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A
number of times, I have mentioned some of the great ideas that I have gotten from watching
Marc Sommerfeld demonstrate router practices.
This may be the wrong place, but I will summarize some of the
"tricks" he does when using the CMT/Sommerfeld Junior Panel Raising bit.
He uses the Hitachi 12V, so it is that router that I will use. Most of his
"tricks" can be applied to any larger, variable speed router.
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I started by removing the head of the
router from the base. There are two guide posts and springs. I remove the springs since
they help support the weight of the router head when plunging manually but work against
you when it is mounted in the table.
Be aware that there is a small brass round that will come loose. This brass
must be put in place at the lock lever position. Don't lose it.
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This shows the base
plate before I started to make changes. The arrows point to the two "ears" that
are designed to hold guide bushings. I don't use these bushings, particularly in the
router table setup, so I will remove the "ears" first.
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A metal cutting blade in
my saber saw does the cutting very well. The casting actually has a molded circumference
ring which I used as the guide. A little hand filing completed the job.
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The completed
baseplate. This will give much better access to the collet and will allow me to use the
larger diameter bits.
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One of Marc's great ideas is to add two
1/2" "O-rings" to the base of the collet. These soft rubber rings will keep
the bit from bottoming out.
With these in place, I can seat router bits that are part of a
matched set. Each bit will be in alignment with the other bits. For the raised panel sets,
this is truly a big plus.
If you have watched Marc's demos and see him go from one bit to another
without checking bit height, this is why he can do this without effecting accuracy.
[Note: these O-rings are available at plumbing supply stores. They are used
for faucets. I managed to get them at Home Depot where they have an extensive O-ring and
washer display. O-rings are marked with O.D. - I.D. and then thickness. The O-rings I got
are 1/2 X 5/16 X 3/32. The first measurement should match your collet width.]
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The next thing I will do is drill a
hole in the shaft locking lever. Before I drill the hole, I want to totally cover every
possible motor intake hole—I sure don't want any metal dust in the motor.
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I have carefully set the motor
housing in the bench vise and am now drilling a 9/32" hole. I will be adding a
1/4" threaded rod. The threaded rod will allow me to engage the shaft lock from the
table's edge.
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