# I want Ricks push stick!!



## Birchwood (May 13, 2005)

I see the guys using a totally nifty white plastic push stick, with a ridge in the center etc. but I do not see any reference to it being available for purchase. Anybody help?
Also, I see the fellas using little brass "pins" ,stuck into their router plate table, when they freehand stuff. I have a new Rockler table, with plate etc. for my #891, and the adjusting tool so I can adjust depth etc. from top, but I see no little holes for "pins" ....and not only that; what keeps the pins from falling right through the hole?!
Ahhh.....the mysteries of it all.


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## Mark (Aug 4, 2004)

*_looks at the official Router Workshop plastic push stick_* muhahaha

Sadly, I don't think they sell these, but if you were really interested in it, I'm sure that a deal could be arranged.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Birch, you can find plastic push sticks at many tool stores. As far as the safety pins go, Rockler didn't make provisions for them in their mounting plate. You can purchase a safety pin with the replacement insert kit for a Rousseau mounting plate.($10) You will have to drill your own hole in your plate. The pin has a collar halfway down that keeps it from dropping through the plate.


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## Learning Herb (Sep 11, 2004)

Hay . I have a rocklertable and plate. My plate has two threded holes one on each side. So what I did was cut the head off of a 1/4 20 hex head bolt and I just screw it in one of the holes works for me. You have ot try it.And as for the push sticks Rick uses, I make my own I have a saw handle patern I got out of wood mag. And I make five or six at a time. The little sq. backup boards are easy to make also Make your own have fun with it and enjoy. Learning Herb


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## Woodnut65 (Oct 11, 2004)

The push stick is available from Oak-Park for about ten dollars. the bottom of the push stick has a male dove tail on it . You also get a drawing on how to make the base of the push stick which will have a female dove tail on the top for the handle, and two more at the bottom for dovetailed strips to go into the bottom to enable you to both guide wood through the table mounted router holding it down and into the fence. 
Woodnut65


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## Birchwood (May 13, 2005)

Okay gang. Thanks for the help. I know the Rockler plates are all different-they make them specific to a range of router brands. There are two holes at the "front" of mine where the adjusting tool goes down. I think its pretty nifty, but some of you old time router guys probably think its unneccessary and frivolous.
Thanks again.


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## Dwight M SHOEMAKER (Dec 31, 2005)

I use 1/4 bolt with a 1/4 id-1/2od-1' long nylon bushing that can be purchased a Lowe's


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

This is a old post,, But Just to add to Woodnut65 post

Push Stick Handle 
http://us.oak-park.com/catalogue.html?list=RTA--&product=P055

But you can make your own very quick with a dovetail bit and the router table.
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UHMW Sheets and Strips
http://www.ptreeusa.com/uhmwproducts.htm#strips

http://www.ptreeusa.com/uhmw_list.htm
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as far as the safety pin just pick up a bass bolt at the hardware store and cut the head off..
Drill and tap the base plate to take it on..  , 5/16-18 x 3 1/2" long works great, just cut off the head and some of the threads,so you end up with a stud with 1/2" of threads on one and no threads on the other end..

If you have a lathe or you can use a mates lathe you can make your own easy and quick with some brass bar stock.. ▼



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## jjciesla (Oct 20, 2007)

Birch,
A sholdered Socket head cap screw works great for the pins. They will snug up to the table and be perfictaly vertical. These pictured are 1" & 1 1/2 ". Cut the head off and your all set.
Jim


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## LONGHAIR (Mar 8, 2008)

It always amuses me to see that, no matter what type of forum you are on, that when a nearly 3 year old thread pops back ttt.....it will be a newbie that did it.


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## CASparky (Oct 14, 2004)

They Posted!, and I'd say that's what it is all about.........

Cheers!


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## beemerbob (Sep 10, 2004)

What I need to know is how to make the shoes? 

I'm not the sharpest pencil in the box and I can't make hide nor hair of the plans I got with the Push Stick Handle.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Bob

Pop in your 1/2' DOVETAIL bit in the router table, set the bit height to 3/8" above the router table top then move the fence over so the bit is in the center of the stock you are going to use for the shoe, lock the fence in place then get your push block and push the stock over the bit keeping it to the fence and holding it down to the table top...

Cut you stock just a bit longer than you need just in case you get rip out on the end of the pass...if so just trim off the end for a nice clean dovetail socket.. 

Then test fit the pin in the socket, it should just slide in free without the need for a hammer...you may need to adjust the bit up or down to get it to fit just right once you have it set right , make some backups they do get nailed now and then..


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beemerbob said:


> What I need to know is how to make the shoes?
> 
> I'm not the sharpest pencil in the box and I can't make hide nor hair of the plans I got with the Push Stick Handle.


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## beemerbob (Sep 10, 2004)

bobj3 said:


> Hi Bob
> 
> Pop in your 1/2' DOVETAIL bit in the router table, set the bit height to 3/8" above the router table top then move the fence over so the bit is in the center of the stock you are going to use for the shoe, lock the fence in place then get your push block and push the stock over the bit keeping it to the fence and holding it down to the table top...
> 
> ...


Thanks for the post. The plans that came with the nylon saw handle talks about a side support. How is that safely made ?


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## cbsjoez1935 (Mar 14, 2007)

Bob, from Northwest Florida,

Take the advice, which BobJ gave you, and do the same on the other side (top or bottom) of the push block piece. I would not make the dovetail slot go all the way through on either side. That way the handle has a stop point and the side support, you mentioned, has the same. In addition, cut a tight dovetail slot across the back of the block and that will be your "bottom pusher", while the long piece down the middle, or so, will be your side support. Hope this helps.

Joe Z.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Bob

Joe is right  but I should have said once you have the slot just right make a dovetail key to slide in the slot and then glue it in place for a spot point for the handle,,,many have a hard time backing up the shoe with the bit spining and it takes time to do it just right without making the dovetail slot bigger than it should be...I would also suggest using a 1/4" or 5/16" strait bit 1st to remove some of the stock from the dovetail slot, it makes it easyer for the dovetail bit to work...and a place for the chips inside the dovetail slot.

When moving the dovetail bit back up, it's likes to jam and pull away from the fence and once it jams it's a real trick to get it out of the slot, not to say anything about it's a good way to cook a good dovetail bit.. 


May I also suggest you make a shoe like the one below, you will be surprise how well this type of push stick/block works for many router jobs  with some double sided carpet tape on the front side of the push block it will hold the stock in place and will take the place of many coping sleds.


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

Awwww, the wonderful thing about push sticks.... one can make them any size, shape or form in which suits the operator. 

Bob, last time I snuck a peek into your shop, I didn't see such a push stick.... so, where ya been hiding it?! LOL


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Ken

hahahahaha I have so many push sticks I have lost count 

It's one of the things I make all the time trying to find one that works for all router jobs I have one of the new yellow ones but I'm not to impress with it.

Home/Shop made ones work the best for me.. 

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Hamlin said:


> Awwww, the wonderful thing about push sticks.... one can make them any size, shape or form in which suits the operator.
> 
> Bob, last time I snuck a peek into your shop, I didn't see such a push stick.... so, where ya been hiding it?! LOL


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## beemerbob (Sep 10, 2004)

Thanks to all you guys. I think I have the concept down now.


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

Hi BJ,

Being a little bit on the lazy side at the moment... I have 3 OP's handles. I've made a few different "push blocks" for them. Fortunetly, they work for me, and are comfortable to use. 

When I made my version of your push block, I copied the shape and form from OP's handle. Granted, it's only 3/8" thick but, again it works, sometimes I do wish they were thicker more like 3/4" but, that's why we make them.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Ken

That sounds like it would work great 
I'm a cheap SOB and I don't have any OP push handles  but along time ago I got a B & D push stick and have used it for may handles for jigs ,,,

I didn't care for the B & D push stick because it is/was so thin but I do use it from time to time to rip thin stock on the table saw but I now have a new jig to do that and it's alot easyer and a bit more safe than traping the stock ,I can now rip 1/8" and 1/4" banding that comes out right on the button 
But back to the Push handle I used the B & D for a template pattern and some MDF stock to give it more mass and to fit my hand, they come out to 1 1/4" wide, that helps with my big hands and just the right size for me...I have one or two with the dovetail key on them but I do like to glue and screw them in place...

Here's a snapshot or two of the B & D one I use for the patterns ,I just stick them on the stock and use the trim bit to make new ones...

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## TWheels (May 26, 2006)

While this post may be a bit off point, Please indulge me as I strongly reinforce the necessity for using safety devices while routering. I was not very active on this forum for several months because I did not use a push stick when I should have. I also made another unthinking mistake that had I been using a push stick would have had been much less consequential. I was attempting to make a template with a groove wider than any of the straight bits in my collection. I made the first cut, then turned it around and started the second cut. As it was I realized the second cut was a climb cut. The piece shot away and my left forefinger made contact with the spinning router bit. It cut away the top layer of skin and bled profusely. Had I been using a push stick it might have been destroyed but my finger would have not been injured. After over a month of daily rinsing with hydrogen peroxide and bandaging with neomycin and bandaging so as to immobilize the end joint, my finger returned to almost normal, but now it is stiffer and I have less range of mobility in the end joint. The joint itself was not damaged, thanfully. The finger injury may have led to overuse of my right arm (I am confined to a wheelchair) to compensate for my left arm, and now in spite of some very effective physical therapy, I may need one or even two shoulder replacements; I now compensate for the right shoulder by over-using the left arm. (Actually there was already some deterioration of my right shoulder at the time, but my few seconds of not thinking has long lasting consequences.)


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## karateed (Feb 7, 2006)

Hi Mftha,

Not off topic at all....first and foremost is safety and that's exactly what push sticks are about. Thank you very much for sharing you story as it may help some realize the importance of a few moments of making this tool for safety.

I'm really sorry to hear you had to and are suffering from your accident. I hope down the road you have as full a recovery as possible.

Again, thank you for sharing, it just might be someone else will not suffer the same fate because of your courage to come forward with your story.

Ed......


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## TWheels (May 26, 2006)

Thanks very much Ed,

Sharing our experiences and learning from them is what this forum is all about!

I have largely recovered used of my left forefinger, but the whole episode may have simply accelerated the inevitable. My shoulders were wearing out because I work in an environment that is almost wheelchair-hostile, with supervisors who keep things just this side of justification of discrimination lawsuits.

In the meantime I look at what I can do and try to figure out ways to do more easily those things that are difficult for me.


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