Pin Router you can make in an hour.. almost FREE

[shipwright]

Meanwhile, back at the pin router shipwright was diligently perfecting his prototype.

Turns out there was nothing to perfect other than increasing the working room around the trimmer. As a repetitive cutout machine it is as close to perfect as you can get (short of sanding and varnishing it). For intricate inlays, I have a little more work to do that entails fine tuning of process and such but the apparatus itself will do the job once I deal with those issues.

I know that some of you would (will, I hope) make a much nicer job of this, but for me, I'd rather make nice things than nice tools and it works so it's done.

I think it's self explanitory but if there are any questions, fire away.

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Yes, there is another clamp on the back left corner.


Paul M

[shipwright]

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Cutting the "field" pattern with 3/8" pin and1/8" bit
The piece on top top is a "master pattern"

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Cutting "inlay" pattern with 1/8" pin and 1/8" bit
The apparent misalignment is about 75% illusion.

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Cutting the inlay piece


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Cutting the field piece


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Not a bad result but some tuning required. The main thing is that the initial alignment has to be a little better. A two inch piece of 1/4" stock clamped both ends to align before clamping to the table will do fine. I just grabbed the exposed shank of the router bit and I don't think I got a very good fix on it.

Paul M

[mickyd]

Nothing better than a prototype that is close to production quality. VERY good first attempt. Such a practical, simple setup. Great job.

[dusty]

I have (always have had) trouble envisioning just how this all works. Lack of abstract reasoning I think they called it when I was in the Air Force. Those tests where you look at a piece of paper with dotted lines here and there and you are suppose to identify what the item will look like if you fold it up on all the dotted lines. Failed every one of those I ever took.

But enough of that. My real question is: Can this same thing be done with the guide pin located in the table and the router bit coming from above (Shopsmith as the router).

Neat job, Paul. But then everything you do turns out that way.

[shipwright]

Mike: I'm a big believer in the K.I.S.S. system.

Dusty: Yes, but that's a whole different setup and it doesn't take advantage of the easy alignment you can do with this one nor does it allow the quick accurate change of pin size. I also like the idea of being able to see my pattern and there is the added advantage that the sharp, fast moving objects are buried in the work or under the table and not up where your fingers are. I'm likely to be cutting some quite small stuff with this and I'd rather bump my hand into a stationary pin than a spinning bit or even collet. The Idea here was to keep it as cheap and simple as possible and still have a precision tool. I think she worked out OK. ...and thanks for the compliment.

Paul M