[Zappa]

Hey everyone!!! I am just trying to get an understanding of a few things before I get a Table
1) THe fence is attached at two places so when you are working on an exact measurement how do you keep it square to ensure a straight cut...
2) At work I use my 6" rule to get exact measurments on table saw height as well as ripping under 6 inces.. I will suppose you can do the same on a router table.... Z

 

[Mike]

Your fence will provide the straight cut. It does not matter what angle the fence is on the table at, you are using a round cutter so alignment is not a problem. You just need to have an accurate distance from the bit to the fence. With a saw blade you must have the fence on the same plane as the blade or you get kickback and uneven cuts. With a round bit there is no plane to adjust to.

 

[Zappa]

That makes sence....Z

 

[Dr.Zook]

As a safety reminder: Never run your workpiece between the fence and the router bit.

 

[Woodnut65]

Hi, Zappa: Welcome to the forum. The fence on a router table doen't have to be square with anything. A TS has to have a fence parawell to the blade. The router spins the bit , with the fence guiding the work passed the bit, and for edge work some of the bit is covered in the fence itself. If you were going to make datos in a board
the fence may be six inches away from the bit but since your working around a center the bit came be cocked at an angle. As for number 2, yes you could use your 6 inch rule to set the fence and the height of the bit. I use brass set up bars myself they are
graduated from 1/16th to 1/2" it makes it real fast and accurate to use.
Hope this helps explain it.. Woodnut65

 

[Charles M]

Your fence will provide the straight cut. It does not matter what angle the fence is on the table at, you are using a round cutter so alignment is not a problem. You just need to have an accurate distance from the bit to the fence. With a saw blade you must have the fence on the same plane as the blade or you get kickback and uneven cuts. With a round bit there is no plane to adjust to.

All true unless you are using a miter gauge in which case you must have the fence parallel to the slot.

 

[bobj3]

Just my 2 cents

The table saw and the router table are made to do two diff.types of jobs...

The table saw must have a way to keep the stock true to the blade and the router table is not made to cut wood the norm. (make two parts out of one)

A fence on the router is a item that's not needed most of the time unless you want a slot true to the edge of the stock.
The bearing on bits are put on the bits as a replacement for the fence so to speak.
But then again if you don't have a bearing on the bit you need the fence to keep the bit from digging into the stock and going to deep. (it needs a edge to run on)

Some bits will remove the edge from the stock and then you need a off set fence to do the job some router tables come with this type of fence.

But it's true the fence can be sq. to the top or to one side or the other because the bit as one cutting point on the router table, if you have a Tee Slot and a sled that runs on/in the tee-slot the fence is not needed most of the time, it works the same way as the miter gauge on the table saw (keeps the stock true to the bit/cut)

The one true advange of the fence is to hold the vac.hose to pickup the chips that come flying off the cut and as a bit guard...

Bj

 

[Zappa]

Thanks everyone!!

 

[Mike]

Right you are Charles, unless you are using the Oak Park Miter Gauge System.

 

[Joe Lyddon]

To set bit ht., those little Bars are handy...
http://us.oak-park.com/catalogue.html?list=bars--