ALACK: Finished my newest bank master pattern last night, so went out to the shop today to rout a bank out. The bearing on the bit died. Not really sure if I can salvage the master, or have to make another. Will look at that later. Tried to loosen the collet to get the old bit out. Arrgh. Finally too taking the router out of the table, and a crescent wrench to get the collet loose. Drat. Had been planning on either a new table, or modifying the present one, to allow me to just drop in a router. That way I could have a bit set just right, and drop in another router with a different bit, and change back later, taking only a minute or so.
ALAS: What I'd planning on was gluing a chunk of 1/2" plywood on, with a hole to take a base screwed on to the base of the router. That way I'd only gain 1/2" in height. I'd make several bases the same size and shape. The present base would have to have a large hole cut, to allow the router to go thru it, and the edges of the base screwed onto the router would rest on that. However - there's ALWAYS a however - my drillpress is mounted above the router table, and there's not quite enough height above the router table to allow a drop in - I even had to cut part of the handle off a screwdriver to allow me to get it in to unscrew the screws holding the router in. Drat. It'd be a real pain to put the router table anywhere elst. Not such a pain to make another, or revamp the present one so it could be moved, but anywhere else would be so very much unhandier than where it is now.
OH WELL: So it seemed I'd have to put the new bit in, then put the router back in, which will be a royal PITA. Not good. But, after thinking about it for a few minutes, figured I could just cut the front of the table, which would allow the base and router to slide in place, rather than drop in. No prob. May have to brace the table a bit more than what it is just no, but that's minor. That's the route I'll take. Hopefully it'll be able to just rest in place, without shifting, but if not, I'll just drill a couple of holes in the front of the base, thru the router table top, countersunk, and use a couple of short bolts and wingnut to hold it in place. I think I'll put the new bit in and replace the router in the table, that'll be easier, and faster, to clone bases. Once I get a couple of bases made I can drop the router out again, make the mods to the table, then clone a few more bases, just in case. This moves this project several weeks on the list, but looks like I'd best ahead and get it out of the way.
The mod will move the bit closer to the front of the table by about an inch or so. This will allow a bit more manuvering room for some of the larger pieces, and even a bit of extra space if I even want to use a chunk of 2X4 for a fence. I'll have to buy 3 brass screws for each base (I've got 5 [five] routers, which means the total invested in the table, will probably be getting up over $4.. I won't be painint the top, altho a bit of Johnsons past wax may be called for, but the sides may later merit a bit of yellow. The router will be out of sight, or it'd definitely get some yellow paint.
Now, can anyone tell me if there's any free plans out there that'll tell me how to do this? Don't e-mail me, I'll e-mail you.
JOAT Politician \Pol`i*ti"cian\, n. Latin for career criminal