Woodsmith Router Mortising Machine

[NOVAKWOODWORKING]

Hello... I'm a new subscriber.  Hopefully someone on this forum can help.

I have been building the router mortising machine, profiled in Issue 217 from Woodsmith.  Got through all the steps, but I'm frustrated because I can't figure out how to attach the drawer slide to the base.  I can attach one screw for each male end of the slide but not two, because the base prevents that.  This is critical because it has to be fixed to be accurate.  With only one screw on each male end, its sloppy.

Maybe the photo below can explain.

Almost finished

   
Two male ends of acuride slide.  Can only attach one end because slide bed won't slide any further due to dog ears

   
From the plans, you can see the slides are supposed to be attached to the base, but I can't because when I go to attach the female to male, dog ears get in the way, and I have to tilt the bed to attach, and can only do that with one screw attached.

   

Thanks for your help.

[teetomterrific]

You definitely separated the drawer slides and still have this problem?

[Bill Holt]

First, welcome aboard.

Are you unable to "release" the glide, then move table to the left enough to install another screw?  I've never built the machine but I have installed several drawer glides.

Hopefully someone will come along shortly and have "the" answer.

[jteneyck]

I think you need to separate the slides and attach each half separately.  Even when you figure it out and get them installed I think you are not going to be happy.  Drawer slides have a significant amount of slop in them and will result in unwanted variance in the width of a mortise.  I would strongly consider using hardwood or UHMW plastic runners set in dados in the mating parts instead of drawer runners, like used in my horizontal router mortiser.  Personally, I think you would be far happier had you built my machine, but I'm biased.  Good luck.

John

[oakey]

The first horizontal router I built I used drawer tracks just like you are doing it did not work out at all as John said to much slop I lucked out and found some very high end bearing slides from a scrap cnc machine they work fine and made the machine very use full

[Steve N]

I agree with John here. The drawer slides will have more slop in them than you want in that operation. Open any cabinet drawer 2 to 3" and holding the knob just move your hand back and forth, you will see up to 1/2" wiggle. Way too much. As John suggested QS wood, Ply. or UHMW plastic will make a better slide. Possibly also easier to attach too. Even bar stock if you can assure it is straight, if you were convinced they had to be metal.

[Phil Thien]

I wouldn't remove the drawer slides, I'd just add some additional components to increase linearity.

That say you get the best of both worlds:  (1) Linearity.  (2) Low friction (easy to move).

I'd probably just use some UHMW plastic in grooves machined in the top/bottom, or something like that.

[Dara]

I made johns morticer a few weeks ago. It works great and was super easy to build. Thanks John. Pics of some mortises I did should be up tomorrow