Router Table

[BillyBob]

I tried to write words to explain it in response to your question and I couldn't do it well. I think I'll revert to the tried and true posting of pictures in alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking. I'll mention some of the gadgety features here and use the pictures to show how they are used.

1. Veritas has some optional "position stops" that can be clamped to the edge of the table. See By using four of these on either side of the fence, you can release the fence and slide it along its axis. Your workpiece can be clamped to the fence and moved with the fence to perform some operations more easily.
2. The sled can be locked to the fence and moved as a unit with the fence using the aforementioned position stops.
3. The lower half of the fence splits and can be spread up to 8" wide. This allows you to stick an long piece of wood through the fence to perform some types of cross routing operations.
4. The sled has a built in adjustable set of metal reference keys for cutting finger joints.

None of these options provide features that cannot be performed using other jigs and fixtures. But combined they provide very convenient and flexible configurations in an integrated rigid, precise system. Wooden jigs and fixtures are easy to make and get the job done, but its hard to beat machined metal for precision and longevity.

I used position stops coupled with the sled last weekend to cut a seried of parallel slots to make some F-clamp holders for my clamp stand. My thinking while working with this set up was "wow, it doesn't get any easier than this". I also purchased the optional magnetic dust chute. This has proven to be much more useful than I imagined. There are numerous routing configurations where the behind the fence vacuum will not do any good. This magnetic dust chute can be positioned anywhere on the table with or without the fence. I'm surprised how many situations I've used it already where I placed it out in the middle of the table to catch the dust. Since its magnetic, you are not constrained by the location of fence slots or miter tracks and you can adjust it to any angle and very close to the router bit.

Bob

[Upscale]

Thanks, I appreciate the detailed response.

[BillyBob]

If you have 24' lengths of steel at work, then I bet you work with tools and machines that could easily bend my table saw in half. :-)

Many people make their tops out of two layers of 3/4" MDF. I'd like to see how much flex you have in a 24' long piece of MDF. :-) :-)

Bob

[Prometheus]

Well, that's true enough. But I can bend even a short piece 3/16" by hand pretty easily, unless it's an angle iron or tube.

Okay, I see your point. :)

[BillyBob]

I mentioned the position stops. Over the weekend I became acquainted with the value of these simple devices. Once you get the fence set for a position that you plan to repeat, you can install a couple of position stops to mark the fence position. This allows you to remove the fence or reposition it to make lighter cuts and iteratively approach the full width of the cut back to the "locked" position against the position stops. Its a dirt simple concept that can be applied to many fence/table setups. These happen to be small and elegant and very reliable to set.

Bob

[BillyBob]

I'm not sure what width your talking about or what grade of steel, but really don't think you could bend this top. I'm a pretty stout guy and I can't even come close to warping it.

Bob

[Upscale]

I like the micro-adjust mechanism. Have you played with it at all? Seems like it would make it very easy to sneak up on the exactly routing depth one requires as well as making the action repeatable if you have to change it in mid stride for a different rout.