Router Table to Jointer | Using the Shims on the RA1181
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- Опубликовано: 17 окт 2020
- Recently a viewer asked how to use the shims on the RA1181 router I setup. In this video we discuss using your router as a jointer and specifically how to use the shims included with the RA1181 to joint thin boards.
Long story short:
- Place the shims on both sides of the fence
- Bring the fence even with the nearest point of the cutting edge
- Remove the leading shim
- Clamp the trailing shim
- Joint the board (may take a few passes)
Yes, it’s really that simple and I love it. I’ll be using this more than I have in the past. Thanks for the question!
If you have any questions, leave them in the comments section and I’ll make sure to get back to you. Otherwise, have a great weekend.
Thanks as always and be safe,
Josh
Northwest Craftsman
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Products Used*
Router Bit, Freud 3/8" Up Spiral: amzn.to/2TvEcyp
Router Kit, Bosch 1617EVSPK: amzn.to/2HE72Kk
Router Table, Bosch RA1181: amzn.to/37OY0W6
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Catch Up by Dan Lebowitz (Licensed by RUclips Audio Library)
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Thank you to Tim for commenting and correcting me! The shims go between the aluminum fence and the MDF on the left side.
Thank you!
I just saw that in the manual too.... in fairness, it's easy to overlook. So the options are 1/16" or 1/8" for jointing.
They do go between, But I think the way you used them in the video gave a great visual on how they work. If they were hidden nobody could see how it makes a step up.
i think you're supposed to put the shim between the backfence and the frontfence
You’re totally right! I was wondering what that slot was for in the shim! Thank you!
Lol
@@NorthwestCraftsman you didn't read the manual did ya? 😂
In this case, no, I totally missed that part hahaha
@@scarycrazymann That was so funny! I'm still laughing.
I watched your video on assembly of the 1181(which I just got). You said you would have to look it up to use those shims. I'm glad you did! Thank you for your videos, you really helped sooo much!
Brian, I’m so glad to hear that you appreciate the videos! Thanks for being a part of the Northwest Craftsman community!
Thanks for the video! I didn't know what the shims were for until now. You just saved me some start up money!! Thanks again!
Glad you found it helpful! As a note, it was my mistake, the shims go behind the boards 😂
You got a follower sir. Thank you for this video.
Much appreciated! Glad to have you as a part of the community!
Great Job 😉👍🏽🔨🪚📐
Thank you for this video.
Of course! Glad you liked it!
Thank you for doing this!
Not a problem! Glad you enjoyed it!
@@NorthwestCraftsman I'm new to woodworking and need all the help I can get to be as safe as possible. Any suggestions for resources on the different bit profiles and jigs and how to use them since most videos do not seem to show what each bit can do and actually show the use of them. Can't afford to lose a digit!
@@NW42degree I don’t have anything immediately off hand, however, I can put together a video on that if you’re interested!
@@NorthwestCraftsman that wood be terrific. Seems a lot of videos talk about what they do but don't actually show how to use them. I'm a retired pastry chef that needs a new artistic outlet, people would be surprised to know just how similar making a chocolate box or showpiece is to making a wood box!
@@NW42degree no kidding! That’s awesome! I’ll see what I can put together and try to get that posted shortly. What kind of desserts did you specialize in?
Good to know! I have a jointer and now realize I don’t need these shims.
Absolutely! Out of curiosity, what feed width is your jointer?
@@NorthwestCraftsman 6 inches
@@kelleym3577 Do you find 6" enough for most of your work or do you wish you had an 8"? I'm currently searching for a router and am weighing my options.
@@NorthwestCraftsman not thus far.
Good to know! Thank you.
It would be awesome to see how you set it up to align the shimmed side with the router bit. I've been considering getting this router table, and this gives me one more reason to do so, because I don't own a jointer yet. Thanks!
It’s actually super easy!
- Rotate your bit so one of the cutting edges is as close to you as possible
- Loosen the fence
- Rest a straight edge on the out-feed portion of the fence
- Push the fence back until your straight edge has made slight contact with the bit
- Tighten everything down! 😄
The one down side to using this as a jointer is that it can only joint about an inch of board and my table saw can do that more easily.
@@NorthwestCraftsman Thanks for the reply! I think this will work well, since my table saw is a portable and probably not as dialed in to work as a jointer.
Absolutely! And I totally understand that. This should serve you well for the time being then 😊
Happy woodworking!
Josh
Northwest Craftsman
The reason for the slot in the shim is so you can insert it behind the fence face and present an uninterrupted flat surface for the stock to run against on the outfeed side.
You’re 100% right 😂 I whiffed this completely and only found out when folks like you let me know. Thank you!
Good video but maybe suggesting why but to use for jointing. I know there are router bit sets you can get on Amazon but I’d be interested in knowing which bit you used for this demonstration. Thanks.
Hey David! Great question, I’m using a 3/8” up spiral bit from Freud (Affiliate link: amzn.to/3BeC41s). This bit is my workhorse in the shop and the spiral is great for interesting grain because it reduces tear out.
I would like to see more in detail the shape in this piece of wood. And I would like to know how to use and for what is the starter pin for edge forming of curves. Pls and thank you.
Hey there! Thanks for the question. Not sure I fully understood, let me know if this wasn’t what you intended. The starter pin is used to stabilize your workpiece before starting a cut. You won’t use it when using the router table as a jointer. As well, can you explain what you were going for regarding the shape of the wood?
Just to you know the black shim 1/16th goes behind the white fence not in front that's why their are slots in the shim ( goes between the wood and the metal fence
I appreciate you saying that, someone else pointed that out as well and makes way more sense. Thank you!
The fence on my jointer...I don't think it's actually stiff enough to properly edge joint boards. I honestly think a router table is the better choice just because of the ergonomics. I like the idea that this machine comes with these shims, though I might want one thinner than 1/16", I often joint boards with a 1/32" or 1/64" pass.
Couldn’t agree more, it’d be nice for them to have included some others, though, with a planer on hand, you should be able to make up some pretty nice shims.
I'm looking at getting this table because of its 27" length dimension. That just happens to be the size of my old craftsman table saw's bolt on wing extensions. If holes were drilled in this router table top (sides) to match the cast iron saw table, I wonder how well this would work as a left side extension wing?
On my table saw I've already moved the fence guides mostly to the right-of-blade side to expand the original 12/24in fence while barely supporting the left wing. I want to move the fence completely to the right for a 0/36in+ fence setup with both original wings on the right side. This would leave very little feed support surface on the left.
A nice cast aluminum table seems preferable to a DIY plywood extension wing with a DIY router insert project (eventually) and the headache of figuring out a top side of table lift mechanism.
PLEASE convenience me using this router table as an extension wing is a bad idea before I dump funds on a table and router.
This isn't even my primary hobby. I just wanted to build a new 3d printer enclosure cabinet, and wound up remodeling the garage shop :-)
-Jake
Jake, not sure it’s my place to try and convince you of anything but here’s my two cents. You could make just about anything work with the right planning and equipment.
It sounds like this would be a pretty easy integration but without seeing all of the parts it’s hard to judge. Though, I don’t think the table needs an extension per say, it’s been large enough for all my projects.
Hope this helps! And happy woodworking.
Josh
This saves my jointer from wearing in one spot. It is more stable.
Hey the shims go behind !!! LOL
Yes 😂 I’ve heard an earful about that and am glad I have a community willing to call me out when I’m wrong, helps me learn 😂
Just purchased the RA1181 table...Waiting on delivery. Nice to know there is more to it than the description indicated. Thank you for your videos.
Absolutely! Glad you find them useful! Yea, this table has been an excellent addition to my shop.
Wish you would have shown a close up of the finished product
Shoot! I may be able to get one of those for you, what specific closeup are you looking for?
If you notice that the 2 Grey boards on the fence either side of the bit have bolts in them. If you loosen the wing nuts on the back side of the fence you can then move each one out and then put the shim behind the board and tighten the wing nuts.
I appreciate the correction. Someone pointed this out almost immediately after I posted the video and I couldn’t help but laugh at my own ignorance 😂 it makes so much more sense.
Do you have any other videos to help a newbie like me?
Absolutely! I was right where you are just a few years ago. I have a bunch of difference videos but ones that a lot of folks seem to like are my unboxing videos for tools I’ve purchased over the years. Below is a link to that one. I’ve also included one for the playlist which has a lot of maintenance videos 😊 what kind of info were you looking for?
Unboxing & Setup Playlist
ruclips.net/p/PLBkW_zpeByMHNGVEo3Ws6JICDABZGwGb7&si=c12hxxAAnpxQzH2i
Maintaining Your Tools
ruclips.net/p/PLBkW_zpeByMHNGVEo3Ws6JICDABZGwGb7&si=c12hxxAAnpxQzH2i
Do you know how I can get my older 1617 Bosch router to convert over to the 1181 table as far as the top depth adjustment? There is no top tool insert for the top of the depth thread spindle on the router. The 1617 has an E ring clip to remove the threaded adjuster to replace it. Until a reply, I will look around. Thanks, Steve
Please disregard- Amazon base for $57. Probably should have scrapped old unit and sprung for a complete new router. Oh well, call me cheap!
Glad you found something that’ll work for you!
WHAT IS THE HIGHEST YOU CAN MILL/JOINT 2" ? THANK YOU
Theoretically it’s however tall your bit is. I don’t have any data to support this but I wouldn’t try to joint anything over an inch.
I've seen users keep one shim behind each fence section for day to day routing and remove the leading shim when they want to joint edges.
That’s a great idea! Yea, I completely missed the memo here that the shims go behind 😂
What kind of a bit do you use for your jointer
Great question! My go to is a 3/8in Freud up-spiral bit, linked below:
amzn.to/3HJRl01
New to router and table. What bit you recommend?
If you’re starting out, I’d recommend a variety pack from Amazon because there will be a handful of bits you use a ton, and some you won’t use at all. Once you know what you use frequently, buy nice versions of those bits. I personally like Freud bits though they can get pretty spendy. Below are links to the bits I own.
Router Bit, Starter Kit: amzn.to/3jAoLj9
Router Bit, Freud 3/8 Up Spiral: amzn.to/2TvEcyp
Hi, thank you for your video. I have one question: when you start jointing, how are you supposed to apply pressure once the piece is moving: over the right side of the fence or the left side of the fence? I tried to do my first jointing with the router, and I ended up with a piece of wood wider in one side and with an angle at certain point (forming like a triangle). I wonder what am I doing wrong? Thanks in advanced.
Phenomenal question! Unfortunately that’s a limitation of this method and of many jointers in general. My understanding is that a well jointed edge requires full support along its length with the same tolerances of adjustment as the fences/soles, however the jointer is set up.
In your case, it’s also worth noting that the jointer is only intended to provide one flat edge that is square to the face on the sole. Most work pieces will need to be planed and squared up after jointing.
@@NorthwestCraftsman awesome answer, thank you!
Yes, I'm actually trying to joint a very large and slightly warped piece of wood, that is what I kind of discovered: because it was too large (or larger than the router table), it lacks proper support and guidance.
And yes, the edges are straight and smooth for joints at least. So I think I will try to get it as straight as possible with saw first, then pass it through the jointer for a final smooth plan edge for jointing.
Thank you very much! :)
Of course! 😄
Happy woodworking!
Josh
Northwest Craftsman
The problem I'm having is that even though left fence face is dead even with the cutting edge of the bit, as the board moves off the right fence, near the end of the cut, the board moves towards the back, and I end up with a notch at about the last inch of the cut. I know I'm doing something dumb 😄
I found my problem. When I was adjusting the left fence face to be even with the router bit, I didn't take into consideration that the carbide tips stick out the farthest. Once I figured that out, and adjusted the fence face to the tip, perfect.
Thanks for the video, I knew that the shim was supposed to go behind the fence, but thought you were showing a quick way to use a shim for a couple of passes only. I may use that trick, lol. I noticed your router table was moving while you were using it so the base was either not clamped down or was very loose. I watched your safety video on router tables and it occurred to me you never mentioned securing the base. You had a wall behind your table so it couldn't go far, but it could be dangerous for someone using only a stand - apologies for the Capt. Obvious moment.
You’re totally fine 😂 it’s the captain obvious moments that help me learn the most! You’re right on all fronts
- Shim should be behind, and you give me too much credit. I didn’t know that until I posted the video and someone corrected me 😂
- And that it wasn’t clamped down and should have been. Should be clamped down 100% if the time.
Please continue to be captain obvious! At least with me, always learning.
Will this only work on shorter boards? I'm curious if this could be useful for longer boards - say 5-6 ft in length.
Hey Stefan!
Theoretically this will work for boards of infinite length. The challenge you'll run into is supporting them and keeping the support coplanar with the infeed fence. The other question is how true do your 5-6' boards need to be? A well tuned table saw may be a better tool for truing up an edge.
Great question, let me know if you'd like to brainstorm more for your project.
Josh
Northwest Craftsman
@@NorthwestCraftsman that would be fantastic.
Feel free to shoot me an email (on the about page of the channel) or ask any more questions here 😊
Hey
How we can extend the fence ?
I haven’t personally done this but given the current mounting method for the fences, it would make sense to me that you could install a larger piece of plywood or MDF. I’d be wary though unless you mount it into a larger table or alongside a set of table to increase the size of the table as well
Do these shims come with the table? Or I need order them somewhere?
They came with the bench that I purchased. I’m sure you could purchase them as well.
@@NorthwestCraftsman Thank you!
don't the shims go behind the MDF? That is why they have a slot.
You are 100% right! 😂 I learned that after the fact
The shims are supposed to go behind the MDF board
You’re totally right! I just pinned the comment correcting that. I’ll own my own lack of knowledge on this one 😂
Did you replace the stock router base?
Michael, if I’m understanding correctly, the router plate and the router body (that holds the spindle) are the stock parts from the 1617EVSPK and 1181 kits.
Yes. I saw the red base set in the table, thought maybe you upgraded for some reason
Gotcha! Yes, those are the provided inserts for the opening to prevent your work piece from falling in.
The set up for jointing is all in the manual.
Huh! Good to know! Guess I didn’t read the manual closely enough.
Okay, loosen the fence to the right and put the shim behind it
Yea, I realize I did this totally wrong after the fact. But I think the shim is supposed to go behind the left fence panel to raise the out feed side, right?
@@NorthwestCraftsman yes, if you put one shim on each side the set the fence at 0 to the bit the pull the right shim/feed side out then you ar ready to run.
Gotcha! I see what you are saying now. Makes perfect sense.
🤦🏻🤣🤣🤣🤣
It would have been more useful if you explained how you incorporated the shims then just shooting a video.
Thanks for the feedback! Making sure I understand, you mean to put how the shins are used first then the details of how it works rather than the other way around?
@@NorthwestCraftsman I just meant mostly just the details of putting them on and setting the fence. You video was great but a little guidance there would have be useful to someone absolutely new (like me) whose doing this for the first time. I figured it out on my own
Gotcha! Thanks for specifying, I’ll work on that in future videos!