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Cutter guard
(polycarbonate)
FHWS
FHWS #8 x 1!/2"
#8 x 1!/4"
Guide
bearing Top
Laminate on
layer flush with the lower plywood. Then Clamp some keeper boards in place to hold the hardwood edging flush with the lami-
flip the table to trim the bottom laminate. nate surfaces. Do the front and rear edges first, allowing a 9/16" overhang at each end.
r
Guide Guide boards
board
Gauge board
Gauge board Index line
(width=R minus r)
Step A: Subtract the bit radius (r) from Step B: Position the insert on the table Step C: Clamp guide boards in place
the router base radius (R) to get the with double-sided tape and use the gauge along the index lines. Small gaps at the
width of your gauge board. board to mark index lines around it. corners wont affect router travel.
Index line
1!/2"
radius !/4"
5" !/4"
Cleat (Side View) 10"
Cleat
#/4"
20" 1#/4"
secure the guard. To accommodate near the insert opening, spaced far Underside
of platform
those threaded studs, I used 5/16" enough apart to keep the sawhorse
T-nuts installed through the back legs from interfering with each
of the fence. I built my fence using other. Then I used a scrap 2x4 block
hard maple, so instead of trying to as a spacer and fastened each cam
pound in a pronged T-nut I used the lever with a screw (Figure 7). 2x4 spacer
screw-flange type, which installs Keeping the cam levers to the out- block
more easily in really dense woods. side makes them easy to reach, and
To get the small triangular by pivoting under the table edge Cam lever
braces, I used a miter saw and cut they remain out of harms way
them off the end of a longer board. when locked. When theyre 7 Cleat
After drilling them for screws, I unlocked, the protruding handles Screw the cam levers to the underside of
glued up the fence assembly and let me know the platform isnt the platform. When locked, the levers
fastened everything together. secured to the sawhorses. swing under the ends of the router table.
Before I mounted the fence and
got ready to use the table, I still had Mounting the Router sured 13/4", so he maneuvered a
a couple of details to take care of. Though a truly concentric router hole saw of that size up through the
First, I had to make and install the mount isnt critical for most work, I phenolic plate and inserted the 1/4"
cleats and cam levers on the under- still aimed for precision when I pilot bit into the collet of a router on
side of the table (Cleat and Cam mounted the router base. Rather the other side. Then it was a simple
Lever Details). The cleats help than eyeball it, I borrowed a tech- matter of tracing around the
establish the placement of the nique from a friend whod used the routers base (minus the sub-base),
sawhorses under the table, and the same type of table insert before marking the screw locations, and
cam levers provide pressure (Mounting the Router Base). drilling the holes in the insert plate.
against the sides of the sawhorse Thinking ahead, my buddy took It turned out to be a fitting tech-
top plates to keep the table from time to measure the diameter of the nique to end the project direct,
sliding around. I placed the cleats clearance hole in the insert. It mea- accurate, and simple.
Feeding a hole saw up through the insert With the router positioned where you Drill and countersink holes for the mount-
provides a pilot to center the router base. want it, trace around the base and mark ing screws. Drilling and installing one at a
No hole saw? Just measure carefully. the locations for the mounting screws. time will ensure correct alignment.
magazine
Laying Laminates
Wood always ranks among my Learning the Basics Even though the core of plastic
The first hurdle youll encounter laminate is really layers of kraft
top material choices when it with decorative laminate is cutting paper (similar to brown shopping
comes to projects, but I often the material to size. For most pro- bags, and also made from wood
jects, youll want to cut the piece fiber), conventional gluing meth-
add other ingredients steel or oversize and trim it with a router ods dont work very well. Thats
brass hardware, maybe even once its glued to the substrate because the kraft paper is impreg-
(the panel you use as a gluing
ceramic tile, glass, or some nice base). I like to leave the laminate
granite or marble. Working with at least 1" oversize along each
most of these alternative materials edge to give me a comfortable
requires tools and techniques that margin for trimming.
depart far from my normal wood- You can cut the rough laminate
working routine, but plastics and blank freehand with a router, as
high-pressure decorative lami- long as you provide support to
nates are an exception. They can keep the laminate flat (Figure 1).
be machined with normal carbide The table saw also works fine, but
blades and cutters. The differ-
ences? Laminates are thinner and
youll need a kerfed wood guide to
keep the laminate from sliding
1
more brittle than wood. Cutting under your rip fence (Figure 2). With the rough size marked on the face of
takes some care, and adhesives Your next challenge will be mak- the laminate, support the material near the
and gluing methods also vary. ing the stuff stick where you want. line and rout it with a straight bit.
4 5 6
Starting at the center of the panel, remove A J-roller helps ensure a strong cement A flush-trim router bit, guided by a bearing,
the spacers and press the laminate down. bond. A double-wheel roller (in background) will shear the laminate off along the edges.
The contact cement will bond instantly. can do the edges after trimming. Watch for voids in the substrate.