I need a pin router setup (or maybe an inverted pin router) to make some irregularly-shaped cuts from a pattern. I saw on some web site where they made an arm that attached to a table and there was a router coming up from the bottom like on a router table, except with no fence. I thought of getting a machinist to flatten the bottom of a drill press table and mounting a router base and using the drill chuck as a pin holder. I am open to any ideas.
Any ideas are appreciated.
Mine is my usual crude MDF router table, with an overhead arm made up and temporarily bolted to it (my table top is full of threaded inserts for jigs). The arm is a copy of commercial gadgets, really just a simple double plate girder made up from biscuit-jointed MDF. The "pin" itself is an old 1/4" bearing guided router cutter (carbide inserts removed).
It's good for medium-sized stuff, but for big stuff you'd need to either make a huge table for support, or else to go back to a static workpiece and a free router with a bearing guided bit.
Have you seen Lee Valley's solution?:
I had a project about 20 years involving that method. WoodSmith magazine had the article. Basically used a 1/2" straight bit in the router and attached a 1/2" dowel through a piece of wood attached to the router fence. The dowel was centered above the router bit and was removable so that the work could be placed.
This doesn't sound like it would be hard to make... Take a piece of MDF (or heavy L bar) that's the width of your routing table, drill a hole in the middle, make a pin with a machine screw and some nuts, place on top of two spacers on either side of the router table, and clamp down such that the screw is centered over your router bit... done. You might have to mark your router table to ensure the pin is always centered, but outside of that I don't see any issues. I think I might even give it a whirl on the weekend....
John
John wrote: ...
I'd suggest using rod instead or cut the head off a longer bolt rather than a machine screw to avoid the threads.
I've always simply drilled a hole in a piece of hardwood such as maple for the mount and pressed the pin into it. Use the same idea except w/ a bearing mounted for template shaping on the shaper.
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A steel dowel pin, or a bearing on a router bit, is better than 'a screw and some nuts'. Most importantly, you first mount the overarm firmly, then drill the socket for the dowel by raising your router into the arm. That's to ensure centering and keep the hole aimed on axis.
A steel dowel pin, or a bearing on a router bit, is better than 'a screw and some nuts'. Most importantly, you first mount the overarm firmly, then drill the socket for the dowel by raising your router into the arm. That's to ensure centering and keep the hole aimed on axis.
That is not always possible expecially if the piece to be routed is several inches thick. I simply drilled a hole in a board and raised the bit half way through. Dropped the bin in to the hole after adjusting the fence/pin arm over the hole and then tightening the fence in place.
I was thinking that you would use a screw with a round head (Philips or Robertson), and that the head would be on the bottom. A steel dowel pin sounds good to as long as there's a good way to fasten it to your overhead board so that it doesn't have any play. (Inserting a shank through a 1/4" hole without nuts to secure it seems a bit flimsy to me).
I like the idea of using the router to make the hole in the arm to - makes it much more accurate -- so my question on that is, if I had a piece of aluminum, and a so good router bit, and a router where I can't adjust the speed... Ok, you know where this is going...
John
John wrote: ...
Only the small surface area of a head isn't nearly as good as the pin.
You drill the hole to make a press fit -- it will _not_ be loose nor flimsy and will need no additional help to stay put.
Drill rod is an excellent choice for the material, the bright steel rod stock in 3-ft lengths available at any hardware is a good second and readily available choice.
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Make a 1/4 or 1/2 inch hole for the pin, drop in 1/4 or 1/2 inch dowel, chuck dowel in router, tighten fasteners that hold mounting bracket, remove dowel, replace with regular pin, presto, it's centered. Should work anyway, never tried it myself.
Depends on the depth of the hole. Use a couple of thicknesses of 3/4 inch MDF so it's an inch and a half deep, and glue in in a piece of brass tubing (hobby shop item) and it should be pretty stable.
If your overarm is aluminum, you can still drill it with the router, just slow the router down (I'd use a variac, but light bulbs in series with the AC would work, too). Use a metal drill, of course (in fact, use two, one undersize and another to finish it; or use a drill and a reamer if you can get one). Keep the metal bits out of the router motor, of course.
Clamping a dowel in an aluminum-member hole is relatively easy, make a second parallel hole and connect 'em with a saw cut, then use bolt/nut to squeeze the cut closed.
Yep, Yep. That should also solve the problem of realigning the pin and bit if I should have to remove the jig.
Thanks
the work could be placed.
or Robertson), and that the head would be on the bottom. A steel dowel pin sounds good to as long as there's a good way to fasten it to your overhead board so that it doesn't have any play. (Inserting a shank through a 1/4" hole without nuts to secure it seems a bit flimsy to me).
*There are ways to secure the pin without nuts, several ways. That isn't a great problem for me.makes it much more accurate -- so my question on that is, if I had a piece of aluminum, and a so good router bit, and a router where I can't adjust the speed... Ok, you know where this is going...
*Well, actually, I had thought of using some aluminum, as I have several longer pieces of 1/2" by 6' bar stock (6061). But my routers (690's) aren't variable speed so I am getting a visual on heat, a dull or broken bit, lotsa noise, jumping back, calling 911, etc. I could use a HSS jobber bit instead, but I haven't tried that either at such speeds. I thought of using a router bit to "mark" the aluminum, then hogging it out with a regular drill press, then going back to plan A. I am not afraid of this procedure, but I respect it alot! I kinda like dpb's idea of hardwood for now.Thanks for the ideas.
*Agree.
*I can drill the pin hole with the router, since I am cutting pieces only 3/4 to 7/8 thick. The only drawback to attaching this critter to a fence is that I can't use my table saw without removing it and then hoping to get the pin back where it was. But it still would work.
Thanks
screw and some nuts'. Most importantly, you first mount the overarm firmly, then drill the socket for the dowel by raising your router into the arm. That's to ensure centering and keep the hole aimed on axis.
Good method, Thanks.
I agree with the smooth steel rod, it had been my plan
*Good point, as the material holding the pin needs to be really strong. I may consider metal, as I have some laying around. I could maybe attach a metal/wood structure on top of my fence. My fence is a copy of the Beismeyer, which was made by a machinist friend and a welder in the industrial park where I was in the 80's. It is made of 2 x 4 quarter-wall, making for easy drilling and tapping.I can only use a 1/2" or smaller bit to make the curves necessary and the rub collars (bearings) on a shaper wouldn't work for my immediate needs.
Your input is appreciated.
*Not a bad idea. I don't have a proper router table, but I have had (since '87) a router base mounted under an extension of the left wing of my table saw. I use it mostly for grooves with the fence with a mortising bit. I also use it without the fence for detail bits with bearings. *Where I am going is that you have a good idea of attaching the "arm" to the fence (I had not thought of this). Thanks for the input. This may happen, but I am not sure yet.
Again, thanks for the input.
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