Router Table - Help Please

[OPJ]

I've had the Bosch RT 60 router table for a good couple of years now, although, to be honest with you, it's had relatively little use. It looks identical to Trend's original Craftsman router table, for those of you that know it, while it's not too distant a design from the newer MkII version either.

I bought a 1,900w 1/2" Freud router almost a year ago for this and I'm very happy with the setup, although I find the mounting plate to be 'crowned' slightly in the centre which means I cannot get it truly level with the rest of the table. Apparently, this is a common thing which should allow for the weigh of the router in order to prevent deflection - but what can I do about it? Do you think that making a new plate for something like 4mm acrylic would be better?

I'd also like to ask you about dust extraction when freehand routing against a bearing-guided cutter. Does anyone have a succesfull solution to all that mess going everywhere? Below, you can see the plastic guard designed for this table - I was thinking about drilling a 32mm hole directly above the cutter for my extractor, unless someone has a better idea?

(Don't worry, of course there should be a Guide Pin in place - but this is only for photographic purposes! :wink: )

Extraction in the above setup didn't really cross my mind until I read the article in British Woodworking on Table Routers where extraction below the table was advised. Personally though, I find those plastic extraction ports get in the way and affect your maximum plunge depth.

....Unfortunately, as you can see in the photo above, I went to the trouble of fitting the extraction port this past weekend and, upon tightening the second screw (which didn't seem to want to go in) I heard a 'CRACK' and incredibley managed to split the router's base ever so slightly!! :shock:

Hopefully Freud will be able to help me with this though - I had a previous problem with the motor when I first bought the router and they were absoluetly superb in getting it checked, tested, repaired and returning to me in a flash of light!

Thanks, in advance, for your help guys - sorry I've gone on a bit, I seem to do that quite a lot! :roll: :wink:

 

[mailee]

I normally just use the open end of the extractor hose when routing 'freehand' on the table but I have seen a very good system which seemed to work well. It consisted of a wide flat hoover type hood attached to the end of the extractor hose and the base was magnetic for a steel table top which you could place anywhere it was convenient. I know this would be no good for a laminate top but maybe with a couple of tabs on the sides it could be clamped to the table. Just a thought. I haven't had much time recently so haven't got around to trying to build one yet. :wink:

 

[Steve Maskery]

Hi Olly
I'm with you all the way on "crowned" plates, they are a PITA.

I have a Norm-style RT with an improved fence, and earlier this year I swapped my crowned Ax/Trend/Rousseau one for an Ali one from Tilgear. It's only a few quid more. I think that the Woodpecker one from WWW is probably the best, but is is quite a bit more expensive.

I'm delighted with the improvement and thoroughly recommend it. No affiliation etc.

Cheers
Steve

 

[motownmartin]

Hi Olly
As far as dust extraction goes, I would recommend enclosing the router on the table and fitting the extraction hose on the back, this is a great way of clearing all the cuttings when cutting grooves and channels it is also a great way to limit the noise.

Another good way to take away cuttings when shaping and jointing is via a hollow fence

 

[Steve Maskery]

Martin

That looks like a jolly fine set up. Please tell me, why do you have the DX at the far ewnd of your fence, would it not be more efficient to have it at the back given that the cutter is throwing the debris backwards? Just a thought.

Cheers
Steve

 

[jonny boy]

HI,
I think the fence on Martins set-up is a hollow tube type configuration which does actually suck up the waste from the back of the cutter and sucks it down towards the end of the fence. (i think anyway)

cheers,
jonathan.

 

[motownmartin]

Martin

That looks like a jolly fine set up. Please tell me, why do you have the DX at the far ewnd of your fence, would it not be more efficient to have it at the back given that the cutter is throwing the debris backwards? Just a thought.

Cheers
Steve

Thanks Steve, if you think about it the cutter is rotating in an anticlockwise movement throwing the chips and dust in that direction, believe me Steve it works a treat.

 

[motownmartin]

HI,
I think the fence on Martins set-up is a hollow tube type configuration which does actually suck up the waste from the back of the cutter and sucks it down towards the end of the fence. (i think anyway)

cheers,
jonathan.

Spot on Jonathan

 

[dickm]

Apparently, this is a common thing which should allow for the weigh of the router in order to prevent deflection - but what can I do about it? Do you think that making a new plate for something like 4mm acrylic would be better?
D

From my experience with that table (bought as a special offer from Axminster some time), sagging is a lot worse problem than crowning :evil:. I tried using a tufnol plate to mount a non-standard Bosch router on it, and had endless problems - even had to resort to putting ally bracing underneath the top to keep it level.
It's now OK, but has anyone tried making a more precise adjustment for the fence on one of these? I've found the screw adjuster on the small Elu table a godsend with the MOF96, but can't work out a way to do something similar with the Bosch fence. Obviously an Incra or similar would be nice, but expensive overkill for a retired person's £40 table

 

[Steve Maskery]

if you think about it the cutter is rotating in an anticlockwise movement throwing the chips and dust in that direction, believe me Steve it works a treat.

That's exactly my point! It's rotating A/C, so throwing it back. In order to throw it forward it has to throw it another 180 deg.

I'm not questioning the fact that it works well, you are obviously very happy with it, I just can't help thinking that it would be even better if the DX was at the rear end.

Perhaps I'm missing something.
S

 

[motownmartin]

if you think about it the cutter is rotating in an anticlockwise movement throwing the chips and dust in that direction, believe me Steve it works a treat.

That's exactly my point! It's rotating A/C, so throwing it back. In order to throw it forward it has to throw it another 180 deg.

I'm not questioning the fact that it works well, you are obviously very happy with it, I just can't help thinking that it would be even better if the DX was at the rear end.

Perhaps I'm missing something.
S

Steve, maybe looking at it in another form would make some sense.

If you got off a bus whilst its still moving you would tend to move in the same direction as the bus nearly falling over.

I don't know Steve, thats how it was made.

 

[lemonjeff]

Olly,
I had the same problem with my Rutlands plate being crowned when I was using a drawlock cutter, I solved it by routing two 1/2" grooves/trenches on the underside of the plate. One groove across the centre of it's width,the other across the centre of it's length, like the flag of St George.
The grooves are deeper at the centre hole gradually running out to nothing near the outside edges of the plate.
If that makes sense?

Jeff.

 

[Tom K]

Hi Olly
As far as dust extraction goes, I would recommend enclosing the router on the table and fitting the extraction hose on the back, this is a great way of clearing all the cuttings when cutting grooves and channels it is also a great way to limit the noise.

Another good way to take away cuttings when shaping and jointing is via a hollow fence

Steve it probably would be even more efficient but also very crowded with all the adjuster bars etc situated there. No? :?: Or do you mean to the right of the plate? Not sure you meant 180 :twisted:

 

[OllyK]

Rutlands do a flat dakota insert, not tried mine yet, still plucking up the courage to cut the hole in the top of my table!

 

[Tom K]

Olly whats the worst that could happen :?: :twisted: :?: :twisted: :?: :twisted: :?:

 

[motownmartin]

Rutlands do a flat dakota insert, not tried mine yet, still plucking up the courage to cut the hole in the top of my table!

It'll make you twitch, I was going to give a bit more detail but feared I would have been told off

 

[OllyK]

Olly whats the worst that could happen :?: :twisted: :?: :twisted: :?: :twisted: :?:

At the moment, it's a question of laminating enough MDF together to get the required thickness for the template cutter bush to run on something without the cutter going too deep, or finding a stubby template cutting bit I guess.

It'll make you twitch, I was going to give a bit more detail but feared I would have been told off

Oh I bet it will, cutting the slot of the track wasn't too bad, but this, hmm

 

[Neil]

I'd also like to ask you about dust extraction when freehand routing against a bearing-guided cutter. Does anyone have a succesfull solution to all that mess going everywhere?

Here is my solution - works really well:

Cheers,
Neil

 

[OPJ]

I swapped my crowned Ax/Trend/Rousseau one for an Ali one from Tilgear. It's only a few quid more. I think that the Woodpecker one from WWW is probably the best, but is is quite a bit more expensive.

Hi Steve.

I've been browsing through the Tilgear catalogue but cannot see an aluminium one anywhere, only the one which appears to be identical to the Axminster one, etc. Would you care to give me the page number please?

Also, is the Wood Pecker available to view on their website?

 

[Slim]

Olly,

Woodpecker's aluminium plate can be seen here, and it can be bought from here.