best homemade router tablesaw extension

[Dave Aronson]

I've been searching the forums and finding a ton different extensions but lots of confusion about how to build it. I know the info is there but I'm getting overwhelmed by all the data I found. So I apologize now for a newbie post.

I have a Jessem Lift plate and a Jet 10" contractor saw. I looked at the premade router table extensions and they either don't fit the jessem plate or include their own lift systems.

So what I'm looking for are plans for own I can make my own.

Thanks for any help

[keith ouellette]

I made my own but can't find the pictures right now. I only found the picture of how I attached it. I sandwiched some 3/4" ply wood ribs between some mdf and covered it with some formica. Then I made a hollow box fence that I attached to my TS fence. I love it. I'll get some more pictures of it later.

The steel flat bar I bolted to the TS table is 3" wide and I think its about 30" long. then I bolted the home made TS extension/router table to that

[Josh Bowman]

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Here's my powermatic 66 and a sears combined. I know have a benchdog router table on the right wing of the sears saw.

[Bobby O'Neal]

184268184267184266
Here's my powermatic 66 and a sears combined. I know have a benchdog router table on the right wing of the sears saw.



That's a neat set up. How do you implement it? Do you keep one for crosscuts or dados?

[Josh Bowman]

That's a neat set up. How do you implement it? Do you keep one for crosscuts or dados?
Bobby,
After buying the PM66 I tried to sell the Craftsman, but found I wasn't getting any real bites. So instead of giving it away, I found it took up no more floor space than the PM's outfeed table. It became win-win after I installed the Bench Dog router table on the Craftsman, since it didn't require much of a modification. The Craftsman is used for dadoing, and I aligned all the slots so it would allow transition from one table to the next. Also the Craftsman is on retractable wheels, and is not permanently attached to the PM-66 and can be moved. However........it does create a horizontal surface, therefore gets stuff piled on it all the time.....real bad habit of mine.

[Jason White]

Get the cast-iron Bench Dog ext. wing/router table. You can use any insert plate and lift with it and it's got lots of bells and whistles. Plus, you can use magnetic jigs with it. I loved mine when I had a contractor saw.

Jason

[Alan Bienlein]

184275Mine is still a work in progress.184274

[Julian Tracy]

184276184277184278184279Here's my Unisaw extension table.

It's made from 3/4 BB plywood with 3" Maple edging and 1x2 Maple support beams around the router plate cutout.

I have a large Jessem router table, so I only cut one into my Unisaw because I have a 2 1/4HP router with plate that I use with my Bosch jobsite saw. Might as well put it to use in the shop for a 2nd router table setup when not on the jobsite...

I figure I'll only use this little router setup with mostly ballbearing bits, so I built a very simple router-plate mounted fence with a vac attach.

I also made a plate for my Porter Cable handheld spindle sander, so I have that capaility in my Unisaw wing too. I have the Ridgid OSS, but have no need for the belt unit and now that the little PC unit is setup, I'll sell the Ridgid.

Next plan is to make a custom insert with an inverted Porter Cable Speedbloc pad sander giving me a flush-surface flat sanding station - should be handy for ornaments and small items. I'm working on that today.

JT

[Dave Aronson]

Get the cast-iron Bench Dog ext. wing/router table. You can use any insert plate and lift with it and it's got lots of bells and whistles. Plus, you can use magnetic jigs with it. I loved mine when I had a contractor saw.

Jason

I looked at the router plate is a different size :-(

[Dave Aronson]

184276184277184278184279Here's my Unisaw extension table.

It's made from 3/4 BB plywood with 3" Maple edging and 1x2 Maple support beams around the router plate cutout.

I have a large Jessem router table, so I only cut one into my Unisaw because I have a 2 1/4HP router with plate that I use with my Bosch jobsite saw. Might as well put it to use in the shop for a 2nd router table setup when not on the jobsite...

I figure I'll only use this little router setup with mostly ballbearing bits, so I built a very simple router-plate mounted fence with a vac attach.

I also made a plate for my Porter Cable handheld spindle sander, so I have that capaility in my Unisaw wing too. I have the Ridgid OSS, but have no need for the belt unit and now that the little PC unit is setup, I'll sell the Ridgid.

Next plan is to make a custom insert with an inverted Porter Cable Speedbloc pad sander giving me a flush-surface flat sanding station - should be handy for ornaments and small items. I'm working on that today.

JT

that looks really nice. Can you take a picture from underneath for me?

[Kev Godwin]

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I used 2 slightly damaged counter tops from Menards for $1 each. I glued the pieces so that plastic laminate was on the top and bottom to balance. I added some maple around the edges that I've had laying around for years. I really like having dust collection above and below the top. I made a plywood box with one hinged door and one removable door for access. I also change fences when I want zero clearance. I use the adjustments on the Freud to push the disposable fence(s) into the bit.

When I'm sanding small parts, I pull the router plate out and replace it with pegboard. Then I have a mini dust collection table.

Kev

[keith ouellette]

Mine is not as nice as some of the awesome tables posted so far but it works really good. The dust collection is from the opposite side from where the picture is taken. There is an end cap that fits over the end of the fence (now open). The bit opening can slide out so one of a different size can be placed in for different size bits. I have about 10 blank throat plates I can slide in to make zero clearance space around the bit if I want. Have only used that option once.

You can see where I cut into the table with a jig saw. Man was I mad.

The table is 40" wide and the fence is about 43" wide and 5" high.

[Dave MacArthur]

--Pegboard for router plate-- ok, that's genius! I've never heard or seen that before. Great idea Kev!

[keith ouellette]

Jt;
That spindle sander on the router plate is pretty cool. I didn't even know there was a hand held spindle sander. Great idea.

[Kev Godwin]

--Pegboard for router plate-- ok, that's genius! I've never heard or seen that before. Great idea Kev!

Dave, I hope what I wrote didn't suggest to use pegboard as the actual router plate. I have enlarged the holes of some pegboard and use it as an insert when I'm sanding small pieces with dust collection from below. I often use double sided carpet tape to hold the piece and the pegboard is like a mini down-draft table top. (Anyone, please don't use pegboard as a router table insert - too flexible and dangerous.)
Kev

[Kev Godwin]

184275Mine is still a work in progress.184274

Alan, it looks like your bit storage pulls out as trays. If I may ask, can you post some closer views of what you have there? It looks like your set-up there would work quite well as a hanging attachment to my set-up in my earlier post. Much appreciated if you can!
Kev

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I started with 1" MDF and a bit of oak. I built a frame from oak using pocket hole screws. My initial intent was to insert the top flush with the oak and pocket hole it into place. I practiced so that I had the correct tension.... but it was recommended to me that I rabbit an edge into the frame and also the 1" MDF. when I dropped the MDF into the frame, it was almost perfectly flush with the frame. Some of this is discussed here:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?157936-Must-I-laminate-both-sides-of-everything-to-avoid-warping&p=1617150

I then used a hand plane so that the fit was perfectly flush on the top.

My initial intent was to drill a hole and tap the mdf. I then intended to drop in some CA glue to toughen the threads in the MDF and then retap it. This sure seemed to produce a good joint, but, I drilled my holes too close to the edge so there was no way it would hold up. I ended up using wood pegs and glue on the pegs. I circled one of the pegs with red in the photos.

Next, I laminated the top and the bottom. If you live close, I have some laminate you can use :-)

I sealed my oak frame so that it would not expand much from moisture.

I used a template to route the hole for the plate.

I used a cobalt drill to drill holes into my cast iron saw table.

I intended to place my top in place and mark the holes and then drill them. This did not work because there was insufficient room to get the drill bit or much else from under the saw table out to my router top, so..... I took some 1/4" plywood. Cut it to width. Clamped the wood to my saw top so that the top was PERFECTLY flush with the top of my saw top. I then stuck a pencil through the hole for a small mark, drilled a small hole, placed the plywood back into place, then enlarged the holes with the wood in place using a round rasp and/or file.

I then turned my router table upside down, placed the 1/4" plywood next to it, and drilled the holes for the bolts.

While the ply was up, I marked the location of the rails so that I could use that to know where to drill holes to secure the table to the saw rails.

My holes went into the table, so I used a Forster bit to make room so that I could get a nut into place. I then used a chisel to make the hole the correct shape.

I still have work to do.

I will add a support frame that will be directly under the rabbited area where the router will sit. I already have two of the supports cut and drilled on my Kreg Jig. I sealed them and am waiting for them to dry. Might have been prudent to do this BEFORE I put it in place, but I was test fitting and I had help, so we just fastened it in. (note that my help was a five year old girl, but she was very helpful).

When I have this set and ready, I will then cut a dado in the top for a T-Track. I will run a router against my table saw fence, so I know that it will be parallel with my fence.

I will install my new Jessem Router lift when I am finished. I have already verified that it fits in the opening.

Although I have really enjoyed building this thing, my next one I will probably just purchase. One reason I opted not to is because I did not want to remove my table saw rails and shim them out. Seems that they are 1/16" narrower than a top I am likely to buy. Then again, I could also just use a router table as my saw outfeed table....

Oh, I may opt to add a support leg underneath, have not decided yet.

[Julian Tracy]

Well, this is bit of a stretch, but I've added to my router insert tools in my tablesaw wing. I just built one with an inverted 1/2 sheet Festool sander.

It all started when I was making xmas ornaments on the scrollsaw and holding them to my Porter Cable Speedbloc sander handheld to give them a bit of a finish sand. I thought maybe it'd be handy to have something like a SandFlea, but done with a Pad sander. So what the heck, after making it happen for my Porter Cable spindle sander, I figured I've give it a try for the 1/2 sheet sander.

Worked out pretty well. Vibration and noise are quite minimal. I'll build in a set screw height adjust to allow the pad to be at the perfect height in relation to the table.

I see this not getting used often, but yet a very handy addition for small work. It was fun to figure out and engineer.

Julian

[Alan Bienlein]

Alan, it looks like your bit storage pulls out as trays. If I may ask, can you post some closer views of what you have there? It looks like your set-up there would work quite well as a hanging attachment to my set-up in my earlier post. Much appreciated if you can!
Kev

Here you go Kev. I cut the side tracks from 1/2" baltic birch at 1" wide and cut a 1/4" x 1/4" dado down the center. I attached them with 1" pin nails. The pull outs for the bits are also 1/2" ply. I drilled the holes for the bits with a forstner bit set so the center tip almost went thru. 184422184421