Over-Engineering for My Shop

Dave Richards

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SE Minnesota
I thought I share a thing I've been playing with in my shop lately. Normally I try to suppress my over-engineering tendencies but things being as they are I figured why not let him out to play a little. The idea is a fine screw advance system for the Router Boss.


If you aren't familiar with the Router Boss, it is designed to hold the work piece(s) on a bar that slides left and right when you turn the crank on the top. There are numerous ways to secure the work to that bar but the common way is via a fixed jaw and a cam clamp as shown in the photo below. Then the router can be moved forward or back and plunged. All very simple and it's even safe to use for climb cutting.


Although it doesn't really need it, I got to thinking about a way to make very small, precise adjustments to the position of the work for small pieces. So this uses a 1/4in. dia. by 16 TPI precision lead screw (orange) so one full turn of the crank moves the work 1/16 in. I made a proof of concept mockup the other day although I didn't have the right hardware. It seems to work fine. So the next thing is to bite the bullet and order the stuff. It ain't cheap but I guess it's only money. Of course the non-over-engineering side of me may wake up and beat the over engineer back into submission. :D
 
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