Wooden Precision Mini Router Base for Rotary Tool (with Cardboard Prototype)

I have a Dremel like rotary tool and I wanted a mini router base for it. It can be bought from Dremel or Stewmac e.g.

http://www.dremel.com/en-us/Tools/Pages/ToolDetail...

http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Tools_by_Job/...

but I decided to make one. Made an initial research and found some good and nice examples:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/410179478536374027/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/410179478532873421/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/410179478534441257/

https://www.instructables.com/id/Inexpensive-Dremel...

https://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-2-Dremel-Route...

I decided to make it 3 legged to increased stability and wanted to try it, so I made a prototype out of cardboard.

Let the fun begin!

Step 1: Template, Tools and Materials

I have laminated floor leftovers and it seems to be good base material. It's flat, the surface is strong and tough enogh, easy to work with. Needed some screws and glue.

Materials

• laminated floor or some wood (6 mm thick)
• wood glue
• 3 pcs of 6x80mm hex head bolt screw
• 12 pcs of 18/6mm washers
• 6 pcs of 6 mm nuts
• 3 pcs of 6 mm wing screws
• citron oil

Tools

• flat and round files
• flat and round needle files
• needle polishing stick
• pencil
• hobby knife (OLFA)
• jewellers saw with wood blade
• metal saw
• screwdriver with 10 mm hex head nut setter bit
• 10 mm wrench
• 6 and 7 mm wood twist drill bits
• 18 mm wood flat drill bit
• Dremel router bit
• vise
• clamps
• various grit sandpapers for sanding and polishing
• masking tape (Tesa)
• paper glue stick (Pritt)
• strong universal glue
• rotary tool
• hand drill
• angle grinder

You can download the printable template in PDF format and the SketchUp files of the 3D model. In the _scenes version You can see the step by step assembly sequence and see the video animation for reference.

The model was made in SketchUp, You can download it for free directly from the owner and developer of it. (Previously it was Google.)
Here is the download link: SketchUp Make (http://www.sketchup.com/products/sketchup-make)
Added a PDF with dimensions on it.

Step 2: Cardboard Prototype

I found some proper 6 mm thick cardboard. Printed my template and glued to the cardboard. To cut the cardboard used the jewellers saw, then glued together the 2 layers of the base. Finaly assembled it and gave a test run. Surprisingly it's strong and stable enough and works like a charm. The 3rd leg helps to hold it better.

The conception is proved to be good for my needs. It's compact, stable, lightweight, easy to controll. Let's make the real one!

Step 3: Preparation and Test Drills

Printed again the templates, enfolded the surfaces with masking tape and glued the templates on it with paper glue stick. This way there is no need to copy the template to the workpieces, it's accurate as it can be, the masking tape protects the surfaces and the edges and easily can be peel off.

After that I made some test drills. Everything was fine, but this stage I decided not to fully drill thru the boreholes of th washers. I wanted to keep 1 mm bottom, this way it gives stronger structure to hold the 2 layers of the base. But the flat bit made a rounded bottom. Guess the solution! Yes, I used the cardboard prototype to flatten it. Ready to drill the workpieces.

Step 4: Make It Real

So the pieces are prepared, drill the holes. 18 mm for the rotery tool and for the washers, 6 mm for the screws on the base and 7 mm on the top plate. With needle files widen the top plate 7 mm holes to insert some alu pipe pieces to protect the wood. Remember, this piece is the moving part with the screw threads in it.

Glue together the 2 layers of the base, use the screws to align it and tighten the screws and add som more clamp to hold it tight. When the glue cured shape the sides with the rotary tool, files and sandpapers. At this phase I made a simple dust collector out of a PET bottle attached to the vacuum cleaner. When the shaping done polish the sides and apply some citron oil.

Before the assembly needed to flatten and thin the hex head bolts. The laminated floor is 6 mm thick, there is 1 mm excess on the bottom, the washer is 1.3 mm and the bolt is 4.7 mm so I grinded down 2.5 mm with the angle grinder.

Ready to final assembly.

Step 5: Put It Together

The final assembly sequence is:

• screw
• washer
• base
• washer
• nut
• nut
• washer
• top plate
• washer
• wing screw
• rotary tool

Tighten the screw and nuts on the base, adjust the top nuts and wing screws as needed. You can fine level it and it gives stable, strong structure. Now You have a compact, lightweight, strong and stable cheap and easy to make mini router base. :)
On the video You can see how it's attached to the rotary tool.

Step 6: Dust Extraction

You can add some dust extraction to the base. Drill two 10 mm hole to the end of a flaxi tube attached to vacuum cleaner. Attach the tube between the base and the top plate with the screw. It will hold it in place and the tube extracts the dust as near as possible from the router bit. Works very well.

Step 7: Test Run

Recently I started to make myself a 2in1 bench pin with vise. It can be secured to the table with clamps. Another method is a 2in1 solution, clamp the bench pin with a vise. So I made a cutout for that and needed to lower a seat for the vise. Here comes the mini router setup. And finaly done, the mini router base works as I expected.

On the video above You can see the next mission with the router base where I made a hanger (ible coming soon about it) for my Foredom flex shaft motor I won here on Instructables by a pair of 3D Layered Veneer Earrings „Venearrings".

If You have a Dremel like rotary tool You will love it, extends the possibilities. All You need is some leftover wood or laminated floor and some screws, nuts and bolts.

Entered it to the Leftovers contest, if You like it and think it's a good use of excess materials, please vote it. Happy making!