Today in the shop (powerpro routing)

[reible]

I've been waiting to check out the powerpro dual tilt set-up with router below. Today was the day.

Let me start with the good news. The cuts looked pretty good now that the speed range goes to 10K. Cuts a little slower but it seems quite useable for some projects. I have only done some test cuts and a small project so I'm not sure where the limitations will come in on other tasks.

When I went to setup I knew the tie bar guard would have to come off, same if you want to use the drum sander from below. That is just 2 fasteners and only takes seconds but it has to be done.

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Now I'll stand up on my soap box and tell you that shopsmith has a major issue they need to resolve. I for the life of me can not understand why they have not come up with a router insert for the table. Right now you have the shaper insert with a 2-5/8" hole to use and that is it? This is so bad that I caught my other router tables laughing at the shopsmith!

Look at this hole and the 5/16" bit with no support anywhere near it. Best case the wood vibrates and gives a bad cut, not so good the wood shatters, worse case the user gets hurt.

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I had no intention of having to work that way so I opted for a temporary of using the saw insert. At least there was some support near the cutter this way.

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If you do this then it would be wise to adjust the quill depth stop so the router arbor can not touch the insert, as shown here:

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What is really need is a special insert and the remainder of this thread will be a background for the readers on what I'm thinking I want to have as options. I will also check my supplies and see if I have material enough to make such an insert. So check back for progress reports.

Ed

[reible]

Before we get started let me say that if you are going to be using larger router bits, ones very close to the size of the hole then this is not a problem. If you want to use smaller bits then this should be something that you look in to.

To see why the other router tables are making fun of the shopsmith unit let's take a look at what one of them looks like in that area.

This is a table insert for one of my tables. It has additional inserts other then the big open hole, you can see an insert mounted and various other sizes that can be used.

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The one to select if these were you only options would be this one.

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This compares the open that the shaper insert has to the new size that could be provided. This would be the largest hole that I would feel comfortable with.

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This might seem like the end of things but it is not. In the next post we will go to one of the inserts which is designed to work with brass inserts...

Ed

[reible]

One of he inserts is designed to mount grass bushings and inserts. That is what we are going to look at next.

The insert insets in and has a nut to hold it in place on the bottom side.

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The insert is mounted and as you can see it is flush with the surface.

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This would be my preferred fit.

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Here you can see just how much smaller the hole is now with the brass insert in place. The best I could do with the yellow insert is the one shown here.

Here you can see two even smaller inserts, one is smaller then the allen wrench for really small bits.

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I had mentioned guide bushing so I'll add a picture of one of them here.

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Sorry but that is all the time I have to work on this tonight. Hope to get more pictures and thoughts out in the next while.

Ed

[Mike907]

Is there a way to get just the table for the overarm pin router? It has the small cutout and fastens to the worktable with T-nuts.

Mike

[forrestb]

I agree that the current table insert design for the PP is NOT designed for under table routing. But at least we can do it w/o a speed increaser!

Not near the shop right now, but I built a 'router table' for the table to overcome the shortages.

It was for a specific project and does not (yet) accommodate variable router sizes, only the one I was using.

Forrest

[reible]

I went ahead with the first idea that came to me to fix the situation. It is not a total fix at this point but I thought I'd share my prototype with you. (I believe I have solution for larger bits but I have not had time to build that yet. Might well be spring before that happens.)

The design is based on making a table insert and then making it into a router insert. The work is like the zci I showed a year or two ago using UHMW plastic then fitting it with a hole for the larger 1-3/4" bushings and inserts.

I was able to get this to work for the overhead routing position (drill press setup) and for the below the table (shaper position) routing position.

Here is the alignment shaft and insert in the overhead position

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Next in the below the table location

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The allow the use of inserts, pictured below, 1/8" to 1" if I remember correctly.

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You can also use guide bushings such as these

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Keep in mind these are the larger size inserts not the more common pc style bushings. As you can see here the smaller bushing can pass right through the hole.

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The next post will cover just a bit more on this.

Ed

[reible]

I also have sets of inserts and guide bushings in the pc style. In the back right are the actual PC bushings with various barrel lengths that fit PC jigs. The others are a shorter barrel that I use for template routing.

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I have an adapter that allows the smaller bushings to mount in the larger opening.

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Here are a few things I observed on the prototype build. First I was unsure what would happen when the table is reversed as far as the relationship of the center of the insert. I decided to slot the mounting holes for the insert so I had some forward backward slop. I found some difficulty with the countersink process and the drill press. I'm not at all happy with the way that turned out. Second issue was I expecting to have to use the slots but when it came time to recenter from reversed table to standard table the difference was less then 1/16"! I could have gone with a slightly over sized drill and had a much nicer looking insert. Now I can not promise if your table will align better or worse then that but clearly the slots I have are way too large.

The piece of plastic was a little short, by an 1/8", I'd need to get material if I want to have a do over. Still this really doesn't effect the function but I now it is short so I can easily spot that issue.

This will do for now. A new model may come along next summer. I'm happy with the design just not so much the execution, of course I was working with some unknowns and guess and found out I could have done better.

So that is about all of the story unless someone wants more details.

If you want to look up my zci post go to the search and click advanced. Enter zci and me as the user.

Ed

[JPG]

If front rear 'adjustment' is needed, a counterbored slot(and cap screw) with flat bottoms would work better than a tapered counter sink. May have to grind down the head to minimize height.

Lack of material thickness(insert) may make it impractical.

[JPG]

Shhhhhh! Do not tell Dusty about that 1/16"! Pivots not parallel to the blade?

[SDSSmith]

As always Ed, well thought out and well executed. Thank you for sharing. I am curious about the larger template guides, who makes them and where did you get them?