Monday, August 2, 2010

Tables and Tools Part II - Router and Framing Saw


I have two more tools on heavy plywood bases for fixed positioning on my Work Mate tables. The first is a venerable Sears router. Routers are cheap when compared to the router bits. I usually charge a client 30% of a bits cost if I need to buy a new one for their job. I'm up-front on the charge and list it on the client's Invoice. If you count all the bits shown plus those I could fit on the router table their combined cost - at $25 to $50 per bit, is the most expensive item in my woodworking stable since I must have 50+ bits. [When I get to my Festool woodworking tools, the best in the world in my opinion, no single tools exceeds this cost.]



As always, in the desire to maximize space, the router table when not in use sits on an old bookcase and serves as a two levels storage unit. The only downside is when I need to use the router it might take 3 to 4 minutes to move all the items stored there to my workbench.




The final table top tool is a manual extended base NOBEX Proman framing system. When it's stop is used I can achieve consistent length cuts to within 1/64". The stop works from about 12" lengths to just under 48". In this photo the black knob above the saw blade, to the right of the back holding frame, is the lock for the stop. This tool is critical for the construction of "true square" glass or wood frames. True square means the two diagonals of a rectangular shape are the same length. I usually get to within 1/16" on diagonal lengths in the 24" to 48" range. You can see the front bolt used to secure the long framing system to my Workmate 425 table.

As seems the case, when you find a tool you really like the manufacturer drops it. About 4 years ago I found that NOBEX was dropping the Proman line for their larger framing system, So I bought a 20 year supply, for me, of the 24 TPI (for wood) and the 32 TPI (for soft metal like zinc and brass).

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