Seeking a safe jig for holding small or odd shaped pieces on a router table

Frank Pellow

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Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
In the thread: http://familywoodworking.org/forums/showthread.php?t=7083 I reported that the jig that I purchased to hold small parts:

ig-1.jpg

had proven to be a disappointment. The two clamping surfaces a strictly parallel, and they are not good at hold really odd shaped pieces such as those shown in the photo below:

ig-2.jpg

I found one of two things. The ratcheting mechanism would slip when attempting to tighten the jaws around the part or the jaws would tighten on the part but they would be gripping such a small portion of the edges that the router would tear it loose in action.

The combined use of pliers and a hold down stick as shown above did the trick. :eek: In talking to others about this pliers technique and in thinking about it some more I realized that I should not have used it. :eek: If the pliers had ever touched to bit, things could have flown. :eek:

Arthur on the Canadian Woodworking forum suggested “How about a woodscrew clamp--no need for parallel surfaces to clamp on”:

small_part 04 - woodscrew.JPG

Both Ken in Regina and I suggested augmenting the clamping of the woodscrews surface with sandpaper. I glued strips of 100 grit Norton sandpaper to the clamping surfaces of a 10 inch Jorgensen woodscrew with 3M Super 77 spray adhesive.

Jorgensen Handscrew  holding a small part for routing -small.JPG

I tested this with about 20 pieces of various shapes and sizes and with 4 different router bits. The routing job was good :) and nothing slipped :).
 
Thanks for the post Frank. I was faced with a similar situation and was considering the commercial jig you and Allen were dissappointed with. Something made me hold off on buying it and I'm glad I did. The clamp solution is so obvious once seen. Yet another "now why didn't I think of that?" moment for me.
 
Thanks for the post Frank. I was faced with a similar situation and was considering the commercial jig you and Allen were dissappointed with. Something made me hold off on buying it and I'm glad I did. The clamp solution is so obvious once seen. Yet another "now why didn't I think of that?" moment for me.
Glenn stole the words right out of my fingertips. I've been looking at the commercial holders, but they just didn't seem robust enough to do battle with a router bit, so I hadn't bought one. The screw clamp, on the other hand, looks like the ticket. You could even fabricate custom jaws if it ever became necessary. Great solution!
 
I prefer to control the router and adhere the small pieces to a base. I use either hot glue or doublesided tape to hold the piece to a flat surface (could be the router table or work bench or sheet of plywood scrap. then hold the small trim router or your massive wood hog in your "Safe from harm" hands and cut from above, not below. Blood is so much harder to clean up than the chips spewed by the router. Besides, distroyed wood is easier to replace than distroyed finger tips, or gnawed up Hand screw clamps.
 
Hi Frank
I was watching your thread on both forums and I would like to suggest this jig.

You can make it with one "clamp" or 2~3 "clamps" for bigger workpieces

Take some board....I used 5/16" Floor panel but you can use plywood or MDF of 5/16"~1/2" thick and push a T-nut (or a few T-nuts...for a few "clamps")
001.jpg



Drill a large hole to sink the T-nut so it will be just below the board surface
002.jpg



Take a length of threaded rod and screw a nut...
003.jpg



Screw the threaded rod into the T-nut but do not protrude below the board surface...
004.jpg



Tight the nut to lock the threaded rod...
005.jpg



Take some scrap to be used as "clamp", drill a hole, glue sanding paper (or anti-skid tape).... if you want you can make a leg or, you can use same thickness scrap as a support...
The "clamp" that you see on the picture is from other jig and it's too long so please make yours to fit the board...also, I recommend to use a 2" or more wide "clamp" for better holding.
006.jpg



Adjust the leg height (or use a scrap at the same thinness as the workpiece)..put large washer....
007.jpg



A knob with T-nut will do the rest
008.jpg


009.jpg



010.jpg



If you want to quickly install/remove the threaded rod, you can use wing nut instead of the nut
011.jpg


You can add handles to the board and just slide it on the router table....


Regards
niki
 
That should work well Niki. I will make something similiar to what you suggest early in 2008, give it a try with various typical peices and bits , then report back in this thread.
 
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Glenn
You are going to see a lot of "Floor panels" in my posts

I "discovered" them while flooring my living room...HDF covered with plastic laminate from both sides and if I get a 15 years guaranty for walking on them, they are good enough for jigs...

Except covering the router table, I use them for table saw sleds, hand router auxiliary base, circular saw auxiliary base, sawboard (CS guide) and many other applications and...they "love" CA (super glue) so it's very easy to work with them.

Regards
niki
 
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