Quick Router Setup Question

[Arcrist]

What happens if im cutting a tongue or grove on a board and one side of the fence is off. Does it matter or will I get an uneven cut? Is it more vital that the fence is flush all the way through after you get past the gap where the bit rises up? My table came with a thin plastic piece, maybe thats to push the 2nd half of the fence outward to match up with the first part.

I can take pics if this is confusing.

 

[cmartinson]

Yes it matters. When your piece clears the first half of the fence it needs to be able to ride on the second half or you will get a deeper cut.

 

[Inflatable Screen Door]

Both faces should be lined up. What kind of fence is it? That plastic shim is to make the outfeed fence stick out a bit so you can use your router table like a jointer.

 

[Arcrist]

http://www.dreadcraft.com/index_files/s2.jpg

Its just that when I run the piece through to make a tongue or something, it doesnt match up with the 2nd half of the fence, the board doesnt touch, which makes sense because I just chopped wood off of it. But then the board does a see-saw motion over the bit, making the 2nd half of the board deeper. I want to be able to run the board through with one pass, and have it equally cut, like it should do.

www.dreadcraft.com/problem.JPG

Does my problem make sense?
Unless I set the fence back far and cut the board with the bit inbetween me and the board, instead of like shown in the pic.

 

[cmartinson]

Place a straight edge across both mdf parts of your fence at the same time. They should be perfectly alligned. If you see any gaps you need to adjust. Make sense?

 

[DavidF]

http://www.dreadcraft.com/index_files/s2.jpg

Its just that when I run the piece through to make a tongue or something, it doesnt match up with the 2nd half of the fence, the board doesnt touch, which makes sense because I just chopped wood off of it. But then the board does a see-saw motion over the bit, making the 2nd half of the board deeper. I want to be able to run the board through with one pass, and have it equally cut, like it should do.

www.dreadcraft.com/problem.JPG

Does my problem make sense?
Unless I set the fence back far and cut the board with the bit inbetween me and the board, instead of like shown in the pic.

Sounds to me like you ARE using the router like a jointer. Under 99% of router operations you will not be doing this. I.E when making a tongue, the edge of the wood as prepared will remain in place, un cut and will ride along the fence so both halves of the fence must be in a straight line. To form the tongue you take material away from both below and above the tongue.

Something not quite right with your setup. Pics???

 

[DavidF]

Looking at the pics, definately wrong unless you want to use the router as a jointer. You seem to be struggling with this issue, maybe we can get together at your place one evening and check things out. I work in apex.

 

[Arcrist]

That sounds good david. I was never taught how to use the router in the first place. I have nothing going on tonight if your available. Let me know. Heres my # 475-4273

 

[Inflatable Screen Door]

Is it posible that the bit requires the use of a bearing guide?

 

[DavidF]

I visited Andy last night and I think we put a few things in order - I hope:lol:

If what I saw of Andy's work with the setup he has, is anything to go by, he has a great future as a woodworker - Great effort Andy, well done.:eusa_clap

 

[Inflatable Screen Door]

So Andy:

What was wrong with the setup? How did you guys fix it?

 

[Canuck]

Hi DavidF

I have the same table as Andy and am thinking about removing the MDF from the fence and replacing it with some of this UHUW:

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=897

Did the alignment of the fence facing material turn out to be Andy's issue? (I know the tables fence could be improved!?)

Thanks on advance for any tips!

Wayne

 

[Inflatable Screen Door]

In my experience UHUW is lumpy stuff. Thickless tolerance is very poor and it dimples badly where you screw it on. Somewhat OK for a tablesaw fence but I would not recomend it for a router fence. MDF and melimine are cheap, very flat and stable. You will notice that most router table fence systems use either MDF or melamine.

 

[DavidF]

Actually the problem was one of pure use of the router. Andy was using the router table as a jointer to trim the tongue of the T&G joint to final length, so in that instance he would have needed to shim the out feed fence. I suggested he use the TS for that operation which we did successfully. The rest of the time was spent showing how to ensure that the face and edge of his tongue and groove joint lined up nicely while at the same time making the tongue a good fit in the groove. We used the method I described in my prior posting, but seeing it done is so much better than just reading about. We discussed the possible use of the "half T&G" as proposed by insom I think, but that is a better solution for a shelf that is part way up a cabinet side for instance.

 

[Inflatable Screen Door]

Cool glad you worked it out! I've never used them but I've heard that the t&G bits are hard to set up perfectly.

 

[DavidF]

This wasn't T&G bits it was all done with one 1/4" bit!!

 

[Canuck]

Thanks to both... (Davids). Perhaps, I will forgo that trip to Woodcraft for the UHUW, until I better understand the stuff!!

DavidF... thanks for the feedback on Andy's issue. You're right, that lad does show a tremendous level of creativity ..both with wood, as well as that mean guitar of his!
Wayne

 

[Inflatable Screen Door]

Oh I see he cut two rabits of one edge to make the tongue and a dado on the other edge to make the groove. I don't have a special T&G bit so thats the way I would have done it. Or some kind of half lap. I find the half lap is easier and more forgiving if the boards are not perfectly flat.

 

[DavidF]

With the half lap (tongue on one side of the edge) it is more difficult to get a tight fitting tongue into the groove and at the same time making the bottom edge of the box side and the bottom piece line up without some careful measuring. The position of the groove is dependent on the thickness of the base. IMHO the full T&G is the better choice of the two for a box base. You could use just a rebate if you wanted and that would be more than adequate if you use a plywood base. For a solid wood base, the T&G is a good choice.

 

[McRabbet]

Wayne, a substantially better choice for your router fence material is Corian. See this thread for details and where to buy it cheap. HTH

Rob