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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    Wallan, VIC, Australia
    Age
    59
    Posts
    377

    Lightbulb MK3 mods I've done

    Hi all,

    just thought I'd share some mods I've done to my MK3 with you all.

    First I'll dispense with the standard mods.

    1/ Best thing I ever done was to get the Sliding extension table

    2/ Second best is the height winder attachment, which lets my custom mods work really well.

    Now the non standard mods

    3/ Boxed in the lower half and sides so I can now use my dust extractor with the triton.

    4/ Countersink the centre hole of the riving knife and drill & tap the crossmembers where the riving knife fits over. I can now the fit the knife from above using a 1/4" countersunk screw.

    Given mod number 3, It was always a pain to add and remove the riving knife. I personally cannot understand why they used the contrived U bracket and wing nut in the first place.

    With the dust extraction, it is almost a pleasure to cut MDF as the dust emitted is negligible, but the bit that escapes is still a nusiance.

    Anybody else done worthwhile mods to their already useful tritons ?

    Cheers Ray


    Ray

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Blacktown, Western Sydney
    Age
    58
    Posts
    194

    Post

    Being a poor family man and not being able to justify a router table I have built a very rough one of my own.
    I had a sheet of MDF that I scounged from a factory down the road. Cut this to fit in place of the normal saw table and screwed some aluminium along the edges and drilled holes for the locking pins. I reasoned the aluminium would stop the holes enlarging over time. The router table is much wider than the saw table, being almost square.
    I then purchased the triton router mounting plate and rebated the bottom of the MDF sheet to fit over the mounting plate and lock it in place. I was very careful with the depth of the rebate so that the MDF is resting on the mounting plate to keep everything nice and solid.
    I have routed a slot straight across the table to take the protractor off the saw table. If I need a fence I have a piece of 25X50 aluminium channel that I clamp onto the table. I also mount my jigsaw in the table.
    I have used this now for a couple of little projects around the house and I am very happy with the results for very minimal cost.

    I have also made a jig that replaces the saw table and uses the router in overhead mode for surfacing/thicknessing wide bits of wood.
    I have two sliding wardrobe door tracks that run along the length of the triton. These are spaced a bit wider than the triton and are screwed to two cross members that lock onto the triton table locating pins. The two tracks are about 3m long and joined at intervals by sheets of MDF so that it looks a bit like a ladder with very wide rungs. I then have a carriage that runs up and down the tracks with router sitting in it with the bit poking out the bottom. The router can slide side to side in the carriage between the tracks.
    To use it, I clamp my wood to be turned into sawdust on the cross members between the tracks, fit the carriage and router over the top and with a wide cutting bit set at the required depth, run up and down the workpiece taking off any bits that sit up too high.
    I got the idea from the following on the Popular Mechanics web site http://www.popularmechanics.com/home...1/router_jigs/
    While mine is different it does the same job in a similar method.

    My next mod is to banish the saw dust, when I get time and cash.

    I hope all this has made sense.
    Jon

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2001
    Location
    Duffy ACT
    Posts
    133

    Post

    Thanks Ray & Jon,
    As a Mk3 user myself, I appreciate any improvement suggestions! I have the extension table, new saw carriage and height winder, and am currently cutting wood for the below-table dust extractor. I like the suggestion for the riving knife and will have a go at that mod myself.
    Any chance of some photos, guys?

    Johnno
    Growing old disgracefully...

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Yinnar, Victoria, Australia
    Age
    66
    Posts
    1,277

    Post

    Ray .. you beat me too it, I was just thinking about boxing in the base of the table was.

    Did you use 3mm MDF?

    Kev
    I try and do new things twice.. the first time to see if I can do it.. the second time to see if I like it
    Kev

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    Wallan, VIC, Australia
    Age
    59
    Posts
    377

    Smile

    Yup,

    3mm MDF with a bit of quad and silicon to bind/seal the joints.

    Oh I forgot to mention that ever since I got my SCMS I have NEVER used crosscut mode on the triton since. Given which, one then seriously questions why have a triton anyway when you get a more solid machine in a true table saw for similar cost, plus get a tilting arbor.

    Mind you I canot lament the triton purchase I got mine as a run out special when the 2000 series came out and I've given it a thorough thrashing so far

    Cheers Ray


    Ray

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2001
    Location
    Duffy ACT
    Posts
    133

    Post

    Ray, to answer your question on 'Why Triton', try 'Portability!' I have to work under my carport and store my equipment in a little shed alongside. Everything has to have wheels or be luggable (which wheels fit the Mk2000 router table?).
    Other than that I agree - I've almost forgotten how to turn my saw over, and the only time I take my table top off is to change saw blades...
    Growing old disgracefully...

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    Wallan, VIC, Australia
    Age
    59
    Posts
    377

    Post

    Yes, OK portability was good when I first got mine and didn't have a garage.

    Now I have a garage the down side is portability, the damn thing moves around too easily !

    I suppose I may be growing out of my triton

    Cheers Ray

    Ray

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    5,773

    Post

    Long since grew out of my triton but the best mod I ever did was to replace the fence with a piece of 50 x 25 x 3mm aluminium channel about 2 meters long.
    Realy helps when working with long sheet goods.

    If you are looking for good dust extraction go directly to the saw & make up an adaptor that connects to the dust shoot and close in the open side of the blade guard with some cardboard or such. I attached mine with Gaffa tape. (the cardboard not the spout)

    the adaptor was made bu heat moulding some 32mm conduit & drilling & tapping the guard.
    Any thing with sharp teeth eats meat.
    Most powertools have sharp teeth.
    People are made of meat.
    Abrasives can be just as dangerous as a blade.....and 10 times more painfull.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Yinnar, Victoria, Australia
    Age
    66
    Posts
    1,277
    I bet you can not RIP timber lenght ways with your SCMS
    I try and do new things twice.. the first time to see if I can do it.. the second time to see if I like it
    Kev

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Location
    Melbourne - Victoria
    Posts
    50

    Wink

    Hi guys...U were talking about dust extraction for the Mk3...I have the bag that was used for the dust extractor kit, ditched the pissy 30mm(??)plastic outlet at the bottom and bunged on a 4" funnel from carbatech in its place. Works very well!!!
    Measure twice, cut once ( er hopefully !!! )

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