Is your Router on the Level? - CNCnutz Episode 131 

Thank you for taking the time to make this video!

Excellent method! I would like to add an additional tip on top of it. As you pointed out in the comments below, after the first raw skimming/surfacing of the table you will end up with ridges (i.e. high and low points) on the surface because the spindle is not squared yet. MY HINT/TRICK: place a small square piece of flat-glass (let's say 15x15 cm ) under the tip of the "arm" you're rotating over the table to check squareness. The leveled surface of the glass will "cancel" all of the ridges/irregularities produced by the first "raw surfacing" operation, so you will not incidentally check a low (or high) point with the pin you put at the end of the long "arm" (called "tramming bar"). One can use four glass-plates laid down at south/north/east/west positions, or just use one single piece, moving it at the desired position as necessary. NOTE 1: use normal "float glass" only. The tempered type has not a perfect flat surface because of the fabrication process. NOTE 2: use a glass with some thickness (i.e. 8-10 mm) to minimize his deformations when laid down on the table. NOTE 3: by using glass-plates you could also consider to fit a cheap chinese "vertical" dial indicator at one end of the arm. NOTE 4: by using glass-plates you do not need to use a small router bit to flat the surface, as suggested by Joshua Russel in the comments below.

Peter, What you REALLY want is to tram the spindle to the plane of the machine's fixed rails rather than the bed. Then you can skim the bed to match the rails. Since your rails are above the level of the bed you might be interested in this tramming method using taut wires I recently described on the MYCNCUK forum. There's a video in the second post which shows what's going on.

Your "thing" has a name. Machinist call it a tramming bar. I have used one on my CNC converted mill. I don't know why I haven't thought of doing the same for the router. Good tip.

At 1:28 I understood where this was going! And I 'm so glad. This has been on my mind!

Thank you Peter for another helpful contribution. I too was familiar with the method in relation to drill presses but did not think of transferring the technique to my CNC, thank you for the vid. As an aside, I think building a "thing" sounds like a lot more fun than building a "tramming bar"....

Brilliant! Using for my V1 Engineering Low Rider CNC!

As far as giving the bed a quick skim, I would use a straight edge first to ensue it’s flat in all directions, great video thanks for the tip

Faster and more accurate if you replace the bolt with a cheap dial indicator.

Peter, by moving the eccentric bushings your Z axis is no longer square to the table. The way we do it is surface the entire table with a small router bit with a small step over first. Remove the router and square the Z axis to the table using machinist squares. We re-mount the router and continue with the technique you showed but only adjusting the router mount to the Z axis. Not trying to be rude just wanted to inform you. Depending how much correction you made your parts may come out smaller or larger than predicted and have small steps in the sides.

Yet another! 7:59 of an infamously NZ delivery. For A$3, I did the same thing with a bent aluminium 1/4" rod. Less time, le$$ money, and less storage space.

Nice. Even easier: just get a 1/4" piece of aluminum rod and bend a 90 in each end. That'll take about 10 seconds to make.

Looks like I need to build my own "thing", good tip Peter thanks.

Thanks Pete, gonna check mine today I know it's out, but now know how to fix it

This is handy, thanks. I'm just about to fit my router to my workbee for the first time and was wondering how. To make sure it was level.

Great job Peter... very well done!

Lot of Great stuff in your channel ! Greatings from Italy. Luca

Thanks for the info!!! I was worried about TRAMMING my new machine later this week. This looks like a great place for me to start. Though I think I'll add a inexpensive dial indicator where the bolt is.

Another great tip Peter. Thanks for the video.

I recommended machining a thin spot in the middle of the wood in case you accidentally lower the spindle it'll bend the wood instead of bending your spindle

Great tip Peter.

they do this to mills too , its called tramming the head , the head of a big mill can be turned sideways and they need to do this regulary to make sure everything is level with the work the tool they use has two dail indicators (one on each end with the axle to mount the thing in the middle of the beam ) they can set it to 1/1000th of a mm .........if there lucky or REALY patient one thing i seen that i thought was clever was placing a pane of glas over the worksurface , glas has a surface thats nearly as flat as one of those measuring tables , it smooth so it equalizes the whole top so you don't mess up youre readings in the damages and mounting pockets on the tablesurface itself

Thanks Peter.

Great tip Peter... I'll use it on my new Gatton machine that i plan to win tomorrow night... LOL

Wow Great Idea! Thank You for sharing!

Excellent idea

Thanks buddy very interesting and very helpful.

Muito interessante.

Great tip

Super tip

Amazing tips! Accutare, faster and cheaper xD Thankyou for sharing!

Great, thanks! Suggestion: Could you make an Mach3 vs UCCNC comparison? Which do you like best and why?

The router axis must be set parallel to the z-axis slide. The z-axis must then be set at right angles to the x-axis slide. Finally the x-axis must be set parallel to the table top. You can reverse this order if you like, but if you just put the router axis at right angles to the table, you have aligned nothing.

Great video. Question: If your alignment is off, and you skim cut the surface 1st before testing with the "thing", are you getting an actual true reading then? Seems like your skim surfacing cut would have ridges causing some difficulty getting true readings. Just a little confuzzled....

Where did you get the excentric bushings..? Are you also able to adjust both X and Y axis with the bushings? Do you see a need for having the whole gantry adjustable too?

Genius.

Once you have surfaced your spoil board surely the level plane will be set to the router? wouldn't it be better to set the router using the gauge with the new spoil board and then surface? I'm pretty new to this so I could be wrong

Very nice!! May I ask what you mean at 6:16 by 'giving it a quick skim'? Thanks for making this video.

How can be the holes drilld perfecty perpendicular? because any imperfections or drillbit vibrations can drive you to misalign the system

How much difference did it make to the way it cut before / after?

It's so crappy that I approve.

Not very accurate, the Colet, Router, Router bearings, "Z axis" could all have issues or run out. Not to mention that wood is not at all perfect in thickness. It is dried and shrinks and swells at different rates with temp and humility. Lots off things could be off or all of them at once. Use a dial indicator, and know that Wood routers are not designed to be as accurate as a true CNC spindle.

tramming gauge

digital autolevel...