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Thread: Overhead Router System
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31st August 2011, 07:08 PM #1New Member
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Overhead Router System
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<!-- google_ad_section_start -->Since my forced retirement about 5 weeks ago I've been making considerable amounts of sawdust, and while I'm working on a concept guitar project, I built a pin rout system using my table router,and used it to make this jig.
Wishing that I had a bit more control and accuracy the overhead router looked the way to go, so set about designing, (nothing on paper, all in the noggin) an adjustable overhead system, which I must say even surprises me with how well it works. The lifting/ lowering mechanism is made entirely out of 20mm ply and consists of two sliding rails mounted on a plate to which a block of maple is attached with a "T" nut at each end and the rails run between two ply guides. A 5/16th threaded rod through each T and a wheel on top which runs in a fixed plate and Bob's your uncle. The sliding plate is held in position by a bracket each side of the back board and a block with a router sized hole cut in half and a couple of wing nuts and it's all done.
The most difficult thing which actually took more time than building the frame and mechanism was the precision depth gauge in Imperial and Metric and, as most things, very simple in the end. An aluminium ruler with both denominations on it, the Imperial side was cut off on the bandsaw and mounted against the Metric scale. WHY ?? Because rulers all start at zero on the left hand side, well the ones I could find, and we need both zeros together so we can zero both scales with the same indicator.
To rout to a precise depth I put the template over the pin and wind down the bit until it just contacts the surface, move the scale to exactly zero on the red bar, this is your base line. Slide the rule down the required depth, say 3mm, and then while holding the job firmly switch on the router and wind down the mechanism until exactly on the zero line again and you're routing @ 3mm depth.
In actual fact a 3mm route measured 3.05 on the digital calipers sooooo!
As an exercise just to see how well it worked, today I knocked a very rough template and made the gear in the pix ( which I dedicate to Kwerk! ) and the whole exercise took about 1.5 hours using a 1/4" bit. Taught me a lesson on how you MUST make excellent templates because any errors appear in the job. I think this would cut out a solid body in about 20 mins. Doing the gear cut I only went down in 3mm increments which left some fine tooling marks but they rub out no problems and if it was a serious job more care would have been taken. Anyway Gents and Ladies I'll post a few pix for you.
I posted this article on the TDPRI forum as well so some may have seen it last week.
Regards DC<!-- google_ad_section_end -->
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31st August 2011 07:08 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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1st September 2011, 03:51 PM #2GOLD MEMBER
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Thats pretty bloody good DC
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1st September 2011, 03:58 PM #3GOLD MEMBER
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1st September 2011, 08:55 PM #4New Member
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Thanks guys, I am amazing myself how versatile this thing really is. Today I used it to cut out the headstock shape on a guitar neck I am building by unclamping the frame and sliding it towards the front until the bit just hangs over the edge, and used the face side down on the table and template on top with a pattern bit. Perfect job and then made a template for a rather complicated volute and carved the back of the headstock down leaving a very sexy volute which I then trimmed down at an angle using the router as well.
I modified the system on Tuesday, bought some 1/2" aluminium rod and cut 3 pieces 70mm long and the by chucking up in the big router under the table turned down two pins plus the third which is 1/2" These then get placed in the large router chuck and become an adjustable height controlled pin for the template, so I can use virtually any thickness template. The only thing you have to do is line up pin and bit and I have a piece of thick plexi glass with 3 holes in it and set the top frame using the holes, works great
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3rd September 2011, 07:04 PM #5
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3rd September 2011, 08:29 PM #6acmegridley Guest
I wouldn't,I think he is from the East probably knock out 500 copies quick as a wink
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3rd September 2011, 10:13 PM #7GOLD MEMBER
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Nope, specialist is a fellow Queenslander, honest as the day is long, and would give you the shirt off his back, not like those WSBs
regards,
Dengy
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4th September 2011, 09:48 PM #8New Member
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Sorry mate I think I mentioned in the original post that it was all in the noggin, but the most crucial part is to assemble the slide guides using the actual pieces you are going to use as your sliding rails between the guides as you glue and screm thm to the backboard then put those sliding rails in the guides and then attach the front panel while the rails are in place in the guides. This should make it nice and tight with zero or little slop.
Have fun it is a versatile little toy!
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4th September 2011, 11:04 PM #9
Sorry, you misunderstood. I meant the pattern for the gear, I am interested in how that works in relation to the router.
Check my facebook:rhbtimber
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