Router table fence question

--Ran into a situation the other day where I had to rout a series of parallel slots in half a dozen pieces. Setting the stops on the router fence is easy enough for one set of slots but when you swivel a router fence all of the stop positions change. So I set out to look for a retrofit fence kit of some kind that would move the fence back and forth, parallel to the first setting. Well the guys at the Woodcraft store said there isn't one! So I made one; not totally happy with the results tho, i.e. it can still wobble a bit but it's definitely better than nothing at all. --Question: anyone else been down this road? What did ya wind up doing?

Reply to
steamer
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The Incra fence system (and many others) do exactly that, plus a lot more. Not sure who you talked too at Woodcraft but seems like just about the quality information I get from the folks at my Woodraft too. I think in their last job they were used to saying "fries with that?"

Reply to
SonomaProducts.com

I'm not sure if the slots you're routing will be always a fixed distance apart from each other, as it was in my case. I built a type of sled that resembles a box joint jig. Cut a slot on the sled to fit nicely around a collar mounted on the router table, push the workpiece and sled across the bit for the first cut, then hot glue a piece of scrap that'll fit well into the slot you've just cut the specified distance from the cut onto the sled. Move the first cut on the workpiece over onto the scrap to locate for the next cut. Does this make sense to you? Tom

Reply to
tom

depending on the situation I might make a template with openings for all of the slots, then take the template to each of the half-dozen workpieces.

this would work well with an array of stopped dados.

Reply to
bridgerfafc

Depending on the project, I probably would have avoided the stops altogether. Just set the fence for the first groove, rout all 6 pieces, and repeat for the rest of the grooves. There would probably be situations where this wouldn't work, and it would be harder to go back and do one more piece after you finished most of them. But it seems like this mini-assembly line would be quicker and easier than routing all the grooves in piece one, then the second piece, etc. Regarding the parallel-moving fence, I agree with the previous poster that your Woodcraft salesperson was misinformed - I know I've seen fences that can be moved as you describe. Good luck, Andy

Reply to
Andy

If I understand correctly, you're routing slots that don't go the entire length of the workpieces, but you want them all to stop at the same distance from the end (hence the stops on the fence), right? (If the slots do go all the way from end to end, just rout slot 1 in each piece, move the fence, rout slot 2 in each piece, move the fence, etc.)

First off, the guys at the Woodcraft store were uninformed. There are several brands of fence on the market that do exactly what you want, but they're not cheap.

There is a cheap, easy way to do just what you want, though. Position the fence and stops for your first slot, then rout that slot in each workpiece. Clamp stop blocks to the router table, touching the fence, one at each end. Loosen the fence mounts, then use spacers at each end of the fence to move it the proper distance away from the stop blocks. Tighten the fence mounts, remove the blocks and spacers, and rout the next slot in each workpiece. Repeat until finished.

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Reply to
Doug Miller

Think I would have used a table saw with a sled, cleat, and a dado.

At least that is F Bingham's method when making teak cockpit gratings for a sailboat.

It's all described in his book.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

I wound up with the original Incra jig thing. About $30 20 years ago...now they got fancy and expensive. Shame they didn't also keep the original gizmo available.

Reply to
dadiOH

--Thanks for all the replies gang! Yeah, price is the issue it looks like. Glad I made mine from the scrapbit. I can get relatively good parallel action now. Although it can be wobbled a bit (less than 1/2" from end to end) I can "feel" when it's out of whack. I'm thinking the next thing I'll add will be a pair of peel-and-stick measuring tapes, one to either side of the router table, so that I can measure the alignment more precisely; again: cheap. Will post a few pics soon.

Reply to
steamer

Reply to
SonomaProducts.com

They did, see Rockler.

Reply to
CW

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