[bgolash]

Hi all

I`m looking for some one that owns the safety speed cut panel router. I am going to do a DIY panel router for
my shop. I`ve done some design work in Fusion 360. There is only one aspect that is difficult to engineer.
It seems since plywood isn`t always flat that the safety speed router has a floating base. This compensates
for a warped surface and allows the router to contact the surface uniformly.
I was hoping someone has the safety speed cut router and could provide a better view or details on the design.
I do have my own idea but at the moment am not certain about its feasibility.

The design at the moment is a combination of baltic birch and metal. I have what I believe to be the largest THK55 they make.
It was for another project that fell thru but seems perfect for the panel router.

Regards Barry

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[bgolash]

Hi


I should have added a video of a commercial panel router. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLwT0fCgy-4 To save time move to the 28 seconds point in the video. You`ll see the details on the panel router option. There is a short section of video that shows what looks like the base of the router slightly moving upwards when it hits the edge of the plywood. This is a floating feature that allows the router to follow a warped piece of plywood. The commercial machine does this but in all machining situations, I`m not 100 percent certain this is a good idea. The video shows this floating feature at 38 seconds.

The detail picture provided shows most of the details. I was thinking about using a horizontal toggle clamp with a 2-inch travel. This would allow the router-bracket assembly to move up and down. It would be mounted and attached to the linear slide.
The linear slide was designed to be controlled by air. Mounting the toggle clamp looks a bit difficult. At the moment I think the air activated linear slide would be easier to implement but more expensive then the toggle.
I just need a way to move the cutter down to the work for full-width dados or blind dados. Manual toggle will work or even going with a 5 port 4way manual lever valve could also work….moving the linear slide. In regards to my options, I`m not certain which is best. I don`t have a vast understanding of pneumatics and just wonder if it's suited for the application at hand. One thing the air slide needs to generate enough pressure to hold its down position. But in addition, it needs enough power to lift and hold the weight of the router and bracket 15 pounds in the up position.
I have a 2 stage air compressor that has a max of 175 psi. I`ll guess that`s enough. I do realize that typical air cylinders create more power based on the bore diameter. That slide I have I haven`t been able to find the specs on its thrust capacity. It’s not your typical air cylinder. Its called a linear actuator.

Regards, barry

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[Jim Dawson]

The linear slide should work fine. You calculate the force the same way as an air cylinder, because it is an air cylinder that is guided by rails. Let's take the case of a 1.5 inch cylinder: Force = the area of the piston * the air pressure = Pi * R^2 * PSI, so 0.75^2= 0.562, 3.14 * 0.562 = 1.767, 100(psi) * 1.767 = 176.7 lbs of force.

I just looked at a 4.5 inch wide linear slide on my bench, looks like it has a 1 inch cylinder on it. so force @ 100 PSI would be ~78 lbs.

In order to follow any contour in the plywood, you would need to do something like Woodcraft did, something has to be in contact with the plywood to keep the tool bit a consistent depth relative to the surface.