Jon Kasmire
12-29-2009, 8:38 PM
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
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