Thread: New fence comments please

Originally Posted by Harry72

Looks good, does it flex backwards at all?

Harry - yes if you put too much force on the fence (towards the top). best solution would be more vertical support at rear. But I don't think I'll be putting anything too large vertically against the fence, so will run with current layout. As I say, if this becomes a problem later I'll fix it then!

Originally Posted by gpsmith

congratulations on the completion of your project. Just a question about the picture in number 12 - if you move the piece from right to left - shouldn't the front featherboard be facing the other way? The picture shows the featherboards would be working against each other.
Do you think your fence and table could adapted to fit onto end of a table saw?
regards,

Great fence greenie. I installed my router extension wing on my TS this morning and this afternoon started thinking about a fence so I thought I'd check out what folks were doing on the forum. I really like the look of your fence and was thinking of making one similar and mounting it on the saw fence so I won't need the main supporting Al angle, However, I don't really want to have to take it on/off all the time I use the saw and I also don't want it to be too heavy. Anyway, I'll be working on it again tomorrow so I will keep you posted.

Cheers

Hi greenie512, you have been thinking similar thoughts to me.

I have built a similar fence (looking from the front) but I have added support from the back of the fence for added stability. http://http://www.woodworkforums.ube...ad.php?t=31286

I really like the bevelled faces so that inserts can be added for different router cutters to provide zero clearance. Are these also in 18mm MDF? If so then you could make the central part a bit thinner from the back (say 9-12mm) so there is less of the cutter embedded in the insert (less heat produced and better dust extraction). Alternatively you could make a larger cut into the insert from behind first and use the desired cutter to cut through the face of the insert. Just my 2c worth.
.

Bob, I made the fence high because I ‘might’ run panels 300-400 high on their vertical edge to cut lock mitre joints. Think about what you might want to use your router for and you may not need a fence to high, this would reduce the weight.
<o></o>
With additional packing to move the sliding panels out from you existing fence you might be able to ditch the rear panel, saving more weight. If you design the new sliding components so they close to the full length of your saw fence this could remain on all the time and act as your saw fence.
<o></o>
Post a picture of what you eventually build

Originally Posted by greenie512

Bob, I made the fence high because I ‘might’ run panels 300-400 high on their vertical edge to cut lock mitre joints. Think about what you might want to use your router for and you may not need a fence to high, this would reduce the weight.
<o></o>
With additional packing to move the sliding panels out from you existing fence you might be able to ditch the rear panel, saving more weight. If you design the new sliding components so they close to the full length of your saw fence this could remain on all the time and act as your saw fence.
<o></o>
Post a picture of what you eventually build

Thanks for the very useful tips. Thinking about it overnight I think I might start with a lightish-weight prototype (although some might say that all router fences are prototypes?). My fence really can't be as long as yours because my TS fence is only 800 mm wide and having a longer router fence in my cramped shed is asking for trouble. I'll keep you posted.

Cheers

Hi McFLy, you may wish to fix your URL- too many http's!

Cheers

Oops, sorry. Try this http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=31286

Thanks to the great ideas I "nicked" from Greenie and Mcfly and links therein I've made my first router fence. It's attached to my TS fence.

So much for my initial idea of a light weight prototype. It's made of 2 plus layers of 16mm MDF and jarrah so it turned out fairly heavy but hopefully should last a while.

Photo 1 shows the bottom/main frame and the main supporting face panel. It's attached to the fence T-bars at the side and top.

Photo 2 shows the top part of the support frame.

Photo 3 shows "top" connected to the "bottom/main frame "

Photo 4 shows the front adjustable jarrah faces. Both these and the main supporting face panel have strips of high molecyular weight polyethylene stripss screwef to the bottom. This helps the "heavy" fence slide across the TS and router extension wing (REW). can also see how I have extended the REW in two directions to accommodate an embedded t-track. I used 32 mm grey melamine for the extension. The connection points of the melamine to the REW and saw fence rails are reinforced by jarrah plates.

It would have been much easier to build if I already had a jouter fence. More pics coming soon.

As promised more pictures.

1 shows the completed front - its about 250 mm high, with two t-tracks similar to many others shown on the forums. I decided to edge the main face with a jarrah strip because, even though the router fence doesn't get in the way of the TS side, the router fence is gonna be doing a fair bit of on-off and I imagine will get knocked about a bit

2 shows the back with 3 showing a close up of the connection to the DC. It looks like the DC connection is suspended in space but it's jammed into a hole in some clear 6 mm thick perspex. The perspex panel is held in place by pressure between the TS fence and the router fence. The DC hose just sits there poking into the 64 mm hole on its own weight. Removing the router fence involves removing DC connection and then undoing the 4 wing nuts on top and 4 nuts on the side and it just pulls off.

4 just shows the front again and a prototype feather board I am messing about with . . .

I quite enjoyed doing this little project, Now I need a new router!
Thanks again Greenie and McFly.

Bob – fence looks really good.
<o></o>
Great to see a “follow-on” – I’m a relative newbie at all this and I continually trawl these forums for helpful ideas – anything to help the learning curve or improve a build. Which is why I post project pictures, on the off chance it might give someone else an idea or I get feed back on possible improvements.
<o></o>
There’s usually someone out there whose already done it, fixed it, solved the problem or got the solution.

Originally Posted by BobL

A Now I need a new router!

Do you need a new router or should your timber go from right to left through the router. yours shows left to right???
Barry

Originally Posted by BarryBurgess

Do you need a new router or should your timber go from right to left through the router. yours shows left to right???
Barry

Good pickup Barry, that table is currently setup for climb cuts.

Originally Posted by Groggy

Good pickup Barry, that table is currently setup for climb cuts.

BobL - you are set up for an accident!!!! The timber will be snatched out of your hand and flung across the workshop. trust me i know. the results are posted on this forum. dont try to feed anything through this setup till you have fixed it!!! :eek: :eek: :eek:

Originally Posted by BarryBurgess

Do you need a new router or should your timber go from right to left through the router. yours shows left to right???
Barry

Thanks for picking that up guys - too much worrying about the photo and not enough on safety. The feather board in the photo was not completed ie no slots yet cut. I just lay it on the t-track and put a couple of knobs on top for the photo not thinking about the direction. I've flipped the photo in my original post to protect the innocent.