build your own table and install JessEm lift in it...

MAST-R-LIFT

 

I thought about making my own in my free time at my job. I have a great set of machines that I can make a table top with, but I'm thinking that I would rather come home and make what I'm interested in. Since I have never had a router table before I think I will buy one for now then make one when I better know what I want in a setup. Plus my wife is telling me that she is buying me a table for Christmas. Maybe she is trying to move me out to the shed for a permanent residents. Hmmm doesn't sound to bad.

 

Scott the same line of thinking applies to making your own table, i.e. make a simple one and use it until you figure out what you would like different about it. Follow the links given and look at what others have done and pick out what you think would work for you. Ask questions about the different features you see and we'll tell you the pros and cons as we each see them.

 

so get a lift and a top and put a cabinet under it...

check out the RT Forum...

Table-mounted Routing - Router Forums

BTW... this table is put together from dumpster diving proceeds...

 

Scott, any table would be fine. We gave the 5625-20 a good work out during our 3+ hp router comparison testing. I installed it in one of the economy tables I built with the $13 Grizzly plate and it was used in the Grizzly T10432 table for a while. Moderator BrianS ended up owning this router and installing it in a well used Router Workshop mounting plate and table. Removing the handles makes it much easier to get in or out of the table with a mounting plate. Make sure to drill the handle hole in your plate the same size as the one in the clear factory sub base plate or when you insert the wrench the rubber dust baffle will catch requiring you to remove the router from the mounting plate to free it. Clearance for the wrench to fit through the plate is not big enough.(I removed the rubber baffle while I was using it)

 

Scott, since you were looking for a recommendation on a table to buy let me suggest the Grizzly T10432. It has everything you need to build most projects; just add a shop vac to capture most of the dust. Priced at about $150 delivered I have not seen a better value for your money.

To make it easy to center your router on the mounting plate you should get either a centering cone like the Bosch RA1151 shown or a centering kit like the Rousseau shown(available from Woodcraft); Infinity Tool also sells a centering kit similar to this. It is very important that your router is properly centered on the plate when using guide bushings.

 

Scott I kinda cheated and purchased an Incra router top , lift and fence . This way all I have to do is build the cabinet below to my liking storage wise etc

Btw welcome to the forum

 

Scott, thanks for posting this question as it resulted in some replies I'm particularly interested.

Mike, in your first reply you added some images and the last one of the Milwaukee router shows that black rubber sleeve of sorts and you mention it as well. I make a quick video with some area of concern I have with the same router and it's setup in my table:

LOL, I haven't yet posted enough to post links. So I will use this as my 3 of 10 required to post links/videos. I was going to post a short video I uploaded to my youtube account.

I got this router second hand and the base plate is clear acrylic as the one in this thread, but it doesn't have any sort of black insert. Doesn't seem necessary to me but just wanted to learn more about it.

Thanks,
Roy

 

Roy

If you're talking about the black cone shaped thing with the silver shank going through it, I believe that's used to center your base plate on your router.

 

Vince no sir, although I'm not sure why I would have used that device as my router place came with pre-drilled holes. Would I still need to use a method to center the router on the base plate?

I'm talking about Mike's first reply, last picture. Where the above table T-handle wrench is going through the access port. There's a black plastic/rubber baffle or sorts, but now I think I know that it's just a dust sleeve? My second hand router (same model) didn't come with it and I don't think it's necessary.

Thanks,
Roy

 

Hi Roy. Welcome to our little corner of the 'net.

Yes, the black baffle is indeed a dust cover. Once the router was mounted on the table insert, the baffle kept getting in the way of the adjustment t-handle.

As for the centering cone, yes. Everytime you remove/replace the baseplate, you should double check the centering of it. With the factory baseplate it "might" not be necessary, but it can't hurt.

 

use one of these..
it's called a centering cone...

.

 

Even the factory base can move around so I always recenter mine if I'm using a guide bushing. If you don't have the cone, loosen the base plate (aka subbase) screws, chuck a 1/4 rod (or spiral bit) and put a 1/4" ID bushing in. The base will be centered and you can tighten up the screws.

 

I wonder what Scott got for Christmas...