Wednesday In The Shop

   I am writing this entry this evening, and tomorrow after the shellac, and Hand Rubbed Poly dry, you can see the result of a long days learning.  Now you just read about it.

   The morning began with me filled with ambition.  Mark Eaton the router guru is a friend and collegue of mind from my KREG tool days.  Everytime I see Mark at a woodshow he inspires me to get the dust off  my router table and do something other than round overs with it.  Usually the inspiration passes and life quietly goes on.  This time, I WAS INSPIRED.

   So...this morning I went to my shop to make a Box Joint Jig for my small router table.  I have a piece of 1/4 inch high density plastic suitable for making jigs and a piece of 1/2 baltic birch ply that both of which  I bought for this purpose. ( some time ago).

  The first part of the task was to put my Triton 2 1/2 hp router into the large router table and put my little old PC router into the small router table.  The Triton router has some sort of problem.  It will not go all the way down on the guide rods and so I can't change the router bit once it is in the table.  Of this I was not aware until I had mounted the router.  To add to the days fun, I couldn't find the 1/4 collet for the PC router.  Naturally I realized none of these things  until I have drilled screwed fitted etc. etc. etc.

   The next step was to put my other Triton Router into the large table, after taking out the spring.  I tried to fit any of my other old 1/4 collet routers into the small table.  NO LUCK.  The router plate is already holey and I didn't want to drill more holes, nor did I want to stray out into the blizzard to buy bolts had I have drilled the holes.( I would have had to walk today, my wife was off with the car)  {the weather was so appalling crappy I wouldn't have wanted to go out in the car anyway}

   Finally after some more searching I was able to find the 1/4 collet for the Porter Cable router and get it mounted on the small router table. (sort of )  (that will have to be revisited soon)  I also mounted a switch onto the small table because the on/off switch on the Porter Cable router is a true pain to reach, it also moves as the body of the router turns in raising and lowering the bit. Personally, I don't think it is safe to go fumbling around looking for the on/off switch.
    
  The large table is a project for another time.

   With the 1/4 inch router bit on the small router table I cut a groove in the Baltic birch ply, then I drilled a hole for the bit to peak through.  Cutting the platic was a bit of a trick, I sandwiched it between two pieces of wood and ripped the sandwich to size.  I kept the meat and threw out the bread.

    I glued the beast together and retired to lunchen. ( that was four hours of fussing, searching and tinting the air bluish)

   After lunch I went to work to learn how to use the Box Joint Jig.  I am a simple man I guess, I think it is cool. 

  Photos to follow tomorrow.