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Does anyone know where I can buy a precision base for a laminate trimmer?
I know I can make one but I don't have that kind of time.....

thanks,

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Peter,
I have the Bishop Cochran unit that holds a PC 310. You can find it at Allied.
Its one of the finest tools I own.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Peter, Sylvan Wells said he has some of the one's he's made in stock for sale, shoot him an email.

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

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I have the Bishop Cochran for a Foredom. It is as Lance says, one of the finest tools you may ever own. By the way, don't get the base for a Dremel- twould be a pearl among swine( Though, Foredom does make a handpicece threaded at the nose like a Dremel). I am tempted to get one for my 310 but I like the foot variable speed switch for the Foredom. I would recommend getting the BC "inlay" base too.Just Mike

I have the Micro Fence precision base and it's great.
Matt

I am with Lance... you will find no finer tool.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Thanks guys!
I do like the Bishop Cochran but it may be a little too rich for my blood....

I did forget to mention that I need it to cut circles and rosettes.

thanks,

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

I have a complete StewMac with a Foredom clone and the genuine Foredom Handpiece with the good bearings. PM if interested. Just Ole' Mike

I just recently bought the Bishop Cochran for my 310 and I think it's worth
every penny. It is such a fine tool with an attachment for rosettes and
the plunge is a nice feature to have.

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

The Stew-Mac precision rosette base can be adapted to a laminate trimmer pretty easily and works great as long as you don't mind the trimmer sitting off center in the base (affects nothing). 2 out of three holes in a Dewalt trimmer were a perfect fit, so I only had to drill one more in the Stew-Mac base. However, since I am not a big fan of the Dewalt I might look into changing over to a PC.

Another inexpensive option that I am thinking about trying myself is the Trend T4 mini-plunge router, though you would also have to improvise your own circle jig for this one also. Available at Klingspor's Woodworking Shop, http://www.woodworkingshop.com for $99.




Brook

I use a Jasper circle guide on my PC 6931 plunge base. It cuts circles in 1/16" increments. I just drill 1/8" holes for the pivote pin in the base where I need them. It's $27 and that's not bad if you are only using it for circles from 1" to 7" dia. Although precision depends on how precise you drill you custom holes.

Good suggestion Todd. That's a nice jig for precision work. Yet another jig to build.
http://www.wellsguitars.com/Articles/Pr ... _Base.html

I just built a new one of the Wells Karol jig last night. My first model wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. Took me about 3 hours to make it.

Peter, did you buy one yet?

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Nope, not yet.
I was comtemplating the Cochran one but I may have to go with another option.
Rod, how did it work out with the one you built?

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

I can also highly recommend the Wells / Karol type jig, it has made life much simpler for me. It can me made out of scraps you probably have laying around the workshop, so the only investment is a couple of hour's work (add another if you want to make it pretty!)

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

i also made the karol/wells style, the only thing i changed was the way the pieces are tightened to the rod. might be good enough for this router jig but when i build something that is to be tightened to a rod i always drill the hole and make a cut in from the side and put a bolt in the slotted area so that the rod gets 'clamped'.
(there i go with my lousy explaining again)

Frank

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Frank

Peter -
I would urge you to make the precision router jig from my plan which is posted below. It is not difficult at all to make it. However should you not wish to take the time, I do have them for sale at the top of the referenced page.
http://www.wellsguitars.com/Articles/Precision_Router_Base/Router_Base.html

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Sylvan
http://www.wellsguitars.com

I am at home nursing my 3 Long Haired Chihuahuas- kennel cough, and it is nothing to take lightly( notwithstanding the fact that you may laugh yourselves silly picturing me in white down to the shoes and those three little Hispanics) so peterm-- get me your address and I will box and send the spare with the S-Mc base and rosette attachment, along with speed control foot switch.) Use it until you decide on a 310 system. I have 5 routers, maybe more,the 310 will never leave. I cannot believe that those bought out and over and down morons quit making it. I know some of the builders here use Foredom-this is not the real thing except for the fact that I supplied a 0 runout genuine Foredom handpiece. When you have made your permanent choice, ship it here- or like I did for some other spares, we can sell it for the forum. Phone # 563 320 4034. Will go USPS Priority. Just the Real Ole' Mike

Has anyone counter bored and inset bearings in the inner piece to remove any free play in the pivot adjustment? Just a thought.

Arnt, where did you get your polycarbonate? I like the clear base for routers and your's looks pretty nice. Is the bearings idea a non issue as to the free play that might be in the pivot pin adjustment?

Chris I'm not sure I understand what you're asking about the pivot pin.

I use a 3/16" SS pin in my router base and when I'm cutting a rosette and sound hole I drill a 3/16" hole at the center, than I have a 1-1/2" thick work board that I clamp the top on to the work board and I align that with a 3/16" hole in the work board. That hole in the work board has not elongated or grown since I first drilled is so for me there is no issue.

I also don't take the top off the work board till the rosette is done and the sound hole has been cut out.

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Chris .. with lock nuts on the threaded adjusting rod riding against the pivot piece of UHMW snug, there is NO play in mine. The force required to loosen the nuts is not great enough in this design.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

OK. , Thanks for the responce Tony.

Good to hear Todd. The play I was referring to isn't in the pivot pin but the adjusting threaded rod. I was thinking that there might be a little play where the locking nut was and the two nuts on the other side of the middle piece. I was thinking that the nut had to have some space so that the rod could spin freely there. I'm not sure if I'm explaining what I mean clearly or not. Are most of you using the PC310 for this jig?

Chris, I use a makita (don't know the #) on mine. Here's a couple pictures of the new one I just made





I think the base of the PC310 is smaller and only requires 3 bolts for mounting so the circle cutter base can be smaller. As you can see on mine, I have 4 bolts much like many laminate trimmers have and they would interfere with the guide rods so I made mine a bit wider and run the guide rods outside of the trimmer base to avoid the mounting bolts.

I now understand what you are asking. The two lock nuts riding against the middle arm which the pivot rod is attached to. Because the arms (for lack of a better term) are made from UHMW or phenolic or.... they have some sliptivity to them (like that word? sliptivity?) so what I do is just snug up one of the nuts (it sucks the other nut up the arm) till there is no play but make sure that I can turn the threaded rod. There is no issue as long as it's set up right.

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson