Shopsmith Forums

For any of you who might have been following my wood working adventures this is more of them. I have an extension table for my shopsmith that allows me to mount a router table or osculation sander. The plate I got for the router table and or sander allows me more functionality but I'm not done yet.

The Rockler insert takes compact routers and this pretty much means you have to use 1/4" shank bits. They also make a mid-size insert for you guessed it mid-sized routers. This would bring with it added weight, possibly a negative and the added benefit of using 1/2" shank bits.

Before I went too far in this direction I wanted to play with a few things. First, the incra fence that can be added to the table for routing. I pretty much knew it was going to work but since if there are not pictures then it didn't happen and it did happen. I needed a slot and used tape to make the start and stop points then dropped the work piece over the bit and did two passes, one at half depth and then full depth plus a little.
You will get to see what this if for soon.

We have to back up just a little and look at the extension table that I made.
As you can see the table is not symmetric, There is a short and long side, as pictured, to the left is the shot side and to the right the long side. I normally have it the other way but it can go either way. The short side is slightly more stable then the long side but not by much, you know longer lever arm sort of thing.

While the router/sander can mount to either side and the extension table mount either way it give you a lot of options. For today I wanted to see how stable it would be when mounted to the shorter side. Here is a picture of how this works, a little cluttered but I hope you can get the idea.
I decide to make a really simple support to see how much that might add to the whole experience. A piece of 2 x 4 goes between the tubes and then another on top which extends across both tubes. Then the part that I cut earlier becomes the adjustable support. Two threaded insert in the 2 x 4's allow two stud knobs to hold and adjust the part.
For adding support to the router/sander table it would look like this:
With the extension table turned around to the way I normally use it the support still works and has a low to high range more or less as seen in the next two pictures. Having the table as low as it will go works for most locations along the tubes except where the gas tube of the lift attaches where there is interference.
Results of today's experiments makes me think that a mid-side router would work fine in this set up. The mid-size insert also has a set of extra cost inserts for the table insert so either a guide bushing can be used or the hole size adjusted depending on router bit size. I will start with the mid-size router insert and then go from there.

Ed

nice, just curious if you have a extra carriage or two around and if so if you could add a table mounting bracket to the bottom of the excellently crafted table you have there . it would be height adjustable and maybe add more versatility for tilting and making angle cuts .

Yes that could be done but for now I have several other additions I'm planning and none of them need anything but the extension table function. Not sure what tilting would do for me at this point. Did you have something in mind?

I'm finding this extension table to be very versatile and useful. It is really a third arm for the shopsmith in my shop.

Ed

The adventure using the midsize router plate begins.

Took a few pictures along the way that I will share here.

I did decide to go with the Hitachi router. Here you can see where I have removed the existing sub base, shown upper right corner. The Rockler part comes apart with 8 screws and this is how you access the part that mounts on the router, round blue part on the left.
It mounts to the router base with three screws, the black color screws in this picture:
The set of 8 screws allow you to position handles and latches where you want them to the extent those fixed positions are close enough. Here is where I think I will attach things:
The next location clockwise would be here and so on:
Next I took the original sub base over to the router table...... since the cut-out was just my idea of what might work I wasn't surprised that there is going to be a minor problem. The router base is going to hit the table on both sides but only a minor amount. Here is a picture of the interference:
Will have to remove that small amount from the table to get things to fit. Not a big deal but kept me from going any farther on the project for today.

So stay tuned for what is ahead, and to see if anything else pops up.

Ed

reible wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 12:24 am Yes that could be done but for now I have several other additions I'm planning and none of them need anything but the extension table function. Not sure what tilting would do for me at this point. Did you have something in mind?

I'm finding this extension table to be very versatile and useful. It is really a third arm for the shopsmith in my shop.

Ed

============

All ways looking for a way to increase the versatility of the router and the router bits ,the extra carriage and mounting brackets may reduce chatter and add some support , after considering the question It came to me that without mounting the router to the tubes tilting the table would not be much of a benefit .

I am surprised SS has not came up with a carriage that would accept routers and a table system ?

SS decided to provide that by way of the SPT mount or Main table front/rear tubes.

Why not use the main table for the additional support?

JPG wrote: ↑Wed May 19, 2021 12:34 pm SS decided to provide that by way of the SPT mount or Main table front/rear tubes.

SS also provided an adaptation of their Over Arm Router (or Pin Router) that mounts on the Mark series as a vertical or horizontal router. Nick demo'd this in several of the sawdust sessions.

- David

Thanks DLB
Note taken

A over head router is limited in its use ,mainly height , just like a panta router has its limits ,the length and dimension of its travel , I dont own one but I can think of at least three operations that they can not do with a fixed bed and or buying a slew of router bits, fixed router tables also have their limits , a tilting router bed cutting from the under side would do what others cant do ,would it have limits ?? sure but what doesn't ? and you could get away with fewer bits , for instance you could chose a angle and use any straight bit , try to find a 22deg or non standard deg router bit ? not to mention its over 1/2 way built "{ with vertical height adjustments}" , the use of one of the micro adjustment devices for the height of the table could make such a thing a win win in my hobby shop .