Router table fence

[Charles]

Hi Folks

Due to a lack of space (anyone else have this problem?) I have decided to mount my router in the right hand wing of my table saw.

Does anyone have any good ideas/plans to share to build a split fence which attaches to the side of the table saw fence. I would like this fence to be fully adjustable.

Charles

[Randy Gillard]

I have my router table set up as you describe, however I do not attach the fence to the table saw fence. Since the table is located at the very end of the saw table, any fence attached to the tablesaw fence must be kept to the left of the bit. This means that you must adjust the fence from the front of the saw, lock it in place, then walk around to the back of the saw to feed the work along the fence. Feeding from the front of the saw would be a climb cut. The fence shown in the pic is not what I'm currently using. I built one from a shopnotes plan that is split, however I modified the plan and built it un-split. I tighten it down using two lock knobs with 5/16"threaded rod to two T-nuts installed in the bottom of the router table. Works great. For the longest time I fastened it using two 12" F clamps, worked good as well, but tied up the clamps all the time.

The shopnotes plan is very good. Email me if you need details.

Randy

http://www.accesscable.com/~rgillard/shop.jpg

[Roman]

Hi Randy why dont you use the TS fence for your router and why dont you run the mitre gauge slots right through? just curious?

Nice pic and nice saw, and nice fence, is that a beismeyer?

Best Regards Roman

[Ron Evers, Beeton, ON]

Hi Charles:

At the following link you can see the fence I use on both my stow-away router table as well as the one between the fence rails of my table saw. The second link takes you to the plans that inspired my router fence. As you may observe, I made modifications to the original design which I believe improves the functionality of the fence.

http://grampasworkshop.virtualave.net/r-e--routertable.html

Best Regards, Ron.

fence plans (http://www.wood-worker.com/plans/router/fence.htm)

[Mike in Ajax]

I also have the Freud split fence that attaches to the table and if I am doing serious routing I use the Freud fence instead. This is nice as you have a micro adjustment on each side of the fence. Also you can still cut wood on the saw if you do something like route the wrong side of piece of wood(What who me????) and need to make another piece.

When using the TS fence there is deflection at the rear of all tablesaw fences that do not lock down at the back. I had too many problems with this as you are pushing against the back of the fence the way I have mine mounted. I spoke with John at mule about this and he was talking about making something to lock down the rear of the fence.

So it just depends on what I am doing. If I am just rounding off wood or making a dado or rabbet I will use the TS fence. If I am doing Rail and Stiles, Raised Panels, Mouldings etc then I use the Frued fence.

Other considerations. It is great to use the TS fence and just move it out of the way to pull up the router to change the bit, VS the Freud where you have to unscrew the fence from the table in order to change the bit it the router.

http://www.photoloft.com/view/exportImage.asp?s=fshp&i=7276023&w=640&h=480

[Randy Gillard]

Hi Roman,

I explained in the post why I do not use the tablesaw fence. The mitre slot in the router table is a piece of aluminum channel from Lee Valley and runs the full length of the table, although it is hard to see in the picture. I'm not sure what you mean when you say I haven't run them the full length. Are you referring to the slots in my outfeed table?

The table saw is a General International contractors saw to which I have added an outfeed table with motor enclosure (the worlds ugliest made from scraps), a magnetic switch cobbled together from $15.00 worth of surplus electrical gear obtained from a reclamation yard, and of course the router table. The fence is a General T square fence, almost identical to a Beismeyer. I really like this fence.

Cheers

Randy

[W.Y. in BC (hot with fore]

This is my $1.00 Router table complete with fence. One bolt in the right side and a clamp on the left to adjust it where I want to. Even a DC attachment. OH Yes that is a big old honker of a Crapsman router under there. Stangely enough, For all the routing I do, it works just fine but I thought you all might get a good laugh from my humble one of a kind setup.
W.Y.

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1558240&a=11827497&p=52176378

[MadMark]

My TS has an Incra TS-III fence with a Freud FT2000E mounted in the right wing. Since the Incra has T slots on the fence it was a simple matter to attach an aux split fence to the face of it.

This not only allows me to route, but gives me the same precision positioning on the router as I get with the saw using the TS-III

M

Here's my saw setup... (http://www.netexperts.cc/~lambertm/Wood/incra.html)
http://www.netexperts.cc/~lambertm/Wood/zebra58.jpg

[Roman]

Hi Randy

Sorry, upon close examination the slots do go through. By the way, very nice table saw and excellent choice of fence.

Regards Roman

[Mike in Sarnia]

Mike,
What type of router table insert are you using on your table? Or did you fabricate your own?
I have always thought that a round insert was a much better idea than a square one, as long as you key it to stay in place (don't want it rotating!). Cutting the rabbet in the table would also be easier for a round plate. Thanks.

[Mike in Ajax]

phenolic sheets sold by Lee Valley. I looked at buying their insert but for the same price you can buy a sheet from them and make 3 inserts. I did buy their brass insert for about $5.00 for one of the inserts. Once you have one made you use if for a template and I always run an edge of tape around it to make sure that the new one is nice and tight and then sand it a bit if need be. So far so good.

[Charles]

Thanks for all the good tips and info. I've got plenty of ideas to work from now.

Charles