tufnol

[bob_c]

Im going to make a new router table top out of tufnol.What grade is best for this,Theres a big difference in price between the kite grade and the `general purpose grade`.Im planning on using 25mm thick stuff.Or is there a better engineering plastic to use.
Also does tufnol rout easily for inlaying aluminium track,etc..?

 

[ivan]

I get mine from
http://www.directplasticsonline.co.uk/home.php?cat=4814
seems more resonable than some, and carries .pdf data sheets.

The more expensive version is fabric reinforced and stiffer. How thick? depends on how much support you intend to use (think webs in an iron table casting) Some of the commercial ones like CMT are ~20mm thick. Tunol machines well, I use a spiral TC router bit.

http://www.woodfordwm.co.uk/ have a plain, basic cast iron router table which might also suit?

 

[Shultzy]

Ivan, is it ok to use it in lieu of "Formica" as the top at 3mm thick

 

[wizer]

so would you use the 25mm as the final thickness? To hang the router/plate from?

 

[bob_c]

Thanks for the replies,it was direct plastics that i was looking at.Is the stuff dead flat when you get it? Also i have a milling machine so was going to mill out the area for the router rather than use a insert plate.Does that sound like a viable idea and will it support the router ok?
I also like the idea of being able to drill and tap the tufnol for fixing accessories.

 

[Digit]

Bob. Tufnol is strictly speaking SRBC, Synthetic Resin Bonded Cloth, the more familiar 'Paxolin' is SRB Paper.
Either will do the job admirably, personal experience here, Tufnol will machine with carbide cutters and will work on a bandsaw, but it is VERY dusty when machining. My preference is for SRBP, it's also cheaper than Tufnol.
I used a home made router table for three years with a 28 inch square piece of 1/2 inch thk SRBP supported on two 'U' legs about 20 inches apart. No sagging occurred.

Roy.

 

[johnbs]

Bob:

The grades stocked by directplastics in sheet form are

- Tufnol Grade 1P/13 (BS EN 60893-3-4 Type PF CP 201) and
- Kite Brand Tufnol (BS EN 60893-3-4 Type PF CP 206) which are both paper laminate. The latter specified for electrical properties which are of no interest to you?
- Whale Brand Tufnol (BS EN 60893-3-4 Type PF CC 203) -cotton-based with phenolic resin binder.

This site http://www.tufnol.com/tufnol/default.asp?id=21 gives more detail, including long lists of BS specs!

If you want really good mechanical strength and stability, chose a cloth-based grade. I don't think you need to use anything thicker than 20mm, and probably 12 to 15mm would be fine if you use a sub-frame.

John

 

[bob_c]

Roy and John thanks for the replies,i tried to access tufnol site and couldnt get it to come up.The main property im interested in is stiffness and dimensional stability.Is there anything wrong with the IP13 grade for this purpose ,its almost half the price of the other types .Roy so is this the paper version you used?

 

[johnbs]

Bob:
You really should try to access the Tufnol site at
http://www.tufnol.com/tufnol/

It lists thickness tolerances and a table of properties for the different grades.

For mechanical properties they recommend cloth rather than paper grades.

If you decide to machine a rebate for the router, I would recommend machining (skimming) the top to avoid any internal stresses causing the sheet to warp (as with castings etc.)

John

 

[Digit]

Google SRBP or Paxolin Bob, there should be some info for you.
Basically it is stable, waterproof and with a low coefficient of friction.
Much used in industry for jigs etc!

This will give its properties

http://www.croylek.com/download/49_srbp_(paxolin).pdf

and this might help with suppliers.

http://www.davis-plastics.co.uk/Tufnol.html

Roy.

 

[bob_c]

Well i bought a sheet of 25mm tufnol,the cheaper type.I did plan to mill out the underneath but ive found theres not enough room on the mill(which is only a smallish one to carry that out.SO i bought one of those cheap inserts from Rutlands to inset in the top.I dont plan on removing all the material underneath it though as i want to keep as much strength as i can.It isnt half hard to route, at least tough on the router bits.I used a normal bottom cut tipped straight bit with a bush for the perimeter of the insert.I balls it up on the first attempt,so turned the tufnol over and tried again this time succesful.
I used the technique described on the wealdon site using strips of wood and double sided sticky tape.One piece came off on the first attempt,which made a right mess.On the second go i clamped pieces of wood behind the stuck down pieces so that they wouldnt move.

 

[Digit]

Yes Bob, the stuff doen't glue well unfortunately, but its low co-efficient of friction does make for easy pushing of timber when routing.

Roy.

 

[bob_c]

Yes Roy ,i think it was a mixture of slightly oily surface and its very warm up here this week, so the adhesive on the tape is rather soft.I was expecting when i removed the tape that it would leave a mess of sticky residue but it all peeled off very clean. The fence im using for the table is made out of the alloy axminster fence from my planer thicknesser (which i changed to the cast iron version)with a t track glued on the top edge for feather boards.I,ll fix the fence to the table with machine screws, it will move back and forward like an incra on the cheap and locks solidly in place.

 

[bob_c]

Heres a few photos of the axminster planer fence used as a router fence,on the tufnol top.I only had room for a 610mm sq table.Its on a stand made of bed angle iron,which im going to box in.Im going to fix solid wood edgeing around the tufnol table to improve its appearance a bit. I fixed T track to the top of the fence with polyurethane glue.The fence seems very sturdy.I only use small router bits so ive only made a 30mm mouth in the fence.
I bought 600mm t track for the table as the tufnol was listed as 600mm sq but when i got it ,its more like 610mm sq,hence the small gap either end.I moved the stop bolt at the back of the fence up around 1" so that its clear of the router bits.

 

[Digit]

Looks pretty solid Bob, what are you doing about dust extraction?

Roy.

 

[bob_c]

Not sure im a bit stumped on that one so far?Do you mean above the table or below ?

 

[Digit]

Both is better, but damn near impossible. If you are leaving the router permanently in the table I fix a dust shield above the the router to prevent dust falling into the windings and extract above through the fence.

Roy

 

[bob_c]

I was thinking about,putting two pieces of aluminium flat bar between the brackets that hold the fence and the fence to give me more room behind
the fence to fit somekind of perspex dust collection onto a vacuum hose.(id need longer t bolts though).How do you shield the router underneath from dust?I have a sheet of 1/8" perspex.For the time being i,ll just be using a Sears Craftsman 1 1/2HP fixed base router on the table(mentioned in a thread a few months back),where you change the cutting height with a large threaded ring round the router diameter.It has through base dust extraction that comes out of the top of the router handle.

 

[Digit]

In my case Bob I have conventional type router in a permanent installation with a remote start and speed control. Fixed to the router is a piece of perspex sheet so that it stops dust being drawn into the slots around the collet holder.

Roy.