How far down do you want to keep the cost? The cost of good components can add up pretty fast.
Building a router table
Hi all,
I am new to the forum and looking for advice. I have a background in carpentry and remodeling, so I'm not new to working with wood and tools, but I am fairly inexperienced when it comes to fine woodworking. I recently completed a built in closet for my inlaws and I really enjoyed it. Particularly the routing. I built it all out of finish grade 3/4" plywood and cut dados with my new Bosch 1617 to support the shelves and hold the upright panels in place. Im trying to get more into fine wood working and especially milling my own parts as I find it to be very relaxing for me, and I currently have a supply of free hardwood pallets. Anyway I'd like some advice on building a router table. I want to make it a fairly high end table and plan to keep it for a long time. For now I'll be making a bench top base as I have limited space, but I may eventually build a cabinet for it. I'm looking for recommendations on how to make the top i.e. What material for the top, what glue to use, etc, also what insert plate to go with, best place to buy t track, how to build the fence so that it stays perfectly square, how big to make the top, and any other ideas you may have. I would like to keep the cost down where possible, so I'm looking at trying to get some countertop scraps for the top, maybe glue two pieces together with the Formica facing out and band the edge with hardwood to seal out moisture? Not sure if that would be flat enough?
Thanks in advance!
Some pics of my closet project for your enjoyment!
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
I am new to the forum and looking for advice. I have a background in carpentry and remodeling, so I'm not new to working with wood and tools, but I am fairly inexperienced when it comes to fine woodworking. I recently completed a built in closet for my inlaws and I really enjoyed it. Particularly the routing. I built it all out of finish grade 3/4" plywood and cut dados with my new Bosch 1617 to support the shelves and hold the upright panels in place. Im trying to get more into fine wood working and especially milling my own parts as I find it to be very relaxing for me, and I currently have a supply of free hardwood pallets. Anyway I'd like some advice on building a router table. I want to make it a fairly high end table and plan to keep it for a long time. For now I'll be making a bench top base as I have limited space, but I may eventually build a cabinet for it. I'm looking for recommendations on how to make the top i.e. What material for the top, what glue to use, etc, also what insert plate to go with, best place to buy t track, how to build the fence so that it stays perfectly square, how big to make the top, and any other ideas you may have. I would like to keep the cost down where possible, so I'm looking at trying to get some countertop scraps for the top, maybe glue two pieces together with the Formica facing out and band the edge with hardwood to seal out moisture? Not sure if that would be flat enough?
Thanks in advance!
Some pics of my closet project for your enjoyment!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
1 - 20 of 21 Posts
spend a few hours here:
http://www.routerforums.com/table-mounted-routing/17212-wanted-pictures-your-router-table.html
It is as good a place to get started when it comes to building a table as any I know of.....
Then start asking away. Alot of good folks in here, some of em even pretty knowledgeable
, who are
more than happy to help ya out!!
http://www.routerforums.com/table-mounted-routing/17212-wanted-pictures-your-router-table.html
It is as good a place to get started when it comes to building a table as any I know of.....
Then start asking away. Alot of good folks in here, some of em even pretty knowledgeable
, who are more than happy to help ya out!!
If you can find them, the now-defunct Shop Notes published a very good article on building a router table in 2007 and an article on building a fence in 2009. I found both online but that was a couple years ago. I used both as guides to building my router table...which became a Cadillac. It probably cost me $600...more than I'd have had to pay for a new factory built table because I included a lot of high end stuff like UHMW plastic for the fence faces. But the experience and satisfaction were priceless. By the way, Shop Notes now belongs to Woodsmith and is no longer published. Woodsmith sells a DVD or a thumb drive containing all the Shop Notes articles.
Here's a pic of my router table:
Here's a pic of my router table:
Attachments
A couple of things. find a source of Baltic Birch plywood and pick the flattest piece you can find in 3/4 (18mm). Some wood supply stores carry it. Keeping the table flat over time requires a little work. Either add a second layer of MDF, or put some straight 1x2 or 3 trusses underneath. Or do both.
Cutting the opening for the router plate requires a template and trim bit. I used the router plate itself as a guide, then snugged four pieces of straight 1x up against the plate, with maybe a playing card between plate and board so you have a nice fit, but not too tight. Clamp the boards in place and you have a template. Drawing attached. Using a trim style bit with a bottom bearing to follow the template. Set the depth a couple of millimeters/ 16th to 1/8 th deeper than the thickness of the plate. Use your plunge base, or the fixed base to create the rabbit or ridge on which the plate rests. Pictured are some plate levelers you put in the corners to line the plate up with the top.
I prefer an aluminum plate, stronger and flat, don't sag. There are all kinds of fence designs, but they can be pretty simple. Rockler makes a little dust hood that boes behind the opening in the fence. So far we're up to about $60-$70 bucks. You already know how to build boxes, so make one into a stand for your top if you want.
Keep it simple, but precise.
The leverers are Woodhaven. The bit is like what you're looking fo.
Cutting the opening for the router plate requires a template and trim bit. I used the router plate itself as a guide, then snugged four pieces of straight 1x up against the plate, with maybe a playing card between plate and board so you have a nice fit, but not too tight. Clamp the boards in place and you have a template. Drawing attached. Using a trim style bit with a bottom bearing to follow the template. Set the depth a couple of millimeters/ 16th to 1/8 th deeper than the thickness of the plate. Use your plunge base, or the fixed base to create the rabbit or ridge on which the plate rests. Pictured are some plate levelers you put in the corners to line the plate up with the top.
I prefer an aluminum plate, stronger and flat, don't sag. There are all kinds of fence designs, but they can be pretty simple. Rockler makes a little dust hood that boes behind the opening in the fence. So far we're up to about $60-$70 bucks. You already know how to build boxes, so make one into a stand for your top if you want.
Keep it simple, but precise.
The leverers are Woodhaven. The bit is like what you're looking fo.
Attachments
So incase anyone is interested I figured I'd post the outcome of my endeavor. I built an economy table lol. At one point I actually bought one of the Bosch tables from the blue store, and while it is very nice and comes with a really great compliment of accessories, I felt that in some of the components were lacking somewhat in quality and precision, at least for the $160 that I paid for it. I decided that if I was going to have something that wasn't 100% percent, I might as well have the fun and experience of building it myself. Here are some pics
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The top and fence material is from an old desk that was being thrown away at work. The frame and edges of the top are from some solid oak pallets that I got for free and planed down. The plate was 20% off at my local Woodcraft, and I got the aluminum L for the fence and the track online. It's definitely not perfect, but it's not bad.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
The top and fence material is from an old desk that was being thrown away at work. The frame and edges of the top are from some solid oak pallets that I got for free and planed down. The plate was 20% off at my local Woodcraft, and I got the aluminum L for the fence and the track online. It's definitely not perfect, but it's not bad.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
1 - 20 of 21 Posts
