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  1. #1
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    Default Incra Positioner Installation

    G'day

    I would be interested in feedback from anyone who has had experience in installing a 17" LS Positioner. I spent a good few hours over the weekend putting one together for new purpose built table and, whilst I seem to get there in the then I found it was pretty fiddly and quite time consuming.

    I followed the Incra instructions to the letter but in the end found that I needed to make my own adjustments to get it to work properly and am wondering if anyone else has had the same experience or is it just me!

    Specifically, Incra suggests positioning the leading edge of the mounting plate 430mm frolm the centre of the bit. Further on it instructs that the fence needs to be zeroed to the back flute of a cutter and then the on-board scale can be set to zero. There was no way I could get this to work unless I moved the mounting plate 70mm back - effectively 500mm from the cutter centre.

    It also seems odd to me that they align the fence with the back of the cutter rather than the front as you would need to deduct the width of the cutter from any backward movement of the fence. I zeroed mine to the front of the cutter so that I now know that 5mm on the scales represents a 5mm cut to the board (hope that makes sense).

    Anyway, am I daft or are the Incra instructions a bit out of whack?

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  3. #2
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    Nov 2008
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    Tawonga South, VIC
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    Default

    Congratulations with your acquisition! Believe me, you'll grow to love it!

    I just pulled out my manual for the LS and had a close look at it.

    The long and the short of it is that both are correct - depending on the cut being made!

    Firstly, the Incra method...

    Zeroing the fence on the back flute allows you to cut grooves X mm from the edge of your timber where X is the distance indicated on your ruler AND X is to the leading edge of the groove. e.g. if you are cutting 10mm wide grooves and you set the positioner to 80mm then your groove will run between 80mm and 90mm from the edge of your timber. When you set the positioner at 160mm, the cut will be between 160 and 170mm, and so on. makes perfect sense!

    With your method of zeroing the fence to the front flute, similar cuts would be from 70 to 80mm and 150 to 160mm from the edge of the timber. All depends on how you look at it!

    That said, if you're rebating the edge of the timber, then zeroing on the front flute makes perfect sense!

    Hope this helps...

    Rob

  4. #3
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    Default

    Thanks for your reply Rob

    Deb

  5. #4
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    Default

    Do you have a wonderfence ? That would explain the 430 - 500 mm difference in setback.

    I am not near by instructions, I have a 25" imperial (inch) incra and it's now mounted in rails on my saw, so I cna't offer any other suggestions why you encountered that discrepency.

    As Rob says I am confident you will come to love it, but do take the time to follow the instructions and "get your head around it".
    I'm just a startled bunny in the headlights of life. L.J. Young.
    We live in a free country. We have freedom of choice. You can choose to agree with me, or you can choose to be wrong.
    Wait! No one told you your government was a sitcom?

  6. #5
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    Default

    Thanks for your response also Damian

    Yes we do have a wonderfence and have worked out that this is the cause of the discrepancy although only after we had drilled holes for the mount as instructed in the manual. It seems the instructions are a little ambiguous in this regard and, judging by a search of older threads, it appears we are not the first to have encountered this problem.

    Pitty we had not searched the forum first!

    Thanks again, Deb

  7. #6
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    Default

    Ahhhhh - but please consider that the wonder fence is an optional extra - and it does add 85mm to the overall "thickness" or width of the fence.

    Like Damian, I also have the LS/TS combination with the wonder fence so the available travel for fence assembly is not an issue for us.

    I'll point this thread out to Grahame from Professional Woodworkers Supplies and get him to pass on your comments to Incra. A simple note in the manual to allow for the wonder fence would make a sensible addition...

    Rob

  8. #7
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    Default

    I have the 17" LS Positioner with Wonderfence and came up against the same confusing instructions.

    Overcame this by having more than 1 position to mount the LS Positioner on my router, a point made in my thread on my router table, a point also reinforced when Plasweld PMed me for sizes of my router table. I then pointed him to my thread, but he must not have read that.

  9. #8
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    Default

    The problem is that you never need the full travel when using the wonderfence. They specify the offsets with the standard fence because the WF is ONLY useful when it's over the bit. If it's 17" away from the bit dust extracion is useless, offsetting the fences is useless, opening the gap is useless.

    Incra are usually right, it's just that it takes time for us to realise it
    I'm just a startled bunny in the headlights of life. L.J. Young.
    We live in a free country. We have freedom of choice. You can choose to agree with me, or you can choose to be wrong.
    Wait! No one told you your government was a sitcom?

  10. #9
    Join Date
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    Location
    Johannesburg
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    Default

    To confirm, is the general consensus to take into account the thickness of the Wonder Fence when laying out the attachment holes for the Positioner?

    In other words, would I add 85mm to the distance required as per the instructions?

    Thanks.
    Cheers
    Hilton

    "Life is off the main road."

  11. #10
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    Default

    No.

    If you want to rout a groove on a wide board you remove the wonderfence.

    If your cutting dovetails or finger joints on a 17" wide edge you remove the wonderfence.

    If your cutting a profile (like a 3" roman ogee) on the edge of a board you attach the wonderfence.

    If your making a jointing cut, removing some thickness from the whole board, you attach the wonderfence.

    In both the latter cases the fence is right beside or over some part of the bit. In the former cases the fence can be a long way from the bit. This is where you need the 17" of movement.

    The only time you would use the wonderfence in an operation where the positioner ends up a long way from the bit is if your using a big diameter bit to make a series of cuts where the first cut is partly covered by the fence. This almost never happens but when it does you just have to sacrifice the 3" of throat.

    So follow the instructions, but leave the wonderfence aside until you've set up the "standard" system, them mount it.
    I'm just a startled bunny in the headlights of life. L.J. Young.
    We live in a free country. We have freedom of choice. You can choose to agree with me, or you can choose to be wrong.
    Wait! No one told you your government was a sitcom?

  12. #11
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    Default

    In principle, I agree with Damian!

    The only time you should use the WF is when the fence is partially over the cutter. The rest of the time you should use just the standard fence.

    That said, if, for example, you are using a 1/2" cutter and you need an initial edge rebate, then a series of parallel grooves in a board, you do finish up with a reduced width capacity.

    Also, if you're lazy like I am, you'll probably leave the WF permanently attached to the positioner rather than removing the WF each time... In fact, I'm so incredibly lazy that I leave the WF attached even when I'm using it for (table) sawing - despite Incra's warnings to the contrary!

    Personally, I'd set it up including the 3" allowance for the WF...

    Rather than bolting the LS system directly onto the router table, have you considered bolting it onto a sub-board and then clamping the board to the table? This would allow you to position the assembly as required plus give you the flexibility to freehand rout larger pieces of timber without the LS getting in the way. Many people do it this way...

    Rob

  13. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by RobSys View Post

    Personally, I'd set it up including the 3" allowance for the WF...

    Rather than bolting the LS system directly onto the router table, have you considered bolting it onto a sub-board and then clamping the board to the table? This would allow you to position the assembly as required plus give you the flexibility to freehand rout larger pieces of timber without the LS getting in the way. Many people do it this way...

    Rob
    I have multiple mounting positions for my LS.

    https://www.woodworkforums.com/f70/ro...ml#post1034460

  14. #13
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Johannesburg
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by RobSys View Post
    Rather than bolting the LS system directly onto the router table, have you considered bolting it onto a sub-board and then clamping the board to the table? This would allow you to position the assembly as required plus give you the flexibility to freehand rout larger pieces of timber without the LS getting in the way. Many people do it this way...
    Quote Originally Posted by Big Shed View Post
    I have multiple mounting positions for my LS.
    I love multiple mounting positions...

    Quote Originally Posted by damian View Post
    So follow the instructions, but leave the wonderfence aside until you've set up the "standard" system, them mount it.
    Ok so maybe I'll install two short t-tracks that run parallel to the lead screw and then mount the positioner to a sub-base which will then attach to the table top via the t-tracks. This should allow me to move the whole system backwards or forwards as required.

    Thanks guys.
    Cheers
    Hilton

    "Life is off the main road."

  15. #14
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by hilton View Post
    Ok so maybe I'll install two short t-tracks that run parallel to the lead screw and then mount the positioner to a sub-base which will then attach to the table top via the t-tracks. This should allow me to move the whole system backwards or forwards as required.

    Thanks guys.
    I think you will find that the 8 threaded inserts I used will give you as much adjustment as you need and are more definite in placing the LS.
    Doing it this way also avoids raising the LS above the level of your router plate.

    Can't see what t-tracks will give you over and above this method.

  16. #15
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    Default

    Fred you're right.

    I took another look at my Positioner and I see that it actually has an inverted T-Track which should allow for the forward and backwards movement.

    Thanks for pointing this out.
    Cheers
    Hilton

    "Life is off the main road."

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