Jacob Reverb
04-03-2008, 8:58 AM
Hello, all,
Although I've been messing with woodworking for a number of years, I just finally bought my first router, which I plan to mount semi-permanently in an auxiliary table on the right side of my Powermatic 64A contractor's saw.
I have a couple of questions regarding this project:
1. The right-hand edge of the cast iron wing of my saw has a long-radius curve in it, as well as small quarter-rounds on the outside corners. I want to have my router table edge mate up to this irregular edge as smooth and flush as possible. I considered trying to "scribe it in" and cut it on my bandsaw but I can see that turning into a disaster, and I don't want to have to build another torsion-box router table. (I used plywood instead of MDF, and it took some time to clamp up and glue, etc.)
I believe there's a way to trim the edge of the table using a straight router bit with a bearing on the end of it, such that the router table will match up to the cast iron wing perfectly, but I'm having a little trouble visualizing exactly how to do this. Can anyone give me any advise on how? Is there a way I can have the bearing on the router bit ride against the edge of the cast iron table (to the south) while simultaneously cutting the edge of the wooden router table (to the north)? How would I jig that operation?
2. I see that some of the Powermatic 64s they sell rigged with a router table from the factory have a couple of auxiliary legs on the outside of the router table. My question is, is this necessary? It's a fairly heavy table saw, with two cast iron wings, and my router isn't that heavy (Freud FT3000VCE, about 13 pounds), and I don't really see the auxiliary legs doing much of anything, being that the fence rails are made of fairly heavy angle iron, and I can't imagine the weight of the router and table "springing" them much, if at all, on my 30-inch fence. What do you folks more experienced with this sort of thing think? Should I put any legs on it?
Thank you for any replies. I just discovered this site, and it looks like a real wealth of information and experience.
Jacob.
Although I've been messing with woodworking for a number of years, I just finally bought my first router, which I plan to mount semi-permanently in an auxiliary table on the right side of my Powermatic 64A contractor's saw.
I have a couple of questions regarding this project:
1. The right-hand edge of the cast iron wing of my saw has a long-radius curve in it, as well as small quarter-rounds on the outside corners. I want to have my router table edge mate up to this irregular edge as smooth and flush as possible. I considered trying to "scribe it in" and cut it on my bandsaw but I can see that turning into a disaster, and I don't want to have to build another torsion-box router table. (I used plywood instead of MDF, and it took some time to clamp up and glue, etc.)
I believe there's a way to trim the edge of the table using a straight router bit with a bearing on the end of it, such that the router table will match up to the cast iron wing perfectly, but I'm having a little trouble visualizing exactly how to do this. Can anyone give me any advise on how? Is there a way I can have the bearing on the router bit ride against the edge of the cast iron table (to the south) while simultaneously cutting the edge of the wooden router table (to the north)? How would I jig that operation?
2. I see that some of the Powermatic 64s they sell rigged with a router table from the factory have a couple of auxiliary legs on the outside of the router table. My question is, is this necessary? It's a fairly heavy table saw, with two cast iron wings, and my router isn't that heavy (Freud FT3000VCE, about 13 pounds), and I don't really see the auxiliary legs doing much of anything, being that the fence rails are made of fairly heavy angle iron, and I can't imagine the weight of the router and table "springing" them much, if at all, on my 30-inch fence. What do you folks more experienced with this sort of thing think? Should I put any legs on it?
Thank you for any replies. I just discovered this site, and it looks like a real wealth of information and experience.
Jacob.