First Router table

Pastorshobby said:

I have a Bosh 1617 Combo router and I am looking to buy my first router table. My budget is between $100-200. Any recommendations?

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Check out Steve Ramsey's You Tube channel. He built a simple router table. For an insert plate, Kreg makes one that has the hole already drilled for the hex key so you can make adjustments from above the table.

My table has two routers - a 1617 and a Triton 3 1/4 hp router. I use a Kreg plate for both of them.

Pastorshobby said:

Should I wear a mask? What would you recommend my sander has dust collector? and I have a shop vac. do I need better dust collection?

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Absolutely wear a mask. And you should consider making your own table as well. A do it yourself project like that will deliver many valuable lessons. Using the router plate will improve usability. I used the 1617 in a table for years until I replace it for table use with a somewhat more powerful model.

The home page has a number of articles, and the one on 17 things will give you some help.

Mostly we don't think much of HF tools, but many of us have and like their 2hp dust collection unit, which goes on sale fairly often and with a coupon goes for about $150-$160. Picture with the filter on top. The sale item has a bag on top, which should not be inside your shop area.

The picture of the mask is the one I use mostly. It is sold by Rockler and uses 4 AA betteries to run a small fan that pulls filtered air into the mask and creates positive air pressure that keeps sawdust out. It also works with my safety glasses. It runs about $70. If I'm making one or two quick cuts, I will use a surgical mask instead (cheap at Harbor Freight), but I keep that mask on for the rest of the session.

I'll let you look up shop made router tables since there are many examples, including repurposing a laminate topped counter or one with white melamine. But you will want to have a fence for it, which is what the blown up drawing is. The port on the back pulls out sawdust.

The aluminum and red plate is a different brand plate, but close enough for an example. The red rings are different sized openings so you can fit them fairly close to the size of the bit. The final picture shows the plate being set into a recess in the table top. It also shows something called leveling screws to help you make the top of the plate exactly even with the table top. That is to keep the workpiece from catching on an edge and messing up your cut.

You will be using the router to make the table top. I think it is a good idea to have a two layered top to keep it from sagging and keep it as flat as possible. You can probably make your table for far less than $100.

The router table can be a repurposed cabinet or even an old table with the shop made top laid on top. Some of us have made a top and laid it across two saw horses.

Finally, I suggest you check your parisioners to see who does woodworking, or turn them into a woodworking ministry. Lots of us have a lot of miles on our bodies and brains and would love to be involved with a church group doing woodworking. A minister at a local church is a woodworker and has an unofficial woodworker ministry.

I hope this has been helpful. I am a fan of router use videos posted by Marc Sommerfeld. He sells router gear, but spent many years as a cabinet maker. His technique is really great, although he doesn't wear a mask--but he has a top notch dust collection system grinding away off camera.

Pastorshobby said:

I have a Bosh 1617 Combo router and I am looking to buy my first router table. My budget is between $100-200. Any recommendations?

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Hello brother Joe and welcome. For several years I used this Kreg bench top router table and made a lot of things with it. This is just barely over your buget ($17) and it would be a good table for you. I sure enjoyed mine but I wanted to upgrade.

https://www.amazon.com/Kreg-PRS2100...46&sr=8-4&keywords=kreg+benchtop+router+table

Here is some pictures of dust collection I made. The sides are put on with velcro so if needed they can be removed.