Thread: Combination Router Table and SCMS

Surely that's determined by personal factors like your height, handedness, reach & intended use. Not to mention the relative stability of the ends of such an extremely long, narrow & top-heavy mobile bench that will possibly require substantial downward, lateral & longitudinal pressure to be applied when profiling long workpieces such as V/J lining, flooring, shiplap, weatherboards & the like.

All valid.

Perhaps I should explain that the bench is solid and heavy with kitchen style cupboards underneath on a 25 mm MDF base sheet, and tipping would be very unlikely. The wheels are lockable for stability.

However, my understanding is that routers are best fed from right to left, and being a right handed person the best feeding for a SCMS would generally be from the left. Hence the dilemma.

So to the original question, and before I cut out the insert hole, which side of the bench is best to put the router and SCMS on?

I have a similar setup in my shed. SCMS is to the left, router to the right but I access the router from the side. Will go take a Pic and post shortly.
Geoff

Sorry Cava, got that wrong. SCMS is to the right and Router on the left. Here are some Pics that show my setup.

Thank you TinyTool.

I notice in your 2nd picture, which has more detail of the router table, that the tracks (blue) run from the front of the table to the rear. Do you use the tracks on the front of the router, or just the rear for the fence?

The tracks are used for the Router fence which I use behind the Router. Ordinarily I stand at the side of the SCMS / Router table (in front of the Router) when using the Router. Ideally, pushing timber against the fence from the front of the table to the back.
Also, the height of the SCMS table means any boards being cut sit above the height of the Router fence.
Geoff

I'd suggest the apertures' placement be determined by the length of outfeed required. Being right handed makes it more obviously placed to the left, with your outfeed requirements catered.

Another question.

When putting in the T-tracks into the tabletop, does the track have to have to be positioned to have one end open on the edge of the table to allow for T-bolts? Or can it be positioned away from table edges (I do not have any T-bolts to check)?

You can drill/cut or notch t-slot to an appropriate length to accommodate ingress/egress of jigs. Alternatively you can slot the tabletop instead just beyond one or both end/s of the slot proper to the same effect.