Router table fence does not lock down well and slips backwards a LOT!

[Dolmetscher007]

When I bought my new house with a 2 car garage that I knew was going to be my woodshop, I invested in a nice 220V 3 HP cabinet table saw from Grizzly. I knew I wanted a router table, so while I was buying the table saw, I noticed that Grizzly also sells a cast-iron router table extension for the saw I was buying. It was a little pricey, but it looked great! I do not have a Rockler or Woodcraft, or any woodworking store within hundreds of miles of me, so I've only had the internet to learn from and some lessons learned the hard way. I used this router table for the first time recently. Actually... it was the first time I've used a router table, period. I've seen them in YouTube videos, and I know that Kreg makes one. But... for the most part, router tables do not seem to have flashy branding and are never really heavily featured in most woodworking videos, so there isn't a lot to learn about them like there is for table saws. 

So... this this was a nightmare to set up. Attaching it to the table was not that big of a deal. Heavy, but easy. I have a Dewalt 2 1/4 HP router, and mounting that sucker in this router table is a pain in the ass, to say the least. I won't even TRY to explain these weird little clips that you have to slide into T tracks, hook onto the router housing, and tighten by hand from underneath the table. Also... I imagined that all router tables would come with some wort of housing for raising and lowering the router. None! To raise and lower the router, you just have to use the router's own plastic ring twisty action. My Dewalt router has always been an excellent router. Not one moment's trouble. But... mounted upside down... saw dust immediately clogs the twisty channel so you can lower the router, but you cannot raise it back up without completely removing it from the router-housing, shaking and blowing on it like an old Nintendo cartridge,  and even then, if you don't blow it out with compressed air, it still doesn't really slide right back in well. But that is a whole different thread. 

Assembling the fence was no problem really. It has two textured metal handles that are attached to little slot guides that fit into the slots in the router table. When you turn these handles, something expands and it locks the fence in place. HOWEVER... after you run your first workpiece across the router, saw dust seems to fly into the table tracks, and then, no matter how hard you turn those handles to lock them in place, you can push the fence back  an inch with two fingers. This makes the fence essentially unusable. I did not have dust collection hooked up, so there was a LOT of sawdust. I don't know if I had been using a dust collection system hooked up to the port in the back of the fence if the fence problem, and the router getting stuck would all just go away. But I doubt it. 

To your knowledge, is there any way to adjust the slot guides that lock into place so that they lock harder, or more? Or is this just a design flaw with this fence? I posted a picture of the whole rig. 

[Just Bob]

Not sure where to start.  I have used the same setup for 6 years without issue.  The table is set for mounting any router.  It is much easier to mount the router before installing the table on the saw.  This allows you to center and tighten the mounting brackets and not have to fight gravity.  It also makes mounting to the table a little more difficult.  Goes better with 2 people or creative use of clamps.  The mounting clips are pretty much the same for any table set up for universal router mounting. I don't care for them but they do work.  You need both above/below d/c.  The same would hold true for any setup.  I use the large Triton router for mine because it has some of the best built in d/c I have ever seen  add in above table bit adjustment and the router is perfect for this setup. The above table d/c through the fence works well and I have never had an issue with the fence slipping.  But I suspect  there is a problem with your install because the fence should not move when tightened down, no matter how much saw dust there is.  

When I built my shop, I took the setup out of my table saw because I did not like the height of the table (to low for me), and I did not like having multiple fence setup/changes on my table saw.  But the system did work when shop space was more important.  I still use the cast iron table for my router table, it is just a stand  alone unit now.  

This is the only picture I have of how it is now.  Get in touch with Grizzly, I have always received good c/s, from them.

[Mark J]

I don't have any personal experience with the router table fence, but I second the call to customer service and attach at least a shop vac.

As to the router adjustment, is the DeWalt your only router?  If so then you might consider buying a different router for the table that will be easier to adjust upside down, since the table does not accomodate a router lift.  The DeWalt would then be free for hand held use.

[gee-dub]

If the handles are tightening t-bolts, you may be running out of threads and need a washer?  Never mind, I just looked at them online.  The are using two short pieces of miter bar with round discs.  You need to do whatever it takes to make sure the discs are contacting the underside of the slot before the handles run out of tightening range.