delirous26

Newbie with questions
i recently made my first router table but the problem im having is trying to figure out the fence part i took some 3/4 birch plywood and cut two pieces at 3" in height and screwed them together like a l-shape know im trying to figure out the best way to use this and get straight cuts. please help.

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bobj3

Hi delirous26

You will always get straight cuts if the fence you have is true, because you have only one point in the table top that has the bit coming out of it,, the fence can be anywhere on the table top, think of it this way, it's like a bearing on top of a router bit no more no less...but the bearing can be moved back or forward unlike one that's screw down on top of the router bit..it's just a guide...

Do this for a quick test, chuck up 3/8" router bit put a 1" wide block next to the fence and right up to the router bit,,,now clamp the fence in place, now move the bit down so you can make a slot 1/4" deep,,, once you have done that un clamp the fence and move the fence, lets say to the right , and do the same thing, once you have it set clamp the fence down and flip the board over and push it over the bit with a push block,,, the slots should just alike .... on both sides...


Bj

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Bj

Drugstore Cowboy

Welcome aboard --
You don't know it but you just opened a can of worms :-)
I know because I asked a similar question not too long ago -

Fortunately -- they are all FRIENDLY worms.

MOST will agree that the SIMPLEST thing -- is to just get you a couple of good screw clamps and clamp the fence to the table. --
But beyond that -- everyone has their own favorite way.

Most are variations of two concepts --
The pivot school --
attach one end of the fence to the table with a bolt or pin -- leaving the other end free -- pivot it into place and clamp it down.
Nice because you only have to worry with one end of the fence.
The T-Slot school -
bore a hole in each end of your fence base for a t-bolt -- then install some tracks for the bolts to slide in. Slide your fence into place then tighten it down (this is what you see on most ready made commercial tables.
The end-clamp school
This is what I wound up doing for now --
Make the fence a couple inches wider than your table --
Then on each end -- make yourself a clamp that tightens down on the outside of the table. Takes some time up front -- but when done -- its like using screw clamps -- only they are built in.

I am sure proponents of all these different methods will fill in the details.
Fact is -- they all work -- as long as your fence is straight and tight against your table - and you hold your wood tight against the fence - your cut will be straight -

Good luck making the decision --

harrysin

As has been said, there are a multitude of different fences out there and which one would best suit you depends really on what other power tools you have. For instance, if you have a jointer, a simple straight fence like the one you have made is all that is required, however, if you don't have a jointer a split fence would be the better option, that is one where the two halves can be independently adjusted for planing. There are other ones with sliding panels to give minimum cutter clearance, whereas I prefer to have an opening large enough for the biggest cutter that I'm likely to use and clamp a strip of thin MDF to the fence when smaller openings are required.

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Harry

delirous26

thanks for the advice i will try anything can't wait to use it.