Modifing a Unifrence extrusion as a router fence?

[Jon Kasmire]

I'm not sure if anyone has attempted this, if they have, I'd love to hear how it worked out... regardless, I'd love to hear thoughts/suggestions.

For lack of space for separate router table, I recently installed a router in my Unisaw's extension table in my new shop. After discovering that the shop-made wooden fence system glued up with a pretty significant twist while drying, I remembered I have a second 43" Unifence extrusion that is already slightly modified. (someone drilled a bunch of holes in it for mounting sacrificial fences)

It looks as though there's enough space in the hollow section of the fence that I could chop out a section of the bottom/face and use it for my router fence. I'd then enlarge the holes already drilled so that I could mount adjustable hardwood faces so that I could adjust the aperture to suit the router bit. On the back side, I plan on milling out a hole for dust collection and molding a fitting on to connect to the collector.

I suppose I'm primarily concerned with whether the fence will retain enough rigidity after I cut it out... I suspect it will, given the geometry of the fence.

Any opinions or suggestions? Does this sound like a viable plan?

I really like the idea of the ease with which I'll be able to swap fences, as well as the accuracy of adjustment I should have - clearly this would be an expensive sacrifice if I didn't already have a fence with holes drilled in it, but if I want a sacrificial fence in the future, I could just add a facility into the router fence for screwing one on, or make it mountable using the same bolt system that will accommodate the t-track on the adjustable faces.

-jdk

[Michael Schwartz]

The fence on my router table is made from two layers of 3/4" MDF laminated with formica on both faces, and screwed to a torsion box to hold it all flat.

I would consider just cutting the unifence lengthwise and building a fence that would straddle/clamp to it if you want to go that rout.

[Frederick Rowe]

While you are probably right that the Unifence would remain rigid enough to act as a router fence, why not just use the existing holes, and attach a wood fence with t-track mortised in without chopping out any of the fence? Cut up a shop-vac elbow to allow for dust collection above the table and build it into the fence assembly.

Experiment with some shop made designs that you can bolt to your Unifence. Router fences, in my view, frequently become over complicated given they don't have any need to be remain parallel to the cutter, just flat.


. . . as well as the accuracy of adjustment I should haveI'm not sure what accuracy you think you'd get. There is no micro adjustment on the Unifence, so fine adjustments would be made as you do now in the table saw mode. Tap and check, tap and check.

Look at Pat Warner's website. Lot's of ideas for shop made router fences. From the simple to quite sophisticated.

http://www.patwarner.com/

[Jon Kasmire]

I suppose it's worth clarifying one bit, assuming the the fence does retain as much of it's rigidity as I'd guess it will, it's the stability of the aluminum that is appealing.

Clearly, if I didn't have a second fence lying around, I'd just be building a wooden fence to bolt onto the system... I don't want to make things overly complicated, but using the second fence I have just for a sacrificial fence seems like a waste, so I suppose I'm looking for suggestions towards as to how to most elegantly re-purpose it into a router fence system.