Woodworking (A digression)

Having got closer to the pointy end of my project I found that I have to use the router on the small pieces I am using to cap off the excess mortice holes. I need to round over the exposed edges to fit in with the rest of the work. It is pretty much impossible to use a hefty hand-held router to do this. Using a rasp doesn't give the same sort of edge without a lot of graft. Pretty obviously mounting the router upside down in a router table is the go but ... its a pretty expensive way to go if it won't be used that much. I had a look on Ebay and there are a number of Triton Workcentre combos up for auction but they were all going up past where I was willing to go for a second-hand deal.

I also looked at new Router Tables online, in particular the Carbatec basic model which is steel and goes for just $379. It would be nice but ... (Aside: Carbatec at Auburn and other places is a great place for man-toys of the woodworking variety. Be careful if you go in there because it would be very easy to spend way too much money.) While at Carbatec I also had a look at a Router Table insert plate. This a Phenolic plate which is designed to be let into a worktable surface with the router attached beneath it. At $55 it allows one to gerry-up their own router table using whatever is to hand. The basic requirement is some sort of suitable work surface that can be used for the purpose. Alas I didn't have such a thing as I've just been working on saw horses and an old seating bench. After deliberating over night I decided that my best plan would be:

1. Obtain a suitable work surface/platform.
2. Get the router table insert plate.
3. Make my own router table to be adequate for this job.

For 1 I have available a sheet of solid Melamine coated MDF from an old IKEA desk. Add to that a new Black and Decker Workmate and I have the surface and platform. As a bonus it can be easily taken down leaving the Workmate available as a more normal (wood) working platform.

I bought the insert plate and now what I have to do is put it together so that I can back to the real job - round over the edges on the small pieces.

First stage is to cut a suitably sized hole in the MDF to house the inner part of the insert plate. This picture shows the hole - achieved by drilling pilot holes with a 5/8in spade bit and then cutting down using a tenon saw (again - I wasn't going to buy a JigSaw for one job).

The router insert plate is sitting on the MDF at the left. The next picture shows the router insert plate sitting in the hole but standing above the table surface.

The next stage will be to route a rebate 10mm deep and 12.5 mm wide around the edge of the hole so that the plate will be seated flush with the table surface. And then we will be in business. The router will be suspended below the plate and between the jaws of the B&D Workmate. I'll probably put a couple of 50 x 50mm battens underneath the work surface to raise it up a bit and provide something for the B&D jaws to grip onto. I'll just clamp a suitable bit of timber (with recess for the router bit) along the surface for use as a fence. If needs be later I can always route a rebate for a mitre gauge and put more permanent adjustable fences on it too.

More when its up and running...