Thanks: 0
Likes: 0
Needs Pictures: 0
Picture(s) thanks: 0
Results 1 to 13 of 13
-
3rd August 2012, 06:48 PM #1GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Mar 2008
- Location
- Townsville, Nth Qld
- Posts
- 4,236
Are zero clearance fences worthwhile?
I have just finished a router table fence of MDF with sacrificial sliding melamine subfences at the front.
There are vacuum hoses attached to the fence, and to the Triton TRA001 router under the table.
Can anyone please advise the advantages of having a zero clearance fence made by pushing the sacrificial fences into the rotating router bit?regards,
Dengy
-
3rd August 2012 06:48 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
- Join Date
- Always
- Location
- Advertising world
- Posts
- Many
-
3rd August 2012, 07:12 PM #2
Jill,
I found it reduces breakout.
Ian
-
3rd August 2012, 07:30 PM #3
As you might expect, close support right up to the carbide will reduce the chance of chipout. However I would be a bit cautious about having a melamine face on the sub fences in this scenario, because you need to reshape the end of the subfence every time you change bit profile, height, or fence position to control depth of cut to preserve the zero clearance.
With melamine, I would anticipate accelerating bit wear rates, and I would also be concerned about melamine chips jamming between the subfence and bit while preparing the zero clearance.
Personally I would stick with MDF sub fences, possibly using replacable insert blocks compound mitred between the subfaces for interchangability and replacability.
-
3rd August 2012, 09:27 PM #4
When you CNC Melamine, it turns into a white powder and is rather bit friendly.
I have never made a Zero fence from melamine though, always been lucky to have lots of perspex offcuts for it.
I make the 2 halves, butt them together and run them against the bit, raising the bit a tiny bit higher than the height of the job I am doing.
The beauty of a zero fence is your job will always be straight up against the fence and no chance of bumping the left side.
If I use another bit which is larger than the cutout in the first fence, I just run that bit through it as well but I always kept the ones I used most.
They lasted a lifetime
Cheers
WolffieEvery day is better than yesterday
Cheers
SAISAY
-
4th August 2012, 12:12 AM #5GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Mar 2008
- Location
- Townsville, Nth Qld
- Posts
- 4,236
Thanks everyone for your valued comments. Yes, reduction of tearout / breakout is the main reason, and is very nicely demonstrated in [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ6u9YH1fBI"]this video[/ame]
regards,
Dengy
-
4th August 2012, 09:19 AM #6
The video says it all.
Chris
========================================
Life isn't always fair
....................but it's better than the alternative.
-
4th August 2012, 09:25 AM #7
Hi Jill,
Cut the ends of your sliding fence on an angle (45 degrees) use a scrap piece of MDF same thickness as your sacrifical fence cut two sides at 45 degrees and place that in between your sacrificial fence an slide it up to the scrap piece. Saves haveing to replace the sacrificial fernce and you always have the inset for later projects.
Regards
HaroldLearn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.
Albert Einstein
-
4th August 2012, 05:29 PM #8GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Mar 2008
- Location
- Townsville, Nth Qld
- Posts
- 4,236
Thanks for the suggestion, Harold, that's a good idea. Thanks too for posting the pics, but for the life of me I cannot work them out
regards,
Dengy
-
4th August 2012, 07:28 PM #9
Harold is suggesting to trim the ends of both sub fences at an angle so you can wedge replaceable inserts with matching angles in place with them. I originally suggested using a compound mitre as that also stops the replacable insert from moving vertically as the compound mitres hold it against the main fence frame and push it down to the router mounting plate. Either way means that you can swap out the insert when you swap bits or adjust the cutting depth, so you rarely replace the actual sub fence panels.
-
5th August 2012, 08:58 AM #10
Hi Jill sorry for the quality of the shots. malb has explained it much better than I did, thanks malb
Jill go to this forum and check bobj3..
http://www.routerforums.com/router-b...-question.html
He has many posts on many things but if you check his uploads you will find alot on zero clearence fencesLast edited by pal; 5th August 2012 at 09:26 AM. Reason: add link
Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.
Albert Einstein
-
5th August 2012, 11:07 PM #11GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Mar 2008
- Location
- Townsville, Nth Qld
- Posts
- 4,236
thanks to pal and malb. This week will have a go at cutting the sub fences at 45 degrees, and making inserts. Sounds like the way to go, but might have problems matching the exact thickness of mymelamine subfences ( 16.2mm) - it seems to vary with every piece I get from Bunnies.
Another thing, , if only using sliding fences and not the inserts, is it only necessary to do the zero clearance on the right hand side of the bit, rather than the whole bit?regards,
Dengy
-
6th August 2012, 08:42 AM #12
Hi Jill
you could get a way with only doing the right hand side as that is where the chipout occurs but as a personal preference i would move the left side up to the edge of the bit without actually cutting the board.
Did you have a look at bob's inserts. On some of his he uses tongue and groove, in using that you could overcome the difference in the thickness of the melamine board.
Regards
HaroldLearn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.
Albert Einstein
-
7th August 2012, 08:59 PM #13
Simplest way to get consistant sub fence and insert thickness it to get a piece of board that is oversize, rip it to desired width, cut a pair of sub fences from it, then cut as many inserts as possible from the remainder hen put them away for future use as the need arises. There will be some variation in sheet thickness from manufacturers batch to batch, very little sheet to sheet and virtually none within a sheet.
Similar Threads
-
Carbatec pen turning kit - Worthwhile?
By I_wanna_Shed in forum WOODTURNING - PEN TURNINGReplies: 8Last Post: 19th August 2018, 08:19 PM -
Pepper Tree - worthwhile timber?
By Hardenfast in forum TIMBERReplies: 16Last Post: 19th November 2012, 01:56 PM -
Pin jaws worthwhile?
By Tiger in forum WOODTURNING - GENERALReplies: 16Last Post: 28th May 2006, 08:35 AM -
What is your LEAST USED worthwhile tool?
By echnidna in forum HAND TOOLS - UNPOWEREDReplies: 25Last Post: 7th October 2004, 09:29 PM