Shopsmith 555970 - Manual (Page 25)

MARK V – MOUNTED OVERARM PIN ROUTER 555970
25
8. Save your fixture-making templates –
Set your templates aside in the event
you need to make more fixtures or re-
place one that has been damaged.
HOW TO MAKE
PROFILE FIXTURES
Profile fixtures are used for shaping the out-
side edges of workpieces only. In our picket
fence example (See Fig. 12), the protruding
screw or nail tips and sides hold the
workpiece in position during operations.
Here’s the simple, three-step process:
1. Cut the profile shape – In our example,
we selected a piece of 3/4" thick, lami-
nate-covered sink cut-out for our fixture
base that was the same, exact width as
our fence pickets. Make it a minimum
of 18" long, if possible to provide ad-
equate support for the workpiece. We
used a bandsaw to cut out the profiled
shape on one end of our fixture . . . then
sanded the edges smooth with a drum
sander.
2. Attach fixture sides, if practical – Since
our fence pickets will have straight
sides, we were then able to attach 8"
long side pieces to the fixture, being sure
to keep them away from the shaped area
so they won’t interfere with the router
bit while we’re making our cuts. Make
the sides out of an appropriate hard-
wood such as oak, maple, hickory or
ash.
3. Install holding points – Use 8-penny
nails or 1" long drywall screws with
sharp points...driven up through the
bottom of the fixture, so they protrude
no more than about 1/4" above the sur-
face. We prefer screws because they
won’t drive back out when you tap the
workpiece down onto the fixture.
If you’re able to include sides on your
fixture to help hold your workpiece, you
should only need two or three holding
points. If your workpiece is odd-shaped
and sides are not an option, you may
need more holding points. Be sure
screw or nail heads are countersunk
below the surface of the fixture
bottom.
NOTE
If you’re planning to make a large quantity
of any project, it’s often a good idea to make
several identical fixtures. This is especially
true if you’ll be using different shaped router
bits to cut out your shape, form decorative
edges and cut sliding dovetails, grooves, da-
does or rabbets using different bits.
This way, you can have several components
mounted in their fixtures and make a num-
ber of cuts with the same profile bit, in-
stead of frequently changing from bit-to-
bit.
HOW TO USE PIN
ROUTING FIXTURES
Routing over a pin with a
screw-down fixture
As we’ve explained, with a screw-down fix-
ture (See Fig 16), your workpiece is secured
to the non-grooved (particleboard) side of
the fixture with screws. The fixture is then
flipped over and the grooves (in the shape
of your intended finished piece) in the lami-
nate side of the fixture are traced over the
Guide Pin.
This process transfers your design exactly to
the workpiece you’ve mounted to the oppo-
site (or particleboard) side of the fixture.