My Router Table + requesting DC advice

[Jason Hanko]

Next up on my list of shop-furniture was a router table to replace the wing-table that became useless when I sold the contractor TS it was attached to. Driving home one day I saw a dresser that someone had put out on the curb. Out I jump to look it over - missing a few drawer pulls and a set of drawer slides, but its very solid so into the car it goes. Turns out it will make a great base for my new router table in it's second life. :D
The top is 3/4 birch faced MDF core plywood laminated together and wrapped in plain ol' pine. I made it niiiice and big - 2.5' by 5'. Finished with 3 coats of varnish and several coats of Johnson's paste wax.
The router plate is the Phenolic Pinnacle (http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2020536/19459/Pinnacle-3-Ring-Medium-Phenolic-Plate-for-Porter-Cable-690890.aspx) from Woodcraft, which consensus says is a re-branded Woodpecker (http://www.woodpeck.com/tlrphenolicplate.html). I like it a lot, and luckily the mounting holes on my Ridgid R2930 router match up with the PC690 series accessories.
My fence is the one from Rockler, mounted to T-track - Ill have to add a miter slot eventually, kinda forgot about that til I was all done...:mad:

[Jason Hanko]

To make it mobile in my garagshop (shoprage?) I bolted on some shop-made outriggers for some 4'' double locking casters from SES Caster on Ebay.
I wired up an outlet on the inside of the cabinet to plug the router in, and also added an outlet to the outside so I can control both the router and shopvac with the switch I mounted to the side.
I still have to convert one of the drawers into nice router bit storage, and incorporate some sort of dust collection into the cabinet. Im thinking of just adding some plywood partitions that kinda slope towards the back of the cabinet, where I'll add a port I can plug my shopvac hose... Any suggestions oh the dust collection aspect?

[Chuck Isaacson]

You should have come over to help me build mine and I could have help you build yours. Were in the Madison area do you live? I am in the Town of Burke just east of Madison. It is really part of Sun Prairie. As for the DC on your table, if you are just using a shop vac you may need to add an enclosure of some sort around the router. If you have an actual DC you might just be able to put a 4" hole in the back with an adapter.

Chuck

[Myk Rian]

Yep. A 4" connection. Might want to add a 2 1/4" hole to plug the fence into also. That will also provide air so you aren't creating too much vacuum in the cabinet.
Here's what I did with mine. 4" connection is on the left.

[Jerome Hanby]

Great job. Looks like you've got plenty of working room and lots of storage.

[glenn bradley]

I put my hole close to the bottom and to one side. Works fine. If I could have I would have put it even lower (you can see the little snow drift of dust in the corners).
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=71532&d=1189348373

[Jason Hanko]

Well shoot Chuck, If Ida' known you were offering assistance Id have posted sooner.:D Im just NW of Madison in Sauk City, so not too far from you.
My next project is planning/ running ductwork for the DC I just bought, you can help with that instead if you want. And then after that Ive a got a miter saw station you can build! haha.

Thanks for the tips guys, now that I have a "proper" DC unit I think Ill be using the 4'' hole in the cabinet with a 2.5'' wye up to the fence idea.

[Joe Jensen]

To make it mobile in my garagshop (shoprage?) I bolted on some shop-made outriggers for some 4'' double locking casters from SES Caster on Ebay.
I wired up an outlet on the inside of the cabinet to plug the router in, and also added an outlet to the outside so I can control both the router and shopvac with the switch I mounted to the side.
I still have to convert one of the drawers into nice router bit storage, and incorporate some sort of dust collection into the cabinet. Im thinking of just adding some plywood partitions that kinda slope towards the back of the cabinet, where I'll add a port I can plug my shopvac hose... Any suggestions oh the dust collection aspect?


I built a similar table as an outfeed table and router table. I built a shroud around the router so the airflow from the dust collector pulls through the bottom of the router.

Here are some pics.
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w99/AZEngineer/_NIK3381Large.jpg
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w99/AZEngineer/_NIK3379Large.jpg
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w99/AZEngineer/_NIK3377Large.jpg
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w99/AZEngineer/_NIK3378Large.jpg

[Ben Martin]

Jason,

How do those casters work? I have a set I bought at Woodcraft and they don't move at all once they are locked, I then bought another set locally that have a bit of wiggle when they are locked.

[Stephen Edwards]

Jason,

How do those casters work? I have a set I bought at Woodcraft and they don't move at all once they are locked, I then bought another set locally that have a bit of wiggle when they are locked.

I have the SES casters on my RT. They do have a bit of wiggle. At first I thought it would be a problem. But, it's not. In fact, I'm going to get some more for another mobile base. They're a good bargain for the money, in my opinion.

[Bill Huber]

This is what I did with my table and it has really worked out great. I only have a shop vac no nice real DC.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=65058

I still fine I get some large chips in the bottom but noting like all the dust I had before.

[Jason Hanko]

That looks like a great idea Joe, do you get much dust/chips making it past the shroud into the cabinet below?


Jason,

How do those casters work? I have a set I bought at Woodcraft and they don't move at all once they are locked, I then bought another set locally that have a bit of wiggle when they are locked.

Yes, they do have a bit of wiggle to them - but its not a lot, and you really can't beat them for the money (altho they used to be even cheaper). They lock very nicely and Ive never had anything move on me with them locked down. I dont notice any movement at all on my TS mobile base (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=115811&highlight=base) or on the router table. The only thing I notice the wiggle on is my planer stand (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=115383&highlight=planer) - when Im quickly moving the height adjustment on my planer it gets to rocking a bit, but probably because it is very top heavy to begin with, and then I have the wings out like giant, well, wings.