What am I doing wrong?

rstermer · 06-03-2009, 09:56 PM

I am building a fold down workbench for my shop. It is 56" long and 18" wide. It will attach to the wall via a ledger board and will be hinged so that it can fold down. there are two braces, one on each end to hold it up. The braces are attached by brackets to the wall so they can pivot. each brace has a groove down the center to pick up a pin on the bench. the gooves have a detent on the end so that when the bench is rotated to the horizontal position the pin will sit in the detent, locking the bench into position.

I am in the process of making the braces and am having some problems. My router table is currently torn apart while I make some modifications to it so I am using hand tools to cut the groove. The braces are 1" x 3" x 36". The 1/2" groove starts 1.5" from the end of the board and runs for 20" along the centerline of the 3" side. It extends all the way through the brace. So far I have ruined three braces cutting the groove. On the first one I cut the groove using my jig saw, then cut the detent too deep and had to discard it. On the second one I made, the jig saw blade drifted and the groove sides weren't parallel. For the third one I decided to use the router to cut the groove. I drilled two holes, put a 1/2" dia. x 1" cutter length pattern bit in my router, set up a board (one of the ruined pieces) so it just kissed the edge of the hole, clamped the two together and proceeded to try and route the groove starting with the bit in one of the holes I drilled and routing to the other. About 2/3 of the way down the groove, the router bucked on me and ruined the groove. I think that the clamps may have been placed so that the board I was cutting could vibrate. When it did so it shifted, ruining the groove.

Before I ruin another brace (I'm getting a little low on wood) I thought I'd ask for suggestions as to how to complete what should be a relatively simple task. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
rstermer

**bobj3** · 06-03-2009, 10:21 PM

Hi rstermer

It's sound like you should put the job on hold and get the router backup and running and then do the job..

why do it the hard way..

========

Quote:

Originally Posted by rstermer

I am building a fold down workbench for my shop. It is 56" long and 18" wide. It will attach to the wall via a ledger board and will be hinged so that it can fold down. there are two braces, one on each end to hold it up. The braces are attached by brackets to the wall so they can pivot. each brace has a groove down the center to pick up a pin on the bench. the gooves have a detent on the end so that when the bench is rotated to the horizontal position the pin will sit in the detent, locking the bench into position.

I am in the process of making the braces and am having some problems. My router table is currently torn apart while I make some modifications to it so I am using hand tools to cut the groove. The braces are 1" x 3" x 36". The 1/2" groove starts 1.5" from the end of the board and runs for 20" along the centerline of the 3" side. It extends all the way through the brace. So far I have ruined three braces cutting the groove. On the first one I cut the groove using my jig saw, then cut the detent too deep and had to discard it. On the second one I made, the jig saw blade drifted and the groove sides weren't parallel. For the third one I decided to use the router to cut the groove. I drilled two holes, put a 1/2" dia. x 1" cutter length pattern bit in my router, set up a board (one of the ruined pieces) so it just kissed the edge of the hole, clamped the two together and proceeded to try and route the groove starting with the bit in one of the holes I drilled and routing to the other. About 2/3 of the way down the groove, the router bucked on me and ruined the groove. I think that the clamps may have been placed so that the board I was cutting could vibrate. When it did so it shifted, ruining the groove.

Before I ruin another brace (I'm getting a little low on wood) I thought I'd ask for suggestions as to how to complete what should be a relatively simple task. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
rstermer

rstermer · 06-03-2009, 11:26 PM

You are probably right. The router table will be out of commission for a couple of weeks, so I thought I'd just build this workbench while I'm waiting. But what would be easy to make on the router table is turning out to be difficult to make using regular hand tools.

I have a Shopsmith, so maybe can set it up using a router bit and the shaper fence to make the cut like I'd make it on the router table if it was available. Rotational speed is a lot lower, but it might work ok. One things for sure, I've got plenty of scrap to try it out before I commit to using another piece of the good stuff.

rstermer

xplorx4 · 06-04-2009, 12:29 AM

I'm with BJ, I guess one thing I am learning is don't get into a rush. It seems every time I do, things do not go well.

waynoe · 06-04-2009, 09:01 AM

rstermer
In the past I have tried using the shopsmith as a router. I have a attachment for this. I found it very awkward to use, so I gave up on it. It did work as long as you take small bites of material. Make yourself some sort of guard though a router bit spinning freely above the table is both scary and dangerous. Also pay close attention to feed direction.
Good Luck
Wayne

**bobj3** · 06-04-2009, 09:23 AM

Hi rstermer

All I can say you can't have too many routers,,this would a good time to add one to your tool collection

it's only money, you can't take it with you..

==

Quote:

Originally Posted by rstermer

You are probably right. The router table will be out of commission for a couple of weeks, so I thought I'd just build this workbench while I'm waiting. But what would be easy to make on the router table is turning out to be difficult to make using regular hand tools.

I have a Shopsmith, so maybe can set it up using a router bit and the shaper fence to make the cut like I'd make it on the router table if it was available. Rotational speed is a lot lower, but it might work ok. One things for sure, I've got plenty of scrap to try it out before I commit to using another piece of the good stuff.

rstermer

rstermer · 06-04-2009, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobj3

Hi rstermer

All I can say you can't have too many routers,,this would a good time to add one to your tool collection

it's only money, you can't take it with you..

==

I've got two routers. . . but a few more wouldn't hurt!! I've got the big speedmatic plunge router for the router table and a combo plunge/fixed base 1.75 HP variable speed PC router for hand work, but I've been eyeing a 2.5 HP Bosch combo base for awhile. . .

This morning it struck me that I should make a fixture to hold the brace and to simultaneously guide the router. I think two 2x4 pieces spaced 3" apart with 2x4 crossmembers tying them together should do the trick. A couple of guides, one on each of the 2x4 members, will keep the router on track. I think the fixture needs to be 20" long plus the diameter of the router base plate less the diameter of the cutter plus 7" (to accomodate the overlapping 2x4 crossmembers) to route out a 20" groove.

Do you think that will work?

Thanks for your comments, always helpful.

rstermer

**bobj3** · 06-04-2009, 01:34 PM

Hi rstermer

Sounds like that will do the job just fine

======

Quote:

Originally Posted by rstermer

I've got two routers. . . but a few more wouldn't hurt!! I've got the big speedmatic plunge router for the router table and a combo plunge/fixed base 1.75 HP variable speed PC router for hand work, but I've been eyeing a 2.5 HP Bosch combo base for awhile. . .

This morning it struck me that I should make a fixture to hold the brace and to simultaneously guide the router. I think two 2x4 pieces spaced 3" apart with 2x4 crossmembers tying them together should do the trick. A couple of guides, one on each of the 2x4 members, will keep the router on track. I think the fixture needs to be 20" long plus the diameter of the router base plate less the diameter of the cutter plus 7" (to accomodate the overlapping 2x4 crossmembers) to route out a 20" groove.

Do you think that will work?

Thanks for your comments, always helpful.

rstermer

**AxlMyk** · 06-04-2009, 03:10 PM

Make a mortise centering jig like Bj posted here.
http://www.routerforums.com/jigs-fix...ering-jig.html

rstermer · 06-06-2009, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobj3

Hi rstermer

Sounds like that will do the job just fine

======

Just a quick update. I built the fixture and it worked like a charm, grooves cut, detent cut, moving on with the rest of the project. thanks to all who commented.
rstermer

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