MILLING MACHINE

© 2013 August Home Publishing Co.

 dream shop
project

router
Milling
Machine
Materials & H/W
BASE
A Bottom (1) 151/4 x 52 - 11/2 MDF
B Back (1) 161/8 x 52 - 3/4 MDF
C Fillers (2) 3/ x 61/ - 3/ MDF
4 2 8
D Left Side (1) 151/4 x 19 - 11/2 MDF
E Right Side (1) 61/4 x 18 - 11/2 MDF
F Carriage Rail (1) 11/4 x 11/4 - 49
G Guide Support (1) 13/4 x 49 - 3/4 MDF
H Carriage Rail (1) 1 x 49 - 1/8 Alum.
HEADSTOCK/TAILSTOCK
I Base (1) 4 x 63/4 - 3/4 MDF
J Short Keys (2) 3/ x 1 - 1/
8 2

Shape table legs and add decorative K Long Keys (2) 3/ x 2 - 1/

8 2
L Vertical Support (1) 4 x 51/8 - 3/4 MDF

details to other workpieces with this M Pin Block Support (1)

N Pin Block (1)
17/8 x 4 - 11/2 MDF
31/4 x 4 - 11/2 MDF

unique, shop-built router jig. O Tail Pin/Drive Pins (3) 1/ -Dia. x 13/ - Steel
4 8
P Headstock (1) 5 x 61/2 - 21/4 MDF

1 WoodsmithPlans.com SN11524 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
Exploded View Details
ACME ROD AND
OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 17"D x 623⁄4"W x 265⁄8"H ADJUSTABLE CARRIAGE REVOLVING HANDLE
SUPPORTS ROUTER ENSURE SMOOTH ROUTER
AND MAKES DEPTH CARRIAGE TRAVEL
NOTE: SEVEN DIFFERENT ADJUSTMENT EASY AND
GEAR SETUPS ALLOW FOR ACCURATE
PLANING, TAPERING, AND
SPIRAL PITCH VARIATIONS

CUTTING PRECISE
GEARS IS EASY
WITH A BAND SAW
AND TEMPLATES,
WHICH ARE PROVIDED
STARTING ON PAGE 14

ADJUSTABLE
TAILSTOCK SUPPORTS
END OF WORKPIECE AND
ALLOWS FOR TAPERS

DRIVE SHAFT, DISK, AND PINS

PASS THROUGH HEADSTOCK AND
INDEXING WHEEL CONNECT TO INDEXING WHEEL TO
ACCURATELY POSITIONS POSITION AND TURN WORKPIECE
WORKPIECE FOR CONSISTENT
SPACING OF DETAILS
NOTE: ROUTER MILLING
JIG IS DESIGNED FOR USE
BASE PROVIDES WITH FIXED BASED ROUTER AND
SOLID SUPPORT FOR ROUTER ORDINARY ROUTER BITS TO “TURN”
CARRIAGE,HEADSTOCK, AND LEGS AND OTHER WORKPIECES
TAILSTOCK ACCURATELY AND REPEATEDLY

Materials & Hardware (cont.)

GEARS/DRIVE ASSEMBLIES
Q Carriage Shaft (1) 1-dia. x 551/4
R Drive Gear (1) 3 /4-dia. - 11/2 Ply.
1 II Carriage Back (1) 9 x 13 - 3/4 MDF
S Main Gear (1) 11 13⁄16-dia. - 3/4 Ply.
T Spacer (2) 2-dia. - 3/4 Ply.
U Indexing Wheel (1) 9 x 93/4 - 3/4 Ply.
V Drive Shaft (1) 1/ -Dia. x 111/
2 2
W Drive Disk (1) 21/4-Dia. - 11/2 Ply.
X 10-Tooth Gears (3) 31/4-Dia. - 3/4 Ply.
Y 20-Tooth Gear (1) 61⁄8-Dia. - 3/4 Ply.
Z 30-Tooth Gear (1) 9-Dia. - 3/4 Ply.
AA 40-Tooth Gear (1) 11 13⁄16-Dia. - 3/4 Ply.
BB Lock (1) 31/8 x 37⁄16 - 11/2 Ply.
SLIDING SUPPORT/ROUTER CARRIAGE
CC Back (1) 81/2 x 21 - 11/2 MDF
DD Guide Bar (2) 1 x 201/4 - 1/8 Alum.
EE Lift Block (1) 11/2 x 21/4 - 5
FF Spacer (1) 11/4 x 11/4 - 10
GG Cleat (1) 3/
4 x 21⁄2 - 10
HH Sides (2) 87⁄8 x 13 - 3/4 MDF
JJ Router Base (1) 10 x 111⁄4 - 3/4 MDF
KK Carriage Block (1) 11/2 x 17⁄16 - 5
LL Traveler Blocks (2) 3 /4 x 4 - 11/2 MDF
1 • (3) 1/2"-13 Locknuts
MM Crank Arm (1) 2 x 7 - 11/2 Ply.
• (2) 1"-5 Acme Nuts
• (2) 1" Flanged Sleeve Bearings
• (2) 1" Flat Washers
• (2) 1/2" Flanged Sleeve Bearings
• (2) T-Track (48" Long)
• (16) #6 x 1/2" Fh Woodscrews
• (25) #8 x 11/2" Fh Woodscrews
• (4) #8 x 21/2" Fh Woodscrews
• (17) #10 x 3" Fh Woodscrews
• (1) Crank Handle
• (2) Revolving Handles
• (4) 5⁄16"-18 Thru-Hole Knobs
• (1) 1/4"-20 x 11/4" Studded Knob
• (8) 1/2" Washers
• (2) 1/4"-20 T-Nuts
• (3) 1/4" Washers
• (2) 5⁄16"-18 x 11/2" Flange Bolts
• (4) 5⁄16" Washers
• (2) 5⁄16"-18 x 3" Carriage Bolts
• (1) 1/2"-13 x 8" Threaded Rod
• (1) 1/2"-13 Coupling Nut
• (2) 1/2"-13 x 4" Hex Head Bolts
• (1) 3/4" x 72" Self-Adhesive Measuring Tape
• (2) 1/4"-20 x 23/4" Carriage Bolts
• (2) 1/4"-20 Hex Nuts
• (2 Sets) Stick-On Numbers

2 WoodsmithPlans.com SN11524 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 T-TRACK
BACK (45!/2" LONG)
(16!/8" x 52")
B
building the 1
FIGURE
BOTTOM

Base
(15!/4" x 52")
#6 x !/2" Fh
A
WOODSCREW

In order to create a wide range

of designs, the router milling
machine features a number of FILLER
11#/4

moving parts. And they all need (#/4" x 6!/2") 7

to work together accurately.
For starters, the workpiece is
supported by and spins around
the headstock and tailstock assem-
blies. Another is the router carriage
which moves side-to-side along the
back of the jig. Finally, a set of gears
RIGHT
at the left end controls how fast
SIDE the workpiece and carriage move
1!/4"-DIA. in relation to each other. I’ll cover
HOLE w/ more about how all this works
1!/2"-DIA,
COUNTER- together later. Right now, it’s time
BORE
to start building a solid base to sup-
port everything.
FRONT
VIEW
START WITH THE BASE
Work on the base starts with glu-
ing up two pieces of 3⁄4" MDF to
make the bottom and then cut-
ting it to size, as illustrated in
Figure 1. Next, you’ll need to cut
a pair of grooves in the bottom to
accept some T-track.
Because the T-track doesn’t
extend the full length of the groove,
I cut some filler strips to size from
MDF and glued them into the
C
NOTE:
BOTTOM IS
GLUED UP FROM
TWO LAYERS OF
#/4" MDF, BACK
IS #/4" MDF, AND
FILLERS ARE
#/8" MDF
#8 x 1!/2" Fh
WOODSCREW a. BACK
#/4
#/8
grooves at the left end. The back is
simply cut to size and then glued END VIEW BOTTOM
and screwed in place.
Heavy-Duty Sides. Like the bot-
tom, the sides are glued up from the top edge of each side is sized
two layers of MDF. As you can see, for the flange bearings that support
they extend above the top of the the shaft used to drive the router
back to position the carriage shaft carriage. Another hole is located in
(added later) properly. You can the left side near the bottom and
trim them to final size and ease the supports the headstock shaft.
upper corners using the dimen- The bearings are impregnated
sions detailed in Figure 2. with oil to provide lubrication. To
The sides serve as anchor points prevent the oil from leaching out
for several parts. So the next step into the MDF over time, I sealed
is to drill a few counterbored the inside edges of the holes with a
holes for that purpose. A hole near couple coats of finish.
CUT #/4"-WIDE

2
FIGURE CENTERED GROOVE,
!/32" DEEP
1!/2"-RAD. c.
a. CARRIAGE RAIL 1" FLANGED END
RIGHT
SIDE
(1!/4" x 49")
F
SLEEVE VIEW CARRIAGE
RAIL
BEARING
!/4
1!/4"-DIA. #8 x 1!/2" Fh
HOLE w/ WOODSCREW CARRIAGE GUIDE RIGHT SIDE
(1" x 49" - !/8" Alum.) (6!/4" x 18")
1!/2"-DIA,
COUNTER- H E
#/4
BORE

4!/2
FRONT 1" FLANGED !/16" ROUNDOVER
VIEW SLEEVE ON ALL EDGES
BEARING
(DETAIL “a”)

b.
GUIDE !/2
!/8" 9#/4 G
GUIDE SUPPORT
(1#/4" x 49")
#/8
%/8"-DIA. NOTE:
HOLE w/ #8 x 3" Fh LEFT AND RIGHT GUIDE
&/8"-DIA, WOODSCREW LEFT SIDE 14 SIDES ARE GLUED UP SUPPORT
COUNTER- (15!/4" x 19")
FROM TWO LAYERS OF #/4"
BORE D MDF, GUIDE SUPPORT IS #/4" BOTTOM
5!/2 MDF, AND CARRIAGE RAIL BACK
!/2" FLANGED IS 1!/4"-THICK HARDWOOD
SLEEVE BEARING
(DETAIL “b”)

3 WoodsmithPlans.com SN11524 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 3 N PIN BLOCK
(3!/4" x 4")
NOTE: BASE, SUPPORT, PIN BLOCK,
AND PIN BLOCK SUPPORT ARE MADE a. b. NOTE: PIN BLOCK
OR GLUED UP FROM #/4" MDF TAIL PIN w/!/4" ADJUSTS UP AND DOWN
WASHER
%/16"-18 x 3" !/4"-RAD.
!/4" 1
WASHER CARRIAGE VERTICAL #/4
BOLT SUPPORT #/8
(4" x 5!/8") &/8 PIN
L BLOCK
2%/8 1#/8
O
TAIL PIN
(!/4"-DIA. x 1#/8") 1!/16
%/16" FLANGE
1!/2 BOLT, #8 x 1!/2" Fh
PIN BLOCK WASHER WOODSCREW
w/WASHER
SUPPORT M & KNOB CL
(1&/8" x 4") 2!/2

I LONG KEY
TAILSTOCK BASE !/4 (#/8" x !/2" - 2")
(4 " x 6#/4") K
TAILSTOCK 1
BASE
%/16"-18 x 1!/2" J
FLANGE BOLT
SHORT KEY SIDE VIEW END VIEW
(#/8" x !/2" - 1")

There’s one important point to
mention here. While the right side
can be glued and screwed in place,
the left side is only attached with
!/8
bottom, I installed an MDF support hardwood keys. You can see how
that holds a 1⁄8"-thick piece of alu- this works in Figure 3.
minum bar, like you see in Figures Vertical adjustment is handled
2 and 2c on the previous page. by a support system (Figure 3). It #/8

screws. This allows you to remove
it later when you drill the mount-
ing holes for the gears.
Guide Rails. With the sides
installed, you can turn your atten-
tion to the rails used to guide the
Supporting the Workpiece.
One of the keys to getting great
results starts with rigid support of
the workpiece. And that’s the job of
the headstock and tailstock.
I started with the tailstock since
consists of a vertical support and
a pin block support. You’ll need 1#/8
to cut a pair of slots in the verti-
cal support to accept a pair of car-
riage bolts from the pin block that’s
added next. Then you can glue and !/4

router carriage. Since the carriage
hooks over and rides along the top
of the back, I added a hardwood
rail to provide a more durable
surface (Figures 2 and 2c, page 3).
A shallow groove (1⁄32") along the
inside face provides clearance for a
tape measure that’s installed later.
The rail guides the top of the car-
riage. To guide the carriage at the
4 CL HEADSTOCK
(2!/4" x 5" - 6!/2")
!/4"-
RAD.
CL
SLEEVE BEARING
#10 x 3" Fh
WOODSCREW
it’s a little more involved (Figure screw them to the base. TAIL/DRIVE
3). There are a couple of reasons for There’s a hole in one end of the PIN DETAIL
this. First, it needs to slide along pin block for a steel pin used to
the T-track in the base to adapt to support the workpiece in line with
the length of a workpiece. And the headstock. The margin draw-
second, it needs to adjust up ing provides the details and Shop
and down to create tapered legs. Short Cuts on page 13 shows a
To travel along the T-track, the quick way to taper the end.
tailstock features a wide base The Headstock. The headstock
with a pair of grooves and a set of starts out as a glued up block of
MDF (Figure 4). For the drive sys-
a. TOP VIEW
tem that’s added later to work
properly, it’s important to drill
P
a hole through the block that
%/8"-DIA. NOTE: CENTER
HOLE HEADSTOCK ON matches up with the bearing. The
SLEEVE BEARING
HOLE hole is longer than most bits. So
you’ll need to drill in from both
USE !/2"-DIA. BRAD
!/2" FLANGED POINT BIT TO MARK ends. To locate the hole at each
HOLE LOCATION
end of the headstock, I matched
up centerlines and marked them
b. SLEEVE BEARING with a brad point bit, as illus-
trated in Figure 4a.
HEADSTOCK Here again, the headstock is
#10 x 3" Fh simply screwed in place for now.
WOODSCREW
To accurately align the block, I
FRONT VIEW slipped a 1⁄2"-dia. rod through the
two flange bearings.

4 WoodsmithPlans.com SN11524 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 NOTE: DRIVE GEAR AND
DRIVE GEAR DRIVE DISK ARE 1!/2" BALTIC
(3!/4"-DIA.) BIRCH PLYWOOD. ALL OTHER
R PARTS ARE #/4" BALTIC
BIRCH PLYWOOD

5
FIGURE
Q
CARRIAGE SHAFT a.
(1"-DIA. x 55!/4" !/4"-20
NOTE: PATTERNS FOR THE ACME ROD) 4"-20
!/T-NUT
INDEXING WHEEL AND ALL T-NUT S
S
GEARS ARE AVAILABLE
STARTING ON PAGE 9
1" WASHER DRIVE SHAFT
(!/2"-DIA. x 11!/2" O
INDEXING WHEEL STEEL ROD) DRIVE PINS
!/4" T-NUTS U
U
(9" x 9#/4") V (!/4"-DIA. x 1#/8")
U FRONT
!/4" x 1!/4"
STUDDED
W FRONT
VIEW
KNOB AND DRIVE DISK VIEW
WASHER (2!/4"-DIA. )

b. U
DRIVE
DISK !/4
!/2" WASHER
S
#/4
SPACER DRIVE SHAFT
(2"-DIA. ) T
T SPACER T T
(2"-DIA.) DRIVE
!/2" FLANGED PIN
SLEEVE !/8
REVOLVING
HANDLE S FRONT BEARING
NOTE: SCORE ENDS OF DRIVE
MAIN GEAR VIEW SHAFT TO ALLOW EPOXY TO GRAB
(11!#/16"-DIA.)
NOTE:
REVOLVING
to a threaded shaft at the top turns workpiece spins. And it allows
HANDLE THREADS
INTO HOLE IN adding the a series of gears and controls a you to control the degree of twist,

Gears
INDEXING WHEEL
With the base of the milling
machine complete, the most inter-
esting part of the construction
starts — adding the gear system.
These parts move the router car-
riage side-to-side while at the same
time rotating the workpiece.
A quick look at Figures 5 and 6
will give you an idea of how all
this works. A drive gear connected
workpiece drive system.
The rotation is transferred to a
main gear that spins freely until
it’s connected to an indexing
wheel with a studded knob. The
indexing wheel allows you to
accurately position the workpiece
when you want to create straight
or spiral details.
The arrangement and number
of gears between the drive gear
and main gear determines how
fast the router travels while the
or pitch, of the spiral pattern.
Making the Gears. It’s impor-
tant to make the gears accurately.
It’s a simple, though repetitive,
process using templates available
starting on page 14. You can read
more about this in Shop Short
Cuts on page 13.
Once you have the indexing
wheel, gears, spacers, and drive
disk completed, the next step is
a little assembly. The indexing
wheel and each gear is made up

Locating the Gear Holes

HOLE GEAR
LOCATION SETUP

A 10-20
B 10-30
C 10-40

1 LOCATE HOLE USING ANY

2 D GEAR AND SPACE SAME
3 AS THE DISTANCE FROM
HOLE B TO HOLE C
A BCD 1 10-40 (D) & 10-30
4
2 10-40 (D) & 10-20

{  Gear Location. Using two layers of paper shims 3 10-30 (D) & 10-20
between the teeth, press the gear in place. Then use LEFT SIDE
HOLE PATTERN 4 10-20
a brad point bit to locate the mounting hole.

5 WoodsmithPlans.com SN11524 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 6
FIGURE
of two parts, as you see in Figures 20-TOOTH
10-20 (6!/8"-DIA.)
5 and 6. An easy way to glue the GEAR Y
two parts together is shown in
10-30
a.a.
the photo below. GEAR LOCKNUT
To complete the main gear,
Z
you’ll need to add a couple of
T-nuts (Figure 5, page 5). I tempo- R X
rarily joined the indexing wheel 10-TOOTH 10-TOOTH 30-TOOTH
(3!/4"-DIA.) (9"-DIA.)
to the main gear with a bolt and X Z
X
then used a brad point bit to mark
the T-nut locations. Use the inner !/2" x 4"
and outer indexing holes directly S HEX HEAD
BOLT, LOCKNUT,
opposite the handle. & WASHERS
U 40-TOOTH
Gear Mounting Holes. The (11!#/16"-DIA.)
next step is to use the gears to AA
locate the mounting holes in the
left end. To do this, you’ll need
to glue the drive gear to the car-
riage shaft with epoxy. Then, slip
the shaft through the flange bear-
ings in the ends of the base.
The box on the previous page
NOTE: ALL
details which gears to use as you
10-40 TOOTHED GEARS
ARE #/4" BALTIC BIRCH
locate each hole. The first step is GEAR PLYWOOD. INDEXING
X WHEEL NUMBERED
to locate holes A to D. Note: The 10-TOOTH WITH STICK-ON
10-tooth gear always meshes with LABELS

the main gear for holes A to D.

At this point, you’ll need to
remove the left side and head
to the drill press to drill the holes.
When that’s completed, you can
reinstall the left end.
The process for locating holes 1,
2, and 3 is just like before. Only this
time, you’ll need to install a gear
in hole D per the chart. For hole 4,
all you’ll use here is the 10-20 gear.
Here, the 20-tooth portion engages
both the drive gear and main gear.
FRONT
VIEW
Final Assembly. Once these
holes are drilled, you’re ready for
final assembly of the drive sys-
tem (Figure 5b, previous page).
The drive disk has a pair of pins
that engage holes in the top of the
workpiece. Just make sure that you
don’t glue the main gear to the
shaft since it needs to spin freely.
BB LOCK GEAR
(3!/8" x 3&/16" - 1!/2" Ply.)
(BOX BELOW)
There’s just one final part to
make — the lock gear. This is
used to hold the workpiece sta-
tionary while you rout straight
flutes or reeds, for example. You
can see how I located the mount-
ing hole in the gear in the box
below. Note: No paper shims are
used for this.

Lock Gear Hole Location

LOCK <  Transfer. After
GEAR
aligning the drive
shaft with a triangle,
transfer the lock gear
!/2" BRAD hole location using
POINT BIT
the “D” hole.

DRIVE
PINS
a.
{  Gear Assembly. To assemble
the gears, apply glue and then
bolt them tightly together. The END
alignment of the teeth on the two VIEW
gears doesn’t matter.

6 WoodsmithPlans.com SN11524 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 a.
router
Carriage 7 LIFT BLOCK !/2"-13
(1!/2" x 2!/4 " - 5") REVOLVING
CRANK
EE HANDLE #10 x 3" Fh
CLEAT WOODSCREW
(#/4 " x 2!/2" - 10")
With all the gears completed, GG !/4 "-
RAD. CLEAT
you’re ready to add two assem-

55
SPACER
blies that support the router. The

54
53
first assembly is a support that BACK

52
slides along the rail at the top of
30

51
29
28
27
26
25

the base. The other assembly is

50
49
an adjustable carriage. The router

48
14#/8
mounts to the carriage to allow !/2"-13 x 8"

47
FF THREADED
you to precisely control the depth SPACER ROD
of cut in the workpiece. (1!/4" x 1!/4" - 10") !/2" LOCKNUT END
AND WASHER VIEW #/4

SLIDING SUPPORT NOTE: SEE CC

FIGURE 9 FOR BACK
The sliding support you see in LOCATION (8!/2" x 21" - !/2
(USE LEFT-OVER 1!/2" MDF)
Figure 7 consists of an MDF back SECTION FROM
46" TAPE)
along with a spacer, a cleat, and a
D D (1" x GUIDE BAR
20!/4 " -!/8" ALUM.)
lift block made from hardwood.
Aluminum bars that fit into kerfs CLEAT SPACER TOP
on each side of the back guide the b. VIEW
router carriage. And a kerf along
the bottom of the back fits over
the guide in the base to stabilize
#/4
the support. To allow the support !/2
#/4 #/4"-RAD.
to move along the rail, I attached #8 x 3" Fh
WOODSCREW !/2"-DIA. CL #8 x 2!/2" Fh
a cleat and spacer. The spacer and HOLE WOODSCREW
cleat are positioned so the bottom
of the back rides just above the
support, as you see in Figure 7a. handle, slip the shaft through the ROUTER CARRIAGE
Finally, attached to the top front block and secure it with a washer Adding the carriage that the
edge of the back is a lift block. and lock nut. The assembly should router mounts to is the next step
After attaching a threaded rod to a spin without any play. (Figure 8). You’ll find all the
dimensions necessary to shape
8 CARRIAGE
BLOCK
NOTE: ALL PARTS
EXCEPT CARRIAGE
#8 x 1!/2" Fh
the sides, along with the bottom,
in the box on the next page.
(1!/2" x 1&/16" - 5")
BLOCK ARE
#/4 " MDF TOP VIEW WOODSCREW
KK I found it easiest to first cut all
!#/16"-DIA
HOLE the grooves and dadoes in a blank
CARRIAGE
cut to final width and length. The
55

BLOCK
narrow groove along the back edge
54

45

CL
44
43

BACK
42
41
40
53

39

SIDE is sized for a smooth, sliding fit

52

(8&/8 " x 13") #/4 !/4 with the aluminum bar installed in
30
29
51

HH
27
26
25

#/4"-RAD.
the sliding support.
50

CARRIAGE
a.
49

COUPLING NUT You can turn your attention

BACK
48

(9" x 13)
to the bottom of the carriage once
47

I I
NOTE: the sides are shaped. I used the
DIMENSIONS FOR THE SIDES
HH AND BASE ARE DETAILED IN THE baseplate on my router to locate
BOX ON THE NEXT PAGE
SIDE the mounting holes in the bottom.
b. FRONT
VIEW
These holes are oversized to pro-
vide a little room for adjustment
when you mount the router.
55

JJ The last part to complete before

54
53

ROUTER BASE assembling the carriage is the

52

(10" x 11!/4 ")

51

back and carriage block. A cou-

50

pling nut in the carriage block

49
48

!/2"-13
CARRIAGE COUPLING engages the threaded rod in the
47

BLOCK NUT

7 WoodsmithPlans.com SN11524 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 sliding support assembly. I used
epoxy to secure the nut to the block
9 1
NOTE: INSTALL 46"-LONG TAPE SO LEFT
EDGE OF CARRIAGE ALIGNS WITH ZERO
!/4" x 2!/2"
CARRIAGE BOLT,
WHEN CENTER OF BIT ALIGNS NUT, & WASHER
after pressing it in place. WITH END OF WORKPIECE
1"-DIA. #/4"-RAD.
With the carriage completed, 1

55
HOLE
you can slip it into the guide

54
45
44
43
42

bars of the sliding support. After

41
40

53
39
38
37

threading the shaft into the cou- MM

pling nut, hang the entire assem- &/16"-DIA. CRANK ARM
HOLE (2" x 7" - 1!/2" Ply.)
bly in place on the back. 17
18
19

TRAVELER BLOCK
16

(3!/4" x 4" - 1!/2" MDF)

15
14
13

FINAL ASSEMBLY
12

LL
11

48
10
9

a.
8
7
6
5
4
3

At this point, completing the router

2

1" ACME
milling machine is just a matter of NUT
installing the carriage shaft and
handle along with a pair of traveler
blocks that connect the router car- END
riage to the shaft. 55
54
TRAVELER
BLOCK
VIEW
The traveler blocks fit against
53

the inside faces of the router car-

b. c. END VIEW
52

riage, minimizing freeplay while FRONT 3!/4

VIEW
51

still allowing the carriage to 5 1!/4

1
50

move up and down. After mak-

EPOXY
49

ing the blocks, you’ll need to drill

REVOLVING
48

a stopped hole on the inside face HANDLE

47

of each one to accept a nut for the

shaft. I used epoxy to install a nut NOTE: REVOLVING #/8
1!/4"-DIA. HOLE HANDLE THREADS
W/1&/8"-DIA. INTO HOLE IN 1#/4
in just the right block for now. COUNTERBORE CRANK ARM 2!/2
To begin the assembly, slip the
carriage shaft through the left end
and into the router carriage. As you as shown in Figure 9b above. All that’s left to do is add a crank
do this, slip the left traveler block Then, slide the left traveler block arm and handle to the shaft (Figures
in place and add the loose nut. against the opposite side and 9 and 9c). Be sure to sandwich the
Continue feeding the shaft into the spin the nut into the traveler arm snugly against the right side to
right traveler block and through block until it bottoms out in the take out any play. After mounting
the flange bearing on the right side. hole, removing any freeplay in your router, you can start experi-
Next, slide the router carriage the assembly. Finally, use epoxy menting. To guide you through that
against the right traveler block, to glue the nut in place. process, turn to page 9.

Side & Base Dimensions

13
7!/2

D.
3"-RAD. 3#/4"-RAD. 3!#/16
4#/8 3#/4"-RAD.

1&/8 3#/4

%/8"-RAD. #/4
11!/4
8&/8 CL
RAD.
1"-RAD.
!/2 #/8"-DEEP
NOTE: ALL DADOES AND 3#/4
RECESS IS
5&/8 GROOVES ARE !/4" DEEP OVERSIZED TO
CENTER ROUTER IN ALLOW FOR
!/8 RECESS, THEN ROUTER
4#/16 #/4
DRILL OVERSIZE ADJUSTMENT
MOUNTING HOLES
1!/2 TO ALLOW FOR
!#/16 1!/2
!#/16 ADJUSTMENT

10

1
8 WoodsmithPlans.com SN05918
SN11524 ©2012 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
©2013
 HANDS-ON Technique

using the router

Milling Machine

Using standard router bits, you can learn the step-by-

step process to create uniquely designed legs.
Now that the router milling jig is completed, the next
challenge is putting it to use. Here you’ll learn a few
ways to create your own unique designs.
Instead of presenting a specific design to dupli-
cate, I’ll offer detailed steps for specific opera-
tions, like tapering a table leg or simply adding
straight flutes. You can use any single step or a
combination to create your own unique design in
any type of wood you choose.
Experimenting is fun, but you can go through a lot
of material quickly. To keep the cost down, I practiced
on blanks glued up from inexpensive poplar. Once
you have the design worked out, you’re ready to
duplicate it on your workpieces.

The Setup
Creating a leg starts with sup- them identically each time. The
porting it between the headstock simplest way to do this is by mark-
and tailstock. To do this, you’ll ing an “X” on both the drive disk
need to drill some holes. and leg (photo below).
A pair of holes in the top of the
leg are located along the diago-
nal, as you see in the photo at
right. They’re spaced to match
up with the drive pins. And a
single centered hole supports the
bottom of the leg, as shown in
the far right photo.
When you create a set of legs,
you’ll complete identical opera- {  Headstock. A pair of holes in {  Tailstock. The bottom of the
tions on each one before moving the top of the leg mates with the leg is supported at the center by
on. So it’s important to reinstall drive pins in the headstock. the tailstock pin.

9 WoodsmithPlans.com SN11524 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
Creating a Transition
One of the most basic tasks in then to add a little more detail, If you want
making a leg is creating a smooth I installed a vertical panel rais- to add details at
transition from one area to the ing bit. It creates a much more another point on
next. On a table leg, this would interesting transition. Here again, the leg, follow the
be an area between the square record the final carriage location same process. Note:
upper (where the apron rails so you can repeat the cuts on For the best results, turn the leg so
attach) and the shaped lower another workpiece. the bit is spinning into the material.
portion of the leg.
Basic Router Bits. In the example
you see here, two basic bits were
used. A core box bit and a panel
raising bit (far upper right photos).
You’ll start by installing the core
box bit and lowering the carriage Detail Final
to make a shallow cut. As you turn location depth
the indexing wheel, you’ll remove
material just off the corners of the
leg (photo at right).
To complete the cove, make
Detail Final
increasingly deeper cuts until you location depth
reach the desired depth (upper
photo, far right). At this point,
make a note of the vertical and
horizontal position of the carriage
(lower right photos). You’ll use
these measurements to duplicate
the process on any other legs. {  A Simple Rotation. Turn the cove {  Repeatability. Once you reach final depth (top),
Adding Detail. A simple cove to create the leg. Then, increase the record the two measurements that determine the
is a good starting point, but depth of cut and repeat the process. position of the router carriage.

10 WoodsmithPlans.com SN11524 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 Tapering a Leg
Once the transition is completed,
you can begin to shape the lower
portion of the leg. One option is
to give the leg a lighter look by
tapering it from top to bottom
(margin at left).
Raise the Leg. To create the
taper, you’ll need to raise the bot-
tom of the leg by adjusting the pin
block (near right photo). Then, to
connect the carriage shaft and
drive shafts, you’ll need to add {  Raise the Leg. To form a taper, {  Add a Gear. To link the carriage
a gear (far right photo). This raise the pin block to the desired and drive shafts together, install
way, as you turn the crank arm, height and lock it in place. the 10-20 gear as shown.
the router carriage moves as the
leg turns, making quick work of you work from the top of the leg to The surface may look a little
removing material. the bottom. The last pass will com- rough after the tapering. So spend
Here again, it’s best to make pletely round the leg at the transi- some time sanding the surface
shallow passes (photo below) as tion (bottom left margin photo). smooth (photo below).

{  Tapering. A
flat-bottomed
bowl bit removes
material quickly to
{  Taper the Leg. Making progressively deeper {  Smoothing the Taper. To remove the milling
cuts, taper the leg from left to right until you have a marks left by the bit, turn the workpiece by hand
create a taper.
completely round leg at the transition. while sanding along the length of the leg.

Adding Vertical Details

One eye-catching element you can
add to a leg is a vertical detail, like
the flutes on the leg in the mar-
gin. To do this, the leg needs to be
locked in place while the router
moves side-to-side.
Consistent Spacing. Start by
pinning the indexing wheel to
the main gear (near right photo).
Using the outer ring of holes,
sets of 2, 4, 8, or 16 evenly spaced
details are possible. And the inner
ring allows for sets of 3 or 9.
To keep the leg stationary, you’ll {  Accurate Reference. Starting {  Lock the Leg. With the flat of
need to add the lock gear, as shown at the #1 position makes it easy to the leg parallel to the base of the
in the far right photo. reference each flute. machine, add the lock gear.

11 WoodsmithPlans.com SN11524 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
Adding Vertical Details (cont.)
Starting Flat. For an odd num-
ber of details, where you start
doesn’t really matter. For an even
number, it’s looks best to start with
the flat of the leg parallel to the
base of the jig.
Creating the flutes shown
requires a small core box bit (upper
margin at right). The cut isn’t deep,
{  Start the Flute. Lower the bit
first, then turn the crank arm to
move the carriage.
Creating Spirals
Up to this point, only a small
amount of the capability of the
router milling jig has been used.
To take full advantage, you’ll want
to consider adding spiral details
(lower margin photo).
12 WoodsmithPlans.com SN11524 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
but to get the smoothest surface, I
made two passes, removing most
of the material during the first pass.
For a final cleanup pass, lower the
bit slightly and move the carriage
back to the start.
Stops. To ensure that the end
points of all the flutes were con-
sistent, I could have used the scale
{  Positive Stops. Clamping a
stop at both ends ensures every
flute is identical in length.
To do this, you’ll need to add a
gear (or two) to connect the drive
gear to the main gear (photo at
the lower left). The arrangement
and size of the gears determines
the direction and pitch (spacing)
of the spiral. You can see what the
various patterns look like by turn-
ing to page 16.
{  Spiral Gears. Connecting
the shafts with one or two gears
results in a spiral effect. The inner
indexing settings will create an
odd number of spirals.
on the rail. But if you have a lot to
make, a block clamped at each end
provides a positive stop and pre-
vents you from routing too far.
Relocating the indexing wheel {  Fluting.
repositions the leg for the next Adding evenly
flute. I was creating eight flutes, so spaced flutes
that meant skipping every other is a snap
setting. For the second flute, I sim- with a small
ply moved to position #3, as shown diameter core
below. Then, just repeat the process box bit.
to rout the flute.
{  Adding Flutes. To make the
next flute, advance the index
wheel to the next setting.
The process is similar to adding
vertical details, the only difference
is the gear setup. Like the other
details, the look depends on the
bit you use. For the shallow flutes {  Classic. Just
shown, I used a small part of the bit a portion of a
shown in the margin. bit adds eye-
So grab some bits and start catching detail.
experimenting. The possibilities for
unique designs are unlimited. All it
takes is a little imagination.
{  Routing a Spiral. As you turn
the crank arm, the carriage and
leg both move to create a spiral.
 Shop Short Cuts 1
FIGURE PAPER
PATTERN

Making Gears simply follow the pattern, or use a

BASE
circle-cutting
(7" x 14" - #/4 " MDF) jig.
Creating the gears (and indexing The next step is to drill out the
wheel) isn’t difficult, just tedious. bottom of each tooth. I did this
To ensure consistency, I used a set using the jig (Figure 2). Once you
of patterns and an easy-to-build align one of the gear holes in the
drilling jig for the drill press. pattern under the bit, clamp the jig
Each pattern is attached to an in place and start drilling using the
oversized blank (Figure 1). After layout lines as a guide.
drilling a hole at the center of the Once all the holes are complete,
pattern, you can cut the blank you can head to the band saw and
GEAR BLANKS
to its circular shape. You can do shape each tooth, as is shown in ARE SLIGHTLY
OVERSIZED
this by hand at the band saw and Figure 3 below.

2 ALIGN ONE HOLE

UNDER BIT AND
3
CLAMP JIG IN
PLACE. THEN ROTATE
BLANK TO DRILL
ALL HOLES

PIN

GEAR BLANK

NOTE: COMPLETE
NOTE: DRILLING JIG IS #/4" PLYWOOD TEETH BY CUTTING
(12" x 12") WITH A !/2"-DIA. x 1" ALONG LAYOUT LINES
CENTERED PIVOT PIN

File a Taper Counterbore Drilling Guide

{  Tapered Pins. To create the
drive and tail pins for the router
milling machine, chuck a length
of steel rod in the drill press. At
low speed, use a file to shape
the tip of the pin.
The drive gear of the router
milling machine is the only gear
1
with a different size center hole. 1"-DIA.
COUNTERBORE,
It needs to be 1" in diameter to !/4" DEEP
accept the carriage shaft.
The problem was I wanted to
use the same jig I used for all the
other gears to drill out the teeth.
The solution was to first drill a DRIVE GEAR
shallow 1"-dia. counterbore in
the drive gear blank after attach-
ing the pattern. Then, using the
same centerpoint, drill a 1⁄2"-dia.
2
hole to match the pin on the drill- 1"-DIA.
ing jig, as shown in Figure 1. FORSTNER
BIT
Once all the gear teeth are cut,
reinstall the 1"-dia. Forstner bit SECURE
in the drill press. This way, you GEAR
WITH
can use the original counterbored CLAMP
hole as a guide to drill completely
through the gear.

13 WoodsmithPlans.com SN11524 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 Milling Machine
Gear Setups
The router milling machine allows for six
different gear setups to create spiral pat-
terns (like flutes and reeds). Depending on
the setup, the gear ratio, and therefore the
spacing of the spirals, changes. The direc- SINGLE
SPIRAL
tion of the spiral depends on whether one PATTERN
or two gears are used to connect the drive
gear and main gears, as you can see in the
drawings below and on the following page.
Each set of drawings below shows the
gear setup and resulting spiral pattern. You
can use the information to determine what
FOUR
will work best for the type of bit you’re COMPLETE
using. It’s always a good idea to try out dif- SPIRAL
ferent gear setups and bit combinations on PATTERNS
a practice blank to determine the best spac-
ing and number of spirals.
Over time, you’ll develop a sense for the
number of spirals you can use in a design {  Spiral Pattern. Each specific gear setup results in a particular
depending on the gear ratio and the size of spiral spacing (left example). The indexing wheel ensures that spirals are
the bit (or a portion of a bit) you use. evenly spaced for a consistent look once they’re complete (right example).

10-20
GEAR
INSIDE END VIEW

1-8 GEAR
RATIO
16 1 A
2
15

9
1
14

2
4

1%/8
3
8
13

5
4
7
12

6 5
11
7

10 8
9

OUTSIDE END VIEW

10-30
GEAR

1-12 GEAR
RATIO
16 1
B
2
15

9
1
14

2
4

2#/8
3
8
13

5
4
7
12

6 5
11
7

10 8
9

14 WoodsmithPlans.com SN11524 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 10-40
GEAR
INSIDE END VIEW

1-16 GEAR
RATIO
16 1
2
C

15

3
9
1

14
2

4
3#/16

3
8
13

5
4
7
12

6
6 5
11

7
10 8
9

OUTSIDE END VIEW

10-20
GEAR 10-30
GEAR

3 1-24 GEAR
RATIO
D
16 1
2
15

9
1
14

2
4

4!#/16
3
8
13

5
4
7
12

6 5
11
7

10 8
9

10-20
GEAR
10-40
GEAR

2
1-32 GEAR
RATIO
16 1
2 D
15

9
1
14

2
4

6#/8
3
8
13

5
4
7
12

6 5
11
7

10 8
9

10-30
GEAR
10-40
GEAR

1
1-48 GEAR
RATIO
16 1
2 D
15

9
1
14

2
4

9%/8
3
8
13

5
4
7
12

6 5
11
7

10 8
9

15 WoodsmithPlans.com SN11524 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 Milling
Machine
Patterns

!/2"-DIA.
HOLE

20-TOOTH
FULL-SCALE PATTERN
(6!/8" O.D.)
(NEED ONE)

!/4"-DIA.
HOLE

DRIVE GEAR
FULL-SCALE PATTERN
(3!/4" O.D.)
(NEED ONE)

LOCK GEAR 1" -DIA.

FULL-SCALE PATTERN HOLE
(NEED ONE)

%/16"-DIA.
HOLE

16 WoodsmithPlans.com SN11524 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 INDEXING WHEEL
FULL-SCALE
LEFT HALF-PATTERN
(NEED 1)
&/16"-DIA.
HOLE

NOTE: USE CENTERLINES

TO ALIGN BOTH INDEXING
WHEEL HALF-PATTERNS TO
FORM A FULL PATTERN

CL

!/2"-DIA.
!/4"-DIA. HOLE
HOLES

4!/2"-RAD.

17 WoodsmithPlans.com SN11524 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 INDEXING WHEEL
FULL-SCALE
RIGHT HALF-PATTERN
&/16"-DIA.
(NEED 1)
HOLE

NOTE: USE CENTERLINES

TO ALIGN BOTH INDEXING
WHEEL HALF-PATTERNS TO
FORM A FULL PATTERN

CL

!/2"-DIA.
HOLE !/4"-DIA.
HOLES

4!/2"-RAD.

18 WoodsmithPlans.com SN11524 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 CL

NOTE: USE CENTERLINES

TO ALIGN TWO 30-TOOTH
HALF-PATTERNS TO FORM
A FULL PATTERN

30-TOOTH
FULL-SCALE
HALF-PATTERN
(9" O.D)
(NEED 2)

CL

!/2"-DIA.
HOLE

!/4"-DIA.
HOLE

19 WoodsmithPlans.com SN11524 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 10-TOOTH
FULL-SCALE
PATTERN
(3!/4" O.D.)
(NEED THREE)

!/2"-DIA.
HOLE

NOTE: USE CENTERLINES

TO ALIGN FOUR 40-TOOTH
QUARTER-PATTERNS TO
FORM A FULL PATTERN

%/16"-DIA.
HOLE

40-TOOTH
FULL-SCALE
QUARTER-PATTERN
(11!#/16" O.D.)
(NEED 4)

!/4"-DIA.
HOLE

!/2"-DIA.
HOLE

CL

CL

20 WoodsmithPlans.com SN11524 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 MAIL Project Sources
ORDER
SOURCES The router milling machine requires
quite a bit of hardware and supplies.
Woodsmith Store
800-444-7527 The 1"-5 Acme rod (98935A110), 1"-5
Acme nut (94815A110), 1" sleeve
McMaster-Carr bearings (2938T25), 1⁄2" sleeve bear-
630-833-0300 ings (6338K418), and 1" flat washers
mcmaster.com
(97416A146) all came from McMaster-
Reid Supply Carr. You can find the crank handle
800-253-0421 (JCL-1150), revolving handles (JCL-
reidsupply.com 835), 5⁄16"-18 knobs (DK-55), and 1⁄4"-
Rockler 20 studded knobs (RST-101) online at
800-279-4441 Reid Supply. And I purchased the 48"
rockler.com T-track (20054) and 6' self-adhesive
tape (69116) from Rockler.
Benjamin Moore
855-724-6802 The milling machine was painted
benjaminmoore.com with Benjamin Moore’s Classic Color
Collection – No. 546 Courtyard Green.

21 WoodsmithPlans.com SN11524 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.