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Wanted! pictures of your router table!

669K views 1K replies 386 participants last post by  jw2170 
#1 ·
Okay members, here is your chance to brag. My son in GA, wants to see pictures of router tables to give him some ideas for his. I told him to look at mine and he don't need to see any others, but he didn't believe me. :)
So here are 3 of mine to get us started. Lets show him what you got.
 

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#235 ·
If you look in my gallery Lou, you will see a lot of info about my table top which I re build early last year. The info includes the aluminum fence and tracks.

Basically the top is made out of two pieces of MDF (1/2” thick each) glued together and fastened to the Delta table saw top with removable bolts for easy handling. The grooves on the top are done with my router. The finish is a stain colour followed by 2 coats of clear varnish. The top can be done to any size to suite your needs. The aluminum fence is much more difficult to make and I spent a winter trying to figure out all the details but it was a project I really enjoyed very much and the results were very satisfying.

If you need more details let me know.
 
#237 ·
You will find that many prefer to build their own to suit their own needs. Many have several as for their needs have changed.
 
#239 ·
Look on the left side of the screen, under my name kolias, second line from the bottom, it says

“View kolia’s Uploads”

Click with your mouse there and you will see all the pages of my uploads. Page 18 and 19 have some description of the table saw.
 
#242 ·
Here's my first table:





Put together at a cost of less than 50€, the top is back to back 19mm MDF (2,50€ from the scrap bin, a similar piece of BB Multiplex ply is 29€) edged with Beech skirting board and the cabinet is elcheapo laminated chip board.

The Insert plate is right in the centre because that's where I wanted it and the fence is where I want it.:D




The insert plate is from two pieces of 3mm aluminium plate laser cut with spare inserts - cost 9€.:D
 
#244 ·
Here's my first table:
Put together at a cost of less than 50€, the top is back to back 19mm MDF (2,50€ from the scrap bin, a similar piece of BB Multiplex ply is 29€) edged with Beech skirting board and the cabinet is elcheapo laminated chip board.

The Insert plate is right in the centre because that's where I wanted it and the fence is where I want it.:D

The insert plate is from two pieces of 3mm aluminium plate laser cut with spare inserts - cost 9€.:D
I really like the height of it.

Thanks for posting photos.
 
#250 ·
Here is my restored 1957 Unisaw with additional tables and router plates. On the left of the main table is a NuCraft cast iron router table. On the right of the main table is an additional Unisaw table top with a shop built aluminum router plate made to fit the throat opening. This required modifying the router base but it wasn't hard. This set up gives me a lot of real estate for table saw operations and two choices for router set ups. Not shown is an original Incra Positioning system with maple fence.


Even more important to my style of woodworking is this shop built mortising table. It is currently under revision to adapt the vertical travel mechanism salvaged from a drum sander. I guess if I use the existing motor with a chuck it won't really be a "router table". Its made with an X-Y table that slides on linear ball bearings and an old table saw top. The saw top has T-slots that facilitate hold down clamps.

Cheers,
Jim
 
#251 ·
Hello all,
I can't believe this thread is still going. At least some good has come of it! Glad everyone is enjoying it. Unfortunately my son has had to close his shop and is about 95% disabled. Shame for someone so young (47) who loved woodworking so much! All part of the greater plan I supposed.
I’m slowly recovering from my surgery; hope to get back into my shop in a few months. Family and doctors think I should sell it off, but not yet. Time will tell. Didn’t mean to dump on you guys, just want to explain why I hadn’t been around. Good luck and thanks for keeping this thread alive.
 
#253 ·
nice job on the use of space and set up. I have a similar set up on my Delta Contractor's saw. Main variations are dust collection below the TS trunion, cabinet undere the main side table with a set of drawers for TS stuff (tape measure caliper etc) dust collection under the router with a fence pick up connection, three drawer unit facing the end of the table where the router is mounted, for router stuff, bits, wrenches etc. Mine also has a out table extention to protect the motor when I "park it againist the wall and a flip up out feed table/work table. I am also in the process of adding a side table to the left of the top, fold down to give me a bit more stability when ripping 4x8 sheets by myself.

When I designed mine, I have a few restrictions.
1. the footprint of the table from the factory (Delta contracotors saw with 32" unifence) could not grow.
2. It has to include a reasonable dust collection system since my "shop" is an attahced garage.
3. it had to have drawers for all that stuff you want at hand, but always vibrates off a shelf during a routing or table saw operation
4. it has to double as a work bench, space being an issue.
5. I had to be able to rip 4x8 plywood by myself.

My first go round of this setup was sloppy, poorly thought out and quickly put together, how bad could it have been? Wish I has listened to a friend who told me to look at other set ups, take ideas and suggestions and make my own design. But it took 2 years before I had turned enough perfectly good wood into saw dust, that I stop building anything until my saw, router table was complete.

I would be happy to post pics, but am a newbie, so have to post 10 times before I can. I will be back to you.
Thanks for posting pics of your setup.
Mikie
 
#254 ·
Welcome and thanks for the input.

Can't wait to see some photos of your table.

I am confident you will hit your 10 required entries pretty quick.
 
#256 ·
pics of mine in progress - feel free to offer advice

I finally broke out the camera and took a few of my ts/router table combo. Please note it is a work in progress, so I am looking for feedback of items issues and neat to have jigs tricks etc.

A quick back of my router table, the original table extention came with a plastic, yes I said plastic, router insert. I picked my saw up used, and the insert worked "okay" for my Bosch but when I upgrade to dedicated router, very heavy PC, it made the the plate sage. So I went in search of a router plate, the opening was 12 1/2 by 10 1/2. No such size on the market without cutting my own.

So I went to Craiglistr found a used Rockler with plate (needed drilling for my router) and pick up a heavy duty fence since the one that came with the table was homemade and attached to the back of my ts fence. The original config had so much slop in the fence, plate opening and the flex of the plate frustrated me to the point, what ever I need to do, I did on the ts.

I rebuilt the homemade fence (stained it for practice and fun), added the new router table to the side table, added the dust bucket, causing me to have alter the cabinet my set up rides around on, a whole nother story.

While I was into rebuilding I remade the extention out feed and folding out since the former version was done in a day, made from an old desk top (Ikea quality) and showed it was poorly planned and excuted.

before I tell you what I think of the router table set up (yes I have issues with it) I would like to hear any feedback from those of you who have used a router more than I. Remember I have stayed away from my router and table because of the slop in all the components until last Saturday. A Buddy of mine took it for a test drive using the homemade fence. No slop, but some concerns about the table.
 

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#260 ·
I finally broke out the camera and took a few of my ts/router table combo.
I rebuilt the homemade fence (stained it for practice and fun), added the new router table to the side table, added the dust bucket, causing me to have alter the cabinet my set up rides around on, a whole nother story.

While I was into rebuilding I remade the extention out feed and folding out since the former version was done in a day, made from an old desk top (Ikea quality) and showed it was poorly planned and excuted.
WOW!!!

That is a nice looking setup. I really like that outfeed table idea





...And

galerdude said:
Here's what I got so far. RTD 'scratch n dent" TS extension on a Ridgid 3650. Waiting on a Bosch 1617 evspk to arrive and mount that to the table.
I like that setup too. Love "scratch n dent".
 
#257 ·
Looks like a great use of space and very portable around the garage floor.

I keep telling myself to build something similar but I use the excuse I am going to get a new cabinet saw and it would only be replaced.
 
#262 ·
Table Features Dust Collection

A little explanation might be in order:
Top side collected dust is routed (no pun intended) through a tapered duct in the fence to a hole in the top, where it drops down to the top chamber that encloses the router. There it joins the dust expelled from the bottom of the bit. The bottom chamber collects the combined dust and routes it out the back. Holes in the top chamber door are for "makeup air" to ensure adequate air flow. The holes in the back serve the same function. I sized the hole in the top so that its cross sectional area is 1/2 the area of the 4" hose. Similarly, the total area of the "makeup air" holes also equals 1/2 the area of the 4" hose. This was intended to be a starting point, but it worked out well , so I didn't change anything.
.
The top is two layers of 3/4" MDF covered with Formica. The cabinet is 3/4" solid oak and oak plywood.
 

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#267 ·
Make-Up Air Restriction


Good question! There is a trade off between pressure (vacuum) and air velocity. I wanted the velocity of air flow through the make-up holes to be fairly high so that the dust would be swept toward the collection port in the center of the chamber, rather than being collected in the corners. Also, much of my routing is done with large diameter bits. As a result, there is fairly large cross-sectional opening in the fence with these bits. I wanted to have a reasonably high vacuum with the resultant high air velocity at the fence opening. Of course the distribution of pressure between the fence opening and the make-up air holes varies as the fence opening is changed. Does this sound like an explanation, or an excuse :D So far, it looks like I have a resonable compromise. This is a work in progress, so I might end up increasing the number of make-up air holes. Thanks for the reply.
 
#265 ·
Thanks for the kind words! The face frame uses biscuit joinery. The rest of the cabinet is dado construction. The oak trim on the table itself is fastened to the MDF with biscuits. The walnut splines on the oak trim are functional, but not really necessary. They're mostly for looks.
 
#269 ·
Another table.....

Well, this thread has gone on long enough I get to post pics of my table.....
Delta Contractors saw with Rockler router table. Soft close drawers, drawer pulls hogged out of a piece of clear piece of Doug fir.

Maple plywood, Oak trim. I've already decided to make doors for the Router end open storage. Dust collection works OK, although my guess is about 25% of the saw dust falls into the bin below the saw rather than getting sucked out of the dust port.

Center large door is an access port to clean out below the saw. Held in place by door magnets.
 

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#280 ·
like the set up

BEE DAWG, own the same saw and would like to see the back of your cabinet/table. Do you have some type of duct collection for the table saw set up on this. My saw (used) came with an attached cabinet, which I have since modified, but and not really liking the set up too much, so I was very impressed by yours. Might start over and just scrap out the exisitng. Can post a couple more pics from different angles?

Nice job!

Well, this thread has gone on long enough I get to post pics of my table.....
Delta Contractors saw with Rockler router table. Soft close drawers, drawer pulls hogged out of a piece of clear piece of Doug fir.

Maple plywood, Oak trim. I've already decided to make doors for the Router end open storage. Dust collection works OK, although my guess is about 25% of the saw dust falls into the bin below the saw rather than getting sucked out of the dust port.

Center large door is an access port to clean out below the saw. Held in place by door magnets.
 
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