I asked this on another forum but, in my opinion, I didn't get enough concensus on the best way to proceed so I'll put this question up to you all.
I'm making a horizontal router table for some long crown molding. The ones I have seen (DIY and MLCS) have the bit rising
up from the table and the work piece passes over the bit. This seems fine when making raised panels because there is still a
lot of flat surface resting on the table. When the stock gets narrower, as in molding, there isn't much flat contact between
the table and the piece as the bit rises. Think about how your outfeed table on a jointer is higher than your infeed. That
doesn't happen with a horizontal router unless you shim the outfeed.
So I plan to have the bit above the table so the flat back of the stock always sits flat on the table. The bit is then lowered
incrementally to cut my full profile. I have two featherboards on the fence to keep the stock flat and to help counteract the
force of the bit wanting to throw it back out. I also have featherboards on the table to push the stock against the fence.
Finally, the router bit is shrouded by a small box for safety and chip collection is done from above rather than below. This is
how my planer does it and I think this is how most commercial molding machines are setup. I will also be able to feed stock
from right to left as I do with my regular router table rather than in reverse.
Kick back is my primary concern but I plan to lower the bit in small increments and I have featherboard help.
Am I missing something? Are there other reason why I don't want to have the bit above the work?
Thanks, Paul
I'm making a horizontal router table for some long crown molding. The ones I have seen (DIY and MLCS) have the bit rising
up from the table and the work piece passes over the bit. This seems fine when making raised panels because there is still a
lot of flat surface resting on the table. When the stock gets narrower, as in molding, there isn't much flat contact between
the table and the piece as the bit rises. Think about how your outfeed table on a jointer is higher than your infeed. That
doesn't happen with a horizontal router unless you shim the outfeed.
So I plan to have the bit above the table so the flat back of the stock always sits flat on the table. The bit is then lowered
incrementally to cut my full profile. I have two featherboards on the fence to keep the stock flat and to help counteract the
force of the bit wanting to throw it back out. I also have featherboards on the table to push the stock against the fence.
Finally, the router bit is shrouded by a small box for safety and chip collection is done from above rather than below. This is
how my planer does it and I think this is how most commercial molding machines are setup. I will also be able to feed stock
from right to left as I do with my regular router table rather than in reverse.
Kick back is my primary concern but I plan to lower the bit in small increments and I have featherboard help.
Am I missing something? Are there other reason why I don't want to have the bit above the work?
Thanks, Paul
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