Cabinet for Benchdog Promax cast iron router top

[Ken Platt]

Folks -

I just ordered one of these big cast iron tops after getting tired of my old warped router table (cheapish laminate-type, gradually sagged on the open stand over the years). It was a bit pricey, but I figure it's one of those cry-once deals.

Anyhow, I was looking for ideas and advice from anyone who has built themselves a cabinet to hold one of these heavy tops. I thought about buying the premade benchdog cabinet, but that was a few hundred more, and making a cabinet is fun, anyhow.

Thanks -

Ken

[Jeff Monson]

Ken,

The cast top is not really all that heavy, its webbed underneath, with a thick edge. I love mine, very flat and it holds my bench dog lift very nicely. I'd say most any tpye of cabinet would work fine, mine sits on an older bench dog cabinet. I had to make some L brackets to attach the top to the cabinet. If I were to build my own, I'd go with a 1/2" or 3/4" baltic birch cabinet with drawers.

[johnny means]

Here's mine.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?163397-New-Shop-Built-Router-Table&highlight=

The drawer in the middle isn't working out and I'm going to change it to a door. Besides that I really love how it worked out.

[Bruce Darrow]

I based mine on the pics of the Bench Dog cabinet in the catalogs. Used 3/4 top coat maple ply, designed 2 sliding trays for bits on each side of the center router space - one side for 1/4, one for 1/2 bits.

I also bought their caster brackets - the ones that have hand operated knobs to lower the stabilizing feet. Big mistake - don't do it. It's a real PIA to bend over and manipulate these things. I see where they now offer a bracket that accommodates a stem caster - 2 (or 4) total lock casters w/ foot operated brakes would be a much better alternative. One could, of course, design one's own mounts for stem or plate casters into the cabinet design. I'll be modifying mine to do same someday (soon?)

[Ken Platt]

Thanks, all. I'm going to start my cabinet today. The stuff shipped out from Rockler and will be here Monday. Could I trouble one of you folks to measure the distance between the mounting holes on the top? If I know that maybe I can get the cabinet done and ready for the top when it gets here ( I have an impatient 6 year old customer waiting eagerly for me to get back to work on his big boy bed). And, what sort of brackets did you use to attach the top and cabinet? The pix I can find on the benchdog site show what looks like an "L" shaped piece of metal. I appreciate the help -

Ken

[johnny means]

I ran bolts through the top panel of the cabinet. No mounting brackets or anything. This allowed for the top to seal against the cabinet, which was necessary for through the table dust collection. Also, using a solid panel for your cabinet top will keep dust out of the cabinet You might want to see the top before creating your mounting points

[Don Morris]

Don't have the solid cast iron top, but have the solid phenolic Bench Dog top to hold my Bench Dog Nickel plated solid steel ProLift. I watched the video done by the Kreg pocket hole co. on building cabinets for router tables using pocket screws. Don't have to use them, but the ideas, techniques, and such was very helpfull for dust collection, drawer design, etc. Used 3/4" ply.