what do you use for micro adjustment for router fences?

[Reggie]

Hi all, I'm just starting out with wood work after being given a scroll saw, chop saw and a router table + router, I'm just getting the router table re-setup correctly it's a bosch RT60 (trend craft mk1 clone?), it's got plastic fences but no way to adjust it in small amounts, essentially you just have to keep moving it until it's in the right place, this seems pretty counter intuitive when you're trying to make stuff that actually fits together.

With that in mind, I was wondering if you guys had any hints and tips about micro adjusting the main fence from behind?

My first thoughts are to use something like a tee nut or 2 and 1 or 2 bolts with some kind of handle to aid turning to push against the back of the fence.

I'd also like to try and get a small sled/fence (are those the right words, a thing to allow you to push the workpiece from the front of the table towards the router bit in a straight line), there's a slot for a mitre gauge, so that seems like it might be the right place for it?

Regards,
Reggie.

 

[custard]

When a micro adjust mechanism is well engineered it's terrific, but a poor quality micro adjust is worse than useless. In my opinion you either have a solid, sophisticated fence which is very expensive if you buy it; or you just G clamp a straight bit of wood to the table as your fence and then use some ingenuity. It's surprising how accurate a length of masking tape can be as a micro adjust!

 

[Reggie]

I should have said I'm looking for dirt cheap solutions, so ingenuity will be the key I'm sure. having looked at the fence some more, I can see a method for at least some of what I think I should be able to do.

 

[Racers]

Hi

My old router "table" was a shelf from a kitchen cupboard with a length of 2X2 as a fence, if you clamp it at one end the middle where the cutter is moves half the distance of the other end, so 1mm equals 0.5mm adjustment of the cutter, accurate enough?

Pete

 

[barkwindjammer]

A pack of playing cards-the workshop universal shimming kit :wink:

 

[yetloh]

Slacken the clamps off very slightly followed by a tap with the heel of the hand. trial and error will tell what is needed by your particular table. Better than dirt cheap, it's free and it works.

Jim

 

[dm65]

I bought one of these for exactly the same problem - increments of 0.5mm ok ? And also used for setting the depth of the cutter

http://www.trend-uk.com/en/UK/product/G ... rial_.html but I bought it elsewhere, cheaper !

 

[Glynne]

How about scraps of wood and some threaded rod?

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/dakota-deluxe-router-table-fence-fine-adjustor-t69317.html

Glynne

 

[fluffflinger]

Want to adjust in or out by a hair, simply clamp a block in front or behind the fence (dependent on if you are going in or out) slack off the opposite side and shim with paper, business card playing cards or what ever, then lock down the fence and remove the block. Simple and highly effective.

As previously mentioned whatever you use it will adjust the fence by 50% of it's thickness, piece of paper is about 0.1mm I think so is 0.05mm accurate enough?

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

If you don't want to use shims...clamp the fence but not too tight. Mark its position with a pencil line against the table top. Gentle tap with something solid (hand, small hammer or lets face it the bottom of a cordless drill!!!). You will be able to measure the movement with a fine graded ruler by the drift from your line.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I'm posh: I use those calibrated spacers from toolstation, etc. 1mm is the smallest, giving .5mm at the cutter. More handily, you can stack them quickly for jobs like rebating, so you take off, say, 4mm in each pass, ending at depth with no shims. Cards and even paper are good, too.

E.

 

[baysider]

Old school method here... same as I use on the spindle moulder, loosen the fence slightly and tap! With practice you can get it accurate to within 0.1mm if you're careful. If I want lots of movement I loosen both sides, if I want small movements I loosen one side. Try it, you'll be surprised by how accurate you can be.

 

[Reggie]

My existing fence is plastic and I'm loathe to spend out good money on something that I'll ultimately want to drill into that probably isn't fit for purpose. It's entirely possible that I'll build something better when I get used to using everything, I'm already looking at making a sled for the mitre guide track on the table itself.

The dakota deluxe looks like a very nice idea, with the right threaded rod I should be able to get very decent adjustment for not very much money at all I think

 

[RogerS]

Old school method here... same as I use on the spindle moulder, loosen the fence slightly and tap! With practice you can get it accurate to within 0.1mm if you're careful. If I want lots of movement I loosen both sides, if I want small movements I loosen one side. Try it, you'll be surprised by how accurate you can be.

+1

 

[Duncumb.fc]

I'd throw the router away and cut it by hand, but I'm not sure that's the answer you wanted! :mrgreen:

Fraser

 

[brihol]

http://woodgears.ca/table_saw/fence_micro.html
I know it's not cheap and only works on cast iron tops but it sure is accurate.

Brian