Router Table Top Recommendations - Laminate, Finished or Naked MDF?

[Michael Koons]

I am in the process of building a new router table for my new Jessem Mast-R-Lift II. I have a very sturdy maple sub-structure that will hold the lift and the MDF surface. The lift and the router will be very well supported.

I am considering my options for finishing the table top. I know many people use a formica laminate attached with contact cement. My problem with it is that I really don't want to buy a 4x8 sheet of this stuff for my 2x3 router table. I will not really have a use for the remainder and don't want to use it if I don't have to. Would I be cheating myself by not going with the laminate top? Could I just put a good, bullet-proof finish directly on the MDF instead to protect the top? Do I need to finish it at all?

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[Randy Gillard]

I like the finish you get with MDF coated in 3 layers of poly, sanded with 220, then a final coat of paste wax. I did my drill press table like that and it is very smooth, flat, and easy and cheap to do.
If the finish gets a little worn, throw on a quick coat of poly and rewax.

[Ryan Hellmer]

Go with the laminate. Check the phone book for cabinet shops. Odds are they'll just about give you laminate cutoffs for free. I got literally a life-time supply of nice-sized chunks for $20 (I didn't even have to take the pink faux-marble stuff that was just hideous). Just a couple weeks ago I made a router table out of a 22x30 sink cutout, a double thickness of MDF with nice faux stone laminate on one side. If you're really a stickler, you can put ugly laminate on the bottom for the belt and suspenders stability approach, but I never have and have had no issues. I always band edges with hardwood. No sense buying full sheets from the BORG.

Ryan

[Larry Browning]

I am not sure if this is available where you live, but in my area we have a formica supplier that sells mostly to professional contractors. They normally have end pieces from large rolls they cannot sell, so they throw them away. I called them and asked if they would sell me one of the pieces. They guy said he would give me all I wanted if I would come down there and pick it up. Of course you may not like the color choices they have, but you can't beat the price.

[Carl Beckett]

I put shellac on my MDF top. It penetrates and hardens. Has worked great (also have this on my tablesaw outfeed, and some other fixtures)

(btw, if you are anywhere near boston I have a scrap of formica you can have. Also have two craftsman 'shapers' that you can have - if you want a cast iron top - cant seem to give these away)

[Jeff Duncan]

I'm going to second the idea of finding a local cabinet or top shop and getting scrap pieces. Even material as hard as cast iron starts to wear over time, any finish you can put on will wear out with any decent amount of use. Get some formica and slap it right on there and your ready to go;)

good luck,
jeffD

[Tom Hargrove]

All of the home centers near me have blemished and damaged sheets good of all kinds if you know where to look or who to ask. I bought a full sized piece of laminate for $5.00 just because it had a tear in one corner. You can also find pegboard, drywall, plywood, etc. Blemished solid core door slabs can be used for a work surface, and can be had for a very attractive price.

[Greg Hines, MD]

I got a 2'x4' chunk of laminate from the orange borg a few years ago, and it was not very expensive. They also have a tendency to discount colors that are not selling well, so as long as you do not care the coloring, you can probably find some very reasonably.

Doc

[Troy Turner]

Don't know if you could go wrong with either top. I've got a 1 1/2" thick piece of left over desk from a modular collection. If I didn't have that, I would've just lam'd two pieces of MDF. Round here, we have a ReStore (Habitat for Humanity) that always has countertops for sale...cheap!

[Rick Potter]

Formica is the only way to go for me. I have had several tables, and they all get scratched eventually. You just about have to take a knife to formica to scratch it. Available in several places cheap. Scraps from cabinet shops, broken sheet from Borg ($3 for mine), sink cutouts, counter takeoffs. Heck, if you are close to me I will give you some real cheap. I bought more than 24 sheets 24" and 36" wide for $50 when a store went out of business.

Rick Potter

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Where do you live Mr. Koons? Anywhere near Columbus Ohio?

[Michael Koons]

Thank you all for your suggestions and even your offers. I live in Colorado. Looks like I'm going to look for a countertop place or the borgs. I looked at both the orange and blue borgs. Only the blue borg had any laminate and that was all 4x8. I like the idea of getting it cheap if a portion is damaged though.

[Ole Anderson]

Go with laminate. My local retail cabinet supplier sells Formica, Nevamar and Wilsonart in small standard sizes, any color, one day delivery. If remember 30"x48" is the smallest standard size. And the size is usually plus one inch. Matching edge banding is thinner to allow bending around rounded corners. Once you start using laminate, you will find all sorts of uses for it. I have used it on my router table, TS extension and outfeed tables, sleds, display table tops and desktops.

[George Gyulatyan]

Phenolic plywood. Not sure if there are any dealers in your area that sell this stuff, but Anderson Plywood in LA is a place I go to for this stuff. It's basically a 4x8 sheet of baltic birch ply covered with phenolic. You can use that for your router table, even the cabinet drawer fronts, etc (looks really good), plus it's great material for jigs where low friction surface is desired. Glue doesn't stick, it's rock hard, and stable.

[Billy Trinh]

Rockler currently have phenolic plywood for half off and free shipping over 25. Saves you the hassle laminating

[Michael W. Clark]

Phenolic plywood. Not sure if there are any dealers in your area that sell this stuff, but Anderson Plywood in LA is a place I go to for this stuff. It's basically a 4x8 sheet of baltic birch ply covered with phenolic. You can use that for your router table, even the cabinet drawer fronts, etc (looks really good), plus it's great material for jigs where low friction surface is desired. Glue doesn't stick, it's rock hard, and stable.

Absolutely, forgot about that, good point. I have not bought any, but I know some of the suppliers for concrete tools and forms sell this stuff too. I think it is the same, but I maybe mistaken. I don't remember the price/sheet, but it was reasonable compared to laminate+plywood+adhesive and the fact that it could be used for jigs etc.

[Bill White]

I used 2 sink cut outs glued back-to-back and the Lee Valley small, round table insert kit. No fuss, cut outs were free, insert kit had excellent instructions, and I a routin' fool. No fuss, no sag, above the table adjustments for the Freud router.
Bill