Horizontal Router, Thank You Jim Kountz!

[Mac McAtee]

Inspired by Jim Kountz, I started building an horizontal router. I took some of Jim's suggestions about improvments and other options for the ways that the sliding tables move on. They are made from Incra "T" tracks and Nylon "T" Track slides that Woodpecker's sells.

I went a little further than Jim did by using the "T" Track with the measuring rule attached. That part of the system is not complete yet, I haven't put a stop with adjustable locators on the tracks yet.

I did add a curser on each table so you can set it on an inch mark and then measure the movement of the tables. These don't show up too well in the pictures in that they are clear plastic. But they are located where you see the little black plastic knobs. I made the clear plastic curser plates out of a clear napkin holder I found in the local grocery store. It was fairly heavy plastic and had two upright parts that formed a nice right angle once I cut them out of the rest of the holder. I put a long slot in the upright part of the plastic and scratched a index mark in the horizontal part. Now you just loosen the black knob and slide the plastic curser till it lines up with an inch mark. Then when you move the tables you can read the movement very accurately.

This is still a work in progress but it is too the point now that it can be used. I intend to disassemble it, varnish the bare wood and put it back together. Right now I am not happy with the handles that operate the tables. The eye bolts that I used for operating rods perhaps should be 5/16" instead of 1/4", the would be a little more sturdy.

I am going to post pictures with this but don't know if I can put all three of them on here at one time or if I have to post them one at a time.

Thanks again to Jim!

[Alan Tolchinsky]

made. I like the green surface and your control rods for moving the table. Great job! Alan in Md.

[Nathan Hoffman]

I was just looking for plans for something like this!

It seems like it would be easy to accidentally move the lower table when trying to move the upper and vice versa. Is that the case? I really like the whole idea, and I have a Harbor Freight plunge router that would be great dedicated to a machine like this.

With this machine on hand, will you use floating tenons a lot, or can you make tenons as well as mortises?

Thanks for sharing!

[Daniel Rabinovitz]

Mac
I love it!
Great engineering and the levers - wonderful!
Daniel

[Chris Padilla]

We need more details...we need more details...we need more details!! Please! Not that I need another project but what the hey!

[Byron Trantham]

Hey Mac, do you use that rolling pin to fine tune your adjustments?

Really does look nice. What is the green finish, phenolic, paint, formica? I like my red formica but that green does look classier!

[Mac McAtee]

Now Byron,
You got a good eye to pick that out. About 25 years ago I needed something to catch boards coming off my table saw. I looked around for something to use that would allow the boards to move but would support the weight.

I settled on a rolling pin that is mounted on a stem made of 3/4" pipe with 1/2" pipe sliding inside, there is a thumb screw to hold the rolling pin at the correct distance from the floor, depending on which machine I use it on. The 3/4" is stuck into a big block of white oak to give it stability.

[Mac McAtee]

The green finish on the plywood is a phenolic coated 3/4" plywood sheet that I bought at the new Woodcraft store that opened in Greensboro recently. It is in their catalog also. I thought it would add a nice touch to the machine.

[Byron Trantham]

Now Byron,
You got a good eye to pick that out. About 25 years ago I needed something to catch boards coming off my table saw. I looked around for something to use that would allow the boards to move but would support the weight.

I settled on a rolling pin that is mounted on a stem made of 3/4" pipe with 1/2" pipe sliding inside, there is a thumb screw to hold the rolling pin at the correct distance from the floor, depending on which machine I use it on. The 3/4" is stuck into a big block of white oak to give it stability.

Mac, I can't believe it! I have thought about using rolling pins for just that application. The regular ones (outfeed rollers) are soooo expensive!

I still like the green finish - my wife is Irish!

[Mac McAtee]

Nathan,
I have thought about the two tables moving issue and until I give it a test run I won't know how stable one table will be while moving the other one. I do intend to add stop blocks to the tables that will limit the distance the table will travel. For example if you want a mortise that is 3/4" long you will be able limit the top table travel to that distance.

If I do find a problem with a table moving when I don't want it to i will add some kind of locking device to the system.

As far as use, what I have in mind is to use it to make the mortise and my table saw to make the tenons. But, I also intend to investigate making floating tenons and see what I think of them.

And, as I said, this is still under construction. I have to make the table hold downs and work out a few other details. Thinking about dust collection for it also.

[Mac McAtee]

Byron,
You can just barely see it in the photo but the pipe support rod is there, as i said 1/2" pipe accordioned inside some 3/4" pipe and a thumb screw, that you can just see below the pin sticking out of the pipe. The handles of the rolling pin are held in a cradle made out of a 2X4 with some uprights that have notches in them to hold the handles in place.

[david wynn]

Hi Mac. Been here for a while...came over from the Knots forum.

You will find that your h. router table will immediately pay dividends. If you do a lot of M&T joints, you'd definitely want to go with floating joints to exploit the table. You'll also find that you can do some other things much easier too...it will really open up possibilities.

I like the simple solution for linear travel. Let me know how well it works. I also made a table but used linear bearings and was more complicated than it needed to be.