Thread: New Router Table Build

This is a bit of a thread dredge as I abandoned the first attempt at building this table for a couple of reasons and all the preceding has now disappeared. The first problem was I started at the wrong end of the project and lost interest because of it and the second was the accuracy needed to build it the way I wanted using screw inserts and stainless steel fasteners and the slight differences and poor quality control in Chinese made components caused all sorts of frustration and swearing. I left it alone for some time and then decided if I was going to do it I needed a digital XY table which I have now built. I could not use a commercial table because I wanted the long axis to be at least 700mm so having the rails, bearing blocks, drives etc I bought a long Igaging DRO and got on with it. While I was building the XY table Master Parks thought I was nuts but he now is doing most of the second version himself because he wants to use it and his opinion of the XY table has changed to total enthusiasm for what it does. The table is based on this one....sort of.



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In version one I built the cabinet first and that was a major mistake and I realised that about half way into the work I did and decided to take a deep breath and stopped work. This time around the vertical lift and electronics are going to be made into stand alone modules, the cabinet built and then the modules will be installed. The vertical lift has been finished and the fence drive boards started, my apologies for the sideways photos.
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The next issue is replacing some of the components I have used building a motorised lift for my Hammer A3 and building the table itself. I am going to build it out of 20mm RHS and Sickaflex the covering panels on to the steel frame ensuring a rigid structure.

I am now fortunate to work for a company where i maintain and repair large cnc routers and saws. Hopefully they scrap something that i can get and upgrade

Eric, all good things come to those who wait. The price of spindles these days is astronomical compared to a few years ago.

We have made a few advances on this with the frame welded together, all the drive boards built and installed and we are now roughing in the electronics and wiring and have built the control panel which will be shown in the next episode. We are going to get this table up and running to prove the concept and get any bugs out of it and also finish making all the wiring etc into proper harnesses so it can be modular and transferable into another cabinet and then build a better version as the chassis is close but not quite right. I am going to make a basic surface table to weld and check the chassis on as we go as this one while all square and perpindicular by all measuring finished up slightly twisted on the side panels. Tomorrow might even see the electrons flow if all goes well.

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