The milling table is an extremely important element in the workshop, if a person is associated with carpentry. This piece of furniture can become a real helper and will increase the quality and effectiveness of the work performed. Factory models are on sale today, but almost all of them are quite expensive.
Why do I need a table
If you want to save, then you can try to make such a table yourself. This device will allow you to make grooves and grooves in the workpiece, process the edges of the products and make spike joints. Using the router separately is inconvenient, because the master in this case should concentrate on processing and procurement. But if you assemble a table with your own hands, then it can make it easier to work.
The tool in this case can be installed on a workbench, making a special design. When performing work on the manufacture of the table, it should be borne in mind that the milling cutter will be installed from below, so it is necessary to allocate a sufficient amount of free space. The stationary part of this element will be the bed, which is a frame with a countertop.
What to make a wireframe
Before you make a table for the router, you should think about what the frame will consist of. It can be:
- metal squares;
- wooden beam;
- chipboard plates;
- MDF boards.
When creating the frame, you must ensure stability for the countertop and ensure rigidity. The overall dimensions of the bed will be determined taking into account the parameters of the workpieces that you will process.
How to get started
It is better to start the process of manufacturing the structure by determining the location in the room. The table may be a lateral extension of the saw table. You can make a separate stationary table. If you use the equipment only from time to time or outside the workshop, you can think about a portable option. To save space, it is usually hung on the wall or cleaned.
A homemade table for the milling cutter can be located in a room with a large area. To ensure maximum convenience, you can make a freestanding table that is mounted on wheels, and then located anywhere. The portable table can be configured to perform the operation and left for a while, while it will not interfere with other machines, devices and tools.
What to consider at the first stage
Before you make a table for the router, you should think about the fact that it can be a fairly simple device of small height. You can place such a design on a regular table. For this, a chipboard sheet is used, on which the guides are fixed. A regular piece of a board of small thickness can serve as a support. It is fixed on bolted connections. For this, clamps are used.
Holes are made for the cutter. On this we can assume that the work is completed. If the milling machine is the main tool, then you need to make a convenient and thorough table, which will have to spend a lot of time.
Preparation of materials
To make a milling table, you should prepare:
- bars;
- chipboard trimming;
- hardware;
- metallic profile;
- jack;
- steel plate;
- mobile carriage emphasis;
- aluminum guides;
- manual frezer.
The bars should have a square section, they will be needed 4. You can prepare plywood or chipboard, the dimensions of which will be determined during the construction of the drawing. In addition to hardware, you can purchase bolts, nuts, hinges and screws. The steel plate should have a thickness of 6 mm. As for the support carriage, it may be the guide from the saw.
Making the bed
Despite the fact that the frame for the countertop is quite simple to manufacture, the milling machine must meet certain requirements. For example, the bottom of the bed needs to be deepened by 200 mm relative to the front of the countertop. The dimensions of the bed must be selected individually, which will facilitate the fastening of the tool and work.
In private buildings, for work on workpieces, a bed is installed on the facade of the house, the width and height of which are 1500 x 900 mm, respectively. In this case, the milling table must have a depth of 500 mm. When making a table, you must take into account its height. This parameter is extremely important for comfortable work. The parameter should vary from 850 to 900 mm. It is better to make the supports adjustable, then you can change the height of the table and install the structure on the uneven surface of the floor covering.
The simplest and most affordable solution for the table is a kitchen worktop made of chipboard. The plate should have a thickness of 26 mm and a plastic coating. Plastic ensures the workpiece glides over the surface, and the vibration effect from the tool will be damped by the chipboard. If there is no kitchen table with the necessary countertop, you can use the MDF stove. Its thickness should not be less than 16 mm. Before making a milling table, you must have a mounting plate that is needed to hold the tool.
Mounting plate manufacturing
The mounting plate should be located at the bottom of the milling cutter. To carry out the work, it is necessary to select a material that should be strong and thin enough. For self-manufacturing, experts recommend using plates made of sheet metal, textolite or fiberglass. The shape should be rectangular and the thickness equal to the limit of 4 to 8 mm.
In the center of the plate, a hole must be made, the diameter of which must match the diameter of the hole on the sole of the hand tool. When making a table for manual milling, you should remember that the equipment has a plastic pad fixed in the threaded hole on the sole. Holes are used to attach to the mounting plate. If they are missing, they must be made in the sole of the tool. There is another way to install the router, which is expressed in a metal spring bracket. Fixing the mounting plate to the countertop is carried out at the corners.
Table assembly algorithm
If you decide to make a table for the milling machine with your own hands, then you must assemble the frame, which is a frame where the tabletop will be mounted. At the selected place on the countertop, it is necessary to position the mounting plate and outline its outline. Using the milling cutter, a seat is made, and the depth of sampling should be equal to the thickness of the plate. The main requirement in this case is to create a flat surface of the plate and countertop. The seat of the plate should have a rounding at the corners, you can achieve this with a file.
As soon as the mounting plate is fitted, using the cutter, it will be necessary to make holes for the sole of the tool in the countertop. In the place where the fastening will be carried out, it is necessary to make a sample for mounting the dust cover in the lower part of the countertop. You can install additional devices for which a selection must also be made.
Next, you can start assembling the milling table for the manual milling machine. The tool at the same time starts from the bottom and is fixed to the mounting plate. Using self-tapping screws, it must be strengthened to the countertop. Self-tapping screws should be drowned in the places of their installation. The table top must be fixed to the bed. For convenient work on the table, you need to make the upper clamping device. It will be convenient for processing large items. Rollers or ball bearings are used to assemble this device.
It is only important to choose the right diameter. The bearing must be fixed in a holding device that is fixed in the right place at a certain distance from the plane of the countertop. This device will ensure that the large workpiece is pressed against the surface of the countertop when it passes under the roller. Such an addition will improve the accuracy of work and will improve labor safety.
Work on the electric drive
If you decide to assemble a table for a manual milling machine with your own hands, you must make sure that you have the skills to work with an electric drive. It will be used in the operation of the equipment. To select an electric drive, consider the power parameter. Engine power for small homework can reach 500 watts or more. This parameter will be sufficient for processing small workpieces and making deep samples.
If the electric drive will have a 1.1 kW motor, then this solution is optimal for a home milling machine. If you want to be able to process any workpiece, it is better to use a drive with a power of up to 2 kW. You can use different cutters for this.
Home machines use electric motors from a grinder or a hand drill. Before assembling a table for a milling cutter on a tree, it is necessary to determine the power of the equipment, which should not be less than 2 kW. This parameter will allow the master to work with other wood. When choosing a model of equipment, one should prefer a model of the device with the ability to control rotation speed. To get an even cut on workpieces, this feature is extremely important. As a result, you can get a clean cut.
Additional manufacturing recommendations
For a stationary base, you can use chipboard trim and bars. Leg supports are twisted from blanks. Extra rigidity can be achieved with horizontal plywood joining panels. Under the start button on the right side, cut a hole. Joining this unit will be carried out to the manual router.
In the manufacture of a table for manual milling on wood, you can make a worktop from chipboard, complement the design with a lifting mechanism. To do this, loops are installed and the base support is assembled from plywood. Its thickness should be 15 mm. In order for the workpiece to move smoothly along the table, you should use the carriage-emphasis. This unit will be needed if the product needs to cut a groove. In the countertop, you will need to cut a groove under the guide rails and install a metal profile there. The guide carriage may be the guide from the old saw.
Finally
The milling cutter is one of the main assistants to the master of carpentry. This tool is designed for wood processing and is indispensable when it is necessary to make a groove, process edges, cut a groove and make a spike connection. But working with this tool manually is not always convenient. Therefore, you should consider making a base table.