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I start marking where I want the holes for the bolt. I cannot center the hole on the
side since a centered bolt would hit a centered bolt from the other piece. So, I measured
3/4" down from the top. The sides will get the holes here; the ends will get the
holes marked from the bottom. That way they will not interfere with each other.
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This view will give you an idea of the offsets better. |
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With the dowel jig lined up on each of the marks, the drilling goes quickly. |
Next, I want to drill a hole for the cross-dowel. I line it up on the piece to figure how far in I should make that hole. When tightened down, I want the bolt to be through the cross-dowel and just an 1/8" beyond. |
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Here is a test piece, and the hole is right where I want it. |
Here is where the old doweling jig worked well. I have rotated the head to allow for a larger bit, but the bit's centering is still in line with the previous drillings, which is exactly what I want. I use a drill stop to drill to the right depth. You want to make test holes for this. Ideally the barrel should be down only as far as it is necessary for the screw hole to be lined up with the bolt's hole. Trial and error will get you the right depth and less time later spent "fishing" for the barrel. |
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With the turret back to the 1/4" hole and centered now on the 1 1/2" leg, I can make my bolt holes. I have to remember that the ends and sides get holes at different offsets. |
I grind each of the connector bolts to a sharp end. This helps to "assist" the lining up of the bolt and the barrel connector. |
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I fasten each of the apron pieces in position. When drawn tight, these corners are very strong. |
With the router top resting in place, I try the fit of the assembly. It is perfect. The router table top is just 1/8" lower than the saw's top — this is what I need for adding a leveler system to the top. When installed, I want to be able to level both tops exactly. |
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Before I go further, I want to lock all the many bolts of the wheel assemblies. I remove every nut, add a small drop of Crazy Glue (gel) and return the nut. I do not want this mobile base to be causing problems down the road. |
Also, it is a great time to
give the wood pieces two coats of gloss polyurethane —for protection and looks.
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