TS Wing Router Ver 2.0....?

Stuart Ablett

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Tokyo Japan
Looks like I need to remake my Tablesaw Wing Router set up, I was using it the other day and I noticed that the top had warped. Not happy, so I have to rebuild it. A while back I put my router table insert into the wing of my SawStop, utilizing the SawStop's laminated wing, it is not that thick and it looks like it has sagged. This is a real problem for me, as I'm just about ready to do the doors for my humidor, and the sag makes doing that job just about impossible:doh:

I think I will double up with some thick MDF and some angle iron too, just to make sure the next one does not sag.

It's always something ain't it...... :rolleyes::D

I'll take this as an opportunity to build an even better router table :thumb:
 
Funny you should mention this Stu i have the same problem. I have purchased some nice thick aluminum angle iron to do the job and try keep the added weight down. You right its always something. My always something list is so long i dont have a clue when it will end. :rofl:
 
I see a wonderful opportunity for you to make the router station of your dreams . . . just trying to look on the bright side :) My first attempt, single layer MDF top also distorted. It took a few parts that didn't fit correctly before I realized what was going on. Good support distributed across the surface area seems to do the trick whether it be angle iron, hardwoods or ply on edge. With your metal working skills I would also lean toward a metal solution. Any subtle deviations across the span can be dealt with by shimming if required and it will stay put for good. If you are in a time crunch, a temporary top might be cobbled together to get you through the humidor. That way you won't be in a hurry while designing your 'ultimate' router table :thumb:.
 
I have a double layered MDF table for the left wing of my Unisaw with a free used Hitachi 3.25 plunge $10 for plastic parts no problems with sag. I also have a Rockler top that I got for $20 with a free promo Hitachi 2.25 standard. I also have a 29" deep cast iron top with miter slot that will be a router table some day. Gee I like free routers.
 
Funny you should mention this Stu i have the same problem. I have purchased some nice thick aluminum angle iron to do the job and try keep the added weight down. You right its always something. My always something list is so long i dont have a clue when it will end. :rofl:
I hope it is really thick Rob, as aluminium can be quite flexible, just saying :D

I see a wonderful opportunity for you to make the router station of your dreams . . . just trying to look on the bright side :) My first attempt, single layer MDF top also distorted. It took a few parts that didn't fit correctly before I realized what was going on. Good support distributed across the surface area seems to do the trick whether it be angle iron, hardwoods or ply on edge. With your metal working skills I would also lean toward a metal solution. Any subtle deviations across the span can be dealt with by shimming if required and it will stay put for good. If you are in a time crunch, a temporary top might be cobbled together to get you through the humidor. That way you won't be in a hurry while designing your 'ultimate' router table :thumb:.


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I did beef up the bottom of this piece rather significantly, but it still went sideways. I think that the wing from the SawStop was just not that great to start with, I should not have used it :( Also the plastic laminate on the wing seems to have popped in a couple of spots too.

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Just to the left of the "Woodcraft" you can see the bump that I'm working against.

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Yeah, that is not going to work.

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You can see that this wing has become kind of a junk collection spot.
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As you can see the space is not that well used.

Here is the clean slate that I'm working with.....
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What I'm thinking of doing is adding two large lengths of angle iron that will go front to back, as the rails on the saw go side to side, that will give me a solid angle iron frame around all four sides. Then I'll weld some nuts on the bottom of the frame with some bolts that I can adjust the top in say 8 or ten spots, kind of like the router plate has those leveling screws in it. I figure that the doubled up MDF top (18mm x 2 = 36mm or 1-13/32" which is just a tick over 1-3/8") should be stout enough, but I'm going to add a couple of pieces of angle iron to that too.

I hope to have a good dust collection area and a cabinet too, I need to use the space better.

The other thing is the laminate I'll cover the MDF top with will most likely be a cream color this will have the added bonus of not being black, should brighten up the space just a little bit!
 
Like this......

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I'll weld some ends onto the angle iron, and bolt it in place, I think that is better than welding it in place.

I'll shim the table top into the steel frame, should be able to keep it all nice and flat and straight.
 
Stu I misunderstood I thought your router was on the left side of the table-saw. Do you stand to the right of the saw when routing or in front of it? The reason I ask is I've always felt that a router table system should be run like you would a shaper while standing along side of it for better control. I also was able to make an extension that clamps on (the white laminate covered panel) for when I was routing a large door. The switch has 2 or 3 plugs on the back side I use one for the router & one for a shop vac. The fence is from a wood magazine back a few years ago.
 

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Bart I stand at the end of the table when I use the router table, the fence to the TS would be on my left hand and the back side of the TS would be on my right hand, it seems to work OK for me.
 
Ah... Yeah, I think so Bart..... :huh:


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I got the ends welded to the angle iron, clamped in place and drilled for bolts.


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Here it is all bolted in place and one leg attached.


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Another angle.


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I got the second leg attached, and it is now ready for some MDF to make the actual table top.


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Another angle.


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A close up of the corner, I think that will be stout enough.


The MDF I'll be using is 18mm thick, so I was going to double it up, but I think I have enough space to actually triple it up, which would be 2-3/16" or just over 55mm, do you think that is too thick?


Hole placement, I am thinking I should bias the hole for the insert backwards towards the cast iron table of the tablesaw. I had the hole about 5" away from the cast table at the back, and maybe 9" from the front of the router table, but I'm thinking of moving it even closer to the cast table, like say 3", this would give me a lot more room in front of the router table insert, better for those longer doors etc.


Any ideas on hole placement?
 
Sure looks pretty stout :thumb: A top that thick seems overkill to me but it cant hurt I guess :dunno:

Pretty looking welds. Welding is something that I've always wanted to learn. I've been thinking about taking a course at the local tech school.
 
Way to go Stu I am doing very similar except aluminum and bolts and yeah even thicker than the steel you have there and just as wide and angle iron.

I agree on the hole I plan on going as close to cast iron as possible too for same reasons. Just take into account whats beneath on the table saw on that side. On mine I have a door for access I have to consider.

I want overkill and never again wish to deal with the issue. If I had a welder which reaching the top of the "purchase list" I would have done the same. Of course don't help having a welder if I don't have power to run it. :) :rofl:

Looking forward to seeing the rest of your build. :thumb:
 
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Way to go Stu I am doing very similar except aluminum and bolts and yeah even thicker than the steel you have there and just as wide and angle iron.

I agree on the hole I plan on going as close to cast iron as possible too for same reasons. Just take into account whats beneath on the table saw on that side. On mine I have a door for access I have to consider.

I want overkill and never again wish to deal with the issue. If I had a welder which reaching the top of the "purchase list" I would have done the same. Of course don't help having a welder if I don't have power to run it. :) :rofl:

Looking forward to seeing the rest of your build. :thumb:

Rob, I'm going to make the cabinet under the table moveable, so when I need to get into the side of the saw, the access panel, I just rails the saw up (I have the very cool SawStop mobile base that lifts up about 1" or so) and just roll the cabinet out of the way.

I got the slab made for the router table, three 18mm pieces of MDF.

When I make a slab from MDF I like to screw the pieces together, I find this works well for me.

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I laid out a grid on the first piece of MDF, I made it so that the screws would not be in the area I'm going to put the hole for the insert.

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Make sure that the undersides of the holes counter sunk as well, or when you put the screws in things can go bad.

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Glued laid down ready for the second layer of MDF

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Repeated the procedure for the third layer. Now I'll wait until tomorrow and cut the slab to size and make it fit into the wing of the saw.
 
I cut the table to size to fit in the frame with my Festool TS 55 EQ saw and guide. I knew that the "55" in the name of the saw meant it has a cutting depth of 55mm, but I forgot that you have to subtract the guide thickness, so it came up just short....

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Oh well, I just had to flip the slab over and make another small cut. Sure was easy using the guided saw, as I have to admit, my frame is not perfectly square, one long edge is out about 2mm or 1/16", so I could cut it to fit.

Next I had to notch the ends to fit the plates I'd welded onto the ends of the angle iron, I did a stopped cut on the table saw.....
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Then I moved the saw to the other side of the blade.....
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flipped the slab over and did another stopped cut.
It is very strange to cut on the other side of the blade, just feels weird.

Then I went to clamp the slab into my vice to finish up with a little handsaw work.

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This set up would work, but I have a leg vice, so why not use that?

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Yes, with the full length leg vice, the sliding deadman and hold fast, it really is easy to use the held the slab very well.

I also made the notches I needed to clear all the bolts etc.

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The slab fits into the frame very nicely!

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I put a coat of sanding sealer on the underside and edges of the slab, just to keep the moisture out.

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I also took out the angle irons and put a good coat of black paint on them to match the rest of the saw.

Now I have to laminate the top, and put the leveling feet in, the cut the hole for the router insert!
 
I got the top laminated and then I moved on to the leveling feet.


I countersunk some T-nuts into the underside and screwed them in place.


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A close up, this is the side that will become the foot on the angle iron of the frame.


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There are six feet and six holes, stick an allen wrench into the hole and adjust the foot.
I put blue Loctite on each one to keep them from moving too easily, we shall see how that works.


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that is the table installed and leveled. I have to now make a template to make the hole the router plate goes into.


BTW when I was using my long straight edge to level the new router table to the SawStop, I found that the middle of the new router plate is sagging, a whole 3 thousandths of an inch ;D
 
More work done!

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I made the template up on my iCarver, sure nice to have that CNC machine around!

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Ready to rout out the top.

As I do not have a decent plunge router working (I know, I know) I drilled a starter hole with a forstner bit first, the routed out my ledge for the insert.

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Fits pretty darn good!

Now I just have to take the Milwaukee router apart again and put it into the router lift, then I have to build a cabinet for under the router table.

I also had a visitor today, Peter Rideout was in town again and we had lunch together then I took him to a Shinto shrine for some local color, we helped making Mochi, or pounded rice.
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I told Peter it was just like chopping wood, and he had no problem at all!

Cheers!
 
That looks pretty darn solid to me. A top that's only laminated on one side will tend to sag because it's gaining and loosing moisture at different rates on each side. A frame support helps, as does laminating both sides, or not laminating either side.
 
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It sure is solid! I don't think you'll have any sagging problems with this one Stu, and the router lift plate looks like a real good fit. I'm going to steal that levelling idea for my long-delayed right side TS extension table. And, don't give up, the end of the humidor project is in sight!!

Thanks for the great hospitality and "local colour" this morning. It's great, as a foreigner, to get included in a community event and have a glimpse of how people live. I'm glad I didn't get my timing wrong and conflict with buddy's working of the mochi there between swings. He seemed a little nervous until you told him I was an experienced wood chopper :D
 
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