Thanks Loring!

**LCHIEN** · 03-08-2019, 09:32 PM

mighty welcome.
sawdustzone is for sharing

**oakchas** · 03-09-2019, 09:38 AM

While I've got the two of you in the same room.... So to speak: One of you, IIRC, had a shop built router station that had a horizontal router, and 1 or 2 table mounted routers. That's of course, if my memory is correct. Somewhere in my computer files, I have the pix, and the beginnings of a cad drawing I had started (so as to make plans for it to share).

Is my memory correct? And do you mind if I proceed?

**LCHIEN** · 03-09-2019, 09:48 AM

I never posted on such a beast.

**leehljp** · 03-09-2019, 10:35 AM

Router Center: That would be me. When I came home from Japan, that just took up too much space to bring back (when combined with all of LOML's Priority Things

), so I just left the it there. Of course I took my routers, bits, tools, and hardware out and brought them back with me.

I am in the process of making another very similar router center now - with two routers and provision for the horizontal. It is functional but I don't have the horizontal router operational yet - I have some adjustments to make on the height adjustment hardware first. A good solid router table with the right height sure is handy.

**oakchas** · 03-09-2019, 04:22 PM

Well, I knowed my memory wasn't off the rails... So, you're back in the states for good and all?

When I find a minute, I'll see if I can find what I started... At that time, there was a free program for photogrammetry.... Converting pictures to measurements, based on one known measurement. No freebies anymore. But with a cad program you can still extrapolate... Planning is as much fun as making, almost.

**atgcpaul** · 03-09-2019, 11:11 PM

Originally posted by oakchas

... At that time, there was a free program for photogrammetry.... Converting pictures to measurements, based on one known measurement.

I don't know if you're at a loss for a name but maybe you're talking about BigPrint. It's $22 now so a little steep if you're an infrequent user. I did pay for it and it works as advertised. For the project I was working on which had a lot of curves, it was extremely helpful to use BigPrint to then produce full sized printouts to make a router template.
https://woodgears.ca/bigprint/

Calipers are my go-to, though, if I'm trying to get measurements from something with a lot of straight edges.

**oakchas** · 03-10-2019, 01:18 PM

Big print looks like it works for 2D drawings. That's easy enough to do with CAD (layers). But taking a photo, and extrapolating measurements from one known measurement... A bit tougher... And, honestly, not 100% accurate, unless you can determine the exact angle of the photo....

I was doing the drawing off the photo based on the shank of the router bit... If I remember right... Long time ago.

But once I had a rough idea, I could guesstimate that a resulting 36.4 inch top was probably 36"... And so on.(just using arbitrary numbers here, I don't recall the dimensions of the "Router Monster" 😆

**leehljp** · 03-10-2019, 02:23 PM

It was 36 inches wide, 41 inches tall with the casters, (37 without IIRC) and 21 or 22 inches front to back. I was shooting for the carcass to be 36W (side to side) 36 tall without casters and 21 front to back. It seems like the backing for mounting the horizontal router made it be 22 inches total F to B. AND the extra one inch height came about because I added a double layer of plywood so that the weight of two routers would not make it sink. A miscalculation here and there made it 37 inches instead of 36 or 36 3/4.

Bear in mind that this was 16 or 17 year ago and my mind has grown new cells to replace the old memory cells that got gobbled up.

**oakchas** · 03-11-2019, 04:46 AM

Well, I've thoroughly hijacked this thread now! But, it has proven that a couple of minds can kinda remember something from almost 2 decades ago.

Thanks for the pic. I'll see if I can find one to match!

**billwmeyer** · 03-12-2019, 12:23 AM

Originally posted by leehljp

Few times over the years, I think I have seen Loring mention the HF magnetic parts dish. I never was that interested in it for myself. Then a while ago I was looking for a bit holder for my impact driver. Loring recommended the magnetic dish. I bought several items including Lorings suggestion here: https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...-impact-driver

I have bought several of those magnetic dishes since then and have one mounted on the side of my drill press. I have lost 3 drill press chuck keys in the past year, but since I put the magnetic cup on the side of the DP, I haven't lost the key once, AND I have found my old ones; they are there too!

I used my DP several times this week and the key is right there in the magnetic dish. THANKS LORING!

I never lose a Chuck key anymore. drill a hole in a front corner of the top cover of your drill press. Slip the handle of your Chuck key in. Problem solved!

**leehljp** · 03-12-2019, 07:26 AM

Originally posted by billwmeyer

I never lose a Chuck key anymore. drill a hole in a front corner of the top cover of your drill press. Slip the handle of your Chuck key in. Problem solved!

For each person, the problem is probably different!

I have tried those rubber straps with two holes that go over each side of the handle rod; I tried with a long wire cable attached, but a couple of times over the years, I left the key in the chuck without thinking and turned the DP on.

! My natural instincts is to "lay the key down" after tightening - at the nearest convenient place. Putting the key into a hole for a specific resting/holding place will take practice discipline to become instinctive, which in this instance I have not mastered.

This is where that magnetic cup shines, or "just works" for me. All I have to do is put it near the magnetic dish at any angle and it is there!/ The problem with the situation is that for "most people", once the bit is chucked tight, our thoughts is "now I can center the piece to be drilled". That is what our mind is waiting for, so that we can drill. Forgetting that the key needs to be properly stored, that strong pull to get the piece centered and drilled - tugs away. Kind of like "instinct."

I grew up riding in a car before seat belts were ever made in the USA. I learned to drive before they were ever even put into all manufactured cars as a requirement. So to this day, I am always backing out of my driveway before I realize that I need to put my seat belt on. Some of my instincts are terrible, and I am a slave to them.

That magnetic dish is big enough that all I have to do is get the key into the general area (if it is close enough) and it stays! They are made for the undisciplined person like me!

Again, Thanks to Loving's suggestion, I now have three keys in it, including the original spring loaded one that I kinda loathe!

**Bill in Buena Park** · 03-12-2019, 08:19 AM

Hank, I use the same magnetic bowls, have one at the drill press and two at each lathe

I didn't remember where I'd seen the suggestion - thanks Loring!

**tfischer** · 03-15-2019, 09:07 AM

Originally posted by billwmeyer

I never lose a Chuck key anymore. drill a hole in a front corner of the top cover of your drill press. Slip the handle of your Chuck key in. Problem solved!

I did something similar when I built my DP table... drilled a hole in the back corner (behind the fence) which holds the chuck key. It goes back in there immediately after using it and it's never wandered off.

I've had those magnetic bowls for awhile (usually can get them free from HF) but haven't really used them until recently, since watching a YT channel where a guy who likes to work on small engines uses them constantly to hold parts. That made me realize how valuable they can be

**Carlos** · 03-15-2019, 09:48 AM

I have a keyless chuck now (Powermatic PM2800B, love that thing). But on the old DP I used one of those self-retracting key things that you put on your belt. Pulled off the belt clip and glued on a magnet. Hanging on the side of the DP head, it was always at the ready, then you just let go and it goes back.

BONUS: For those of us(COUGH) you who are old and forgetful, you can't accidentally leave it in the chuck and have it fling off into your face when you turn on the DP.

If you can afford it, I highly recommend the keyless chucks. Especially Albrecht, the original, and very true-running.

Thanks Loring!

Thanks Loring!

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