Phenolic Insert

When you are machining Phenolic inserts they will tend to spill out clouds of noxious dark smoke and fumes. (It smells like burning plastic). For safety you should wear eye, ear, and lung protection. The dust a fumes are considered by OSHA to be a health risk. The best protection comes from a carbon-filtered pesticide type gas mask. A regular cotton dusk mask will do little to protect you. Make sure the area you are working in is well ventilated. If you work in your garage, open the doors. If you work in your basement, consider doing as much of the machining as possible outside.

Click on images
to enlarge

The first step in machining the insert is to cut it to size. Using your table saw, split the insert in half. It is extremely important that they be EXACTLY the same size. It can be difficult, if not impossible, to rip the piece exactly in half. The easiest way to fix this is to rip the insert and then set the table saw to trim the edge on each on. This way you can be sure that they are exactly the same size. Use a file or sheet of sandpaper to smooth the edges of the newly cut surface.

Note: Blade guard removed for picture - Use yours!

Trimming the Inserts

First
Draw two diagonal lines from opposite corners to find the center.

Second
Place a bit in your router and lower it down so that it touches the point where the two lines cross. You router should now be centered on the insert.

Third
Draw an outline around your router’s base.

Fourth
Remove your router’s plastic base-plate, place it on the insert, and mark the position of the screw holes.

Use a hole saw to drill out the center of the insert. The hole should be slightly larger than the largest bit you think you will eventually use. Since we had enough material to make two inserts, we drilled a 1 ½" hole in one for small to medium sized bits and a 3 ½" hole in the other for large panel raising bits. Use a file or sandpaper to round off the edges around the hole you just drilled.

Click on images
to enlarge

Drill the screw holes you marked in step two. The holes should be slightly larger than the diameter of the screws you plan to use with your router. (You might need to buy longer screws to fit through the thicker material.) After you drill the holes; use a countersink bit to drill a recess for the screw heads.

Click on images
to enlarge

We will save the final step of machining the insert, rounding the corners,   until after we cut the insert hole in the router table top.

Introduction

Table Base

Table Top

Phenolic Insert <---- (You are Here!)

Finishing Touches

Table Fence

NEXT PAGE