[Bob N]

I could not take it any longer. After watching Bob and Rick on the WW channel several times a day and drooling over it for going on 2 years and then getting an email yesterday for an additional 10% off the already sale priced Oak-Park Router table, I finally broke down and pulled the trigger on the thing.

Wanting to conserve my time and energy for other things I ordered the complete vacu-plate package ready to assemble. Yep.... spent some big money going this route, but now I can finally put the issue to bed. Picked up an extra base plate with 3 inch opening and a jointer fence. This along with a new Hitachi M12V heading my way already, I should be able to finally have the router set up that will work best for me. Still looking elsewhere at the brass inserts though

Sorry for the rant, but just had to get it off my chest. :sold:

 

[bobj3]

Bob

I'm sure you will be glad you got the Oak-Park router system.

There is a way to get around the high price of the 1 1/2" brass guides.
One of them is to make a drop in 3 1/8" ring made from a Porter Cable (and others) plastic base plate,in this way you can get a full set of guides (1/4" to 1") for about 19.oo to 24.oo bucks.
It takes a bit of work and a router table to make the insert but it's a quick and easy fix for this annoyances.

Bob and Rick are now using the 1 1/2" guide on many of the new shows, guess why.
Sharp guys but the 1" guide will work for most of the fixtures they use and make.

Have a good weekend
Bj

 

[Bob N]

Thanks for the tip BJ and I will certainly follow the wise advice once it all gets here and I get it put together.

You have been so very helpful in this quest. I owe you one for sure.

 

[bobj3]

You're Welcome Bob
Glad I could help in your quest
Please let me know how it all works out and maybe post a snapshot or two, I'm sure many others would enjoy it also.
Maybe a story book thing,from when you get the boxes from Oak-Park and Amazon to the finished router table.
I'm sure many would like to know how you get them and how to put it all into one nice router system. and what the TOTAL cost was.

Many have posted what they look like after it's done but no one has posted a step by step, how to thing.



Bj

 

[reible]

Hi,

Maybe it time for another review of guide bushings (template guides) and inserts. First they are not the same thing.... guide bushings are used to guide the router and bit while inserts reduce the size of the opening in which the bit runs.

The term Porter Cable is used to describe the set that is sold by Porter Cable or a set the is the same as that set including the barrel length. These were designed for various uses and the barrel length varies. A typical set is 7 templates and one ring nut and has the following sizes:

1/4 id 5/16 od x 5/32 (1/4" dove tail)
9/32 id 3/8 od x 5/16 (general)
11/32 id 7/16 od x 5/32 (1/2" dove tail)
13/32 id 1/2 od x 5/16 (general)
17/32 id 5/8 od x 9/16 (stanley f3)
21/32 id 3/4 od x 9/16 (lock face)
5/8 id 51/64 od x 9/16 (butt hinge)

you can also order the 42021 1-1/32 id 1-1/4 which is the largest this style can offer.

Then you have pc style bushings which conform to the mounting but do not necessarly have barrel lengths that match the Porter Cable set. These are the one that some of like because they have barrel lenght allows the use of 1/4" template material. A set of them might have 7 or 8 guides and a locknut. It might look like the following:
(all od's)
5/16
3/8
7/16
1/2
5/8
3/4
51/64
and maybe a 1"

Now when we move to 1-1/2 or sometimes called 1-3/4 guides a set might look like this: (od's)
3/8
7/16
5/8
3/4
1
1-1/2

Of course the oak-park set is much more complete. Now why would you want all those sizes??? How about an example, say I was making a project and found I wanted to leave a little more material. I could remake my tempate... not much fun. I could go to a different size bushing... hey that sounds good! Now for this example we will say that I had designed this template to work with a 1" guide and that making the guide smaller gave me more more material left after cutting. I have the nice set that has a 1" and then the next smaller is 3/4", again in this case making that change would be done to both sides thus 1/2 the distance on each side = 1/4" whoooo that's a lot! Now the nice people at oak-park make a 15/16" guide... you can do the math but now I just changed the size by only a 1/16" much more to my liking.

I could have also gone to a larger guide and in this case made the work piece smaller... it all depends on what you might want to or need to do.

If some of you got lost sorry..... trust me it works that way.

If some of you don't see the light about the large guides do a search for some of Template Tom's posts.... Click! now you can see a whole new world....

I don't feel the need to go into details about inserts but is someone is lost on this subject let me know and I'll add some details.

Ed

 

[bobj3]

10 PC.and 7 PC. SOLID BRASS TEMPLATE GUIDE KIT

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=37402

http://www.grizzly.com/products/h3134

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=brass+guide+set&hl=en&btnG=Search+Froogle

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?...DBDADADADADFGHHFGJGEGFDADADADBDB&filter=guide

1 1/2" Set Below for 12.oo bucks
SOLD OUT but he has them listed from time to time,
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8275300229&category=3126

BRASS Guides 1 3/4" size below

Bob N, found them on Lee Valley and I'm just passing it on to the forum.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=41778&cat=1,43000,51208&ap=1

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=51152&cat=1,43000,51208&ap=1


http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=826-007


Brass Guides and Set(s) by Oak Park ▼

http://us.oak-park.com/catalogue.ht...h%3D%26price_type%3D%26model%3D&product=BG034

http://us.oak-park.com/catalogue.ht...h%3D%26price_type%3D%26model%3D&product=CR043

http://us.oak-park.com/catalogue.ht...ufacturer=&price_low=&price_high=&price_type=


Bj

 

[krimson_cardnal]

WHOA! thanks for that info. as a newguy that's the kind of info that can not be repeated enough.

_thanks again

 

[Pop_pop1]

Hi BobJ3, Lee Valley also has the 1 3/4" Guides and inserts. The guides are $18.95 for a set of 6 guides and a ring nut. http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=41778&cat=1,43000,51208&ap=1
Good starter set. You will find that the Oak Park base plate takes the 1 3/4" guides.

 

[Mike]

Just as a reminder to all members you can view most types of guide bushings here: http://routerforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=530
Bosch offers a line of steel guide bushings which are best for rough construction. Recent Bosch routers such as the 1617's use a quick release style and offer an adapter to use PC style bushings. For shop use brass guide bushings are a better choice since they will not nick or dull your bits in case of minor accidental contact.

 

[GoonMan]

Thanks Mike, for the reminder. I had forgotten that I already had those. I ordered them when I bought my Bosch 1619, I have not used them on a Project yet. I also have a small brass set from Oak Park. I ordered them when I bought my bearing s and Motising plate last year.

I still have not built a table yet but want to build one soon. I have 3 factory made tables now and I want to pick up the Oak Park table when the time and money is right. I like the Vacuplate system. The more I use the 1619 the more I like it. Talk about a nice table mounted router.