Router Table

smessick · 08-10-2005, 02:13 PM

I am thinking about buying a router table, probably a router, too. I would welcome any experiences anyone would be willing to share.

Monty · 08-10-2005, 09:43 PM

Did you have anything in mind? Do you want to buy a commercial router table setup or make your own? If you have a particular system in mind, you may be able to get more specific advice.

My first "router table" was an M12V hanging from a Rousseau plate, set into a square hole in a piece of melamine -- all that hanging between two sawhorses. In fact, I still use that!

SteveColes · 08-10-2005, 10:23 PM

OMG, I almost agree with "what's his name

"

Over the last year, I have bought a mess of router tables, fences, mounting plates, etc. And I can tell you that I wasted a lot of money and time finding out how I would use a router table and what things were important to me. The only way I would have found out was to have used one for awhile. So buy a good router for a dedicated table, PC7518 or the Milwaulkee 3.5 (don't know the number) Then get a cheap, uh, inexpensive router table top and mounting plate. As insomniac said or implied don't waste money or time yet on building a base. Use saw horses or cheap leg set. Don't buy a fence. Get some pieces of that UHMD plastic pieces that are longer than your table top. With two clamps and a set of brass setup bars you've got a great fence and it is always a sacrifical one.

After a while you begin to find out what things are important to you in a mounting plate and/or lift, fence, and cabinet and then you can build and/or buy your dream setup. In the meantime, you got a more than adequate setup, and the only thing your've spent any real money was on the router.

In the interests of full disclosure, you should know that I am a newbie, so you can totally disregard my opinions. But sometimes the newbie, is the one that remembers the pitfalls best.

sapwood · 08-11-2005, 02:29 PM

Apparently having a Woodworking Help forum was an excellent, and for me, timely idea. I too, recently obtained router, but have almost no experience in usage or setup. Additionally, tool budget is busted for now, but Steve and Insomniac have provided some excellent insight on that project.

So thanks to messick, Steve, and "the night stalker".

Roger

smessick · 08-11-2005, 08:56 PM

I very much appreciate the responses. Before I posted I did some research and the advice that stuck with me was to buy the best if you're going to use it frequently or buy a simple table if for infrequent use. That would be me. What I use the router for mostly is edging for table tops, drawers, etc. I use wood and clamps on my bench top to make a sort of custom table/fence for each job. I'm still working half blind though, with the router up top. That's why I'm interested in a table. I would park it until I need it and then place it on my bench top.

I guess what I had hoped to hear was something like, "Don't buy the Roto-Router table because the fence always moves in the middle of a job."

I glanced at a Vermont American table (literally) and read the router table review on the Workbench web site which pretty much helped me to avoid bothering with the Porter-Cable.

So I'm still about where I started. I have many clamps, though.

Monty · 08-11-2005, 11:56 PM

I'm almost embarrassed to post this... but here goes:

Like I said, I keep my M12V permanently mounted in its plate (click thumbnails to see bigger pics):

And I keep my little scrap melamine "table top" leaning in a corner of my lumber storage rack when not in use.

And here it is, folks:

Don't laugh... it works.

SteveColes · 08-12-2005, 12:21 AM

Ok, let's try it another way. First pick the router. The two I mentioned above, you can't go wrong. Look at rousseau, Woodpecker, Benchdog, Jointech and Jessem., Buy the plate and top from the same manufacturer. Not necessary, but makes things easier. Then do the rest I said above. Any of the above will give you a good plate and top. It is just a matter choosing the combo that fits your budget. All of the above can be fitted later to a premade or self made base.

The only thing I would add is that all of the above makes lifters and you might want one of your criterion to be which lifter you would would buy, if and when you went that route. The reason is that you could still use the same top if you decided later buy a lifter.

Stay away from PC, bosch, and craftsman router tables.

BTW, have you ever seen the Router Workshop on PBS. If you get a chance, watch that show and you'll see what I mean about he use of fences. The show is terrible, but I learned a lot fence, jig, & fixture technique from the show.

SteveColes · 08-12-2005, 12:26 AM

Originally Posted by insomniac

I'm almost embarrassed to post this... but here goes:

And here it is, folks:

Don't laugh... it works.

Don't be embarrassed and I'm not laughng. I'm suggesting almost the same thing. I wish had started that way. If I did, I might be at the same place I am today, but I would have gotten there with a lot less wasted money

smessick · 08-13-2005, 08:14 AM

I think I found what I was looking for:

http://www.sawdustmaking.com/Router%...uter_table.htm

Ctitique and suggested improvements welcome.

Oh, and anybody ever buy anything from ewarehousedirect? They list a refurbished Milwaukee 5615-21 that looks kind of interesting:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Milwaukee-5615-2...QQcmdZViewItem

Or maybe move up to the 13 amp 5616?

Stan

SteveColes · 08-13-2005, 02:02 PM

Now, I can reply in a more specific manner.

I think that table top is too small. I would want it larger. I think any smaller than 28" wide will limit the work you can do with a stable base. I also would want it deeper. This would give you the opportunity, to take a panel and just run it around a bearing'd bit in one continous motion to get the edging effect on all sides.

I would not mount the router directly to the table top. The reason is that you must make the hole in the table as wide as the largest diameter bit that you intend to use. Now if you then have to use a small dia bit and are working with smaller pieces of wood, supoort and feed control can become problematic. So I would use a commercial mounting plate that has easily replacable inserts for the router table. Here is one that I know works, but there are others. Woodpecker

Don't use their fence!! It is subject to all the problems of fixed diameter fences. The same ones as fixed hole size in in plate, plus some other issues. For now go with one piece scarifical fences. Then the hole can be exactly the size you need.

Finally the router!. The decision really rests on whether or not you want to use the same router for both table and free hand use. If the router will only be used on the table then go with some thing in the 3+hp range. If you want to use it for both free hand and table mounted then get something in the 2+hp range. Anything smaller than that and you will limit the things you can do on the table, anything larger and it will be clumsy to use free hand.

Wow, I hope that doesn't come across as too negative, I don't mean it that way. The basic idea is correct, but that table as is wiil have very limited usage.

I hope I didn't just become the person we talked about

smessick · 08-13-2005, 03:19 PM

Thanks for sharing your experiences and knowledge. "Sleepless in Hickory" showed me that I truly don't need a store-bought table and Steve gave me focus in areas I wouldn't even have known to ask about.

Steve, you didn't by a long shot. You'll know him when you see him.

Monty · 08-13-2005, 06:40 PM

Hey! I almost forgot about this little project: a simple fold-away router table project from Woodsmith.

Here's a link to the PDF: Fold-Away Router Table

I agree with Steve's comments about using an insert instead of mounting the router directly. You already know my thoughts on routers...

smessick · 08-13-2005, 08:26 PM

Thanks. I kind of like the fold away part if I could figure out where to mount it.

By the way, what are the length and width dimensions of the one in your picture above?

Monty · 08-14-2005, 09:50 PM

Originally Posted by smessick

what are the length and width dimensions of the one in your picture above?

It happens to be 15" x 35" - but there's no rhyme or reason to this. This just happened to be the dimension of the biggest piece of scrap melamine I had in my scrap pile after I finished some other project.

mshel · 08-23-2005, 09:13 PM

If the photo gallery is up, take a look at my gallery and give the once over at my router table. I initially made the top to hang from the side of my old tablesaw but after aquiring my new PM66, I decided it was time to have a standalone base. I basically built my base around my top. The fence has movable sections so you can open or close the opening around the bit you are using. I use a Jessem master lift with a PC 7518 3 1/4hp router. Works great and you will like the ability to change the speed setting to go along with the size of bit you are using. So far, I likes it fine and my only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. Still working on DC for the motor compartment though. I do have a DC on the fence. Anyway, just my to Abes.

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