Crazyraceguy
Member
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2015
- Messages
- 4,901
I made a quick little "proof of concept" part to solve a problem we have had with the big beam saw for quite some time. While there is a keyboard tray with some mousepad space next to it, that's about it. There are really no other horizontal surfaces to set something as simple as a cutlist/pattern. You always end up crowding the keyboard over or setting it (in the way) on the keyboard itself. The table underneath is a no-go because that is not only the working surface, it's an air-cushion, so your papers won't stay in place anyway.
The attempt to cure this is a small platform, but this has restrictions too. This is a very expensive machine, that is not mine, so no drilling/screws, etc. My first idea was a lower ring that would clamp solidly around the vertical column. Then the second clipboard looking panel that would clamp above it, but stay loose, so it could rotate. Then it could be pushed out of the way, if needed. No permanent marks or holes. After the first test fit, I opened up the hole in the clipboard to allow it to tilt down a little. This was a Saturday project, in my spare time, so no practical use yet. We'll see how it goes next week.
While making it though I got a question from a coworker about the circle cutting jig. It is nothing special, at least I thought so, but apparently not so common?
I have a few of them for different size ranges. I made them myself, so I just drill the center hole wherever I need for specific sizes. The "unique" part is the mounting method. Actually, that's why he noticed it, there is no "mounting" of the router to the jig. It simply fits into the jig by a bushing that fits into a hole in the plate itself. The beauty of this method is that the router doesn't spin around the hole that it is cutting, since it can spin in the bushing. This means that the cord is not getting wound around and twisted up. The router stays in the same orientation all the way around. I came up with this design many years ago because of that exact problem.
This happens to be on a Makita compact, but would work with any router that can take a bushing.
The attempt to cure this is a small platform, but this has restrictions too. This is a very expensive machine, that is not mine, so no drilling/screws, etc. My first idea was a lower ring that would clamp solidly around the vertical column. Then the second clipboard looking panel that would clamp above it, but stay loose, so it could rotate. Then it could be pushed out of the way, if needed. No permanent marks or holes. After the first test fit, I opened up the hole in the clipboard to allow it to tilt down a little. This was a Saturday project, in my spare time, so no practical use yet. We'll see how it goes next week.
While making it though I got a question from a coworker about the circle cutting jig. It is nothing special, at least I thought so, but apparently not so common?
I have a few of them for different size ranges. I made them myself, so I just drill the center hole wherever I need for specific sizes. The "unique" part is the mounting method. Actually, that's why he noticed it, there is no "mounting" of the router to the jig. It simply fits into the jig by a bushing that fits into a hole in the plate itself. The beauty of this method is that the router doesn't spin around the hole that it is cutting, since it can spin in the bushing. This means that the cord is not getting wound around and twisted up. The router stays in the same orientation all the way around. I came up with this design many years ago because of that exact problem.
This happens to be on a Makita compact, but would work with any router that can take a bushing.
