Need advice on clamping & fencing for my router

[griffindodd]

Hi guys,

I took my first stab at routing this weekend and came away with a decent enough result for a speaker panel, but I wanted to know if I'm making my life wayyyyy to difficult for myself.




My main problem is setting up fencing especially when working as close to the edge of the panel as I was in this piece. I use a B&D Workmate for clamping my work as my benches are too thick for my clamps. Doing the inside edges of my speaker openings wasn't too bad as the fences lay on the panel I was working on. But trying to work on the outside edges started to get super difficult as I had to compensate for the width of the router, the heigh of the 1/2 MDF and then be able to clamp fences on another seperate piece of 1/2"MDF. Overall it was a huge and rather difficult pain in the buttocks.

What would your workspace look like when fencing up this particular panel for this job? It's 27"x22" and has cutouts for the speaker sound along with a 1/8" ridge to support mesh and seating of the speakers themselves.

[yaksplat]

This is what I use on my router.

http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-RA1054-Deluxe-Extraction-Adapter/dp/B00005RHPP

But you're still going to have the same problem for the outside corner.  You have occasional cuts that take 10x as long as all of your other cuts combined.  But that's part of woodworking.  The trick is to make it look like there was no additional effort.  Your first one looks good, I'd just do the same thing again, even as much of a pain in the balls that it was.

[griffindodd]

Ok thanks for the advice. I have no problem with the 10x longer setup as long as I'm not making things harder for myself than is required.

I have a 50" flat clamp guide on the way which should be helpful in the future, also a nice little edge guide and circle set with an offset base for baring work. I also grabbed a nice Porter Cable router table and fence off CL for $30 whish was a steal. At some point I may invest in one of those guides you linked to for precise smaller work. I think between all those bits and pieces I'll start to find my way as I get more experience in problem solving different routing problems.

[griffindodd]

I was thinking it may be worth making some 'edge cut' panels of various thicknesses that I just keep on hand for this type of situation for positioning work and having a level surface to clamp to.

[griffindodd]

Oh an while we are the subject of Bosch gear and routers. The one I got from eBay took an impact in shipping and it fractured the bar that the micro adjuster knob turns on top of the router. The bar ended up breaking and the knob came clear off with half of the bar still attached to it. 

It doesn't stop me from using the router for this kind of work right now, but I would like to get it fixed to get back that micro-adjustment in time for channeling my side panels for my T-Molding.

Any suggestions?

[yaksplat]

Any suggestions?

Contact Bosch. They also have a pretty good parts site where you cun purchase just about anything if they don't replace it for you.

[griffindodd]

I had a look around and it looks like it's a cheap enough part, from looking at this diagram would you agree that it is #40 the 'Adjustment Sleeve'?

http://www.toolpartsdirect.com/cgi-bin/schematic.cgi/bosch/1613AEVS.639

It's the actual metal rod that the micro adjust knob attaches to.

http://www.ereplacementparts.com/adjusting-sleeve-p-49853.html

[griffindodd]

Ordered from Sears. $10 ($19 inc. shipping and tax), should be here before the end of the month. Then I just have to work out how to install it 

[yaksplat]

A couple screws and you're in good shape.  Looks like a pretty easy part to replace.

[griffindodd]

Thanks Yak, your my guru of woodworking info