Getting serious about routers

[pinkmouse]

Here's a close up of the guide bush in the base:

[hayenc]

I have bought a number of reconditioned Bosch tools and never had a problem with any of them. The only concern is that often I can get the same tool new as part of a package deal and it is actually cheaper in the package deal. Why I actually look at Amazon's prices for tools.

Craig

[seventenths]

... another happy Porter Cable 690 user here. Get the COMBO!


7/10

[loninappleton]

Originally posted by pinkmouse


Though a table router is a nice tool, you don't need one for flush mounting drivers. You just need to make a jig, ( you would need to do this anyway even with a table router), and use a guide bush in the base of your router.

Gareth,

What I want to do is make a fresh thread called "Flush mounting drivers: The whole story" as reference.

Please join me for that discussion and we can go through the techniques-- perhaps with the help of your pictures (I can't do pictures.) There seems no one source for this kind of info-- I've looked at Fine Woodworking (subscription required) and the like and have not found all the details.

[pinkmouse]

Who's Gareth?

[gareth]

Hi lonina,

It was 'pinkmouse' who supplied the pictures, not myself. Although I am sure everybody here will help and provide you with lots of tips (and photos) if you want, I can't see there being any problems. There are some really knowledgeable people here, and I would be glad to help if I can.

I would like to add this though, the use of router tables has been mentioned previously and if you are not too confident then I suppose the table could help, but, I don't know anybody over here that uses one (except workshops) and really speaking there is not much you can't achieve with a Workmate or two saw horses (and a sheet of ply or MDF) and some fairly decent clamps. I suppose it depends on how much cash you want to outlay. Consequently, using your machine by hand will help to improve your technique for future use, afterall some jobs can't be completed on a router table.

The choice is yours really.

Gareth

[loninappleton]

Originally posted by pinkmouse
Who's Gareth?

Sorry, my bad. Must've been something int he corner of my eye.

The new thread is started in the forum group everything else called
Flush mounting speakers: the whole story.

I started out with what I know about rebateing round ones.

About tables.

A preview of the discussion on the Rodney Buike technique
is that a table mounted router is used without a fence or other doo-dads that are sold for router tables.

The technique to make a a template described by Buike has the
driver bolted face down to a piece with the hole cut for the
driver and trimmed close.

The table mounted router is used as a spindle shaper. A flush trim bit with bearing is used to shape away the waste and leave the
first template shape of the speaker flange. The bearing makes contact with the flange and that gives the true shape of the flange.

The transfer process then goes through a couple more steps using
different side bearings.

The end result is to have a jig made that the router can accurately follow.

I don't think it will infringe on copyright if, at some point, I give the
complete parts list. But all this should go in the other thread:

I'll give the thread link after I reload this.

[loninappleton]

Originally posted by loninappleton


Sorry, my bad. Must've been something int he corner of my eye.

The new thread is started in the forum group everything else called
Flush mounting speakers: the whole story.

I started out with what I know about rebateing round ones.

About tables.

A preview of the discussion on the Rodney Buike technique
is that a table mounted router is used without a fence or other doo-dads that are sold for router tables.

The technique to make a a template described by Buike has the
driver bolted face down to a piece with the hole cut for the
driver and trimmed close.

The table mounted router is used as a spindle shaper. A flush trim bit with bearing is used to shape away the waste and leave the
first template shape of the speaker flange. The bearing makes contact with the flange and that gives the true shape of the flange.

The transfer process then goes through a couple more steps using
different side bearings.

The end result is to have a jig made that the router can accurately follow.

I don't think it will infringe on copyright if, at some point, I give the
complete parts list. But all this should go in the other thread:

I'll give the thread link after I reload this.

Flush mounting speakers: the whole story

[loninappleton]

Originally posted by pinkmouse
Here's a close up of the guide bush in the base:

Frankly I am just learning all this about bushings and bearings.

I'm studying the picture here and I see how the bushing should match the depth of the template.

The question before that is how to get cutout exact so as to look good as a repeatable procedure.

I am not looking for techniques for business. I have only done a few cabinets in my life. This is just to refine how I can do things with
preferably minimal gear.

Continuing with the Buike technique, once the shaped template
is made the screw holes from the speaker are used to register the
piece on the second blank.

Then, the second blank piece is drilled to accept an outer pass by a bearing bit.

This template cutout will then be larger than the first by the depth of the bit and bearing, say 3/8 inches. The final template will have a 1/8 in. clearance after the jig is complete.

Now before anybody starts to follow this, there are some things from Buike for setup I have not included. I will talk about those
but this is to clarify the difference between using a bushing and a template made freehand and one using the shaping technique.

Pinkmouse I'm hoping you can help with this with a full set of pictures. This should be made permanent some way. Also I hope that a technique can be simplified as much as possible.

Doing it free hand, the corner radiuses are always off by a bit.
And with a curved side on the flange, I've hand trimmed with a knife to get that looking smooth. The goal is to have a repeatable shape
with identical corners etc.

[pinkmouse]

In a rush as I'm just about to eat my dinner, but I will post some more pics at some point. It's a shame you didn't start this thread a few weeks ago as I could have fully documented the process whilst building my latest boxes.