I hate my Bench Dog!!

[Jason White]

Ok, I hate to admit this (especially since I paid $300 for the thing), but now that it lives on my new Grizzly cabinet saw -- I really hate my Bench Dog "Pro Max" cast-iron router table.

Back when it lived on my RIDGID contractor saw, it was on the left side and I loved it. I considered it a HUGE upgrade.

However, now that it's on the right side of my cabinet saw I can't stand it. Plus, now I have a tablesaw with decent dust collection (the contractor saw did not) and I'm totally spoiled. I want my router table to have the same great dust collection that the tablesaw has. Above the bit is fine with a vac attached, below the table is an unholy mess!!

I want to build my own router table -- again as an extension wing but bigger and with far better dust collection. Not sure if a miter gauge slot is really that important. I've never used mine except to hold featherboards.

Anybody got pics of something great that you've built yourself? Seen any good plans lately?

Jason

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Jason, ever consider a shaper?

[Paul Johnstone]

Ok, I hate to admit this (especially since I paid $300 for the thing), but now that it lives on my new Grizzly cabinet saw -- I really hate my Bench Dog "Pro Max" cast-iron router table.

Back when it lived on my RIDGID contractor saw, it was on the left side and I loved it. I considered it a HUGE upgrade.

However, now that it's on the right side of my cabinet saw I can't stand it. Plus, now I have a tablesaw with decent dust collection (the contractor saw did not) and I'm totally spoiled. I want my router table to have the same great dust collection that the tablesaw has. Above the bit is fine with a vac attached, below the table is an unholy mess!!

I want to build my own router table -- again as an extension wing but bigger and with far better dust collection. Not sure if a miter gauge slot is really that important. I've never used mine except to hold featherboards.

Anybody got pics of something great that you've built yourself? Seen any good plans lately?

Jason

I have seen people build an enclosure around the bench dog table for dust collection. The enclosure covers up the router.

I have a homemade router table with the similiar setup. It works ok. Gets a lot of the dust, but a lot still settles in the enclosure.

[glenn bradley]

One idea (although I don't know how you would attach it): http://www.woodpeck.com/widedustcollection.html

I built a cabinet underneath as shown below. The top is bolted to the TS wing. You get dust control and storage to boot. Your's would have a shallower footprint to reflect your top's size; the cabinet really takes no more floorspace than the wing anyway :)

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=116927&d=1240946204

Have you considered drilling your left wing and putting the RT extension back on the left where the workflow is consistent. You liked it before and I like the left as well. I would try to get back to that if I could rather than give up the floor space of a stand alone unit. My shop can't spare the space :eek:.

[John Gornall]

Dust collection below the router table doesn't have to be a problem. I use a Lee Valley router table with a split fence and the Lee Valley magnetic dust pickup. The split fence is adjusted close to the router bit - you can add wood fence pieces pushing them against the bit for zero clearance - and the table insert is tight to the bit. With the shop vac connected through the magnetic dust pickup pulling the dust through the fence there is almost no dust - not below or above the table. The key is the split fence - the top extrusion of the fence is continuous but the bottom is made in 2 pieces that slide. You could make a split fence and solve your dust problem. Have a look at the Lee Valley router fence online to see how it works.

[Tom Veatch]

...Anybody got pics of something great that you've built yourself?

Very pleased with the duct collection.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showpost.php?p=1062219&postcount=7
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showpost.php?p=1092164&postcount=7

[Mark Carlson]

I mounted one of these on a Quality Grinding extension with a PRL router lift. The dust collection is excellent. Without it the dust collection underneath was horrible.

~mark


One idea (although I don't know how you would attach it): http://www.woodpeck.com/widedustcollection.html

:eek:.

[Brian D Anderson]

Anybody got pics of something great that you've built yourself? Seen any good plans lately?

Jason

I just did that a couple months ago. :D

http://www.jfreitasphotography.com/Temp/RT1.jpg

http://www.jfreitasphotography.com/Temp/IMG_7528.jpg




-Brian

[Jason White]

Not unless I can mount it on my tablesaw....

I just don't have the floor space.



Jason, ever consider a shaper?

[Jason White]

It's not just the dust collection. There are other things about the Bench Dog I'm not crazy about.

Specifically...

- I bang my knuckles on the router any time I want to bevel the blade on my tablesaw
- The router table/extension wing is only 16" wide (I want something deeper that extends to the end of my 30" Biesemeyer fence rail)
- Table isn't as thick or beefy as the stock extension wings that come with the saw.

Not trying to discourage others from getting one. I've just fallen out of love with mine and think I could make some improvements by building one myself.

Jason



I have seen people build an enclosure around the bench dog table for dust collection. The enclosure covers up the router.

I have a homemade router table with the similiar setup. It works ok. Gets a lot of the dust, but a lot still settles in the enclosure.

[Jason White]

Thanks for the link.

I can't mount it on the left because the saw's motor cover is in the way.


One idea (although I don't know how you would attach it): http://www.woodpeck.com/widedustcollection.html

I built a cabinet underneath as shown below. The top is bolted to the TS wing. You get dust control and storage to boot. Your's would have a shallower footprint to reflect your top's size; the cabinet really takes no more floorspace than the wing anyway :)

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=116927&d=1240946204

Have you considered drilling your left wing and putting the RT extension back on the left where the workflow is consistent. You liked it before and I like the left as well. I would try to get back to that if I could rather than give up the floor space of a stand alone unit. My shop can't spare the space :eek:.

[Jason White]

Now that's a nice setup!! I also have the same saw and love it.

How is it trying to move the whole thing around on a mobile base?

Jason


I just did that a couple months ago. :D

-Brian

[Jason White]

Nice idea, Glenn!

Is she mobile?

Jason


One idea (although I don't know how you would attach it): http://www.woodpeck.com/widedustcollection.html

I built a cabinet underneath as shown below. The top is bolted to the TS wing. You get dust control and storage to boot. Your's would have a shallower footprint to reflect your top's size; the cabinet really takes no more floorspace than the wing anyway :)

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=116927&d=1240946204

Have you considered drilling your left wing and putting the RT extension back on the left where the workflow is consistent. You liked it before and I like the left as well. I would try to get back to that if I could rather than give up the floor space of a stand alone unit. My shop can't spare the space :eek:.

[Jerome Hanby]

What a great idea! Hope you don't mind me shamelessly stealing it...


I just did that a couple months ago. :D


-Brian

[Greg Hines, MD]

The Woodpeckers box might work for you. It could probably be attached to your top with neodymium magnets, epoxied in place if you did not want to tap the cast iron for bolts.

Doc

[Brian D Anderson]

Now that's a nice setup!! I also have the same saw and love it.

How is it trying to move the whole thing around on a mobile base?

Jason

I found that I don't really move my saw all that much, so I didn't put any casters on the router cabinet. It's not really attached to the top so you can slide it around a little. My outfeed table isn't going anywhere, so the most I move it is a couple inches away from the table.

If you did want the cabinet mobile, I'm sure you could put casters on.

-Brian

[Paul Johnstone]

It's not just the dust collection. There are other things about the Bench Dog I'm not crazy about.

Specifically...

- I bang my knuckles on the router any time I want to bevel the blade on my tablesaw
- The router table/extension wing is only 16" wide (I want something deeper that extends to the end of my 30" Biesemeyer fence rail)
- Table isn't as thick or beefy as the stock extension wings that come with the saw.

Not trying to discourage others from getting one. I've just fallen out of love with mine and think I could make some improvements by building one myself.

Jason

In that case, build your own. You shouldn't have trouble getting most of your money back when you sell the bench dog.

I have two stand alone tables. With smart planning, you don't really lose that much floor space.. For example, one of my router tables is used as an infeed table for the table saw when "ripping" plywood sheets.
The other one doubles as a support table for my mitre saw, and has drawers for storage.. Both are used as temporary work/junk tables too.

I guess the point is that a stand alone router table has uses beyond being a router table.

[glenn bradley]

Nice idea, Glenn!

Is she mobile?

Jason

Nope. After the saw sat in the same place for soooo long I realized the mobile base was not a benefit for this installation ;-)) Of course I could sat the same thing for my larger BS and my main DP too but i am reluctant to take those mobile bases off.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Not unless I can mount it on my tablesaw....

I just don't have the floor space.

A Hammer or Felder TS can be ordered with the shaper built in and you can use the sliding table with it.

[Rick Fisher]

I built my own, but purchased a Jessum Phenolic top for mine.

So I have a really nice top, and whatever I want underneath it.

[Danny Thompson]

Nice setup, Brian. Typically, the TV shows have the operator feeding stock into the router from the right side of the fence. It doesn't look like you have room to stand on that side of the router table. Do you generally stand at the end? Do you have any problems with that setup?

[Brian D Anderson]

Nice setup, Brian. Typically, the TV shows have the operator feeding stock into the router from the right side of the fence. It doesn't look like you have room to stand on that side of the router table. Do you generally stand at the end? Do you have any problems with that setup?

I tend to stand a bit to the right of center. Even when I didn't have the table saw outfeed table, I never stood at the end of the table. I pretty much stand to the right of the foot switch you see in the picture. I can then push to the left and a bit towards the fence (If I'm not using feather boards) So I guess no, I haven't had any problems with it.

-Brian

[glenn bradley]

- I bang my knuckles on the router any time I want to bevel the blade on my tablesaw


I know you are getting a boatload of responses here but this caught my eye. It sounds like you replaced your exiting wing with the BD. I drilled my existing wing and added the extension RT thereby keeping the original clearance of the original wing. If I had not I would have the busted knuckle syndrome as well. HTH.

[Jason White]

I considered adding the BD to the existing wing on the right side, but decided against it because of all the additional weight it would add and I'd prefer not to have to add support legs to keep things from sagging/tipping.

Jason


I know you are getting a boatload of responses here but this caught my eye. It sounds like you replaced your exiting wing with the BD. I drilled my existing wing and added the extension RT thereby keeping the original clearance of the original wing. If I had not I would have the busted knuckle syndrome as well. HTH.

[Jason White]

Seems a bit extreme to replace my tablesaw with something like that......



A Hammer or Felder TS can be ordered with the shaper built in and you can use the sliding table with it.

[Michael Roland]

Jason - when you decide you are ready to move on get rid of the BD I'll be happy to provide my shipping address. ;)

[Bob Elliott]

I have a 12" Bridgewood cabinet saw that I put on wheels. I have a Precision Router lift in the shop-made extension at the right end.

I made a cabinet under the router out of recycled crates I brought home from work. I removed all the nails and staples from the 1x4s and 1/4" plywood and made a nice cabinet. Directly below the router is a dust collection cavity that has a 4" PVC closet flange that attaches to my dust collector. Below that is two drawers has houses my routers, bits and router accessories.

I used recycled wood and some self-closing drawer slides that my wife didn't like on a cabinet I built for her last year.

I am attaching some before and after pictures. Since I took the pictures I have built a cabinet under the extension for my planer and another above that with drawers for my table saw accessories and measurement equipment. The cabinets may not be the prettiest shop cabinets but then again I bet I have less than $20 in them.

Yes, I know my shop is a mess and I have heard on other forums that the table saw is too high. I am 6'05" so it is perfect for me. It is nice having a mobile cabinet saw when all you have is a standard 2 car garage. I had to make my base strong to hold that big saw and the cabinets I have since built.

Thanks for looking.

My trouble is I have more projects than time and my day job gets in the way of cleaning house. Actually it is much better now than it was when those photos were taken.

Let me know what you think.

Bob

[John McCaskill]

OK, this is kind of old, but I built it, it's mine, and I still like it!

John

[John McCaskill]

One more pic of my router table

[Jason White]

That's a great setup, Bob!

Don't listen to those other folks. Your tablesaw isn't too high!! I'm 6'4" and have my saw table at 40", which is absolutely perfect for me (about waist high). Picture below.

Jason


I have a 12" Bridgewood cabinet saw that I put on wheels. I have a Precision Router lift in the shop-made extension at the right end.

I made a cabinet under the router out of recycled crates I brought home from work. I removed all the nails and staples from the 1x4s and 1/4" plywood and made a nice cabinet. Directly below the router is a dust collection cavity that has a 4" PVC closet flange that attaches to my dust collector. Below that is two drawers has houses my routers, bits and router accessories.

I used recycled wood and some self-closing drawer slides that my wife didn't like on a cabinet I built for her last year.

I am attaching some before and after pictures. Since I took the pictures I have built a cabinet under the extension for my planer and another above that with drawers for my table saw accessories and measurement equipment. The cabinets may not be the prettiest shop cabinets but then again I bet I have less than $20 in them.

Yes, I know my shop is a mess and I have heard on other forums that the table saw is too high. I am 6'05" so it is perfect for me. It is nice having a mobile cabinet saw when all you have is a standard 2 car garage. I had to make my base strong to hold that big saw and the cabinets I have since built.

Thanks for looking.

My trouble is I have more projects than time and my day job gets in the way of cleaning house. Actually it is much better now than it was when those photos were taken.

Let me know what you think.

Bob

[Bob Elliott]

Great setup!

Also nice for taller guys like us (I'm 6'4") to have the extra table height.

Jason

Yes! This killed two birds with one stone with this setup. I got a mobile base and a few extra inches. My back used to hurt when I used a saw that wasn't raised in the past but not with this one.

I'll try and take some pictures of it this weekend if I rememeber in case anyone is interested in the two new cabinets I put on the saw.

[Jason White]

Is this attached to your tablesaw?




OK, this is kind of old, but I built it, it's mine, and I still like it!

John

[Jason Hallowell]

That's a great setup, Bob!

Don't listen to those other folks. Your tablesaw isn't too high!! I'm 6'4" and have my saw table at 40", which is absolutely perfect for me (about waist high). Picture below.

Jason


I'm also 6'4", and have my tablesaw raised up. I got the idea after I remodeled our kitchen. My wife is also tall, and we like to cook a lot, so we decided to make our base cabs extra tall to make it easier on the back. It was so much nicer cooking on taller cabs that I went out and raised up a bunch of the equipment in my shop too. Now every horizontal work surface in my shop is 39" high.

[John McCaskill]

No, it's free standing. I did add an extension to the router table top to provide a mounting locatin for my Incra Fence.

John

[Jason White]

Wow, John... you sure are fast at replying to these posts! ;)

I'll expect your response in another 6 months or so. :D





No, it's free standing. I did add an extension to the router table top to provide a mounting locatin for my Incra Fence.

John

[Bob Aquino]

Jason
Why dont you get an extra cast iron wing and put it between your saws table and the benchdog wing? That would give you clearance with the handwheel as well as some nice extra real estate on top of the saw. All you would have to do is tap and drill the wing on the outside so you can bolt the benchdog wing to it. Here is a pic of my saw, a delta 12/14 with a benchdog wing attached.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_nh7rpc89jO0/SYTxdWFNmXI/AAAAAAAAGQs/6_wMc3p5QpA/s800/P1030741.JPG

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_nh7rpc89jO0/SXy8CmniM7I/AAAAAAAAGPk/Cx1R-orLYZg/s800/P1030739.JPG

[Jason White]

Thanks, Bob. This is an older post from last summer that somebody revived.

I've since swapped out the BD with a Grizzly router-table wing. Fits the saw perfectly and works great!

Jason



Jason
Why dont you get an extra cast iron wing and put it between your saws table and the benchdog wing? That would give you clearance with the handwheel as well as some nice extra real estate on top of the saw. All you would have to do is tap and drill the wing on the outside so you can bolt the benchdog wing to it. Here is a pic of my saw, a delta 12/14 with a benchdog wing attached.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_nh7rpc89jO0/SYTxdWFNmXI/AAAAAAAAGQs/6_wMc3p5QpA/s800/P1030741.JPG

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_nh7rpc89jO0/SXy8CmniM7I/AAAAAAAAGPk/Cx1R-orLYZg/s800/P1030739.JPG

[Glen Butler]

Do you have an outfeed table? I put my router at the outfeed side of the TS blade.

[Ken Shoemaker]

Mine hangs off the bottom of the router lift bolts. I've since added a 4" line to the dust collector off the bottom of the cabinet. Very Clean, and a lot less noisy.

[brent warner]

I bought the bench dog 6 months ago,I just didn't like my melamine rt ext table. then I went overboard, saw an cast iron saw wing on the auction site,liked that so much I bought a wing from grizzly for $62 plus shipping,and now have this.137207

137208

137209


:) brent

[Stephen Edwards]

Seems a bit extreme to replace my tablesaw with something like that......

That's what I was thinking, too.

Can you build a "box" around the router, configured for a dust port? Would that solve your problem?

[John McCaskill]

Wow, John... you sure are fast at replying to these posts! ;)

I'll expect your response in another 6 months or so. :D

Keep your shirt on, I may read the question in 6 months, but the answer takes longer yet :)

[Brian Tymchak]

One idea (although I don't know how you would attach it): http://www.woodpeck.com/widedustcollection.html



I called woodpeckers last month about that dust cabinet and they said it wasn't offered any longer. I'm surprised you found it on their website. I also found this one on rockler's website: http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=22208

But, same problem of attaching to a steel top.