauge (not the fence)

I do agree that it is nice to have them parallel, but not essential nor really useful

 

[Neomorph]

Oh god... Tony you have just destroyed the only reason I thought to use the runners for...

Just goes to show what a total noob I really am...

*goes off to self flagellate*

Time to simplify...

 

[Nick W]

Tony,

This might be a silly question but why is it bad practice? :?

 

[Noel]

Waterhead the positioning factor is the reason I'm using the runners in the first place. If you want to use the mitre gauge strip your fence NEEDS to be exactly paralled to it. .

No it doesn't!!!!

It is not safe practice to run wood against the fence and the mitre.

It is bad practice to run the mitre gauge with wood against the fence. You should be using a small block of wood clamped to the fence to position the wood and then run the piece apst this block before engagin the cutter.

The wood runs through the cutter touching ONLY the mitre gauge (not the fence)

I do agree that it is nice to have them parallel, but not essential nor really useful

It's established practice to use a mitre guage to run stock against the fence and through the cutter. The fence does need to parallel to the mitre gauge slot. Cheaper method is just using a block of scrap to push the stock through.

Noel

 

[Neomorph]

Well I've removed the sliding mechanism and went K.I.S.S.

Replaced the fixing mechanism with 2 F-Clamps that will allow better control. I might put back the two side pieces to keep it reasonably parallel to make setting up easier.

Edit: Updated it with the side flaps re-added. All they do is keep the fence central on the table top.

Well tomorrow I will continue fabrication and hopefully the t-slot and miter slot will arrive from Woodworkers Workshop. I've got everything else I need to complete the project so hopefully I will be finshed by this weekend.

 

[Anonymous]

Tony,

This might be a silly question but why is it bad practice? :?

If the fence is slightly out, you will have a bit of a fight between wood, fence and mitre guage - with a cutter rotating at 22000rpm in the middle.

If the fence is slightly nearer to you at the left end, you will be pushing the wood across the face of the mitre gauge as you feed into the cutter. Might jam or lead to climb routing like the recent accident i had (no mitre guage used) which has left me without the use of two finger on my left hand for 2 months or so

If the fence is slightly further away from you on the left, you might end up with a non-perpendicular cut as you push the wood against the fence and mitre.

Bottom line is that it is safer and good practice to use just the fence or just the mitre.

One uses a table saw with mitre guage in the same way.

 

[Nick W]

Tony,

OK, but so long as fence and mitre slot are parallel, then there is no problem. There is a safety gain too, in that more of the router bit is buried in the fence.

John,

Use your side wings to guide the fence parallel to the mitre slot. Just a thought. :wink: