Sled for horizontal router

Stu · Post by **Stu** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 1:10 pm

Hi Folks,

I'd like to build a sled to mount on the tubes to mount a router in the horizontal position. This would be like a horizontal router table.

The sled wouldn't have to slide once mounted. I'd use the regular table top as the table top, and would slide it over to the router. I'd also move the regular table up and down instead of the router moving up and down as typical in other horizontal router tables.

I'd use it with vertical panel raising bits, and molding bits, putting the wood flat to the table as it rides over the bit. I'd have a wood table on top of the standard table to reach over to the base of the router and provide a cutout for the bit to fit in. I hope you get the idea.

So my question is, has anybody done any jigs that mount on the tubes? Is there some standard and cheap sled parts that you use from the ShopsSmith parts catalog? It's hard to see what would work from the online parts catalog.

Thanks for any advice,
Stu

scottss · Post by **scottss** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 1:17 pm

I don't know if you ever frequent yahoo's shopsmith group but there are pics there of a shops built thickness sander that is mounted to the way tubes. You could do a similar jig for a router.

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 1:50 pm

Stu wrote:Hi Folks,

I'd like to build a sled to mount on the tubes to mount a router in the horizontal position. This would be like a horizontal router table.

The sled wouldn't have to slide once mounted. I'd use the regular table top as the table top, and would slide it over to the router. I'd also move the regular table up and down instead of the router moving up and down as typical in other horizontal router tables.

I'd use it with vertical panel raising bits, and molding bits, putting the wood flat to the table as it rides over the bit. I'd have a wood table on top of the standard table to reach over to the base of the router and provide a cutout for the bit to fit in. I hope you get the idea.

So my question is, has anybody done any jigs that mount on the tubes? Is there some standard and cheap sled parts that you use from the ShopsSmith parts catalog? It's hard to see what would work from the online parts catalog.

Thanks for any advice,
Stu

Stu
The Overhead Pin router is becomes this if you leave the SS in normal position (not raised to drill press or in this case Overhead Pin Router mode) and keep the table in the horizontal position. In this position the OPR hold the router motor in a horizontal position and the table can be raised or lower to effect cutting depth.

To build your own I would think four 2x4 drilled with a proper size hole and then cut through the whole and clamped back together with a bolts would be a starting point for the support for the your router. These would then clamp onto the Ssd rails. On top of the 2x4 I would build a platform with a cradle to hold the router. For a table I would cut a piece of ply slightly bigger than the SS table and using 2X2 or 2x4 around the outside I would rabbit the 2x2 or 2x4 to sit slightly down over the edge of the table but yet hold the aux table up off the main table. You could then use a jig saw. band saw or what ever and cut out hole on the side facing the router to give yourself bit clearance.

If you wanted to get fancy you could take a piece of all thread (rod completely threaded) and drill a hole though it at one end. Then affix a 2x4 between the two of the vertical 2x4 you clamped on rail. Drill a hole through through that 2x4 and push the rod through. On the other side of the 2x4 drill another hole in the rod. Put a washer and clevis pin on the rod on both sides of the 2x4. Now at the other end of rod between the support tube on SS main table take another 2x4 and affix it to the tubes either by muffler clamps or using 2 2x4 and sandwiching the tubes in between. In this assembly right where the rod touches it drill another hole the size of the rod. The chisel out a pocket that will hold a nut big enough to thread onto the rod. Epoxy the nut into the hole and turn the rod into the nut. How you can move the main table closer or further from your router in precise amounts just by turning the rod.

With your router locked down in the cradle you could make precise adjustments but raising or lowering the SS table or turning the rod in or out to move the table.
Ed

james.miller · Post by **james.miller** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:13 pm

Here is a link to a photo of a router mounted horizontally on a Shopsmith using the Overarm Pin Router http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showthr ... arm+router It is the 8th reply down.

Stu · Post by **Stu** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:55 pm

Wow everyone. Thanks for the quick replies.

I really can't afford the OPR. I also have the older style ShopSmith so it looks like I'd have to retrofit to the newer table. It does look like a great product. I hadn't thought of taking this to pin routing. That would also be handy.

I can see from Scott's pictures and Ed's description how to fashion clamps for the tubes. And I really like Ed's idea with the threaded rod. My router base has a precision depth, but I have to loosen the router clamp and it always seems to shift when I do that. A threaded rod solution would solve that problem.

I'm sure I'll have to go through a prototype or two, then may just spring for the OPR

thanks,
Stu

james.miller · Post by **james.miller** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 4:04 pm

The OPR also works with the SS model 500.

I bought a hardware package on eBay a year ago that is for building a sled for the Shopsmith for mortising and routing in the horizontal position. To use it you mount a spiral router bit to the headstock and clamp the work piece to the sled then run the work piece past the router bit.

reible · Post by **reible** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 6:28 pm

I have some sketching of something I built maybe about 10 years ago. I no longer have it and the sketches might not make a lot of sence but I'll dig them out and scan them in. The real plans were I'm afraid drawn on the plywood... a bad habit I have when do such things... so the real dimensions might have been adjusted for real life situations.

I wanted a pin router back when shopsmith use to sell them and this was my attempt to make one... by the time I had the money they had stopped making them. I should say one of several attempts. I also purchased a couple of over arm pin attachments for a table router. This was the best working of all of them but still felt short of what I wanted.

I personal think you need metal to get it ridged.

Sketches to follow.

Ed

reible · Post by **reible** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 12:05 am

OK it took a while to find them and I even found the very first design that I tried to use. I actually did a project with it and learned a lot for the second go around.

These are going to be hard to read as they were only notes to myself. If you can't figure it out I'll try to help out but again this was a while ago. Just from reading what I wrote the second one was about a year after the 90 anniversary... I just got my second PC690 at a steal of a price because it was the old model in the black box with polished AL etc. Sears was getting rid of them for like 1/4 or 1/3 off.... I got one on my lunch hour and stopped in to get a second one after work but for some reason they were sold out.....

This was intended as a pin router but the idea is about the same so take a look if you dare. BTW I still do this sort of ideas/sketches while watching TV. I have a whole big stack of things that never got made and will not be the way life is going.

reible · Post by **reible** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 12:22 am

And the last one

reible · Post by **reible** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 12:37 am

They don't look so good.

After these having to be sized and rotated to meet the 800 x 600 rule (why can't we have 600 x 800????), they are hard to see. If anyone really wants to see them let me know and I will post larger ones at the site where I post my pictures.

I also looked up Porter Cable and the 90th year would have been 1996, so plus one = 1997 and it is 2007 so it is 10 years ago!! See my memory is failing after all.

If anyone wants them it will be later in the day if at all as we are going to baby sit one of the granddaughter who is almost 11 months old tomorrow....... an 11 hour day that we enjoy but almost don't have the energy for anymore.

Ed