Preamble : I don't want to write another list of what each woodworker should know in order to work safely. Everybody may find what matters using a search engine with key words "woodworking safety". Albeit all these articles talk to the others and I would have liked to find someone writing : "for my own safety I try to..." which means many more people convey a standard point of view about safety without wondering anything. I avoid these kind of topic that lead to nothing most of time. On the other hand I get involved in every exchange that tend to explain why something would be unsafe et try to find out a better way. It's all about mental attitude and the last one requires the point of view to be argued. Nothing good nothing bad but keeping open minded.WhyDi

Although that overarm router is not one of the main tool in the workshop, it sometimes helps unusual shapes to be machined. Lack of room being a constant issue, I made the decision for a small support arm that would lock on the spindle moulder shaft as a head cutter does. The height micro adjustment would accurately lift the accessory that should also work in conjunction with the continuity plate and the ring fence of the spindle moulder. Dust collection should matter too and would tend to confirm the small support arm choice.

I reused a six millimetres thick metal plate that came with the combination machine and roughly shaped an aperture matching the shaft diameter then drilled four countersunk holes aiming to clamp the router. After removing the base of a cheap router and boring then threading four holes in the cast aluminium spindle holder I screwed the router motor onto the arm support. I made a finger welded on a spacer that prevent the shaft from rotating after clamping the overarm router.

A spindle moulder may rotate up to ten thousand revolutions per minute and you arguably guess the strong damages and injuries or worst such machine with the overarm router clamped on the shaft will cause if unexpectedly started. Here is the way I impose to myself to keep safe. By habit, I tend to press the front start and stop buttons of the combination machine even I am working with that overarm router. Therefore the best response I have found is to remove the belt that drive the spindle moulder shaft as shown below. On the other hand and related to the bit rotation direction, the workpiece needs to be fed from left to the right.

I don't remember where that flexible triple hook comes from but it is helpful to lock and release the electrical switch of the router. The external hooks act as a safety device allowing for the quick break of the power. The ring in the right bubble aims only the ring fence and works like a start-pin and was cut and shaped out of an aluminium plate retrieved from a metal dealer yard.

With that said and before all I start by removing the spindel moulder belt. The first step to set up the overarm router is to slide the specific spacer along the shaft so that its finger fits the guide groove of the shaft holder. The top screw locks the piled spacers with the router arm that will not be able to revolve around the shaft.

Secondly I add the needed spacers. In fact I am always piling the same stack as the lift mechanism of the spindle moulder enables the full range of the shaft.

Then set the overarm router and add a last spacer. The whole pile needs to go over the top shaft so that locking the assembly. Finally I glide the pinned bushing into the matched holes of the shaft and moderately screw. The two pins of the bushing play their part as regard safety. They prevent the screw from loosening. It's now time to set the appropriate fence.