[Billard]

I posted the question of clamp versus table at a woodworking forum I frequent (ok, lurk would be closer to the mark) www.woodworking.com, and this is what I found.

sorta rule of thumb I use is that it is easier to take a tool to a large piece of stock and easier to take a small piece of stock to the tool. Manhandling larger pieces on a table mounted router is more difficult, to me, than using the router hand held. Small pieces can be hazardous when taking a tool to them.Jerry

Seems reasonable to me. For the long cuts you're making for the chip racks, clamping the stock and using a plunge router seems prefered, as opposed to cutting 1' long chiprails for a table which would be best done on a table. ...at least that's how I understand Jerry's comments.

You can view the entire thread at http://www.woodworking.com/dcforum/DCForumID7/2606.html

Any other insights? I'm pretty clumbsy with a handheld tool, and wonder how steady I could be with a plunge router over a 2-3' long cut.

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[shanghai_sparky]

Originally Posted by Billard

I posted the question of clamp versus table at a woodworking forum I frequent (ok, lurk would be closer to the mark) Seems reasonable to me. For the long cuts you're making for the chip racks, clamping the stock and using a plunge router seems prefered, as opposed to cutting 1' long chiprails for a table which would be best done on a table. ...at least that's how I understand Jerry's comments.

Using a table can be better for the size of the pieces, but having to adjust the bit height after every pass makes is less useful. The plunge feature of the router gives me more feel.

[Poboy]

Originally Posted by Billard

sorta rule of thumb I use is that it is easier to take a tool to a large piece of stock and easier to take a small piece of stock to the tool. Manhandling larger pieces on a table mounted router is more difficult, to me, than using the router hand held. Small pieces can be hazardous when taking a tool to them.Jerry

That quote is right on. Personally, if I can, I prefer to take the stock to the tool (not specific to routers). Set up is a pain in the a** a lot of times with smaller stock. Clamping straight edges to guide the tool, and clamping the stock to the work table can be difficult. It's a big reason I like metalworking more than woodworking. Welding is so much easier.


When you have to make more passes like the chip racks, the handheld is easier because you can adjust heights easier. But, if you have a lot to make, you can run all the pieces, raise the bit and run them all again, etc..

[shanghai_sparky]

Hey folks,
In honor of my birthday, I will be having a lottery and giving away two of my wood chip trays.

Enter through this thread:
Good luck.
http://www.chiptalk.net/forum/genera...hip-racks.html

[shanghai_sparky]

For those of us playing with routers, here is a link (with nice pictures) to woodsmith magazine.
I just read about the lock-miter router bit that is good for corners.
Now that we have nice home made trays, custom boxes are next.

http://www.woodsmith.com/issues/sample/10-11/

The good bits are around $40 and an additional $6-$10 for a set-up guide.
I found a bit on E-bay for $10 and it is not worth the money.
I will probably get the better bit and guide when I have time.

(A copy of this post will also be on RTBrandy's chip tray thread).

NOTE: I am not trying to spam, I have no financial benefit from this post.

[Quads]

Originally Posted by shanghai_sparky

For those of us playing with routers, here is a link (with nice pictures) to woodsmith magazine.
I just read about the lock-miter router bit that is good for corners.
Now that we have nice home made trays, custom boxes are next.

http://www.woodsmith.com/issues/sample/10-11/

The good bits are around $40 and an additional $6-$10 for a set-up guide.
I found a bit on E-bay for $10 and it is not worth the money.
I will probably get the better bit and guide when I have time.

(A copy of this post will also be on RTBrandy's chip tray thread).

NOTE: I am not trying to spam, I have no financial benefit from this post.

Combining two plans / ideas, I thought I'd throw this in the mix for a box idea which could be used with some modifications, but using both basic ideas to suite your needs. (plans also from Woodsmith)

We had this discussion over at Keen's place a while ago.

And.... it still sits on my "project to complete before I die" list.

[shanghai_sparky]

Originally Posted by Quads

Combining two plans / ideas, I thought I'd throw this in the mix for a box idea which could be used with some modifications, but using both basic ideas to suite your needs. (plans also from Woodsmith)
We had this discussion over at Keen's place a while ago.
And.... it still sits on my "project to complete before I die" list.

Well my list just increased. Thanks for the design. As is, it looks like it could hold 3 racks of 100 per drawer.

As I have found out trying (in vain) to make small cases to start, getting the corners to fit perfect is a difficult task. I had to cut apart many that did not work.

[Quads]

Templatized cutting! And making all of one cut at the same time. (rather than setting up your fence, making a cut (a), changing fence, making a cut (b), and going back to cutting another piece for cut (a).

(if that makes sense)

Keep in mind, I'm a hack in Start>Run>pbrush but this is what I threw together as far as planning on putting the structure of the casing / box together which adds the additional strength as the chips are pretty heavy in comparison to other smaller / lighter items that the drawers in the plan called for.

The basic idea here is that the drawer rests on a full plate and slides in and out on the plate, rather than the smaller "rails" that they are using in the image above from the plans from Woodsmith.

(again, I'm a hack in paint)

[Wedge Rock]

So, Quads, how do you propose to attach the drawer sides/fronts to the 3/8 drawer base?

Its a nice, simple design that seems like it could work fairly well.

I like the fact that an entire drawer could be removed... I'd probably want to put some sort of stop on it to make sure the drawer didnt come out unless you wanted it to...

[tomb1]

Originally Posted by shanghai_sparky

As I have found out trying (in vain) to make small cases to start, getting the corners to fit perfect is a difficult task. I had to cut apart many that did not work.

That's always been a problem for me, too. I'm about to get a box joint router bit to see if that will help, which it should. (See page 11 in the Woodsmith article.)

I also found out something else that seemed to work. I was making some protoypes for a starting stack box, a small open-top box for chips, similar to the 100-chip boxes above. It was tough getting everything square and glued, so I ended up making a large closed box (kinda like a cigar box but with all sides glued). It was nice and square and could be clamped easily when glued. Then I ripped it in half for two open boxes. Like cutting the top off a jewelry box then hinging. It worked pretty well except for the glue coming out on the inside corners.