Router wing extension in TS

Ned Bulken

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Lakeport NY and/or the nearest hotel
OK guys & gals,
I was out in the shop tonight ( imagine that) and am taking a short break before heading back out to clean up some more. ( decided the dust rhinos on the bench were a bit rude).

While I was out there, I measured the hole I'm going to fill with my router extension, and for fun checked my piece of countertop which i've used to 'glue up' the cutting boards on, etc... Lo and behold it almost Exactly matches the dimensions (20"x27") only missing by 1/16 on the long, and about 1/2" on the short dimensions. That's 'fine' as far as I've been planning on a hardwood 'edge' to make attaching to the TS easier, so a little small is fine.

This is a former countertop scrap which I picked up last year sometime. and is typical formica over particleboard. short of buying a pack of confirmat screws, what would you recommend to connect the hardwood to the particleboard?
At this point I'm planning on making a rabbet in the hardwood to support the extension on three sides (front back and where it attaches to the cast iron web/wing.) TIA for any/all advice. Now back to getting dusty cleaning.
 
Just cut the PB down to allow a perimeter frame of hardwood, and glue the hardwood to the particle board. Titebond works just fine. If you're gonna be leaving the router in there full time, you might want a couple additional hardwood braces under the PB, too, to keep it from sagging.

I used a setup like you're making for about fifteen years before I built my router table. It'll work just fine. You can also make a router fence that fits over/attaches to your tablesaw fence, and use the adjustability of the TS fence for your router table.

BTW, if you really need a slot cutter, check out MLCS. They're pretty cheap there, and they work just as well as the 'brand name' ones. Free shipping, too.
 
Jim,
sounds good to me. I probably won't be leaving it in there full time, but some additional bracing won't hurt anything. I'll put pics up once I get it completed. I've got a bed to finish and a desk to work on though.

I was planning on an aux. fence to hang off of my TS fence, even bought some clamps just for that purpose last week.
 
Ned, when I built the router table for my Buddy, I glued two 3/4" layers of MDF together and then wrapped the edges with 3/4" thick Red oak. I glued the oak on using Titebond Original, and then for both a "Tad" more strength AND an interesting eyecatcher I used some of those, ............... Uh.....(my mind just went blank on what they are called), but anyhow I used the stepped bit and those stepped Dowels that you drive in through the edging and into the MDF, (or particle board in your case). It worked out great. I didn't drive them into the MDF though, I only used one at each end through the front edging and into the end of the side edging wrap. I've got a picture in "My Documents", but since we redid the computer, I CANNOT get the right address for that group of pics so I can pull them up and attach them to a post.:doh:
 
Ned, when I built the router table for my Buddy, I glued two 3/4" layers of MDF together and then wrapped the edges with 3/4" thick Red oak. I glued the oak on using Titebond Original, and then for both a "Tad" more strength AND an interesting eyecatcher I used some of those, ............... Uh.....(my mind just went blank on what they are called), but anyhow I used the stepped bit and those stepped Dowels that you drive in through the edging and into the MDF, (or particle board in your case). It worked out great. I didn't drive them into the MDF though, I only used one at each end through the front edging and into the end of the side edging wrap. I've got a picture in "My Documents", but since we redid the computer, I CANNOT get the right address for that group of pics so I can pull them up and attach them to a post.:doh:

Miller dowels? Hmmm. sounds good.
 
Miller dowels? Hmmm. sounds good.

Or if you're on a budget, just plain dowels would do, too. (In addition to the Titebond around the edge.) If I'm driving dowels into a hole that doesn't go all the way through the the piece(s), I take a pair of regular pliers and lightly crimp glue channels along the length of the dowel -- except for the last 1/4" or so before the end that's exposed. I leave the exposed end uncrimped so it's still round when trimmed and sanded flush.

FWIW, my drill press table is made of two layers of melamine-covered particle board shelving glued together with contact cement, with 1/2" or so wide mahogany edging. I attached the mahogany Norm-style...glued with Titebond and a few 18 gauge brads added "until the glue dries". The edging hasn't budged. I suspect your router table trim isn't going to be subject to a lot of stress, so anything in addition to the Titebond should do the trick. Biscuits, dowels, sheet metal screws (driven carefully so as to avoid stripping the hole) or brads/finishing nails should be OK. (Even the glue alone would probably suffice.
 
Darn, there goes my excuse for a(nother) new tool!
I've got a day or so to think about it, but I'm probably going to just glue and screw it together.

Ned, whether you use them on this project or not, if you haven't tried the Miller Dowels on anything yet, you should. The thing I noticed and liked about them, is that when you drive them in, they really pull the outside piece in tight against the other surface. I think that when using them to install trim, you wouldn't even need clamps, (depending on how far apart you spaced them), as long as you tape the trim on or otherwise hold it in place until you drill and install the dowels. They are really neat and easy to use, (and they carry them at Lowes, at least here they do).

PS: Rec'd my Kreg Clamps this AM. Thanks again for the tip.
 
Ned,
When I made my router extension for my TS I just made a box to fit inside the rails of the table saw out of 1x4's. Bolted the frame to the rails and the TS wing. I routed in a lip in the 1 inch size so that all I needed to to was lay the particle board in the frame.

As for an aux fence I made this one Router fench.jpgthat I just clamp to the Fence on the TS. The split fence itself can be adjust to give me zero clearance on the router bit. The little shims are 1/8" thick so one I set the fence up for wide pieces all I have to do is take em out 1/8" at a time and not have to change the setup of the fence itself. Both the table and fence have been in use for 4 years and work slick. The little strap hols the hose for dust collection.
 
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