Help using plunge router on small elements?

[Charles Lent]

Here is another way that I deal with small part holding. It isn't the best for everything, but it can be used with a router table, stationary belt or disk sander, drill press, etc. I modified the one that I have by adding some sticky backed 80 grit sandpaper to the gripping surfaces and it holds much better. It's a great tool to have for small parts holding and only about $20.

https://www.infinitytools.com/small-workpiece-holder

When using a router with a trigger switch I would tend to surround the piece to be cut with scrap pieces of the same thickness, held in place on my bench with screws, double sided tape, or hot melt glue depending on how many pieces need to be routed.


Charley

[David Leye]

Thanks Curt, that's really going beyond to help someone new. I appreciate it.

Unfortunately, that button is the thumb safety that needs to be pressed before the trigger works. It pops back out when the trigger is released.

I've decided to pick up a short extension socket with an on/off button, and screw it to the tabletop That will save me reaching underneath when the thing is spinning.

[David Leye]

Thanks Charley! That will save my fingers one day, so I'll pick up or make something similar.

[Edwin Santos]

Hi,
A poor man's alternative to this holder would be to use high quality double stick tape and a long enough piece of scrap wood. I use double stick tape and hot glue all the time in my shop.
Edwin

[Curt Harms]

I don't recall where I saw the idea or I'd link to it. The cabinet is similar to the "Norm style" router table, rectangular cabinet with a compartment in the center where the router sits and a dust collection port out the back. The router lift is simply a pad of lumber with a piece of threaded rod attached to the bottom. The pad of lumber sits against the top (or bottom in this case) of the plunge unlocked router. The bottom of the compartment directly underneath the router has a threaded T nut, the other end of the threaded rod has a crank. Turn the crank and it pushes on the top of the router. You'd need some sort of guides to insure the pusher block travels straight up and down. The downside to this type mechanism is it might require bending over quite a ways to turn the crank. If you wanted to be clever you could use a 90^o gearbox and put the crank outside the cabinet.

[David Leye]

For anyone still following this thread, I wanted to post my solution to this problem.

I decided to make an overhanging router table!

Sure, it needs to be raised manually with the plunge and lock feature, but it will do the job

I'll post a decent writeup on the projects forum, and link to it here for anyone reading this in the future.

Collage - Router table.jpg

Thank you everyone for your ideas and for a great discussion. I learned a lot.

I had to be creative and secure it with through-rods, because the baseplate bolts have a tapered inner diameter, but a constant outer diameter. Like this...
Tapered bolt used in Parkside router baseplate.jpg
It's first job will be to make a kid-proof box for my new chisels, and some trays for the kitchen cupboards.

[Nick Decker]

Welcome to the world of router tables, Dave! If it works, it works.

I remember the late router guru Pat Warner describing something similar that he saw at a construction site, sitting on top of an empty 55 gallon drum.

[David Leye]

Thanks Curt.

Yeah, I've used my overhanging "router table" a couple of times now and I think I'd rather make the cabinet style you describe.

I'm amazed by the dust created when routing. It's a fine powder like flour, and shoots so far across the shop. I decided I can only use my overhanging router table on the balcony, because even with dust collection, the aftermath is too much to clean up each time. A cabinet box with top-and-bottom dust collection would help keep this under control.

I've seen people use a cheap car scissor jack to adjust the router height.