[Michael H]

I just completed my custom router table cabinet for my Incra 17" LS Positioner. I purchased the LS Positioner and Table Combo package #3, which comes with the 17" LS Positioner, Wonder Fence, 27" x 43" Incra table top, MagnaLock plate and inserts, as well as the Incra table stand. It is a great system and I have been using it daily for various dovetail and general routing projects since I got it. The only thing lacking was a cabinet enclosure for: 1. Dust Collection 2. Router bit and accessory storage.
I bought the system with the table stand because the extruded aluminum legs accept 1/2" panels to create a base cabinet. But after setting the system up, I thought this would not be the best (or easiest) cabinet for the router table. After a few sketches and thinking outside the box, I built a couple of side by side cabinets to fit under the table.
Here are a couple of pictures of the finished product.

I first started with the Router enclosure cabinet. This is approximately 17-1/2" deep by 16" wide. The carcass is 1/2" MDF, dadoed, rabbeted and glued together. The face frame is maple, glued and pin nailed to the carcass.

The top is open and fits snugly against the bottom of the router table top, just below the plate opening.

As you can see above, the router cabinet is placed on the underside of the router table, then the leg frame is placed over the cabinet. The cabinet rest on the lower leg stretchers, making a compression fit to the table top. No screws were used to attach the cabinet to the top. Once the leg frame is centered on the top, it was screwed into place and the whole unit is turned right side up.

The drawers are constructed of scrap 1/2" MDF I had in the shop and the drawer front trim is scrap maple. I used 1" Over Travel ball bearing drawer slides on all the drawers. I recommend OT slides for all shop cabinets. It definitely allows full access to everything in the drawer.

The router enclosure cabinet is in place in the table frame and the drawers are installed. As for the dust collection box for the router, I drilled a 4" hole in the back of the cabinet to accept the fitting. The inside of the dust box is sealed with two coats of polyurethane and finished with two coats of paste wax. This nearly eliminates the friction and all the dust gets sucked right out of the enclosure.

I used a 4' PVC elbow, fit into the opening and caulked (clear) in place. Attached to that is a union fitting, then a 4"/2-1/2" wye fitting. I got these from Peachtree Woodworking (ptreeusa.com) The exhaust end of the wye is fitted with a FazLok quick disconnect, from Woodworker's Supply (woodworker.com). I use the FazLok system for all my machinery to connect to my Jet dust collector.

To secure the fittings to the cabinet, I wanted to keep it neat and tidy, so I got creative. I had and extra Blast Gate mounting bracket (available from Rockler.com) laying around and it fit the bill perfectly. Mounted a 1" thick spacer block to the back of the cabinet, attached the mounting bracket, put on the hose clamps and secured the fittings to the cabinet. It is low profile to the back of the cabinet, barely extending beyond the footprint of the table top. I have a small shop and I can tuck the whole table up against the wall when not in use.

I then wired the Router shut-off switch into the router enclosure box. I got this from Rockler as well, but there are plenty of other manufacturers of these switches. I drilled a 1-3/4" hole in the side of the cabinet, inserted a desk grommet with removable insert that I cut out to accept the cord thickness, and ran the plug from the switch to the router.

The router dust collection cabinet is installed in the table and the drawers are assembled. For the dust cabinet cover, I built a maple rail and stile frame with a 1/4" lexan panel. The lexan is a router table plate blank I bought from Woodworker's Supply. I drilled four 1" holes in the lexan for air movement in the dust box. I think that I could have gone with two or three holes to increase suction out the back, but it seems to clear the box just fine. I will play with taping a couple of the holes to find the best intake/exhaust ratio for maximum draw.

The dust door is attached with offset magnetic catches on all four corners. These are the type for full inset face frame doors. Amerock makes them and I got them at Woodworker's Supply. The door just snaps into place and comes off by grabbing through one of the intake holes. I chose to have a fully removable door so that I have full access to the inside of the dust box. I didn't like the idea of a hinged cover.

So that completes the dust collection cabinet.
The second cabinet is straight forward and I won't get into too many details. This cabinet is also made of 1/2" MDF approximately 17" W x 21" D and fits in between the upper and lower leg stretchers. I just slid it onto the lower stretchers and screwed it from the inside to the dust cabinet. I made this box about 4" deeper than the dust box for a couple of reasons.
1. the drawers are 20" deep to accept the over-sized Incra Manual and set of templates, which I keep handy in the top shallow drawer.
2. Since the table top overhangs the leg base by about 4+ inches, I wanted full access to the drawers using overtravel slides. Since I don't stand or work at this end of the table, I didn't need the foot or leg clearance. This works well and give me a little extra storage space.

That's my router table system. It is working out great. I have all my router tools, bits, accessories, templates, etc. all in one place and at hand while working on the router table.
There is one 'fix' I need to make on the table. These cabinets are heavy with all the tools inside and the side stretcher where the lever actuated wheel flexes a little when engaged. I will build a support brace inside the stretchers to stiffen it.
If I had to do it again, I probably would have left out the Incra table leg set and built the cabinet the same way but with four swivel double locking casters. All in all, I'm happy with it and, as I said, I used it almost every day. It is extremely quite and virtually NO DUST!

 

[kp91]

beautiful table, fabulously detailed post!

 

[Mike Wingate]

That is a really nice job. Well documented. What work do you envisage doing on the table?

 

[bobj3]

Hi Michael

Very nice job

Looks like you got it down pat..



==========

I just completed my custom router table cabinet for my Incra 17" LS Positioner. I purchased the LS Positioner and Table Combo package #3, which comes with the 17" LS Positioner, Wonder Fence, 27" x 43" Incra table top, MagnaLock plate and inserts, as well as the Incra table stand. It is a great system and I have been using it daily for various dovetail and general routing projects since I got it. The only thing lacking was a cabinet enclosure for: 1. Dust Collection 2. Router bit and accessory storage.
I bought the system with the table stand because the extruded aluminum legs accept 1/2" panels to create a base cabinet. But after setting the system up, I thought this would not be the best (or easiest) cabinet for the router table. After a few sketches and thinking outside the box, I built a couple of side by side cabinets to fit under the table.
Here are a couple of pictures of the finished product.
View attachment 27007 View attachment 27008

I first started with the Router enclosure cabinet. This is approximately 17-1/2" deep by 16" wide. The carcass is 1/2" MDF, dadoed, rabbeted and glued together. The face frame is maple, glued and pin nailed to the carcass.
View attachment 27009

The top is open and fits snugly against the bottom of the router table top, just below the plate opening.
View attachment 27011

As you can see above, the router cabinet is placed on the underside of the router table, then the leg frame is placed over the cabinet. The cabinet rest on the lower leg stretchers, making a compression fit to the table top. No screws were used to attach the cabinet to the top. Once the leg frame is centered on the top, it was screwed into place and the whole unit is turned right side up.
View attachment 27017

The drawers are constructed of scrap 1/2" MDF I had in the shop and the drawer front trim is scrap maple. I used 1" Over Travel ball bearing drawer slides on all the drawers. I recommend OT slides for all shop cabinets. It definitely allows full access to everything in the drawer.

The router enclosure cabinet is in place in the table frame and the drawers are installed. As for the dust collection box for the router, I drilled a 4" hole in the back of the cabinet to accept the fitting. The inside of the dust box is sealed with two coats of polyurethane and finished with two coats of paste wax. This nearly eliminates the friction and all the dust gets sucked right out of the enclosure.
View attachment 27010

I used a 4' PVC elbow, fit into the opening and caulked (clear) in place. Attached to that is a union fitting, then a 4"/2-1/2" wye fitting. I got these from Peachtree Woodworking (ptreeusa.com) The exhaust end of the wye is fitted with a FazLok quick disconnect, from Woodworker's Supply (woodworker.com). I use the FazLok system for all my machinery to connect to my Jet dust collector.
View attachment 27018

To secure the fittings to the cabinet, I wanted to keep it neat and tidy, so I got creative. I had and extra Blast Gate mounting bracket (available from Rockler.com) laying around and it fit the bill perfectly. Mounted a 1" thick spacer block to the back of the cabinet, attached the mounting bracket, put on the hose clamps and secured the fittings to the cabinet. It is low profile to the back of the cabinet, barely extending beyond the footprint of the table top. I have a small shop and I can tuck the whole table up against the wall when not in use.
View attachment 27013

I then wired the Router shut-off switch into the router enclosure box. I got this from Rockler as well, but there are plenty of other manufacturers of these switches. I drilled a 1-3/4" hole in the side of the cabinet, inserted a desk grommet with removable insert that I cut out to accept the cord thickness, and ran the plug from the switch to the router.
View attachment 27014 View attachment 27019

The router dust collection cabinet is installed in the table and the drawers are assembled. For the dust cabinet cover, I built a maple rail and stile frame with a 1/4" lexan panel. The lexan is a router table plate blank I bought from Woodworker's Supply. I drilled four 1" holes in the lexan for air movement in the dust box. I think that I could have gone with two or three holes to increase suction out the back, but it seems to clear the box just fine. I will play with taping a couple of the holes to find the best intake/exhaust ratio for maximum draw.
View attachment 27020

The dust door is attached with offset magnetic catches on all four corners. These are the type for full inset face frame doors. Amerock makes them and I got them at Woodworker's Supply. The door just snaps into place and comes off by grabbing through one of the intake holes. I chose to have a fully removable door so that I have full access to the inside of the dust box. I didn't like the idea of a hinged cover.
View attachment 27016 View attachment 27015 View attachment 27012

So that completes the dust collection cabinet.
The second cabinet is straight forward and I won't get into too many details. This cabinet is also made of 1/2" MDF approximately 17" W x 21" D and fits in between the upper and lower leg stretchers. I just slid it onto the lower stretchers and screwed it from the inside to the dust cabinet. I made this box about 4" deeper than the dust box for a couple of reasons.
1. the drawers are 20" deep to accept the over-sized Incra Manual and set of templates, which I keep handy in the top shallow drawer.
2. Since the table top overhangs the leg base by about 4+ inches, I wanted full access to the drawers using overtravel slides. Since I don't stand or work at this end of the table, I didn't need the foot or leg clearance. This works well and give me a little extra storage space.
View attachment 27025 View attachment 27023 View attachment 27026 View attachment 27024

That's my router table system. It is working out great. I have all my router tools, bits, accessories, templates, etc. all in one place and at hand while working on the router table.
There is one 'fix' I need to make on the table. These cabinets are heavy with all the tools inside and the side stretcher where the lever actuated wheel flexes a little when engaged. I will build a support brace inside the stretchers to stiffen it.
If I had to do it again, I probably would have left out the Incra table leg set and built the cabinet the same way but with four swivel double locking casters. All in all, I'm happy with it and, as I said, I used it almost every day. It is extremely quite and virtually NO DUST!
View attachment 27021 View attachment 27027

 

[xplorx4]

Excellant presentation. Excellant fabrication .

 

[dustmaker]

Excellent build. I like the way you matched the drawers with the red/gold incra theme.

 

[Gap_308]

Thats impressive, great job. Attention to detail shows.

 

[TRN_Diesel]

Very well done!!! I like your solution to dust control and wondedr if you ever considered making to sloping surfaces comeing to a "V" where the 4" DC hole is? (Refer to my build of my Mobile Sanding Station) I have been considering the incra fence for my router table and would like to hear how you like yours?.

Great idea on the maple for the drawer face and then painting the inside of the drawer fornt red. Very professional looking and pleaseing to the eye. How pleasing was it to your wallet?

 

[BigJimAK]

Nicely done, Michael!

 

[Michael H]

That is a really nice job. Well documented. What work do you envisage doing on the table?

Mike,
Thanks for the compliment. I use my router table for a lot of routing operations. Edge profiling, rail and stile doors, as well as dovetailing (mostly half blind for thin stock projects) and box joints. I have the PC 24" Omnijig for most of my dovetailing for drawer boxes and through dovetail projects.
I am starting to play around with some of the Incra Double Double dovetail and box joints.
It really does everything my old router table (10 year old Rockler) did, with 100 fold greater precision, as well as dovetails and box joints using the templates.
Worth every penny I paid for the Incra setup.

 

[Michael H]

Very well done!!! I like your solution to dust control and wondedr if you ever considered making to sloping surfaces comeing to a "V" where the 4" DC hole is? (Refer to my build of my Mobile Sanding Station) I have been considering the incra fence for my router table and would like to hear how you like yours?.

Great idea on the maple for the drawer face and then painting the inside of the drawer fornt red. Very professional looking and pleaseing to the eye. How pleasing was it to your wallet?

Dan,
I considered making the 'V' chute for the router dust box, but in the end, I didn't think I needed it. After two coats of poly and two coats of paste wax on the inside of the box, there is virtually no friction. Since all the sawdust drops down and the 4" exhaust hole is at the bottom edge of the box, it all gets sucked out. I have virtually no dust in the box after each use. Other people have used laminate or melamine for the insides of their boxes and they work well too. The least friction, the better the dust collection.
As for the Incra LS Positioner, it is a great investment. I haven't even started to explore its possibilities. I like the super precision of the Lead Screw, moving the fence .001" per click. I can fine tune until it is just perfect in just a couple of seconds. And all my routs are repeatable. If you do get one, invest in a router with Above the Table height adjustment or get a router lift. I never have to struggle under the table, everything is at my fingertips.

 

[TRN_Diesel]

Well thats good to know because I was worried about the friction factor and and I painted my MDF with three coats to help with the friction. I did do a V and it was a pain in the you know what to get the angles just right so I will keep the paste wax in mind. Heck if works so well on my table saw surface why did I not consider it for my dust collection.

I want to build an insert router table onto my extension wing due to space restriction in my shop. I suppose I could still use the incra setup for both or use the incra just for the router and leave my existing fence for the tablesaw in case I need to cut something. this way I will not affect my setup on the router table if I want to use the table saw.

You do really nice work and I hope to do the same given many more years of experience. How long have you been wood working?

 

[HDS]

Michael,
to be honest I can't contain my envy!
Fab job and thanks for the pics.

 

[Michael H]

Dust collection and friction

Hey Dan,

I think that you were right to build the V chute for the sanding station. It is a much larger collection box than my router dust box and you probably need the dust channeled to the exhaust port. Not needed for the router tho'.

Let us know if and when you build your router insert for your table saw. Incra does sell a TS/LS combination fence that replaces your existing TS fence that is dual purpose for the TS and router. Expensive though, but many reviewers swear by the precision and repeatability for saw cuts as well as routing. I personally prefer the stand alone routing station. I have just enough drawers to hold all my routing accessories and bits. And it is mobile for moving out of the way. I tend to use the extension table of my TS for working on (glue-ups, sanding, etc.) I would not want to mess up my router table top if it were located there. I have a pretty small shop and this seems to work for me.

As far as woodworking, I have been doing it for 20 years. I do all my own designs for clients and create stuff for myself when I can. I find great information and inspiration from these forums, constantly improving my own techniques from what I gather from reading other members posts. I enjoyed reading your posts on your sanding station. You really made one sweet piece. Congratulations.

Well thats good to know because I was worried about the friction factor and and I painted my MDF with three coats to help with the friction. I did do a V and it was a pain in the you know what to get the angles just right so I will keep the paste wax in mind. Heck if works so well on my table saw surface why did I not consider it for my dust collection.

I want to build an insert router table onto my extension wing due to space restriction in my shop. I suppose I could still use the incra setup for both or use the incra just for the router and leave my existing fence for the tablesaw in case I need to cut something. this way I will not affect my setup on the router table if I want to use the table saw.

You do really nice work and I hope to do the same given many more years of experience. How long have you been wood working?

 

[TRN_Diesel]

In ShopNotes issue #106 they have a sweet looking setup such as what you have mentioned Mike. I have my wood working bench that I use as a gluing station right now because of the limited workspace. My 20' x 22' shop (formely my car garage) is running short of space. lol

I was thinking of building the Small Shop Project Centre on the right side of the saw within the table extension and then do the router insert on the left hand side. However, now that I see your router table I am leaning that way.

Thanks for the compliment on the sanding station. Coming from you a guy like you who builds way beyond my ability is well ...... inspiring.

 

[Michael H]

Router table

Dan,
Don't sell yourself short. From what I see in your posts, you are a craftsman. I like your night stands, although, I didn't see the finished photos. Did you post them? Keep up the high quality work.
I'll be posting a thread on my flip-top planer cart, when I get a moment to write it up. This is a really useful cabinet for the shop as well. Here's a preview:

In ShopNotes issue #106 they have a sweet looking setup such as what you have mentioned Mike. I have my wood working bench that I use as a gluing station right now because of the limited workspace. My 20' x 22' shop (formely my car garage) is running short of space. lol

I was thinking of building the Small Shop Project Centre on the right side of the saw within the table extension and then do the router insert on the left hand side. However, now that I see your router table I am leaning that way.

Thanks for the compliment on the sanding station. Coming from you a guy like you who builds way beyond my ability is well ...... inspiring.

 

[TRN_Diesel]

Thanks N|Mike for the kind words but I have a long way to go before I compare with your craftsmanship.

The flip up idea I like and saw something similar in Bench Magazine. I have instead decided to use my scrap bin and I will be installing cleats inside the bin to accept the planer platform. Essentially I will be sliding the planer into the inside opening of the scrap bin and use it as a mobile base when needed. Having said that maybe I might down the road use what you have built.

As for the nightstands I have not yet finished them. Sad to say I left them outside tarp ed and we had a bad storm one night with high winds. The wind blew the tarp off and the nightstands got wet.

I did try to apply a finish and it was blotchy. So I bought Charles Neil video on A-Z Finishing. Then after watching the videos I was sold on spray on finishes apposed to brush on. Hence the purchase of my Lemmer HVLP 3 stage sprayer.

I did not want to spray the nightstands first without any practise so I decided to build the mobile sanding station first and practise on it. Well if you saw my post you saw I put the sprayer back together wrong and I now have some items a nice blue because of the sprayer going off widely as I screamed in horror and dismay. lol

So to make a long story short I have been busy multi tasking doing so many other things than finishing those nightstands. I really hate finishing but it makes or breaks a project.

After I get the wiring sorted out in the workshop I will finish the stands.

 

[dddavid]

very nice,,,,,,i have the incra table saw fence system and looking to buy a stand alone router system. have you heard anything with regards to sawtrain and how it compares to incra,,,,,quality etc. Your router table is awsome work. I wonder if you have plans that you may share.

 

[Noob]

Thanks for resurrecting this thread because I missed it for whatever reason because that is a beautiful setup and is well executed.

One of the ideas I wouldn't have thought of was the removable magnetic doors; very interesting and an idea worth stealing, I mean borrowing.

I wondered why there were vents on the door, thinking that that would lessen the vacuum suction, but I apparently that is not an issue.

 

[jlord]

Michael,
That is one very nice table you have built as well as some of the other things shown in the background of the pics.

I wondered why there were vents on the door, thinking that that would lessen the vacuum suction, but I apparently that is not an issue.

The vents in the door are to replace air removed by the dust collector. that creates the flow of air, thus the vacuum. If you have too many holes or they are to big it will lessen the effect. Need the right ratio.