[CanuckGal]

The OP is the Oak Park router table as seen on the Router Workshop program. You can get one from Oak Park Enterprises or you can just get the plans and build your own.

 

[BigJimAK]

The Oak Park table is owned by many here, and comes highly recommended by those who do. If you've ever watched "The Router Workshop" on PBS (15 years worth), this is the table they use, and the things they do with it, Wow!

The design follows the KISS principal yet is very versatile. Everything that comes with it has a definite purpose. If you wish you can go to routerworkshop.net and subscribe to their archive of videos... and see many projects built on the very same table you own... or go there and see it in action and *then* get the table. This is no "sales video"; it's a "master the router and router table" video archive with hundreds of episodes.

 

[bygolly]

Here's my combo. Table saw and router table.

 

[collinstuart]

Here is my own "General International" inspiried set up

 

[Old_Chipper]

Couple ones I found in shop Notes!

 

[Duane867]

Forgot to post a pic of my modified Ryobi intermediate table.
Ditched the stock plate and miter track for a Rockler plate and Rockler miter track.
Made a WORLD of difference for SURE ! Now its more then a so so so table and moving in to the good range. Since the original plate was a crappy diamond shape the new plate would not completely cover the long side and just barely missed covering all of the short side corners. All in all I think it turned out fairly well. Its a hell of a lot more stable now then with that crappy diamond shaped plastic plate and that crap plastic miter track. YES you heard me right. The frigg'n miter track was plastic ! I actually have no quams with the stock fence at all yet. It works well for me thus far. I did true it up by sanding some rough edges when I 1st got it. they made the fence warp under pressure. No any more though. I am thinking of trimming about 1/16th inch - 1/32 off the bottom of each backer board on the fence though. Some times they bind because they ride the table when the fence moves. I'm happy with the set up so far. Its very light and easy to move around. Fits on my workmate like horses perfectly, and I can upgrade the router later with out having to buy a new table.

 

[BigJimAK]

Nice setup, Duane..

 

[Michael H]

Incra router table build

Here are some pics of my router table. It is based on the Incra LS17 table package. I built the cabinet and dust box to fit inside the leg set frame. Works really well for me.

 

[RStaron]

Jim, where did you get the pin arm for your router table?

 

[BigJimAK]

Jim, where did you get the pin arm for your router table?

Ron,

I got it from Lee Valley Tools.

Veritas® Pin Router Arm - Lee Valley Tools

I was given a bitjack

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=43039&cat=1,43000

by a friend, though they also sell them as a pair. The bitjack lets you set up a foot-pedal powered plunge for your plunge router. I installed a 9" round base plate on it first, which works both as a freehand base and in the table.

Veritas® Base Plate/Table Insert - Lee Valley Tools

The plate comes with only the center hole drilled but with the included install kit, making the screw holes is easy-peasy. So is cutting the hole in the RT top; their kit includes provisions for cutting those circles too.

The base takes the 1-1/2" guides (available from Oak Park or Lee Valley), instead of the 1-3/16" PC guides. I've used the largest guide (1-1/2" OD) quite a bit because, with a 1/2" bit, you have an even 1/2" offset. It makes the math easy and minimizes errors, at least for me!

Oak Park Enterprises Ltd.: Catalogue--


1-3/4" Brass Template Guides - Lee Valley Tools

Lee Valley also sells brass router plate inserts, for when you use it handheld or in the router table.

1-3/4" Router Plate Inserts - Lee Valley Tools

I haven't yet had a chance to play with it much, as I'm trying to clear out some prior projects but at 7.5# of aluminum arm, its beefy as all get out!

I hope that helps, Ron.

 

[CanuckGal]

Jim I don't know why it didn't work but here's the link for the Bit Jack
Veritas® Router Bit Jack - Lee Valley Tools

 

[BigJimAK]

Jim I don't know why it didn't work but here's the link for the Bit Jack
Veritas® Router Bit Jack - Lee Valley Tools

Thank ye, Deb!

 

[RStaron]

Ron,

I got it from Lee Valley Tools.

Thanks, BigJimAK, That was a great help. It sure looked beefy. I was toying with some time getting the Over arm pin router from Shopsmith to use on my Shopsmith but at over $400.00 a little to much for me. I saw plans for one in my back issues of ShopNotes I might build to try out for awhile.I have some projects I could use one for to make duplicates of, might come in real handy.

 

[BigJimAK]

Ron,

Here's yet another solution.. MLCS daisy pin router

 

[CanuckGal]

WOW that's quite a price difference between the Lee Valley model and the MLCS model. I wonder how they compare?

 

[BigJimAK]

Well Deb... without the MLCS in hand to compare, I can only talk specs and appearances.

The MLCS is an 8" arm, the LV is 12". This would permit larger free hand work w/o removing it. How significant that is will vary from user to user.


The MLCS appears to have a fixed pin, the LV has a spring, should clearance be a problem.
The MLCS has 1/4, 5/16, 3/8 & 1/2" pins, the LV has 1/2, 3/8/, 1/2, 3/4" and a pointed tip for tracing patterns.

The LV has rod is clamped solidly in the arm with zero slack. I cannot speak of the MLCS though the toggle clamps I've seen have varying amounts of wobble when they aren't pressing firmly against something.

The MlCS appearsto be made of welded metal, though I cannot tell how ridgid it is. The LV is made out of cast aluminum and the fin-like things you see under the arm is not a decal; they are molded structural fins. Structurally the LV is made like a tank; I've no doubt you could drive a truck over it without damaging it. Again, I cannot speak to the MLCS.

I've nothing against the MLCS, in fact I mentioned it! It also strikes me that, with the right equipment and enough care in alignment, it could be shop-made.

 

[CanuckGal]

Jim I wondered about that toggle clamp. It sort of defines the whole setup, as in rather cheap. Thanks for the comparison, I think you did a great job for not having the MLCS one in hand
I also saw the shop made one in Shop Notes. It was on that LONG list of shop projects somewhere.

 

[Mt-Pockets]

Awesome pictures everyone.... Hopefully soon, I can add my own to this thread..

 

[BigJimAK]

It's not all that tough.. all it takes is 10 posts and you're halfway there now.. visit a few forums, comment a bit or go to the introductions section and greet some people. You can have it in no time at all!

 

[Mt-Pockets]

I'm working on it... Thanks