Router Table set 90 deg over

[Spreyton22]

Hi everyone,
long time since I have written here.
Just after some advice. We are routing our own skirting boards from 19mm mdf. The boards have been 230mm tall.
I have a 1500w Worx router and a Triton RTA table.
Previous batches of boards have been cut with the router set as normal and the MDF vertical.
It's really hard to keep the boards in contact with the cutter, especially as some are 3600mm long ... they tend to lift off the table and otherwise "get the wobbles".

Please see the picture of the table and a finished piece of skirting.

I was talking this over with Mrs Spreyton22 and she said "can you use the router laying over on it's side ?"

What a stroke of genius !!!

Has anyone tried this sort of setup -
The router horizontal
The fence is horizontal
The table is vertical

Does the router need extra support ?

The main advantage I see is that the board can flex, with gravity, onto the bit, and it's easy to push the mdf over to the (vertical) table.

Any thoughts ? Let me know !

The router bit is from this location:
http://www.carbitool.com.au/routing_catalogue_popup/pic35/page28.html it's the bottom right one.

Stephen

[echnidna]

Why bother making another router table.

Set your existing one up with featherboards to hold the timber both laterally and vertically, that will solve your liftoff problem

[Spreyton22]

Thanks for the reply.
I've used feather boards and clamps and many hands, but it's really hard to control 3.6 m of MDF and it only has to move a tiny amount to spoil the effect. I thought I would just screw the table onto the legs of my stand, so I dom't need to make a whole new stand.

I hope this makes sense.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I'd just set up a couple of the same boards you're routing, each about 2m long, as in-/out-feed tables to rout the longer lengths.

Once the longer, awkward-to-handle 'uns are done, then unclamp those two and send them through the router as well, before finally moving onto the short lengths.

That's how I make my own skirts and arcs on-site, anyway. :U

[routermaniac]

This isn't really the sort of job for a routertable but rather a spindle moulder with automatic feed or one of those thicknessers that take the moulding knives. 3.6m is a long piece to be routing on the routertable.

However, one thing you can do if you want to keep the router vertical is use a dual fence system. I used to do this a lot when I made mouldings for windows around the house. What I did is have two pieces of T-track running perpendicular to the main fence and then made an auxiliary fence.

You then set-up your main fence and use the auxiliary fence to keep the workpiece hard against the main fence (using 2 offcuts on wither side of the bit, the offcuts must be the same thickness as the workpiece). This is quick and supports the workpiece across the whole face, it is much better than any featherboard I have seen.

regards

Marios

[Spreyton22]

Yep, had that sort of set up. Seems to be the main problem was controlling the vertical movement of the board, to avoid "ripples".

[Chipman]

Even if you do turn your table over to get the router horizontal rather than vertical, you are still likely to get flexing and lift off. The secret is to keep it all flat and supported. The ideal solution is one of those thicknessers that take moulding blades....

So with that thought in mind, can you set up some rollers to keep the board flat and in line vertically (like feather boards) to use the router the way it is or horizontal if you really go to the 90 degree idea you are thinking about. Most important is what skew said... long flat infeed and outfeed support... then make a long high fence to keep the board vertical.


Regards,
Chipman

Just saw routermanics response come in.. he is right... If you could get a couple of rollers into the front fence you would be right

[ian]

Stephen

I haven't tried what you plan but have seen how it is done and in the States you can buy the set-up you require.

1) you need to build a new horizontal table with a slot for the router cutter — this becomes the "horizontal fence"
2) then build a vertical "table" that is rigidly fixed to and exactly at right angles to the horizontal table
3) you attach the router base plate via a subbase to the vertical table. This must be adjustable — the methods I've seen usually involve a pivot and two lock bolts between the subbase and the table. The router cutter passes through an arc shaped slot in the vertical table, and you swing the router up and down till you get the depth of cut you require.

then you pass the MDF board face down over the cutter, using a hold down (NOT YOUR FINGERS) to keep the board hard down on the table as the board goes over the cutter

watch the direction of cutter rotation relative to the direction of feed

and don't forget the infeed / outfeed support


google "router slot morticer" for more details



ian

[Chris Parks]

http://woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=73697

You will still need to have really good in and out feed support.

[Ron Dunn]

I've just been hunting through my pile of old woodwork magazines, but I can't find the article I'm after.

I think it was FWW ... but maybe American Woodworker ... that had an article in the early 90s about making a router table like you are suggesting. It had a base shaped like a teardrop that pivoted on a screw through the narrow end ... not sure how it was stabilised at the other end ... and held the router at right angles to the edge of the table.

I'll keep looking, but perhaps my description will jog someone else's memory with a better organised collection.

[Chris Parks]

I can recall a couple of the contributers to this forum made a horizontal table some years ago but I couldn't find it with a search. Maybe someone else may recall it.

[Toymaker Len]

Why not get the router out of the router table, clamp the piece of skirting to a long bench and rout the edge that you want ? You might have to do it in sections but basically a router table is too small to do that kind of job.

[ian]

I've just been hunting through my pile of old woodwork magazines, but I can't find the article I'm after.

I think it was FWW ... but maybe American Woodworker ... that had an article in the early 90s about making a router table like you are suggesting. It had a base shaped like a teardrop that pivoted on a screw through the narrow end ... not sure how it was stabilised at the other end ... and held the router at right angles to the edge of the table.

I'll keep looking, but perhaps my description will jog someone else's memory with a better organised collection.
Ron

this is one of the FWW articles I remember
Shopmade Slot Mortiser Use your router to cut mortises with speed and accuracy by Gregory Paolini
(was in Fine Woodworking #174)

another is Pivoting Router Mortising Fixture at this link
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/subscription/Workshop/WorkshopArticle.aspx?id=3267


ian

[Dr.Zook]

Stephen, you might look at this site to get an idea for a horizontal router table.
www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/horizontal_router_table.html (http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/horizontal_router_table.html)

[ian]

Spot on Dave

that's one of the commercial units I was thinking of


ian

[weisyboy]

why not make a fence to fit your tabble that will hole the router this means the peice will be supotre by the table and wedged between the bit and table andthen you can use a feather board to hold it from sliding out.

[MICKYG]

Stephen

You can find a table made here under Machinery


http://gallery.groov-e.com/.

This table works very well and has a thousand uses.


Regards Mike

[Chipman]

Stephen

You can find a table made here under Machinery


http://gallery.groov-e.com/.

This table works very well and has a thousand uses.


Regards Mike

Hi Mike,

Very nice work!:2tsup:

Chipman

[Dr.Zook]

You're quite welcome ian.

[Spreyton22]

Stephen

You can find a table made here under Machinery


http://gallery.groov-e.com/.

This table works very well and has a thousand uses.


Regards Mike


Yes, that's the sort of setup I had in mind, but with the Triton RTA and a normal router.
Haven't started the boards yet ...

Stephen