Router sled

[Phil_S]

Someone asked for pictures of my router sled. This is about as primitive as it gets. The only thing I had to buy for this were the longer M4 screws to mount the router to the plate. I was mistaken in my memory of a few things. The router is not mounted, but I think you can imagine what that looks like.

I cut the router plate using the router with a homemade circle jig. The circle jig is real easy to make. Look on youtube for ideas. Mine is made from a piece of scrap Masonite and uses a couple of bolts and wing nuts.

The shelf bracket holders you see were something I had laying around. They are 7' long. They don't need to be anywhere near that long, but I didn't want to cut them in case I decide to use them for their intended purpose. These are old and the metal is heavy. I'm unsure if modern ones are as good. I was really surprised that when oriented with the open side like a C how stiff they are. They don't give at all under the weight of the router and plate. The shelf brackets are only needed for wide work pieces.

I really need to install a removable stop on each edge of the plate to keep the router from sliding off the rails into the work. This can be just about anything: 4 bolts, a block of wood, a piece of L aluminum, etc. I will do that before I use it again.

The pictures show
1) Plate.
2) Rabbet on the top edge of the plate to accommodate the shelf bracket holders.
3) Plate with the bracket holders in place -- I didn't bother to screw them into the sides as this is just show and tell.
4) Rails on the work table. This are about 2" x 2". The exact dimension isn't critical. They need to be true to give you uniform height from the table. These have been outside all winter and now I'll have to figure out how to true them up again. These can be screwed into the work table or clamped, depending on the size of the work piece.
5) and 6) The work piece held by wedges. Once knocked into place, it is a solid hold.
7) The plate over the work piece. Imagine the router on top ;-}
If the work piece is wide, this shows the shelf bracket holders extending the width of the plate. I could just cut a longer plate instead and probably will at some point.

[Phil_S]

4 more pictures.

[katopan]

Thanks Phil_S. I want to make one of these at some point but keep getting caught up on simplicity vs. function. Yours looks very straight forward.

[JazzGuitarGimp]

I'm not the one who asked for the pics, but I'm glad you posted them. I've been following along, trying to envision how it works. I wish I had more space (and time for that matter) for my woodshop. But as it is, I only go out there when something (which never has anything to do with music) absolutely needs to get done

[cbass]

Dang Phil that thing is huge . you're a regular sawmill

[katopan]

Bit I keep getting caught up on too is how to you ensure that your rails are actually flat? I've seen PVC pipe, steel square section and other things as well as wood. But it's the old how do you flatten the wood for your router sled which you're then going to use to flatten wood.

[cbass]

I agree with kato you need some angle iron or something for your railsmto ride on .

[Phil_S]

So you like it cbass?

I used those wood rails to flatten the table. You see they are about 7' long to carry the router to the end of the 6' table. It was a year or two ago, so I don't remember the details. I should have taken pictures.

I made some sort of jig that made sure the 2 rails were the same dimension on one side. These rails are not square, they are rectangles, so they won't work in any old rotation. I screwed them into the sides of the table and made the sled to level the table. I used a block of wood to set the height of the rail to the table, so it didn't matter about the exact dimension. What mattered was that it was uniform for all 4 corners of the rails. It did an A+ job. I did it with the crappy Craftsman router that I've since retired. I kept the rails figuring I'd need to level the table again because outside nothing is stable. Right now, I've got to find a way to re-mill those rails without a table saw.

I've been working on a solution that uses a 1/4" thick aluminum plate and a couple of short 4x4's. I am not solving that problem. The idea of a free hanging router table is looking very appealing for this job and I can use the work table for the outfeed. I am sure this can be done. I just need to think it through. I also need to back out all the screws from the top and replace them with dowels so I don't ruin whatever new milling bit I buy.

Katopan: whatever you do, focus on the most important task you need to get done and build your rig for that. Don't attempt to make it a one size fits all solution. Keep it as simple as you can and with that you will get a good result. When you make it complicated, it's much harder to make it work right.

[Cantplay]

Maybe screw down a couple pieces of Kindorf B-905 strip as rails?

Its pretty straight, and when you place it you'll see any gaps below that need shims to keep it from bending when screwed tight.

John

[katopan]

Katopan: whatever you do, focus on the most important task you need to get done and build your rig for that. Don't attempt to make it a one size fits all solution. Keep it as simple as you can and with that you will get a good result. When you make it complicated, it's much harder to make it work right.

Good advise Phil. I'm currently building a sheet metal brake after years of "thinking it through". I have a need now and it's turning out nothing like I had previously thought but is simple and I'm pretty confident it will work well. You're right - I need to apply the same thinking to a router sled.

[Phil_S]

Open your mind and look around. Slice off some rails from an old door. There is 4" or so around the perimeter that is perfect. Even better, cut out the middle and save the perimeter. Clamp it down to a piece of MDF and you're in business.

Here in the USA, you can buy a cheap door at the big box store. Even that has a solid frame around the edge. It's perfect.

Width isn't critical, only height.

Got an old metal bed frame? Good metal rails there.

Take a walk around the big box hardware store. You will see something that is reasonably priced and not intended for what you will want to use it for. I'd avoid round things like pipe.

[cbass]

I like your sled. I think you'd be better off using some sort of metal for your sled to ride on. But if you can surface two boards and the faces mate together perfect then it's good enough

[Phil_S]

I like your sled. I think you'd be better off using some sort of metal for your sled to ride on. But if you can surface two boards and the faces mate together perfect then it's good enough

I'll build a sled to level the faces so I can have a sled that works right I'll look around for something more suitable next time I visit the Home Despot. I wonder if they make square PVC. It would be real nice to have something that's reasonably strong and rigid, but light weight.

What do you think about cutting a piece of MDF into ~2" wide strips and stacking them? I've got more shelf material, same as the router plate, that is in good condition and seems perfectly flat when I put a metal yardstick on it. A stack 2-high is 1.5", and that's plenty. There goes the light weight thing.

[cbass]

If you have some hardwood distributors or cabinet supply places you might be able to get birch ply pretty reasonable . I get 13 ply 3/4 for about 33 bucks a sheet . MDF is OK and I comes perfectly flat but it doesn't stay that way if it's spanning much .
Birch is gonna hold screws,staples nails etc about a million times better
MDF should be fine though speacualy if you already gots it

[cbass]

Here's axpic of my table this one isn't portable but you get the idea