Problem With My Quality Grinding Steel Extension Wing

[Keith Starosta]

Howdy, Folks! I'm hoping that I can get some help with a pretty serious tool-related problem I'm having. Back in November of 2008, I was lucky enough to win a SMC FreeStuff drawing for a custom steel router table wing, from Quality Grinding. Here is the thread I posted after receiving my prize, in December of 2008...

Quality Grinding Steel Router Wing thread

The hole for the router plate was ground to fit the smaller versions of some more popular vendors. I had hoped to put a plate and motor in that sucker right away, but it took a litte more time than I thought. Like...I just bought the combo last week. I went with the Mast-R-Lift from JessUm, coupled with the Porter Cable 7518 motor. I'm really happy with the purchase, and hope to get many years of use out of each. HOWEVER....something funny happened on the way to raising panels.

I knew I needed the smaller version of the Mast-R-Lift, which measures exactly 11.75"x8.25", and is 3/8" thick. After taking receipt of the JessUm last week, I immediately unpacked it, and tried to plop it down into the hole. Problem...the hole that the folks at Quality Grinding milled out is only 11.5" long. The Mast-R-Lift plate is 1/4" longer than the hole! We're talking a solid steel extension wing that is 5/16" too short, and approximately 1/16" too narrow.

I really would like to keep the Mast-R-Lift, as it comes highly rated, and feels like a quality piece of machinery. PLUS...it's currently sitting on my bench. I'd like to hear any suggestions as to how I might be able to remedy this situation. As I understand it, Quality Grinding is no longer in business. Do I find a mill shop in my town that will grind out what I need? I'm sorta stumped here.

Thanks for any help you can give me!!

Regards,

Keith

[Ray Newman]

Is the extension wing cast iron or steel? In any case, sounds like a job for a mill.

Do you know anyone with a mill?

If not, take the wing and router lift to a machine shop, explain the problem, and ask how much they would charge to mill it out to accept the lift. Might even check with an automotive shop that does engine rebuilding about milling services.

Or, if your local high school or Adult Ed program has a machine shop program, someone there might be able to mill it for a reasonable fee.

[Keith Starosta]

The wing is steel, so I should be able to find a mill. Tomorrow should be interesting.

[Mike Heidrick]

Would it be easer to resize the alum lift plate?

[David Hostetler]

I would be WAY more prone to, if at all possible, resizing that aluminum plate instead of regrinding the steel. The aluminum is MUCH easier to work with...

[Ray Newman]

If the lift plate is re-sized, it could turn out to be too small for any future applications/uses....

[Van Huskey]

I would also suggest looking at resizing the plate first as little as you need to take off you might be able to do it yourself. I would effect resale but it would probably be a lot cheaper than milling the extension.

[Keith Starosta]

I spent a little time trying to determine if JessEm's Mast-R-Lift plate is actually aluminum. I'm assuming it is, but I'd like to get some confirmation before moving forward. They (JessEm) use a hard anondizing process which turns the plate black, which makes it difficult to determine the actual material being used.

If the plate is indeed aluminum, would I be able to (CAREFULLY!) trim the plate on my table saw, using a non-ferrous metal blade? I've never tried this, and would be pretty distraught if I screwed up either the saw or the plate.

Thoughts?

- Keith

[David Hawxhurst]

I spent a little time trying to determine if JessEm's Mast-R-Lift plate is actually aluminum. I'm assuming it is, but I'd like to get some confirmation before moving forward. They (JessEm) use a hard anondizing process which turns the plate black, which makes it difficult to determine the actual material being used.

If the plate is indeed aluminum, would I be able to (CAREFULLY!) trim the plate on my table saw, using a non-ferrous metal blade? I've never tried this, and would be pretty distraught if I screwed up either the saw or the plate.

Thoughts?

- Keith

I'm in king george and have a small mill. if you would like we might be able to make something happen. you could use your tablesaw but a bandsaw would be safer.

[Jeff Duncan]

If it's aluminum you can cut it on a table saw with a regular carbide tipped blade or a plywood HSS blade...you don't need anything special...though hitting the blade with a little paraffin wax helps a bit. Now if it's some kind of special hardened aluminum then I can't help....but the guys who made it might be able to...hint, hint

good luck,
JeffD

[Steve Ryan]

I spent a little time trying to determine if JessEm's Mast-R-Lift plate is actually aluminum. I'm assuming it is, but I'd like to get some confirmation before moving forward. They (JessEm) use a hard anondizing process which turns the plate black, which makes it difficult to determine the actual material being used.

If the plate is indeed aluminum, would I be able to (CAREFULLY!) trim the plate on my table saw, using a non-ferrous metal blade? I've never tried this, and would be pretty distraught if I screwed up either the saw or the plate.

Thoughts?

- Keith

A magnet will tell you if it is ferrous or not, seriously doubt if it is stainless. Hard ano (type 3) is a process for aluminum. You can cut aluminum on a table saw with a triple chip blade. I would secure it with bolts to a sturdy sled and take very light cuts, many passes. Stick wax the blade between cuts.

[Tony Zaffuto]

It's a job for a mill and a job for a machine shop. If it were me, I would let the router plate alone and enlarge the steel wing by 1/4". As most of the job is fixturing to the mill, it would be a fairly easy job to take 1/8" off of each side of the wing. If you were in PA, I could have one of my guys do it for you (have 3 mills).

[Casey Carr]

You can only do anodizing to aluminum as Steve stated. I would tend to lean towards taking it off the lift, yes, you'll lose the anodizing on the edge or both edges if you want to keep it centered, but it'll just be on the edges that you won't see. It's aluminum, so it's not going to rust either. I've also never taken my lift out of my router table. Where else are you going to use it?

You could even do it yourself with a disc sander or belt sander. Bit of work for an 1/4", but it'll save the cost of a machine shop. And you can keep checking for fit as you go.

[Keith Starosta]

Well, the lift is definitely aluminum. I took the plunge, and opted to trim the lift plate on the TS using a carbide-tipped blade. I took very, very light passes until I had an exact, snug fit. Just for grins, I inspected the blade after the cuts, and all seemed fine.

It wasn't until I got the lift fitted into the opening that I realized the lift is also 3/32" too thick. I chucked up small straight bit into my Colt, and have already got one of the undersides milled to fit. The other three side will wait until the morning.

Thanks for the help and suggestions, guys. I really appreciate all of the input!

- Keith


Lift1.jpg

[Carl Babel]

So, how did it go? Is the lift in the wing?