Are you looking for a Christmas gift for that special someone who is hard to shop for?Router Table Depot has some great gift ideas.If your man has a workshop and loves to tinker with woodworking, perhaps a new router table would be the ultimate present this year.Our Newest line of Wood peckers router tables and Bench Dog Router Tables compliments our own line of heavy duty router tables and woodworking equipment.
Does he already have a router table?If so, perhaps you can help him trick it out by adding some killer accessories.For example a router table lift is an awesome upgrade to a router table and will sure to bring a huge smile on the face of your favorite woodworker.Make sure you match the brands or the lift won’t fit.Use this reference to help you.
This is a pretty neat little accessory for your router.Its called the router buddy and it is a base plate on steroids for your router.The video shows the features of the system.
·Components
·Accepts porter cable bushings
·Trammel bar accessory built in
·Ellipitical Jig
·Trammel Jig
·Best used with a plunge router
·Well thought out set up
·How to install the base plate
·Base plate can be used for everything
From the Manufacturer
The Router Buddy fits or will adapt to fit nearly all routers, and converts your router into a multi-purpose system for the cost of one good accessory. Most setups can be completed in about 30 seconds or less. User friendly, extremely light and compact. Kit includes 4 of the most often used router accessories. Saves setup time because the same patented base plate is used with all kit accessories. Circle jig is infinitely adjustable from 2-Inch to 18-3/8-Inch. The Fence is infinitely adjustable from 0 to 8-1/2-Inch. Half rounds are used as a centering jig or added to the fence when a guide is needed on curved edges. Base plate accepts standard Porter Cable style template bushings. Unique design is so compact that both the circle jig and fence can be used in restricted areas where most conventional fences and circle jigs will not fit. Kit includes the patented Universal 7-Inch diameter Base Plate, Trammel Slide, Centering Jig, Fence – which mounts on Trammel Slide. Centering jig also used as half rounds on fence. Mounting screws, Allen wrench, and instructions included.
While we are the topic of router bits speeds, I thought it important to include this article so that you would have more reference about this important safety topic. We all know to wear safety glasses and hearing protection, but we may be clueless when it comes to knowing the speeds for router bits.
Better routers are equipped with a speed adjustment that allows for speed adjustment typically ranging from around 8,000 to 24,000 rpm (revolutions per minute). The reason is that not all router bits can be safely or optimally run at the same speed. Larger router bits have more mass and therefore a potential to create forceful vibration at higher speeds.
It’s important understand what router speed actually measures. “Revolutions per minute” is simply a measure of the number of times that the bit makes a complete revolution in a given period of time, and not a measure of the speed at which the body and cutting surfaces of the bit are actually traveling. The outer perimeter of a 3-1/2″ diameter bit is actually traveling significantly faster at 24,000 rpm (and much faster than it should be) than a 1/2″ straight bit’s cutting surface would be at the same shaft speed.
Manufacturers often supply maximum free-running speeds for the router bits they sell. The maximum speed for a given bit is the maximum speed at which it can be safely operated, and may not be the best speed for the task. There are other factors to consider: router horsepower (a less powerful router will slow down when it’s driving a large bit through a cut), feed rate, quality and condition of the bit, and the cutting properties of the material. It is impractical to give a list of specific speeds that will work well in every situation.
In general, a faster speed is more desirable than a slower one, for the simple reason that a faster speed provides more cuts per inch, and more cuts per inch normally yield a smoother cut. Using sharp, high quality bits and using the correct feed rate go hand in hand with bit speed in making a clean cut. Make practice cuts with a new bit until you are able to produce a smooth, even feed rate that is neither so fast that it produces a rough cut, or so slow that it results in burnishing and burn marks.
The chart below offers speed guidelines for the maximum safe free running speed of bits of various diameters. This is supplied for general reference – manufacturer’s guidelines should be consulted:
Router Bit Diameter Maximum Speed
Up to 1″ 22,000 – 24,000 rpm
1″ to 2″ 18,000 – 22,000 rpm
2″ to 2-1/2″ 12,000 – 16,000 rpm
2-1/2″ to 3-1/2″ 8,000 – 12,000 rpm
This is a very basic video that talks about router bit speeds.It is important enough to post and mention because if you are new to routing, you could seriously hurt yourself.If you are using a larger bit, you cannot just chuck it up and start using it.Larger diameter bits need to turn at slower speeds.That is because the larger the bit the great the speed at which the outside edge will become.Smaller bits can go faster but larger bits must be slowed down or they could break loose from the router and cause serious damage.
The general rule for router bit speeds are:
·Less than 1”, max speed 24000 RPM
·1” to 2”, 18000 RPM
·2” to 2 ½” 16000 RPM
·2 ½” to 3 ½”, 12000 RPM
Keep in mind, nothing replaces good common sense or direction from the manufacturer.Make sure you understand the router speed control and where it is located.If you cannot find the variable speed control, then your router may not have one.In that case you will have to go and buy a separate router speed control and connect it to the router.
This is a very basic video talking about router bit profiles.If you are new to router tables and using a router, this will be a nice introduction about bits.Sometimes you need someone to explain the differences between bits, this is like that conversation.The video covers:
This video is a customer’s overall opinion and overview of the Pro Max Router TableExtension for a table saw.This particular model is mounted on a craftsman table saw.It has a couple of really good points about installation that we have covered in forums and articles.The main one is that there is always some tweaking you have to do since all saws are not created the same.The video does a good job of showing you that it is really not that big of a deal to tweak out some minor adjustments.
Another factoid to notice is that this the older bench dog model of the Promax.The newer model has some slight changes to it.The most noticeable is that the miter track and router track combination have been extruded into the top.You can see the newer Pro Max Table saw Extension here on the site.
This is a video of how to cut out the insert hole for your router table insert plate.In my opinion this is the hardest part about making your own router table.The video shows you how to set up the jig that you will use to guide your router in making the cutout.It is a good idea to watch the video to get an idea on how to cut out these particular holes.You use the size of the insert combined with their unique template guide calculator found on their site.They have guide numbers and calculations set up on their site as a membership type of service.You can find it at www templatesbynumbers.com
The technique in the video is a bit complicated.There are many different ways to skin a cat in this example of making a jig.Don’t let this technique tempt you into thinking this is the only way.It is a good way, but a lot of times you can get great ideas that transfer to different techniques by seeing what other people are doing, which is the point of this review.
A plunge router is named after its plunging abilities that come from its plate that slides on a rail to put the bit into a piece of wood. Learn how to work the speed adjustments on a plunge router with help from a furniture-making student in this free video on woodworking and wood routers.
This is a pretty cool project that uses some intelligent planning. This router table lift has been made with some very simple parts and ends up costing around $30. As you know router table lifts can start around $200 and go up from there depending on the brand. The highlights of this 4 minute video are;
·Shown with a porter cable router
·Custom built discs for table top, no insert needed. Discs made from plastic and are custom sized for bits
·Lift adjustment is hidden under a flush mounted disk.
·¼” ply for carriage
·Accuride drawer slides move the carriage
·Threaded rod controls the increments
·Uses a standard socket to lift the carriage through threaded rod
·Can move all the way up and expose collet for above the table bit changes.
Here is a video of a homemade router table. It has a very simplistic slant on building something that works in the shop. The author uses a plunge router with the router table insert. There is a lot of discussion about using a plunge router verses a fixed base router in the router table.
This video covers:
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