Help with flush trim routing

[Darren Vass]

Last night, I tried to flush trim a 3/4 inch edge on an 8 x 12.5 x 3/4 inch piece of board (baltic birch). I had glued up 3/4 inch edge banding on either short end of the board. The edge banding was about 1/16 inch proud on one side both ends. I clamped two more boards, 3/4 thickness and about same 12.5 inch height behind the piece to be milled. I found that the flush trim bit made slight gouges along the piece. It did this when I could not keep the piece flat on the table even with the extra 1.5 inch thickness backing. It would tip ever so slightly now and then. The other problem was that the piece would catch on the table /baseplate joint. It seems like the phenolic baseplate sags slightly when the router is attached. I could not totally adjust the plate flush with the router in. Any thoughts, suggestions for a redo?

Also, I will have to flush trim my assembled boxes when I veneer them. Now I'm nervous to use the flush trim bit on the table. But with an assembled box 8x8x12.5, there should be more stability right? I would laminate one side, let it cure, then flush trim on the table the proud edge and move onto the next side to be laminated. Would you recommend using the table or hand held router? I have a wide based baseplate with handle.

Thanks,

Darren

[Joe Scharle]

First off, I wouldn't use an insert that sags and/or can't be made flush with the table. Simply too many opportunities for a big oops! If the router table is flat, a flush trim bit should give good results. However, I do most of my flush trimming with a hand held router. Just feels better to me, and I clamp on some additional bearing surface if the router feels tippy or unstable. Also, I test iffy setups with cheap shelving (sometimes called white-wood) before I learn on my money wood.

[George Cole]

First could you tell me what router your using? The table router plate? Who mfg. it? Is your table home made or not. The surface, how think and material..?

Regards,
George Cole

[Lee Schierer]

It would seem easier to use a fence for that trimming operation to hold your pieces perpendicular to the table rather than trying to line up two other pieces and balance a router.

I had a 1/4" lexan base plate for a table and it would sag under the weight of my 2-1/2 Hp router. I switched to a Rousseau Base plate http://base0.googlehosted.com/base_media?q=http://p.hostingprod.com/%40tools-plus.com/googleimg/rourm3509.jpg&size=20&dhm=c4b6918c&hl=en
and no longer have that problem.

[Chris Tsutsui]

It's easier for me to make a simple paint sketch but anyways for trim routing on a router table, I would make a tall auxillary fence for the router table that's big enough to give the piece plenty of vertical support.

You will run the panel flush against this fence when trimming. For this to work you have to create a dado in the fence to allow the trimmed portion to go inside this dado.

To set up the fence you can use a straight edge and make the bearing on the trim router bit become flush with the large flat area of the auxillary fence. Yes you need room for the router bit in the fence as well and you can just cut a notch out with a jig saw.

Another method is to hand route with flush trim bit by using scrap material. Use a 2x4 or appropriate sized wood spacer to add space between two level panels and clamp together. The router will rest on top of two panel edges that are spaced apart so as not to wobble. This is the second crude diagram.

[Darren Vass]

First could you tell me what router your using? The table router plate? Who mfg. it? Is your table home made or not. The surface, how think and material..?

Regards,
George Cole

George,

I'm using a Milwaukee 5616 2.25 hp in the fixed base. The phenolic plate looks like the generic one I see many places with the concentric circles on the back side for lining up the holes to be drilled. It comes with a yellow and red insert. I guess not all phenolic inserts are the same. My table base is home made, but the top is from RTD. It is 1.5 inches thick and is flat.

RTD is actually working with me on the table top. I was not happy with the condition it arrived in with some blemishes here and there. Then before Christmas, I ordered their aluminum plate which I find was too big and just would not fit into their table. They told me that they had changed their table tops and that the new plates don't fit in the old tops.

I've been working with Ken at Router Table Depot who has been a super guy to work with. He sent me a replacement table top costing much more. Albeit, it was the older model, but it was the Bench Dog phoneolic table top called the ProTop phenolic. It has a detachable front miter track. It looks great, but one small or big problem, it is smaller than the previous top, so my table base can't be used.

Honestly, after using the table a few times, I don't see the need for a full enclosed base. I'm thinking of making the ProTop into a flip up table top with an attachable cabinet for DC. It would save lots of spae in my shop. They are also going to replace my table baseplate with a Bench Dog aluminum plate.

Darren

[Darren Vass]

You will run the panel flush against this fence when trimming. For this to work you have to create a dado in the fence to allow the trimmed portion to go inside this dado.

To set up the fence you can use a straight edge and make the bearing on the trim router bit become flush with the large flat area of the auxillary fence. Yes you need room for the router bit in the fence as well and you can just cut a notch out with a jig saw.

Another method is to hand route with flush trim bit by using scrap material. Use a 2x4 or appropriate sized wood spacer to add space between two level panels and clamp together. The router will rest on top of two panel edges that are spaced apart so as not to wobble. This is the second crude diagram.

Chris,

Thanks man. I like both ideas. They both seem more stable and doable. Thanks again.

Darren