Router Table (555995)

[dusty]

We recently watched Nick and Jim utilize the Router Table mounted on their Shopsmith. After seeing it, I decided I had to get mine into service. Thought it would be about a half hour job....wrong.

It would have been but for the router plate being too large to fit into the cutout in the router table. It's not much too large but it won't fir down into the cutout.

Has anyone else had this problem? How did you resolve the issue? Sand down the router plate or enlarge the cutout or return it all to Shopsmith?

[ATTACH]415[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]416[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]417[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]418[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]419[/ATTACH]

Notice that the plate fits into the cutout unless I try to lay it flat. This would imply problems in the corners but the corners fit (one end or one side at a time).

[dusty]

Three more shots of the misfit router plate?

[charlese]

Looks to me that your "problem" can be fixed by a simple finger lowering of the height adjustment screws. Maybe you ought to try the other 4 screws on the long side of the plate hole.

[reible]

Hi,

I can only talk in general terms here as I do not have the shopsmith items you have.

On router plates that do not screw down the plate needs to be a tight fit. I have 3 tables like this and in all cases the first couple of times the fit is very snug.

If it were me I would do the following:
1) Go around the opening with my fingers feeling for any burrs that might be left on the edges. If I found any I would uses 400 grit paper to get rid of them. I might be tempted to go around the whole opening and just round the top edge... like a single or double pass with the fine sandpaper.

2) I would do the same finger check of the router plate. And fix anything that might be sticking up.

3) Keep the plate flat and not tipped sit it in the opening. Then set a piece of plywood over it and start a very gentle tapping with a small hammer (hitting the plywood). If it starts tipping push it back up from the underside. My guess is that it will go in. After a few in and outs and when you add the weight of the router it will settle in and work as it should.

Keep in mind the plate doesn't have a left or right end but you can also rotate it and see if you can find a better fit.

Once you have that figured out I use a paint pen to mark one of the corners of the plate and the matching corner of the table. Then do the plate leveling. I might get a little carried away with this... a dot would do...
see this image for the carried away version:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12199425@N ... 718316398/

I like to have the router mounted that way. You can pop it out to make adjustments and change bits and collars. The old table I have on my overarm router is to loose a fit to do this so I have to screw it down. I like wise mark the inserts as they too have play.

So as a summery, if things don't fit after this and you are ready to trash the whole thing I'll give you $12 for it and pay the postage for you to send it to me.... maybe I can find a use for it.

Ed

[dusty]

The finger screws do not even make contact on the underside. The insert never gets that far.

I could insert one end but not the other. Also, I could insert one side but not the other. Simultaneously, that is.

I've now made a hardboard copy of the router table insert. Simply used the insert as a pattern. It turned out a faithful copy. It too would not fit; it does now!

I had to rework all of the corners. The outside radii on the insert did not match the inside radii of the table cutout. Now I'll just reverse the process - use the hardboard copy as the template and trim the corners to fit.

I was very careful, ed, to keep it a real snug fit. I understand your point about keeping the insert tight.

I don't feel like this rework should be necessary with a quality product. Shopsmith's quality control on vendor items seems to be slipping just a bit. I had the same sort of problem with a power switch. The first one was too large to fit into the headstock. They readily replaced it and the replacement fits fine.

[james.miller]

Dusty, I used the SS disc sander and set the fence so it barely touched the side of the router base plate. If it is close then you don't have to turn on the disc sander just slide the base plate past the disc while holding the disc in place several times. It's better to do just a small amount at a time instead of ending up with it fitting loose like mine.

Remember to do the corners but watch which corner needs to be relieved.

I did the long sides to size first until it would fit when angled into the base plate then the short sides then watch the corners when trying to seat it to see which corners need to be relieved.

I really like my Shopsmith router table (with the Incra Ultimate fence) and the OPR they both excel at different jobs and compliment each other. Wish I could have both set up at the same time but only room for one SS.

[charlese]

Looks like you 're on the right track with your hardboard template.

Seems to me - if all four sides fit, all the way to the corner radius(s) - then the problem has to be on the corners themselves.

P.S. After reading Ed's post I got to thinking maybe it would be best to insert your hardboard pattern many times, rotating it each time. Then if Ed's solution with the plywood and a hammer doesn't work, lightly sand only the corners of the table. I would have a tendency to pick on the table rather than the insert. If you develop a space between the two - it would be better to have it at the corners only. That way the insert won't move when working.

The reason I'd pick the table to sand, rather than the insert is so I wouldn't develop a insert that only fits in one position.

Best Wishes!

[dusty]

Thanks Jim. Your having had the same problem helps me to have confidence that I'm not screwing up a good insert or table.

The long sides and the short sides fit fine; very, very little slop. All I have to do now is clean up the corners. Actually, I think I only have to resize two corners.

Thought I was going to drill the insert for the router today.

[charlese]

Either the hole on the table is too small, or the insert is too large.

As we are talking only the corners - I would work on making the hole in the table a little larger. This way all of the straight sides (which seem to fit) would remain straight.

[james.miller]

Centering the router in the base plate.

My router base plate insert will accept Porter Cable bushings, you can use one to check that the holes are properly centered before drilling.

From the top I drilled each hole about 1/8" deep with a 1/2" forstner bit then drilled the rest of the way through slightly larger than the mounting screws so I can move the router to center it to the base plate. I drilled the extra holes for my PC router height adjustment then found that I couldn't get the router and base-plate into the hole on the router table because the handles were across the short side of the base plate. I turned the router 120 degrees and it lifts in and out of the table just fine and the SS table is open underneath so I adjust the height of the bit from under the table.

Hope this makes sense.