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Skis under the magnifying glass

2K views 9 replies 5 participants last post by  levon 
#1 ·
This is a followup to the comment I made on the "skis" thread. So, here it goes.

First, I have to address another issue that has bothered me for some time.

Take a look at the first pictures and you'll see a 1/2" bit, the collet and a plumbing washer. Obviously the bit fits in the collet. But in earlier threads there was some discussion about bottoming out the bit in the collet. Part of the resolution was to put an "O" ring or a plumbing washer in the bottom of the collet. I went through my collection of "O" rings and couldn't find one that would fit properly. Alternatively, I went through my more extensive collection of plumbing washers and came up with a perfect fit.

Captions for Pictures

#1 - this shows the bit, washer and collet
#2 - this shows the washer inserted. The first time I put the collet in the chuck and the bit in the collet, the washer fell to the bottom of the chuck. When I went to tighten the collet, there was some resistance from the washer as I tightened the collet chuck.
#3 - shows the correct location of the washer. In this instance I made sure to bottom out the collet before inserting the bit and tightening it. This time it stayed put.

The objective in all of this is repeatability. If you make a series of cuts with one bit and then another and you want to repeat the first operation, it helps when the bit is installed exactly the same as the first time. The washer will help insure this. It is also supposed to absorb any dimensional variance of the bit caused by heat.

Working under a Magnifying Glass:

The objective of this thread is to use a router freehand but with great precision, something that is only possible, I believe, with skis.

In order to increase the visibility of the cuts, I used a piece of scrap with a saw kerf in it. On the right side of the kerf is a mark made by the striking knife but the bevel is on the wrong side. On the left side of the kerf is the bevel on the correct side.

There is another element involved in this and that is the location of the router on the rods. In this instance, I have the router shifted over to the right. I can't go all the way because the clamps are in the way holding the workpiece to the table.

Lastly, the setup was made with LeeValley setup blocks. These are similar to OakPark's but come with a 3-2-1 block as well. In this instance, I set the rod height to 2 1/2" from the table surface. The workpiece is about 1 3/4" thick. I set the rods on the left, then the right, back to the left and finally, back to the right. That set the height of the router. Note, there is no baseplate. Also note the tie-wrap is being used to stabilize the left side of the router. I have to also mention that holes in the routerbase that the rods go through are not round. They are hexagonal in shape. The router is almost perfectly perpendicular to the rods. However, the baseplate insert that you see in the picture is not perfectly flush with the surface of the table so there is a variation that shows in the cut.

The magnifying glass is necessary when working at this close a tolerance.

Now, to the operation. The objective is to cut as closely as possible to the flat side of the cut made by the striking knife. If I put the router in the middle of the rods and controlled the router with both hands, it would certainly work but my experience says that it isn't precise enough. The alternative (and the purpose of these experiments) is to fix the right side of the skis with the heel of my hand on the table and carefully move the left ski. Approximately 3" of movement of the left ski will move the bit about 1/2" when used this way. This gives you excellent control over the cut.

My biggest problem is getting the magnifying glass into a position that I can clearly see what's going on. I found that I can control the bit very precisely if I can see clearly what I'm doing.

Take a look at the second picture of the cut. You'll see the knife cut on the right (wrong bevel) and the knife cut on the left (correct bevel). This picture is magnified about 3x. What you're seeing is how close to the cut you can get using this method. You will also see the curve as I moved the bit into, then away from, the cut. The router was brought to the knife cut in arcs. Each arc got a little bit closer to the knife cut.
 

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#2 ·
Ron...

just a heads up.. I got a recall notice on the mag. glass just like the one you have in your pictures. Something about the battery's overheating due the the magnetic base. I got mine at Rockler and they sent out box and all to send it back...
 
#3 ·
Hi Bill:

Thanks. I went to the Rockler site and couldn't find any information anywhere except "Our LED light kits are temporarily out of stock due to a manufacturing defect." Do you have any more information? Under what circumstances do they overheat and what is the result? Do they say?

I don't want to let mine go so I'm very reluctant to return it in the event it is not replaced with something better. I'll just have to get in the habit of pulling the batteries when I'm done for the day.
 
#5 · (Edited)
"There is another element involved in this and that is the location of the router on the rods. In this instance, I have the router shifted over to the right. I can't go all the way because the clamps are in the way holding the workpiece to the table."

hi Ron,
this is why i built my camboard. it works great and there are no clamps in my way when i use the ski jig.

i agree with you visibility can be a big problem at least for my old eyes. i was fortunate enough that my last router buy has the led lights built in. i think all router manufacturers should make this a stock item on the router.
 
#7 ·
hi Ron,
this is why i built my camboard. it works great and there are no clamps in my way when i use the ski jig.

i agree with you visibility can be a big problem at least for my old eyes. i was fortunate enough that my last router buy has the led lights built in. i think all router manufacturers should make this a stock item on the router.
Hi Levon:

My workpieces are all too big for camboards. Instead, I have to clamp somehow and my two-holer table seems well suited for this. I'm also preparing cauls to press into service. My biggest headache is to tie down the end of a board when I'm trying to cut lap joints.

Now, can you figure out what I'm trying to show you?
 
#6 ·
Ron..

Rockler said something about the battery's overheating "causing a potential" problem. They
asked that I returned the light body, not the lens or bases. They provided a prepaid box to send it back in. I could have either gotten a full refund including shipping (which was cool cuz i bought it at their store) or wait til they have the reworked model available and they will send me one out. Like you, I really like the thing, especially on the bandsaw when I'm resawing. So i opted to send it back and wait on the replacement. upwards of 6 weeks........
 
#8 ·
Hi Bill:

Thanks for the info. Could you let me know when you have the replacement and I'll contact Rockler then. In the meantime, I'll continue to use mine but remove the battery when it is not in use.

BTW, on the magnet end of the gooseneck, there is a short section that doesn't seem to have the same "hold" as the rest of the goose neck. Did you find this with your's?
 
#9 ·
This is a followup to the comment I made on the "skis" thread. So, here it goes.

First, I have to address another issue that has bothered me for some time.

Take a look at the first pictures and you'll see a 1/2" bit, the collet and a plumbing washer. Obviously the bit fits in the collet. But in earlier threads there was some discussion about bottoming out the bit in the collet. Part of the resolution was to put an "O" ring or a plumbing washer in the bottom of the collet. I went through my collection of "O" rings and couldn't find one that would fit properly. Alternatively, I went through my more extensive collection of plumbing washers and came up with a perfect fit.

Captions for Pictures

#1 - this shows the bit, washer and collet
#2 - this shows the washer inserted. The first time I put the collet in the chuck and the bit in the collet, the washer fell to the bottom of the chuck. When I went to tighten the collet, there was some resistance from the washer as I tightened the collet chuck.
#3 - shows the correct location of the washer. In this instance I made sure to bottom out the collet before inserting the bit and tightening it. This time it stayed put.

The objective in all of this is repeatability. If you make a series of cuts with one bit and then another and you want to repeat the first operation, it helps when the bit is installed exactly the same as the first time. The washer will help insure this. It is also supposed to absorb any dimensional variance of the bit caused by heat.
This is the style rubber grommet I use in the collet of the router. I got this one from summerfeld tools when I bought a bit set from them. It's the type used for passing wiring thru sheet metal. You can find these at any auto parts store or home center such as Home Depot or Lowe's. It's outer diameter is 1/2".
 

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#10 ·
hi Ron

i have an auxiliary table for my router table and i can install cams on it for larger pieces, though it still may be too small for your projects.

i can see your dilemma with the board ends.

maybe you should ask some of the pros here for help? they have a wealth of knowledge and seem willing to help if you ask?
 
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