Augusto Orosco
11-11-2009, 1:58 PM
I have been practicing by making shop furniture so I can later graduate to pieces that could actually be used inside the house without embarrassing myself. After a couple of very simple but successful shop projects (like a planer cart and a Wood-Whisperer inspired outfeed table), I decided to build Norm’s Router Table as my ‘graduation shop piece’.
I am starting my research and a few of my thoughts/questions are:
1) I need mine to be mobile, so I am thinking on using some 4" SES Casters I bought a while ago. The casters lock pretty well, but I don’t know how they will stack up to the vibration produced by my Freud 2 1/2HP. Do any of you have any experience with casters and router tables? Also, the casters would add 4” of height to the table's original design. I am 5’10 and since the router table is not a workbench (i.e. I wouldn’t be using it for extended periods of time), I am thinking that I could go ahead without modifying the plans and live with an slightly taller than usual table.
2) I am a little worried about making my own top, insert and fence. This is the most critical part for a good functioning table and I don’t know if it’s something I want to tackle yet given my little experience. I was instead thinking about buying a top/fence combo. Any potential drawbacks from doing so? From those of you who have bought table tops, which ones would you like/recommend? I have been looking at Rockler’s and Woodpeckers.
3) Also with respect to the top, I found a post here from someone who had his top on hinges for easy access to the inside of the table. It sounds like a good idea, but with the weight of the top + router, I wonder how it should be executed best. Which hinges (or mechanism) would work for this?
Any inputs on any of these or other thoughts are greatly appreciated!
I am starting my research and a few of my thoughts/questions are:
1) I need mine to be mobile, so I am thinking on using some 4" SES Casters I bought a while ago. The casters lock pretty well, but I don’t know how they will stack up to the vibration produced by my Freud 2 1/2HP. Do any of you have any experience with casters and router tables? Also, the casters would add 4” of height to the table's original design. I am 5’10 and since the router table is not a workbench (i.e. I wouldn’t be using it for extended periods of time), I am thinking that I could go ahead without modifying the plans and live with an slightly taller than usual table.
2) I am a little worried about making my own top, insert and fence. This is the most critical part for a good functioning table and I don’t know if it’s something I want to tackle yet given my little experience. I was instead thinking about buying a top/fence combo. Any potential drawbacks from doing so? From those of you who have bought table tops, which ones would you like/recommend? I have been looking at Rockler’s and Woodpeckers.
3) Also with respect to the top, I found a post here from someone who had his top on hinges for easy access to the inside of the table. It sounds like a good idea, but with the weight of the top + router, I wonder how it should be executed best. Which hinges (or mechanism) would work for this?
Any inputs on any of these or other thoughts are greatly appreciated!