22124 Table Saw Router Table Set-Up

[Mike Goetzke]

(First post – be kind.)

I previously owned a Ryobi BT3000 then BT3100 for the last 13 years. I liked the feature on the BT’s where my router base bolted to a ¼” thick aluminum plate. This plate then was bolted to an aluminum accessory table. The accessory table was locally about 1/8” thick casting w/structural ribs. I’m used to the router (Bosch 1617evs) being mounted to the far right side of the saw, removing the router motor assembly to c/o bits, and adjusting bit depth from under the table.

Will take delivery of 22124 this week (really liked my Ryobi’s but couldn’t pass up the sale on the zip code saw). My first project will be to incorporate my router into the right hand table extension of the saw. I need some help on choosing the right/best way to do this:

1) Keep the router on the Ryobi aluminum plate and hog out about a 6” x 9” portion of the wings bottom side (the local thickness of the pressboard will be about ¼”. This set-up will be similar of what I’ve had for the past 3-4 years.
2) I have a piece of ¼” Lexan that I could make a drop-in plate from.
3) I have a piece of ¼” aluminum that I could make a drop-in plate from.
4) I could buy a drop-in plate phenolic or Lexan.
5) Could buy a router raiser w/ plate (this may be too expensive of a choice).
6) Open to other ideas.
<O:p</O:p
Thanks,
<O:p</O:p

Mike

[Mark Rios]

Welcome Mike. These folks around here will not only be kind but friendly, helpful and very, very, knowledgeable. I'm sorry that I don't have an answer for you (my knowledgeableness is still growing:D ) but you will get lots of help.

Oh yeah.....and congrats on the new toy/tool/saw.

[Dan Stuewe]

Hi Mike, welcome aboard! My portable Vermont American router table is aluminum with a steel plate that works like your BT3XXX set up. One thing I really like about it is the top doesn't have one part table and one part insert. (When I tried to make my own router table with an insert, I was never happy with the transition when sliding a workpiece along the top.) A concern I would have is the 1/4" thick particle board left after hogging out the recess for the plate. It would probably work for some time, but over time that particle board is going to fall apart (I'm thinking more due to vibrations then heavy loads). Now I mentioned that I had problems trying to make a router table, I'll back up and say that the router table was one of my early projects, and my skill wasn't nearly up to the task. On top of that, you can get inserts (or make one) with adjustment screws to fine tune the plate to the table top. On the other hand, I just saw this in the Grizzly catalog ... http://www.grizzly.com/products/H7507 . It's a bit pricey, but I really like the idea.

Good luck.

[Alex Berkovsky]

Mike,
I think Guy Germaine did something similar. Have a look at this thread (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=26902) post #13.

[Guy Germaine]

I went back in and reread that thread. We had talked about the fact that once the fence rail was moved, the tape measure was no logner correct. I don't know how many people know this (I didn't until I tried it), but the tape on the Beis fence is steel and stuck on there with adhesive. Since I figured I didn't have anything to lose, I pulled it off the other day and tried moving back into the "correct" position. WORKED LIKE A CHAMP! I peeled the steel tape off, and cleaned up the tube, and just stuck the tape back on! It's now dead-on accurate, just like it was when I bought it.

[Scott Donley]

Hi, you might take a look at Tony's thread, his is just outstanding ! http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=23852&highlight=router+table

[Mike Goetzke]

Thanks for all the responses.

First of all I like the idea of moving the rails 10" to the right (as show by Alex's response above). On my old saw the blade tilted to the right so my fence needed to be on the left for miter cuts. Since the 22124 tilts left I will probably seldomly need the fence to the left of the blade (good find by Guy Germaine). Only thing I see is that the tubular rail will not have full support of the angle iron, but, maybe that's not a problem. Has anyone else moved the rails?

If/when I move the rails to the right I can probably build and attach a router table like the one I found at MLCS:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/mbg/tabletopext57.jpg

[Guy Germaine]

Mike,
In response to your PM, I have yet to find a reason to move the rails back to their original position, so the tube is still moved to the right 10". Regarding the support, there's no problem with it. The picture that I had originally posted shows my router extension with support legs on the far-right side. I have since built a new table and made it a tad smaller, only because I wanted the room to walk around the saw. The new table has NO support on the right side, other than the angle iron, and it's doing just fine. I don't remember what tap I used, but I think it was a 1/4 - 20. I just grabbed the bolt from the switch and found the tap that fit.

[Mike Sheppard]

Mike
This thread is helping me a lot. I have my router mounted in the table that came with the saw (long rails), and need to improve on that. The plan is to build a new table with a cabinet under it, the router will be mounted in a Bench Dog table that I can slide out and take to a site when needed.
Mike in Michigan

[Bill Webber]

... you can get inserts (or make one) with adjustment screws to fine tune the plate to the table top.

I have no experience with router plates with adjustment screws. If you are concerned about crumbly particle board, I would think adjustment screws would only worsen the problem. I've been using a couple post-it notes to level mine. They are flat, cheap, and stay in place.

Bill W.

[Mike Goetzke]

Mike S. - I don't have my 22124 yet but I really would like a cabinet under the saw to store my tools in. I'm getting rid of this in order to have space (and $) for the new saw:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/mbg/IMG_1261.jpg

(You can see I'm giving up quite a bit of cabinet/drawer space.)

I was thinking of attaching a cabinet under the right side of the 22124 but the added weight would probably require some iron work and additional casters to support it. Sounds like you are removing the router from the saws table top and building a de-tached mobile cart for your router/tools? A mobile cabinet would eliminate the need to add more support to the saw.

Mike

[Michael Adelong]

I peeled the steel tape off, and cleaned up the tube, and just stuck the tape back on! It's now dead-on accurate, just like it was when I bought it.

Did the metal tape get any kinks or bend lines in it during the process? I'm going to move mine, but I'm pretty particular and I'd like to have a tape on there that doesn't look like it's been through (or like I've run it through a) WW2. I can order a replacement through Sears, Orion, or Beis. If I have a good shot at not mangling the tape pulling it off, I'll risk not having a new one on hand during the process.

Guy, in the other thread you stated that it didn't bother you to have an incorrect tape because you always measured the cut anyway. Now that you have a Beis with an accurate tape, do you still measure?

I've always made a test cut on scrap material and measured it before cutting any real stock. It took me all of 4 minutes to break that habbit after I made a dozen or so cuts that were dead on to the Beis tape reading. It would be nice if there were a fine adjust knob on the Beis. At least it only took a few days to calibrate my knuckle. :D

Michael

[Guy Germaine]

The tape pulled up very easily and didn't bend at all. It went back down just as easily. As for "trusting" the tape? I'm getting better. I still measure every now and then just as a sanity check.:rolleyes:

[Mike Goetzke]

Guy, in the other thread you stated that it didn't bother you to have an incorrect tape because you always measured the cut anyway. Now that you have a Beis with an accurate tape, do you still measure?
Michael

I don't know if it will work here, but, I have loosened up glued thinks like this with a heat gun or good hair dryer.

Mike

[Guy Germaine]

I don't know if it will work here, but, I have loosened up glued thinks like this with a heat gun or good hair dryer.

Mike
I didn't even do that. I just peeled it off, cleaned up the tube a little, and stuck it back down. I had already planned on replacing the tape, so i didn't see where I had anything to lose by trying it. Worked like a charm.