In this video I will make a router lift to use with my plunge router.
I drill a hole in a block. Later I will insert there an insert nut.
I use one side, one drawer guide, the small piece of board that I´ll use for the sled, and the block that I drilled before, to mark the position for the hole in the front and in the back of the structure.
The back is like the front, but I´ll insert a piece of copper pipe in the hole in the front.
In a block like the first one, I drill a hole to screw in a pulley.
I insert an insert nut in the first block, and I glue and screw it to the small piece of board.
I glue and I screw the block with the pulley to the other side of the small piece of board. Notice that the insert nut and the pulley are looking to the same side.
I don´t align both blocks, because I need some room to put the screws. That way I´ll avoid that the insert nut gets out of the block when the screwed rod is pulling it.
I use some screws to put the sides together with the front and the back.
I screw the sled to the guides, and the guides to the sides.
If you can´t screw the guides, you may need to dismantle the structure.
Notice that when the sled is facing the front, the guides don´t overhang the structure.
I mark, in the back piece, the diameter inside the pulley groove.
I mark where the sled touches the back, and I measure the distance from that face of the sled to the middle of the pulley groove.
I draw the line that shows us where the sled touches the back, and from that line I measure a distance equal to the distance from the sled face to the middle of the pulley groove.
I use that thin drill bit to drill two holes, and I make sure that the motorcycle brake cable can go through them.
Using a bit with the same diameter of the cable jacket I make two holes in the same place, but I only drill to a depth of about 5 millimeters.
And I check that the jacket fits in the holes.
I drill a hole in a small knob, and I make sure that the bolt goes through it easily.
With a smaller bit I drill a hole in one side of another piece of board, to make the crank handle.
In the other side I make a hole to put an insert nut.
I insert the insert nut in the hole in the crank handle.
I pass the bolt through the knob, and I screw it to the crank handle. Notice that I don´t screw it in he same face where I inserted the nut.
With some epoxy and a lock nut everything will stay attached.
I check that the knob moves free.
I pour some epoxy on one end of the screwed rod, and I screw it in the insert nut that I have in the crank.
I tighten the rod with more epoxy and another nut.
I screw another nut and a washer, and I use more epoxy to stick the nut in place.
I put the piece of copper pipe into the hole in the front with some epoxy, and now the rod goes inside the piece of pipe.
Now I put first a washer, and then a nut (but the truth is that I don´t need that washer and that nut).
I screw the nut while I screw the rod in the insert nut that I have in the block.
I use some epoxy to stick the nut in place. But, as I said before, I don´t need that nut.
This is the structure with the crank, the sled and the screwed rod.
The lock lever looking up will be a nuisance. I dismantle it and I remove the spring.
Now, I force the spring so that the long wire is not looking up, and I put the spring in place.
I put the lever looking down, and I put the long wire in place.
Finally I make sure that it works. Now the lever won´t disturb.
With a very malleable wire I catch the shape of the router case.
I measure the case width, and I mark that width in a sheet of paper.
With some tape I stick the ends of the shape on the marks I made in the paper.
Using a pencil I paint the shape in the paper.
I cut the shape, and I retouch it, to make it fit the router case as perfectly as possible.
Now I draw that shape in a piece of plywood.
I´ll need two identical pieces.
I cut both pieces using a jig saw and a narrow jig saw blade.
I check that it fits the case, and I make some adjustments if needed.
Now I can use that piece to retouch the drawing of the other piece before I cut it.
In the other side of the case I have the depth stop. I draw the shape by hand and I cut it to make it fit.
With both pieces on the board, I draw the shape to cut two more pieces. This time, instead of cutting them along, I will cut them across.
The jig saw blade removes a lot of material, so I´ll better use a marquetry saw to cut it across.
I clamp the first two pieces, and I screw the other two to the first ones with some screws. I must remember to match the depth stop cuts.
I assemble the pieces around the router case, and I mark on them the points that are in the vertical line that goes through the holes of the router base. I refer to the holes where I screw the knobs to secure the parallel guide of the router.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MARKS ARE PERFECTLY IN THE PERPENDICULAR THAT GOES THROUGH THOSE HOLES.
I drill in the marks, to pass the cable through the holes.
And I drill a wider recess in the beginning of the holes, to fit in the jackets.
I assemble again the pieces of plywood around the case.
And now I use more screws. I must be careful, to avoid drilling into the handles.
I dismantle the plastic base of the router.
I will use a couple of cable anchor bolts, like this one.
I pass the cable through one of the holes in the base of the router, I pass it through the hole in the pieces of plywood and through one of the jackets.
Now, I pass it through one of the holes in the back. I pass it through the pulley,...
...and I take it out through the other hole in the back.
I pass it through the other jacket,...
...and through the other hole in the pieces of plywood. Now, I can insert all four ends of the jackets into their corresponding holes.
And I take it out through the other hole in the base of the router. I pass one end of the cable through one of the cable anchor bolts, and I tighten it.
I move the sled up to the back.
I pass the other end of the cable through the other cable anchor bolt. I stretch the cable, and I tighten the anchor bolt as near the base as it is possible.
In my first attempt the cable stress raised the sled, so I put these reinforcements to avoid it.
The springs of this router are very hard, nothing to do with the springs of my other routers.
To avoid surprises I reinforce the blocks with more screws.
The springs in this router are very hard, and they cause enough strain to deform the crank structure.
I had to reinforce the structure with some pieces of plywood. One of the pieces is longer, so that I can screw it to the table.
The sled always pulls the rod, so I don´t need the washer and the nut inside the front.
I removed them while the epoxy wasn´t hardened, and I put them outside the front. Now I have two washers and two nuts between the front and the crank. That way there is more room between the crank and the front, so now the crank doesn´t hit anything when I turn it. Besides that, I can take the rod off if something brakes.
A metallic angle helps to hold it too.
In the middle of the table I have a crossbeam that is perfect to screw the structure to it. The crank is now handy to use, and I still have plenty of place to install the router.
After spraying some molybdenum lubricant to the columns, it moves smooth.
Thanks for watching!!