My first real router table fence

Alan Bienlein

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Well I finally got around to building me a real router table fence. I was inspired by Glenn and Dan's recent builds. I finally got fed up working with this and never using the proper feather boards to hold the work securely.
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Here are a few pics of the completed fence.
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I now have a way to easily attach and adjust a feather board along with being able to change from a one piece fence to a split fence depending on what I'm doing. I even made my own wing nuts as buying them wasn't an option considering how tight money is these days. This whole fence was made from materials laying around my shop that I was tempted to throw away this past week!
 
I don't think I'm confused by where he stands, it looks like he stands in about the same position he does when running the table saw. Everybody has their preference on where to stand.

I prefer to stand just like I would at either of my 2 shapers right along side & to the left of the arbor facing the fence I believe this gives better 2 handed control of the material being run past the router bit. Just the reason that they made shapers the way they did for safety.

I believe if it were me & there was enough room to do it I would mount the fence on the other side of the bit & stand at the end of the extension table.

I have my router table on the left side of my saw because I have the right side extension against the wall.
 

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As Bart said; many folks work their router table by reaching across the table with the fence to their right. I use mine more like a shaper where I face the fence while standing a bit to the right of it, feeding right to left and following the material along for the most part. Each is a just a variation on how folks feel most comfortale operating their machine.
 
Bart has it correct in that I stand in the front with the fence to my right. For me it's very natural this way. I tried it the other way and it never felt right. I also have the table saw for extra support as well as the out feed table. Even when I've used shapers I've never stood in front of them. My body stood at the right end and faced the same direction as the wood I was feeding thru it.
 
Alan that looks real big and beefy.

Can you go through explaining some of the thinking.

Here are my questions some are just seeking clarification so i am sure i understand your build.

Why the high rear fence?
Does the large dust collector suction not end up sucking the object being routed into the table too much like a vacuum hold down?

Is it me or do the sliding i presume sacrificial fences at the table level on either side of the opening stand proud of the top fence ? If so why?

Then am I correct in understanding that positioning of the fence happens by unlocking the second table saw fence you using on the same rail and sliding that forward. So you get to use the scale on the table saw rails for front to back positioning of the fence to the bit or what would be the depth of cut?

What bit did you rout the slots for your fences with, a T slot cutter or two separate bits?


Then not related to the router table which castors are you using on your base, they look a nice size and thickness can you tell us where you got em?

Also think you could show me a pic of you dust collector pipes all merging above the table saw where the router fence pipe connects?

Thanks for sharing the build. Reminds us we dont always need the purchased stuff. I particularly like your wing nuts. Have a friend with a welder think i will ask him to make me some. Not because of saving money but because i think like Jim said the comercial ones suck.:D
 
Alan that looks real big and beefy.

Can you go through explaining some of the thinking.

Here are my questions some are just seeking clarification so i am sure i understand your build.

Why the high rear fence?
Glen inspired me to incorporate this feature into mine. I've done some trim on the router table that's required a tall fence for support and for feather boards but never always used them due to the fact that it wasn't readily easy to use these items.

Does the large dust collector suction not end up sucking the object being routed into the table too much like a vacuum hold down?
I have a 4" connect for under the table and a 4" connection on the fence. The suction is enough it will hold the piece there but not so hard that you can't easily move the piece thru the bit.

Is it me or do the sliding i presume sacrificial fences at the table level on either side of the opening stand proud of the top fence ? If so why?
They are in the same plane.

Then am I correct in understanding that positioning of the fence happens by unlocking the second table saw fence you using on the same rail and sliding that forward. So you get to use the scale on the table saw rails for front to back positioning of the fence to the bit or what would be the depth of cut?
Yes by moving the second table saw fence I can move the bit closer or further away and also use my wixey digital fence gauge.

What bit did you rout the slots for your fences with, a T slot cutter or two separate bits?
I used a 1/4" router bit for the first pass and then changed to a t-slot bit to finish the slot


Then not related to the router table which castors are you using on your base, they look a nice size and thickness can you tell us where you got em?
They are 3" swivel locking casters I got at woodcraft about 4 years ago. I think they support about 300 lbs each and were on sale for about $11 each.

Also think you could show me a pic of you dust collector pipes all merging above the table saw where the router fence pipe connects?
original


Thanks for sharing the build. Reminds us we dont always need the purchased stuff. I particularly like your wing nuts. Have a friend with a welder think i will ask him to make me some. Not because of saving money but because i think like Jim said the comercial ones suck.:D

I enjoy building things like this and take even more enjoyment in using things that might have otherwise been discarded. Lately it's been more of a necessity to build than to buy just due to budget concerns.:wave:
 
Great job now you only need to add a power feeder and you are all set!
You can do a lot with that set up. should have you covered for just about every operation including upright raised panels and radius work!
:thumb::thumb:
 
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