Step 33: Router Mount Part 4
This is the final step for the first phase of the router mount. I say first phase, because I will build a vacuum attachment that will also serve as an additional router mount. You will see the method at which I mount the router in this video. Instead of routing out a perfect circle, and we all know how good I am at routing out circles, and squeezing the circle around the router housing, the router mount will come in two parts and act like a vice. I did not want to put any undue stress on the wood by using the squeeze method, but it woks fine. I used it on my last machine and I had no problems and I even used only 1/2" thick MDF for the mount.
So, let's talk a little bit about the details of the mount. As you know from the previous video, the router mount back piece is connected to the z-axis bearing support pieces to gain some efficiency in design (and a little more stability). For the front piece, a similar connection is made by drilling the nut holes into the z-axis bearing support pieces aligned with the screws for the mount back. This way, the front mount can be installed on the same plane as the back mount. This is difficult to explain, so you may want to just watch the video.
At the end of the video, I show the machine running a g-code file from the software Mach3. It's one of their standard files called roadrunner. I'm not actually cutting anything yet, but you will see the machine in action. I set the program to invoke a 60 IMP speed and it runs pretty smoothly (well, for an MDF machine with a 1/4" lead screw, it's relatively smooth). There will be lead screw tensioning in my future.