I have a split fence on my router table that I finished off with Formica, same as the table top. I feel that if I could reduce the friction of the work piece against the fence and top my moldings would come out much better. I was thinking of some kind of roller strip ?? Any suggestions appreciated, Mikey
Hmmm... have you tried waxing the top and fence with a silicon free wax? Works for me.
Greg G.
I'd be looking for other problems if you're not able to slide stock along Formica. You don't need a surface that is as slippery as oil to keep stock moving smoothly. How about the pressure you're putting on the stock as you move it through the router? Are you mashing your stock against the table? Are you using good router bits? Obviously, I can't see your table and fence, but it sure seems you're looking too far to the extremes of low friction to fix a problem that just does not seem like it can exist. Consider that most router fences are made of materials that exhibit far higher levels of friction than what Formica does.
Don't know of anything that would provide less friction than Formica. Don't have any problems with mine (formica top, formica split fence).
What kind of problems are you having with your moldings?
Could it be another cause? Do you use 2 featherboards (1 to hold molding against the fence, 1 to hold molding to the table top)? Is your feedrate/bit speed correct? Is your bit sharp?
These are all questions/problems I had. I found proper setup was worth the time and yielded better results.
Chuck
Lee Valley sells a Low friction tape that might help.
Chuck, let me tell you that this is clearly one of the greatest posts I've read in a while. Solid, good ideas and suggestions, clearly displaying a knowledge and awareness of the art and trade of woodworking, and generally just an excellent post.
Mike,
Thanks for the kind words. I've been finishing my basement and made all my own molding. At least 100' or more, so I've spent a good deal of time recently making trim.
Chuck
Formica - though it worked OK where I used it, which was on non-polished Aluminum. YMMV.
Thanks for all your suggestions. I will concentrate on my setup. Mike
Wax.
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