# My new Triton TRA001



## pete4242 (May 3, 2014)

Hi,

I have been woodworking in my apartment in Dubai for about 2 years. I learned this hobby completely over the internet, mainly YouTube and some other forums. I am so determined to develop this hobby further. I have so far built a shelf unit to house my tools, two boxes, two plant stands and a table saw.
My current project is to improve on the table saw as the top has curved to the inside, of the weight of the circular saw attached from underneath. Since I am remaking it, I decided to strengthen the top and add a router also. I will be posting some pictures of the progress.

I am waiting for the router to be delivered, expected by end next week. The table top is ready, the noise reduction box is ready, still need to complete the fence and add the miter rails.
I decided to buy the triton as I faced a critical problem with my black and decker 900w with the collet not extending enough above the table. I bought a collet extension just to realize that the 1/2 inch shank doesn't fit in my router.... upgrading to the real stuff seemed to be the right decision, I will have to do it sooner or later anyway! I read great reviews about the TRA001 and what i like most is the height adjustment from above the table, which really made my decision very easy.

The bits I have today are cheapo chinese type with 1/4in shank and the smaller version. I want to buy new bits with 1/2in shank but I dont want to go with the highly priced ones.
I found the Yonico brand claiming:
- Industrial Quality
- C3 Tungsten Carbide Cutters
- Solid Hardened Steel Body
- Anti-Kickback Design
- Build-Up Resistant Coating
- Satisfaction Guaranteed
(If you want to check it out, google precisionbits)

C3 carbide is the high quality type isnt it?
Can these be resharpened easily?

The table saw I built doesnt allow for the blade to tilt. To make miter joints, I am considering 2 options:
1- a 45 degree sled for the saw - I have to try and build one, then see what kind of precision I will get with this option
2- a big chamfer bit (1in cutting height) available from Freud (40-118) and some other brands - how easy and efficient to go with this option? anyone using this bit?

All comments and feedback are welcomed.

- pete


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

Hello and welcome to the forum. Pete


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## DonkeyHody (Jan 22, 2015)

Wow, I'd say you have a pretty bad case of the disease. With luck, you'll keep it. Enjoy your Triton. I really like mine.


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## nsecrist (Jan 13, 2015)

*Freud Chamfer Bit*

Hi Pete,

Welcome to the forum. I have the big Freud Chamfer Bit and I love it.
I use the Chamfer bit for so many things, so it is nice to have the big bit to be able to do large chamfers.

Just remember to take light passes - even though this bit can really "hog off" the material in one pass. Light passes won't stress the router and the cut quality will be much smoother with no burning.

I don't mind buying lower-quality cutters for some tasks, but I use my chamfer bit alot, so I didn't mind spending more money to buy the Freud bit!


Nate


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

You might think of creating a hole to hold a table saw-like insert. Then you could tilt your blade when the insert is removed.

Just a thought.

Link provided only as an example.
http://www.amazon.com/Craftsman-089...=1426785835&sr=8-17&keywords=table+saw+insert

Right now, likely you have a zero clearance hole for your blade.

Adding the hole for 2 different inserts (you would make the inserts) would give you blade tilt and give you zero clearance depending on which insert you used.


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Welcome to the forum Pete.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Hi Pete, welcome to the forum.


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## Biagio (Mar 2, 2013)

*Both approaches are useful*

Hi Pete, 
if you decide not to go the throat-plate option (may depend on how fiddly it is to adjust the angle on your saw), it would be a good idea to use the inclined guide for a waste reducing cut on the saw, and then use the mitre bit for a precision cut. bear in mind that if you only use the mitre bit, you are in affect pulverising the waste. 
Seeing that you work in an apartment (and seem to have indulgent neighbours), you will want to minimise the noise of repetitive passes as well as the dust from the mitre bit.
Triton sells just such an inclined guide for their saw bench, if you are looking for ideas.


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## pete4242 (May 3, 2014)

Thank you all for the welcoming and the information.

I tried attaching some pictures... getting the message "page was not found"... strange I will try later maybe.

The table I am currently working on. The inside is fitted with foam to reduce the noise... it is working nicely. I have used two layers of baltic birch 18mm for increased stability and have cut out the openings to sit the saw and router. I beefed it up with 3 rails of 2x4s. 
the fence is still to be completed. I have seen on youtube a nice system that I will copy. I cannot post the link but you can look for it on YouTube under "Making a Homemade Table Saw (part 2)" by The Italian Makers.
I will use the same fence for cutting and routing with the locking system similar to the video.

For the 45 bevel cuts, I like Biagio's suggestion. I will build a 45 bevel jig, and will clean the cut on the router. Thanks for the suggestion, I was only thinking either saw or router!

Thanks again for all the comments.

- pete


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## pete4242 (May 3, 2014)

Here are the pictures of the table I am working on.


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## pete4242 (May 3, 2014)

Not sure why the pictures are upsidedown in the post... they are perfectly fine on my laptop!!
Sorry about that!


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## Goblu (Mar 5, 2012)

Hi Pete, welcome to the forum. Sometimes the pictures do that, not sure why. I've learned a lot online.

Oops, posted too soon. I wanted to mention the microjig splitter since you are making your own saws and plates. I've used them on a table saw (not my own) and they work well. For the money, it's a great safety feature. You can use them with the Grr-ripper in case that's on your list. Here's a link
http://microjig.com/products/mj-splitter/


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## pete4242 (May 3, 2014)

Hi Katie,

I remember seeing this on the wood whisperer's show some time back, I cant really remember if it is the same brand... they are excellent but Amazon doesnt ship over to here and on ebay, they are outrageously expensive to ship it here (about $130)


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## pete4242 (May 3, 2014)

Hi,

It took me some time to get the table ready but I am loving it. The saw and the router are working great. Yesterday I used the router for the first time in the table. It is making amazingly low noise level, much less than the circular saw.

I am very happy with the accuracy of the whole setup. I am still to finish the adjustable fence for the router. I am planing to use the same miter track in the middle of the table. 

The fine dust is covering the machines inside the box and probably going inside the motor where the air intake. How worrying should that be?

Some pictures...


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## Duane Bledsoe (Jan 6, 2013)

Wow, you do some super nice work. Good job!


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## timbertailor (Oct 4, 2009)

pete4242 said:


> The fine dust is covering the machines inside the box and probably going inside the motor where the air intake. How worrying should that be?


Congratulations on your new acquisition. Triton and Bosch are the only routers I can recommend with confidence these days.

As far as your questions above, you should be VERY concerned when using MDF. It is hazardous to your health (very fine dust that is hard to control and contains formaldehyde which is a carcinogen) and one should avoid using this product. Once the fine dust gets in your shop, it is hard to remove causing re-exposure. 

And in my opinion, MDF has no redeeming qualities. Stick to plywood, like you did for most of your router table, which, by the way, turned out great!

P.S. Dust Collection is often approached from a house keeping perspective and often becomes a low priority. If you value your health and that of your family, then spending some money up front to control dust as best you can is a good investment IMO. 

The tools will thank you too!


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## pete4242 (May 3, 2014)

Thanks Duane and Timbertailor.
I know this fact about MDF and I really dont use it but only for the purpose of building this fence (and I sealed it with polyurethane). I read it is the best choice for building a straight fence, it is very flat. The earlier fence I built with plywood was not as good as this one.
I usually use plywood, beech and soft wood (what they call construction lumber). the box housing the tools catches most of the dust and I really try to keep the room where I work as clean as I can.
But as for the dust going inside the tools motor, how harmful could it be for the machines? If anyone has built a similar closed table, any problems faced?

- pete


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Pete, not only does the fine dust make a mess, it is very bad for your lungs. Your Triton has a good dust collection port but it is difficult to find a hose to fit it. Triton offers one in Australia but no where else I know of; check with the place you bought your Triton. If you can't get one that way Bosch sells an adapter called the VAC024 which fits the dust port on your router. This allows the use of commonly available 1-1/4" or 1-1/2" vacuum hoses. These two options are the best for keeping the dust out of your router motor.

Many jobs create dust above the table. With your skills you should have no problem adapting the fence and VacGuard designs shown to work on your table.


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## pete4242 (May 3, 2014)

Thanks Mike for the info. With the saw I am not getting a lot of dust above the table, you are right with the router its more of a problem. I like the system you posted, I should be able to make a similar one for my table.

Thanks again!

- pete


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

I have read on other forums that an enclosed router in a box should have the base of the motor sticking out the bottom of the box to breathe clean air. A router draws air through the bottom to cool the motor and if there is chips and sawdust in the compartment ,it will draw these up through the motor and will cause abrasion on the windings in the motor. This can result in shorting out the motor over time. An engineer did a study of this and came up with a design where the motor is open to the air below and the chips that fall into the box are drawn out by a dust collector, ported into the side of the box and an adjustable inlet is put in the side of the box to adjust the intake air for the dust collector.
That being said, there are several commercially manufactured enclosures currently on the market that totally ignore this principal.

Here are some pictures based on the router base extending below the DC box.

Herb


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## timbertailor (Oct 4, 2009)

The sheer flow through a two cubic foot box using a decent dust collection system negates the need to worry about debris in the router. When the box is being emptied three or more times a second, no time for anything to stay anywhere for long. Dust, chips, or heat.

The "principal" is an undue concern.


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## pete4242 (May 3, 2014)

Thanks for the replies. I am convinced that I should add some dust collection system above the table for the routing operations like the pictures Mike has posted. A lot of dust is accumulating with every operation - I didn't have any idea... First time I use the router as such. Inside the box, I will be collecting the dust after each session, it is not accumulating much. 
Having the bottom of the router sticking out of the box, to me, seems a complicated build and would not control the noise efficiently! At least I think...

I will keep updating with the progress. Thanks for all the input and help.

- Pete


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

pete4242 said:


> Hi,
> 
> 1- a 45 degree sled for the saw - I have to try and build one, then see what kind of precision I will get with this option
> 2- a big chamfer bit (1in cutting height) available from Freud (40-118) and some other brands - how easy and efficient to go with this option? anyone using this bit?
> ...


Hi yourself Pete... good to hear from you again... hope you don't go off planet again...

1- look to a shooting board.... see the PDF's....
2- that Freud bit... it's a quality work horse...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

pete4242 said:


> Not sure why the pictures are upside down in the post... they are perfectly fine on my laptop!!
> Sorry about that!


the IT department is bores and amusing themselves...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

@pete4242....

have you looked into the small Bosch portable/expandable table saws???


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## pete4242 (May 3, 2014)

Thanks Stick for the comments, always appreciated!

I came across this jig (pic attached).. I am not sure how accurate it will be but I am looking for some spare time to build me one and see. I got the large Freud chamfer bit, I used it for shallow chamfers but havent really used it for miters yet but I think it will be great just like you and others have commented.
I have built the 90 shooting board but not the 45. I will build a miter sled for the table saw instead.

Thats the third upgrade of the table saw. The best thing about it, is that it is keeping the noise at its lowest which is a major concern for me, and with great accuracy... I am really surprised with the results. I hope that the fence doesnt go out of square like the previous one! In fact I wanted to use aluminium extrusion for the fence but couldnt find any here in dubai..

and the pictures are still going upside down 

- pete


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