router table on a budget

[Bo McCorkle]

I am getting ready to build a new router table and as far as my ideas go I was thinking of a 3/4" cabinet board top with t track in it http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2003782/2519/48-Ttrack.aspx
for the fence and a mitre track for the mitre to ride in a jessem rout-r-lift II
http://www.jessem.com/Router_Lift_II.html
(bought their dowel jig and love it!!!!)
and a hitachi m12vc router motor
http://www.hitachipowertools.com/store_item.php?iID=235&arrPath=1,12,61,p235,
I was also planning on building the fence and cabinet to accept the dust collector as well was planning on building a table thats 36-48" long so there is plenty there to hold on to those long boards.
anyone have any suggestions on things ive maybe overlooked or any experience with any of these goodies????

[Mike Cutler]

Bo
As soon as I can some snow out of the way I'll post a picture of my table. It's 2' wide by 4' long has a T-Track miter slot running the length, and the fence is locked into 2 additional T-Tracks that cross about 2/3 of the width.
It's kind of crude looking, but it is absolutely stable and heavy. Those big boards have a lot of mass and length, thus leverage.
I used the same T-track you are planning to use for a miter slot, great for shaping the ends of material. You will need to double up your top, or have a strongback right underneath it due to the thickness of that T-track. It's about 1/2" thick, which will kind of compromise the rigidity of your cabinet ply (I used Baltic Birch)
I used construction grade 2x4's doubled up for legs, and 3/4" plywood for the cabinet. It's a tank, and I know it does not move with 15" wide, 2" thick, 10' long Padauk.

Let me get the snow cleared and I'll get a pic. I warn you though. It ain't pretty.;)

[Jim Andrew]

I built a cabinet with drawers on both sides for all the things you need for your router and table. Left the center section open where the router hangs. Made my own router plates from 1/2" plexiglass, got it from a shop that builds signs. I used the T track from Rockler, as you can use stool bolts in it. Nice to have T track in your fence so you can use it to clamp featherboards when you are making doors. I also have the M12vc, very smooth operating router. Have a couple PC's, they sound like their bearings are loose right out of the box.The double top is very important, and I finished mine on both sides and all edges, incl the hole for the router plate.

[Greg Portland]

If budget is a concern then there are plenty of ways to raise/lower a router that are significantly cheaper than the rout-r-lift. Triton, Bosch, and others even sell a router that has underside height adjustments (no lift required).

I would definitely double up the table surface to 1.5", especially since you're cutting a miter slot.

[Pat Barry]

I would suggest making the top surface slippery. Use a layer of laminate or a layer of hardboard, sanded very smooth and finished with something to keep it slippery. Nothing worse than a sticky router table, ie: plywood surface

[Andrew Joiner]

In 1975 I screwed and old router to the bottom of a sheet of 1/2 fir plywood. I never checked it for sag or flatness. For years I made good money sold a lot of nice woodwork made with that set up. I thought I was a frugal innovator. Years later I saw a router table in a catalog and chuckled at the price.

Now on my newest deluxe router table, I splurged. I used 3/4" birch plywood with the crowned face up! My 2 biggest routers have 3/8 acrylic plates on them to drop tightly into a rabbeted cut-out in the router table top. I use a sled to avoid miter gauge grooves. Simple,cheap and I still giggle at all the lifts and tables in catalogs.


Things I made with my 1975 table look identical to things I make on my deluxe table today.

I use a sled to avoid miter gauge grooves.

[John TenEyck]

I'm sure it will be a fine set up, but budget? Just the router lift is beyond what I'd call a budget project. As long as you're making a primo set up, why not consider phenolic plywood for the table. It's super smooth and slick, flat and strong. Perfect for your application. You can buy pretty large pieces at Woodcraft, 30 x 60", or something close I think.

I built my latest router table on the side of my table saw, which allows me use of the miter slot in the TS when required, and gives a big, stable surface to work on, as well. Also, it takes up no additional floor space, which was part of the motivation to build it. The table is two pieces of MDF skinned with laminate. The router plate is a 1/4" thick piece of aluminum I milled (with a router).

[Bo McCorkle]

Well it seems there is a slight change of plans..... Stopped at my local orange and they had the pc 892 clearances for $89 so I jumped right on it :) guess now I just need to build myself a mounting plate and order some t track since this router has the height adjustment built in. Maybe a rout r lift later on?????

[Dewayne Reding]

Make the top sturdy enough to avoid sag and have fun.

[Steve H Graham]

As a power tool addict, I am in no position to talk about overdoing the toys, but I'll do it anyway.

Two big-time woodworkers, Doug Stowe and Gary Rogowski, use crappy boards clamped to their workbenches. Rogowski doesn't even support his board, which is melamine and particle board or MDF or something. He pretty much ridicules people who buy router lifts and tables.

Not that I have any idea who he could be talking about.

Anyway, a melamine board and two C clamps would run you about about thirty bucks.

[Bo McCorkle]

I ended up coming across some kitchen countertop that I routed the recess for my phenolic plate that I made from some stock I picked up pretty reasonable. Still hafta order some t track but it's about finished as is. One question. How are you guys leveling your lift plates????

[frank shic]

In 1975 I screwed and old router to the bottom of a sheet of 1/2 fir plywood. I never checked it for sag or flatness. For years I made good money sold a lot of nice woodwork made with that set up. I thought I was a frugal innovator. Years later I saw a router table in a catalog and chuckled at the price.

Now on my newest deluxe router table, I splurged. I used 3/4" birch plywood with the crowned face up! My 2 biggest routers have 3/8 acrylic plates on them to drop tightly into a rabbeted cut-out in the router table top. I use a sled to avoid miter gauge grooves. Simple,cheap and I still giggle at all the lifts and tables in catalogs.


Things I made with my 1975 table look identical to things I make on my deluxe table today.

I use a sled to avoid miter gauge grooves.

rofl love that old school mentality ;)