Has anyone done this?

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LL Woodworks

LL Woodworks

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I need to mount a trim router on the bed of my Jet Mini Lathe. My original concept idea was to mount the router in a baltic birch cradle so it is on ceter. The cradle then mounted to a set of rails that will allow horizontal (right to left) movement. Has anyone done this or does anyone has any conceptional design ideas and/or suggestions on how to accomplish this.

To clarify the lathe in the pic is not my Jet Mini and the trim router shown may or may not be the one used. If I can accomplish this with the Ryobi cordless I will - if not I'll buy a corded Porter Cable or DeWalt.

I appreciate any help as I'm not much of a design engineer.

Once again thanks for any ideas and suggestions.
 

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seamus7227 said:
you ought to check with Skiprat. I think he has shown a set-up where he has used a router to create some of his beautiful works of art!
Click to expand...

I have communicated with him and his setup is with a full size lathe (looks like it could be a metal lathe) that has fancy tool rest, router attachment capabilities. I do not have that kind of resource. Thanks for the thought an suggestion
 
Building a wooden box is not difficult but that isn't a great solution as you want to feed the router smoothly into and through the work. I consider my self pretty confident and fairly mechanically minded but I find that approach a bit un-nerving:biggrin:

My suggestion is to buy a compound table and rig up a router holder like in my pics or to mount it across the lathe bed if you want to use the lathe for indexing. Here's a link to my old thread

Compound tables aren't really expensive and they are easy to clamp stuff too. The great thing is the smoothness afforded by the crank.

Good luck.

I've got pics here somewhere with the same table mounted to my wood lathe. I'll see if I can find them:wink:
 
Just to clarify...
Lynn wants to cut perpendicular to the lathe centre, not cut flutes parralel to it. :wink:
Sure, the jigs shown so far could be made/modified to go across the bed, but you still end up feeding by hand.
I'm sure I once saw a compound table at Harbor Freight that was ideal and very cheap ( in comparison to UK anyway ) but I can't find it now. :frown:
 
That's the one Mike. Here's a similar one on ebay for less than $83 and it even has a Buy it Now.

The other big advantage of using a compound table is that you can use the number of cranks to index too:biggrin:

Heck, you can even mount a regular metal lathe tool post and then you have a pretty good lathe for turning small metal pen parts with reasonable precision too. :biggrin:
 
skiprat said:
Just to clarify...
Lynn wants to cut perpendicular to the lathe centre, not cut flutes parralel to it. :wink:

I'm sure I once saw a compound table at Harbor Freight that was ideal and very cheap ( in comparison to UK anyway ) but I can't find it now. :frown:
Click to expand...

mredburn said:
an x y compound table? G5757 Compound Slide Table
g5757.jpg
Click to expand...

skiprat said:
That's the one Mike. Here's a similar one on ebay for less than $83 and it even has a Buy it Now.

The other big advantage of using a compound table is that you can use the number of cranks to index too:biggrin:

Heck, you can even mount a regular metal lathe tool post and then you have a pretty good lathe for turning small metal pen parts with reasonable precision too. :biggrin:
Click to expand...

Thanks guys, I would have never thought of a compound table - That is the ticket. A router fixture is no problem, but a compound table wasn't in my though process. See what I mean about not being a design engineer. Thanks again
 
I am currently trying to build one using a H.F. cross slide vice. My idea is to use the vice to clamp down the router and still be able to move it in and out and side to side with the vice, clamped to the bed of the lathe.
 
I'm sure you can figure a neat way to hold the router on the table but shout if you need any ideas.:wink:

Now you have to do us a favour.......:rolleyes:
Forgive me, but I know male and female 'Lynns' and although it doesn't matter either way, it makes it easier to use words like 'he' or 'she' if you know the person's gender. I've seen posts referring to you as both, but you haven't corrected anyone. :biggrin:

Please choose one...:tongue: for us ignoramouses:biggrin:
 
skiprat said:
I'm sure you can figure a neat way to hold the router on the table but shout if you need any ideas.:wink:

Now you have to do us a favour.......:rolleyes:
Forgive me, but I know male and female 'Lynns' and although it doesn't matter either way, it makes it easier to use words like 'he' or 'she' if you know the person's gender. I've seen posts referring to you as both, but you haven't corrected anyone. :biggrin:

Please choose one...:tongue: for us ignoramouses:biggrin:
Click to expand...

I am my fathers son! Thanks for asking:laugh:
 
I've looked at this very seriously but am wondering if it will work.:confused: The overall height of this unit is about 4 1/2 inches. From the bed of my Jet mini to the center line in just short of 5". I don't think this leaves enough room for a trim router to be mounted on the XY table and be on center vertically. Does this sound correct or am I missing something?



mredburn said:
an x y compound table? G5757 Compound Slide Table
g5757.jpg
Click to expand...
 
Why mount the table on the bed? :wink:

Mount the table in front of the lathe bed. On a riser block.
Then mount a sturdy board on the XY table that extends over the lathe bed ( just above it ). Now mount the router on the board. :biggrin:
Make the riser block for under the table last. :wink:
 
Last edited:
I see :redface: Kind of an off-set situation! Thanks Steven - I told you I wasn't a design guy:smile:

skiprat said:
Why mount the table on the bed? :wink:

Mount the table in front of the lathe bed. On a riser block.
Then mount a sturdy board on the XY table that extends over the lathe bed ( just above it ). Now mount the router on the board. :biggrin:
Make the riser block for under the table last. :wink:
Click to expand...
 
Here's a quick sketch of what I mean. Of course the scaling of the pic is all wrong but you should get the idea.
You will see that if you make the riser last, then you simply cut it to make the router and lathe centre the same.
But it wouldn't take much to make this adjustable for future uses:biggrin:
 

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Thanks for the drawing - That is exactly how I had it envisioned.


skiprat said:
Here's a quick sketch of what I mean. Of course the scaling of the pic is all wrong but you should get the idea.
You will see that if you make the riser last, then you simply cut it to make the router and lathe centre the same.
But it wouldn't take much to make this adjustable for future uses:biggrin:
Click to expand...
 
by the way Lynn If you put your name in to Google images .......... Maybe some different results than you would expect.
 
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