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Pin Router Arm (Pt.3) - Setting up

12/17/2008 3:00:00 PM by tikka

Pin Router Arm

Part 3

In this 3rd and final part of the blog, I will deal with the setting up of the Arm and the use of the Styli

Above you can see the method of attachment I am using for my arm, the "T" track allows for easy adjustment in the front /back position, whilst the arm, secured with the wing nut allows for left/right positioning.

If on your router table you do not have a "T" rack, you could of course use clamps to fix the arm in position, however, I would recommend that you attach some 180g sandpaper to the base of the arm, to add some additional friction and reduce the arm slipping on the polished surface. I found the use of these ratchet clamps easier to use than conventional "G", "C" or "F" clamps.

Here you can see the centering stylus - the pin is made to fit snugly in the corresponding indent in the router bit. The size or the type of the router bit used is unimportant, as long as it has an indentation on the top of the bit for the stylus to fit.

You can see with the router bit securely clamped in the collet the centering stylus locating the arm in the correct position.

To adjust and center the arm, it is just a simple combination of moving the arm in the X & Y axis and clamping the Pin router arm securely . The accuracy of the work you produce will depend upon the accuracy of this setup.

Above, a test piece is under way, I have used some 1/4" MDF as the template and the target is some 1" Beech. I use double sided carpet tape to secure the template on the workpiece.

The router bit is flush (or just under the table top height), the work piece is then slit into position with the stylus lowered into position allowing free movement. I would suggest that you take a dry run before raising the bit and switching on the router. Note I am using a close fitting insert (especially important with smaller work pieces) to support the work.

When you are happy that the work piece can run correctly under the pin, it is time to start routing. with the workpiece held firmly in place by hand, switch on the motor and raise the bit about 1/16" and make the first pass, then raise the bit again and make a second and subsequent passes until the desired depth is obtained.

If you try to cut too much in depth on the first pass, you may end up with a ragged edge in the the left sample (about 1/8" cutting depth). The sample on the right was cut in two passes, 1/16" each - the result is a much cleaner cut. Also if you try to rout out too much material in one pass, you may find that the router pulls the template away from the stylus. Especially watch out when turning corners (change of direction).

Here is the result of the test cut (1/4" wide * 1/8" deep). the inside corners are quite sharp, but the outside corners will require some cleaning up and refining with a sharp chisel. As you can see my little helper, made an extremely close inspection, and finally approved the operation.

Above is the finished item for the template used (1/8" wide), the false drawer out line was chased in with a chisel.

There is nothing to stop you using for example a 1/4" guide stylus with a 1/16" bit or vise versa. Experiment and you will find a lot of uses for this simple project.

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