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Can
I use any router table? |
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Yes.
An offset-style table is ideal, but conventional center-mount router table can
have a
simple extension added to allow reasonable fence travel for the LS
system. Tips for adding
an extension are in the LS Positioner Owner's Manual.
The quality of the router table will affect
your results. For an INCRA System to perform
properly, the router mounting
plate must fit without play in the table opening, and the reducing rings around
the router bit must be very level with the surrounding plate.
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I’m
building an offset-style router table for an LS System. What are the ideal
dimensions?
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The
outside dimensions aren't particularly important but the distances from the router's
center to the table's edges are worth considering. Parallel to the fence,
the infeed edge of the table should be between 12" and 16" (more
than 16" can make the table uncomfortable
to use). Parallel to the positioner's
carriage, the edge of the table should be 29" from the
router's center
for LS17 Systems and 37" from the router's center for LS25 Systems.
There
is quite a bit of latitude for shortening these ideal dimensions, and the LS positioner's
base housing also does not need to be mounted fully on the router table; it
can be mounted
so that as much as 6" of the base housing's length projects
off the edge of the router table.
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What's
the size of the INCRA Router Lifts and MagnaLOCK Router Plates?
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They
are 9-1/4" x 11-3/4" (9.250" x 11.750") in outside dimensions
and 3/8" thick. The openings in Incra router tables are about 0.020"
larger in each dimension. There is no industry standard opening, but this rough
size is the most commonly used and Incra router tables and plates are designed
to be compatible with Woodpeckers products.
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I
have a router table attached to my table saw. How can I mount an LS Router
System so it can be easily removed?
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The
oval top section of the positioner’s base can be removed from the T-slotted sub
base.
This oval section can then be attached to a piece of good-quality
3/4†plywood and then
mounted in a variety of ways.
A wooden router
table encourages using knobs through the plywood threaded into T-nuts
inserted
into the underside of the router table. For a cast iron table saw top, an
INCRA Miter Slider can be attached to the bottom of the plywood platform,
and then the Miter Slider
can lock the plywood platform and LS Positioner
into the saw’s miter slot where it can be
used with the router table.
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Why
choose the LS25 over the LS17?
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The
LS17 will likely cover every routing operation you’ll encounter, but the LS25
will rout to
the center of a larger panel. The LS25 provides a 50% increase
in capacity for only $30
more. The LS25 could someday be set up as a
replacement rip fence on the TS rail system,
while the LS17 doesn’t have the
travel necessary for an everyday rip fence.
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What’s
the widest board I can dovetail?
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The
theoretical limit is the fence travel of the positioner, either 17†or 25â€.
The realistic limit
is about 18â€, though there are many cases where folks have
gone well beyond that. Bigger
material is a bigger challenge.
However, for the most common jobs like dovetailing drawers
and boxes, an INCRA
System is far faster than any jig because it allows you to cut several
boards
simultaneously.
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How
easy is the system to learn?
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For
the general routing you’ll be doing most, it takes maybe ten minutes to become
familiar
with the system, and the accuracy and repeatability will spoil you
on the very first day.
For box joints and dovetails, give it an
afternoon and practice with poplar before you get
into the middle of an important
project. The joinery instructions are clear, and the video is a
fantastic
companion. It’s not much different than learning to use a conventional
dovetail jig.
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How
do the joinery templates work?
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Each
template has one series of lines for each portion of the joint. On a half
blind dovetail, for example, there are two sets of lines on the template --
one for each board in the corner.
For one board in the joint, you would
lock the carriage make a cut as each line marked “Aâ€
on the template is aligned
under the cursor.
To make the mating cuts into the other board, you would
stop at each line labeled “B†on
the template and make a cut. The lines
on the templates correspond to the mechanical 1/32†increments of the positioner,
and those mechanics position the fence with an
accuracy 5 to 10 times better
than your eyesight looking through the cursor onto the
template.
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Can
I add the Wonder Fence later?
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Yes,
the Wonder Fence works directly with the joinery fence on the LS Standard Systems,
and it will work with INCRA Ultra Systems that are equipped with the current
Pro-II Joinery
Fence.
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Do
you use zero-clearance inserts?
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The
INCRA Router Systems achieve full zero-clearance with a very economical, convenient,
and complete solution. Instead of using a plastic insert, the systems
include hardware and
instructions for making zero-clearance sub-fences from
scrap wood you already have.
The subfence is cut with the fence fully
locked, and automatically compensates for the pilot
bearings found on edge-forming
router bits.
The sub fences can be used with the halves offset for edge
jointing or moulding, allowing
zero clearance in a situation where an insert
can’t be used. It’s economical because there’s no need to buy replacement
inserts, and it’s fast because there is no second or
third cutting operation
necessary to accommodate router bits with pilot bearings.
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