Homemade Overarm Router

I thought I'd share some plans for the overarm router that I built a while back if anyone's interested. I've uploaded it as a .dxf file, and you'll need some CAD software to suss out exactly what the hell's going on, but I figured I'd share it for anyone interested.

http://blackwaterguitars.com/picdump/OverarmMaster.zip

 

Cool, what does it do?

 

I use it to carve neck profiles, but it could do pretty much any overarm routing task.

 

sir you are the jig master

 

I had to watch a couple videos, it's all making sense now! Very cool!

 

So...if someone wanted to, say, pay you to make them one...

 

I'd probably be disinclined to make them... Once my time is factored in, it wouldn't be a whole hell of a lot cheaper than a Shopfox pin router.

 

I found a picture of it set up for the preliminary neck carving:

 

Cool design, are those draw hinges? I used those them in a jig I built for routing binding channels and found there was a bit of play in the hinge. How do you alleviate it, if it has it?

 

There are four drawer hinges, two on the back of the router holder and one on each side. Having four of them on two planes keeps everything pretty solid.

I do have some linear bearings and I'm going to probably redesign the Z-axis portion with those for a little more stability, but it's fine as it sits now.

 

Pretty damn smart idea with the four hinges.
Thanks,
Ken

 

Nice! I bought a Shopfox back in '07 but had considered making one like this. Great job. One of my wood working buddies was building guitars professionally back in the early '80's and the owners father was a machinist. He built them an industrial version like what you'd find in a big furniture factory. Crazy stuff.

 

I was thinking of picking up a Shopfox, but since I'm really only using an overarm to rough in the neck carve I couldn't justify the price tag. For $100 in materials, the home made version works perfectly well for the one task I use it for

 

any photos of your Pin setup?

I was about to buy a pin router a couple months ago.. but fortunes changed... again.

also how is the deflection on this unit?

 

No pin on this bad boy yet. I'm just using it as an overarm to rough in neck carves.

As far as deflection: It's *pretty* stout right now. Most of the play is in the hinges. I've got some linear bearings that I'm going to use to redesign the z-axis, but for right now the play is minimal enough for neck carving. I probably wouldn't use it for carving cavities for the pickups or controls until I implement the linear bearings.

 

ah..
I've built a lot of home made "wood based" machines in the past.. and I'm pretty solidly convinced that unless they are made from aluminum, steel or cast iron.. they pretty much are all just stop gap measures at best. with questionable repeatability being their best results.

for the amount of time I would spent building one.. I'd rather either build it from steel at the start or just go buy one, because I always have a very high expectation of any "machine" that I build.

either way... it still means more cash than I can afford to part with.

but I still think your version of an overarm router is pretty cool.

 

Yeah, that's pretty much what I'm anticipating with these wooden tools. More maintenance, and they're eventually gonna wear out and need to be replaced entirely with continuous use in the shop.

But, if I ignore the labor I have in it and focus only on material costs, I could build 4 more wooden ones before buying one Shopfox

 

BW,
You inspired me to make my own. After some research, I found some plans to build this:



Cool, but overkill, and I don't have room for another bench-top machine. After drawing up some simpler versions and more research, I stumbled on these:





Those pics are from this thread: Homemade Pin Router - Page 4 - Router Forums

Brilliant. I already have a drill press. This turns it into an overarm pin router.

Here's my version of it:





To hold the router securely in place and allow for micro adjustment, I simply flipped the router's fixed base upside down and mounted it to the underside. It works equally well with the router this way.

The "table" is just temporary until I build a proper one. I can use it in this configuration or to make it a "pin router", I just need to install the appropriate pin in the table.

 

not too sure I like this idea, as the lock on most drill press posts will "swing" sideways under enough pressure.. but its something to explore.

 

An old drill press center post, re-purposed and modified to prevent the swinging might be a really nice way to make a super solid overarm, for sure. The swinging is something to be looked at for sure, though.