Thread: Router table fence

I've used both types of fence; for fine tuning there is really nothing between them. My personal preference is for the track type, but in reality when I'm finely adjusting for a cut I only adjust on end at a time so it can be considered a pivot type by proxy!

BTW Roger Gifkins is now selling a router table top designed with his jigs in mind and it has the pivot type fence.

Yeah I've seen Rogers - for the money you can build your own with change left over. Not to say it's not any good ofcoarse.

I think I'm going to use the pivot method unless anybody can come up with a good reason not to.

Andy

My router table is built into the end of the tablesaw. The router fence simply clamps to the tablesaw fence. This means that adjustment is made via the tablesaw fence, and it stays parallel to the track all the time.

Regards from Perth

Derek

On my home-built, I made the fence with a base board and a couple stiffeners. The base board has two slots perpendicular to the fence - one near each end. Each slot is long enough to engage one or more of three T-nuts placed below the table top. There's enough slop in the slots, that the fence can be pivoted independently.

I reckon installing track to be a PITA.

Cheers,
Joe

Originally Posted by joe greiner

... I reckon installing track to be a PITA.

Cheers,
Joe

Joe

Easiest thing in the world!

Camp the fence then simply run the router along the fence. Done.

Fence made from aluminium section and MDF faces.



Regards from Perth

Derek

Anyone know how to insert those threaded inserts without it raising the mdf I'm using? I'm pre drilling a 12mm hole and then screw it in with a hand screwdriver but I keep raising the mdf.
I thought maybe drilling a slightly bigger hole and gluing it in place? I'm using them for my zero clearance fence inserts.

Cheers Andy

I would drill, then chamfer the top of the hole.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by joe greiner

On my home-built, I made the fence with a base board and a couple stiffeners. The base board has two slots perpendicular to the fence - one near each end. Each slot is long enough to engage one or more of three T-nuts placed below the table top. There's enough slop in the slots, that the fence can be pivoted independently.

I reckon installing track to be a PITA.

Cheers,
Joe

I understand pivoting the fence at one end and or the other but in the long run it must limit the amount of adjustment of the fence you can make, I guess it all depends on the cutter you are using and the profiles you are running. By having a number of attachment points in your case would provide a far range of adjustment.
The pivoted fence would make the use of a mitre slot in the top redundant???. How would you then handle feather boards etc??
Regards
Mac

Have a look at the last 6 pics on this page I did for someone else a while ago. The fence detail, although rough and ready, may help.

Ray

Originally Posted by Malcolm Eaton

I understand pivoting the fence at one end and or the other but in the long run it must limit the amount of adjustment of the fence you can make, I guess it all depends on the cutter you are using and the profiles you are running. By having a number of attachment points in your case would provide a far range of adjustment.
The pivoted fence would make the use of a mitre slot in the top redundant???. How would you then handle feather boards etc??
Regards
Mac

Good point mate, I didn't take that into consideration (feather board running on mitre gauge)
What's the best way to ensure the mitre track for the fence is perfectly straight, in other words are there any handy tips/tricks etc?

Thanks

Originally Posted by groeneaj

...
What's the best way to ensure the mitre track for the fence is perfectly straight, in other words are there any handy tips/tricks etc?

Thanks

Just read the posts already made here.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by Malcolm Eaton

I understand pivoting the fence at one end and or the other but in the long run it must limit the amount of adjustment of the fence you can make, I guess it all depends on the cutter you are using and the profiles you are running. By having a number of attachment points in your case would provide a far range of adjustment.
The pivoted fence would make the use of a mitre slot in the top redundant???. How would you then handle feather boards etc??
Regards
Mac

Correct - the multiple attachment points allow substantial range of adjustment. I use both slots for coarse adjustment, and pivot only for fine tuning.

I cut a miter slot in the top (twice, in fact, to get it right), but I've found I never used it.

I haven't used my router table in a few years, and haven't used feather boards, so that ship hasn't sailed yet. And my sliding-block puzzle of a shop dictates that the router table top is now resting against some shelves.

Cheers,
Joe

This is not a "do it this way" type of post, but....
For some reason, I find the pivoting fence easier to work with.
As for the mitre slot and feather-boards, I still have a table made that way (and have had so for 25 years), which has two mitre slots. and I use it for jigs that slide in the two slots, such as box joint jigs and other strange jigs that take my fancy.
To use a straight fence on that table with feather boards takes ME a lot of time to set-up, but when using a pivot fence on any table, I use push sticks and push blocks that take into account the two requirements.....moving the stock forward in a safe and easy manner.....and keeping the stock against the fence.

The pivot fences I have give me less hassle setting up, and the "push sticks/blocks negate the need for a featherboard.

This is just one story in the myriad ways to skin a cat (or "How to have fun using a routing table")

That'll be 2 cents please.

Maybe the use of a shop made feather board either clamped to the table using a clamp, or a clamp used in the mitre track. This way you can position the feather board wherever you like.
Alternatively I could use a heavy push block to keep it tight against the fence.

Andy