[rgynfld]

I am a retired Mechanical Engineer, having spent 33 years with a major petroleum company. Grew up with access to all sorts of woodworking tools as my Dad was a carpenter and was a general contractor. Not into anything too fancy, but like to keep it simple when planning projects. Next project though, is a router station. I have a Craftsman 1-HP that I've had for 30+ years and a new Porter Cable plunge router (2-3 HP?). Got a Router Station DVD with a Kreg pocket hole jig set a few years back but I've lost track of the plans. Was hoping to find a copy on line. Otherwsie, may go for Norm Abram's plan.

 

[allthunbs]

Hi Ron:

I am a retired Mechanical Engineer, having spent 33 years with a major petroleum company. Grew up with access to all sorts of woodworking tools as my Dad was a carpenter and was a general contractor. Not into anything too fancy, but like to keep it simple when planning projects. Next project though, is a router station. I have a Craftsman 1-HP that I've had for 30+ years and a new Porter Cable plunge router (2-3 HP?). Got a Router Station DVD with a Kreg pocket hole jig set a few years back but I've lost track of the plans. Was hoping to find a copy on line. Otherwsie, may go for Norm Abram's plan.

I was going to ask which rock until I saw "Canada." Are you asking "how to build a router table?" In which case,

http://www.routerforums.com/table-mounted-routing/17212-wanted-pictures-your-table.html

http://www.routerforums.com/table-mounted-routing/21533-so-you-want-buy-router-table.html#post182364

http://www.routerforums.com/table-mounted-routing/16824-plans-building-routing-table.html

are just a few links. There's tons more and if you're really in trouble, I've even done a few.

Ron

 

[dutchman 46]

Hi Ron! Welcome to the forum. There are a lot of them on the net, and Ron has a few of the good ones. You can go to Your library and look for Popular woodworking, or Woodworkers Journal. One of them had several tables about 6 months, or so ago, and that may be helpful. You should be able to get a lot of help here. A lot of the folks here have built there own tables. You can get a Harbor Freight plate, and make a great set-up just the way You like it. Oak Park has the router table top on sale ir You are not comfortable building Your own. and it's quite reasonable. The Oak Park is the one that the Router Workshop program used, and I think it's the way to go.. http://us.oak-park.com/catalogue.html?list=RT01--

 

[bobj3]

Hi Ron

I'm not putting the Oak Park Route Table down but It has some errors built into it and it's just a 200.oo dollar plywood box that can be used on the bench top or some saw horses..and with a prioratory mounting base plates (11" x 11" ), it's the only system I know about that you need to have two router mounting plates to use it to it's full potential...but still have limitations..(no bit bigger than 2 1/2" OD ) so that's to say you should have two routers or be ready to switch out the plates all the time..and reline them up every time.. no insert to choke the hole down when the big hole plate is in place.

So the bottom line is make you own to fit your needs..and will work with all the bits on the market place today..

========

 

[allthunbs]

Hi Ron:

In deference to Bob3J, no table is perfect and the OakPark is no exception. That's why I've defined 5 different tables for different purposes. The OakPark "system" is simple, elegant and very well conceived. At no point are you trapped into spending bundle of bucks for the next widget to be able to do "X". With the OakPark "system" you can make the elements yourself or purchase them if you're short on time. At no point are you trapped or restricted.

This is where the philosophy of using a router comes in. You use the OakPark "system" or the "Kreg system" etc. The OakPark "system" is a fraction of the price and offers all the versatility of all of the others.

The OakPark "system" uses two baseplates, an 11"x11" square for table mounting and a 7"x7" square for freehand use. Further, the OakPark "system" uses 1 1/2" template guides. Doing template work and the bigger the guides, the better the visibility. LeeValley stocks the most popular range of sizes and OakPark stocks the rest. Only Makita, in their metric sizes, makes a larger guide and it is 40mm.

The bit sizes for the OakPark "system" are limited only by the capacity of the router. They come stock with the 1 1/2" hole for template guides. However, there is another 11"x11" baseplate with a whopping >3" dia hole for large bits. I took a "scrap" baseplate and cut my own hole at 3 3/4"(Ca. ?) for large bits.

By the way, swapping out a baseplate (for my Hitachi M12V) is 4 screws and I'm switching baseplates all the time. I consider baseplates the jigs for the hand-held method of using a router. I'll take the baseplates off to use skis.

Milescraft offers a baseplate with a series of inserts to reduce the size of the hole but I'm cautious when it comes to additional mechanical attachments that aren't necessary. If you're doing geometric patterns, the Milescraft system is a charm but a potential problem in other environs. I wouldn't use it to make a post or a beam.

"So the bottom line is make you own to fit your needs..and will work with all the bits on the market place today.."

The more you work in this craft, the more you will gravitate to this point. There will always be situations where other methods fall short.

 

[bobj3]

Hi

All I'm saying if you get one for 180.oo plus shipping of 25.oo or more and you put it together you will be let down because they didn't tell you that you need to buy one more plate (a 40.oo dollar item plus shipping from CD) and the plates are not flat with the table top,many have got one just to find out the plate is above the table top by just a little bit, many have called Oak Park and they said it's made that way ( see many members post on that one) I'm just for one that hates to rework a tool to use it right ..

So it comes down to buyer beware thing..
I will say Bob R. and Rick R. are my heroes but Oak Park is not.

=======

Hi Ron:

In deference to Bob3J, no table is perfect and the OakPark is no exception. That's why I've defined 5 different tables for different purposes. The OakPark "system" is simple, elegant and very well conceived. At no point are you trapped into spending bundle of bucks for the next widget to be able to do "X". With the OakPark "system" you can make the elements yourself or purchase them if you're short on time. At no point are you trapped or restricted.

This is where the philosophy of using a router comes in. You use the OakPark "system" or the "Kreg system" etc. The OakPark "system" is a fraction of the price and offers all the versatility of all of the others.

The OakPark "system" uses two baseplates, an 11"x11" square for table mounting and a 7"x7" square for freehand use. Further, the OakPark "system" uses 1 1/2" template guides. Doing template work and the bigger the guides, the better the visibility. LeeValley stocks the most popular range of sizes and OakPark stocks the rest. Only Makita, in their metric sizes, makes a larger guide and it is 40mm.

The bit sizes for the OakPark "system" are limited only by the capacity of the router. They come stock with the 1 1/2" hole for template guides. However, there is another 11"x11" baseplate with a whopping >3" dia hole for large bits. I took a "scrap" baseplate and cut my own hole at 3 3/4"(Ca. ?) for large bits.

By the way, swapping out a baseplate (for my Hitachi M12V) is 4 screws and I'm switching baseplates all the time. I consider baseplates the jigs for the hand-held method of using a router. I'll take the baseplates off to use skis.

Milescraft offers a baseplate with a series of inserts to reduce the size of the hole but I'm cautious when it comes to additional mechanical attachments that aren't necessary. If you're doing geometric patterns, the Milescraft system is a charm but a potential problem in other environs. I wouldn't use it to make a post or a beam.

"So the bottom line is make you own to fit your needs..and will work with all the bits on the market place today.."

The more you work in this craft, the more you will gravitate to this point. There will always be situations where other methods fall short.