Entering the machine age

Hi Trevor,

welcome to the forum!

I second Theo's opinion, in that it's best to build your own router table.
However, as long as you don't know exactly what you want, you can go simple:
Use a sheet of wood (ply, MDF, ... - what you have) and a length of wood as a fence, fastened with two clamps, and you can already do quite some routing.
Some people don't even consider building a router table....
In case you do, this improvised router table might come in handy for building the actual router table anyway.....

Martin

oldtyke said:

Up till recently I have mainly used hand tools for most woodworking jobs:happy: but now having PD I decided I ought to try some power tools to make life easier:haha:
I wish to buy a Router and a table but am so confused as to what router fits what Table:sad: I would like a Bosch router but the table is not available in UK,:sad: so will settle for something else but what fits what?:haha:
Also it needs to be pretty easy and not too fiddly to use.:help:
Stepping out of the stoneage into the machine age is not an easy task.:nono:
help would be appreciated.
and very happily received.

Click to expand...

I'm presuming that you have a condition that makes you prefer to buy a table and router, rather than use hand tools to make the power tools work for you?

Personally, I have not been impressed by the European cast tables that are generally on offer and perhaps are suited more to jobbing builders and kitchen fitters, where trimming and required shapes are limited, and portability is more important. For the cost of one of these tables, you can purchase a really good solid table, usually from a US manufacturer. There are many, but some names to consider would be Kreg, Incra, Woodpeckers, Jessem.

There should be no big issue with fitting almost any router to a standard table (without lift). It may involve drilling some holes in the router base or the table insert, or more easily, Trend sell a Universal Base in the UK, which comes with screws and will fit almost any router.

If you're considering a table with a lift, you can hit a minefield. :sad:
You could use a Router Raizer, but you would need to check with them as they only fit certain routers. A dedicated lift will usually require a router with a removable motor body, which is completely round. One combination I know that works is an Incra table, with an Incra/Woodpeckers lift and a Draper Expert router.

It would perhaps pay you to give Roger Phebey a call at Woodworkers Workshop, as he imports tables and lifts and knows what fits UK routers:

Wood Workers Workshop

01491 629 699