Can the router table serve as
a joiner? About 6 years ago I was preparing a technical manual on a router table and the
manufacturer insisted that it could work. I set it up and was amazed at how well it
worked. Now you can see by the pic at right that I have not abandoned my 6" long bed
joiner, but in the pictures below I will demonstrate how it is done.
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If your router table has a
split fence as does this one from Woodhaven, it is a simple matter of loosening the screws
on the left hand side and slipping in shim material. I use a scrap of Formica in which I
have cut slots to go around the screws. There are many ways to shim the left hand fence
out. For me, using Formica is fast, simple and accurate. I just slide the shim in place
and re-tighten the screws.
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With the router unplugged, I install a straight cutting bit. This one has a pattern
bearing which is useful for setting the depth of cut accurately but you can use any
straight bit. The bearing isn't used but for setup.
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Then, install the router and
adjust the fence so that the left-side of fence is in exact alignment with the straight
bit bearing. The gap between the straight edge and the right fence should equal the
Formica shim thickness. Be sure to move the two fences as close as possible to the
bit—as a matter of practice, I leave about 1/8" space around the bit.
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Now
I can plug the router back in. (By the way, I do unplug my router every time I change
bits. Adding handy switch boxes and outlets makes it easy ... and saves my back.)
I plug a vacuum cleaner into one outlet so that the on/off switch controls
both the router and the vacuum and sawdust removal is almost automatic.
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This combined photo should tell
it all. I feed the stock from the right keeping the board against the right-hand, infeed
fence. If the left-hand, outfeed, side is set properly, the board will fit snugly against
it as it leaves the cutter. The inset photo in the corner shows the straight down view of
the cutter, the cut and the infeed and outfeed planes.
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When I am joining boards, I first place them together and mark the boards with a light
"arc" witness mark. Then, I run one board with the mark down and the other one
with the mark facing up. This way, if the router is not exactly 90o, the joint
will still be perfect. I do this when using the jointer as well.
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The two boards have a great
matching edge the entire length after just one pass. The router table as jointer does
work. As I said at the beginning, this doesn't mean that I will sell my jointer...but it
is always nice to have various ways to do the job well. And for those people who are
building their shop, this method can be employed until they are ready to purchase a
jointer.
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Here I am using an 8 foot level to guide me in setting height of two roller stands. They
can be very useful to support the weight of longer boards.
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Here I am edging an eight
footer of curly maple. With the left hand keeping the board against the fence and the
right hand feeding the board, the jointing goes smoothly.
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