Phenolic Router Table Advice

[Steven J Corpstein]

Have any of you experience with phenolic router tables? I am in the planning stages of a cabinet with a new top and I need to make a choice on dimensions to continue.

The size of the router cabinet carcass depends on the table top size I decide on. If I go to phenolic, I only have certain options for size versus laminating one from MDF myself.

I question whether phenolic would be strong enough once the insert is routed to a 1/4" depth leaving only a 1/2" remaining which is then cut out in the center.

The top is going to be around 27" x 36" in an offset style for my Incra Ultra 16 and WonderFence setup. I plan on hanging a PC 7518 on it.

Are the phenolic tops really that flat?

[Lynn Kasdorf]

I was lucky enough to have been given a couple sheets of 1/2" phenolic that is bonded on both sides with melamine. This stuff I got was exceptionally high grade, and flat to .001 as I recall.

I made my router table top from it, and directly mounted rousseau rings in it rather than a rectangular insert. Where the router mounts, I thinned it to to 3/8" thick.

Although it probably did not need it, I backed up my top with 3/4" mdf. I drilled and tapped a matrix of 10/32 blind holes and attached the mdf that way, rather than gluing.

I think that other than blanchard ground cast iron, phenolic is the ultimate router top material. Buy 3/4" if you can get it though. If 1/2" is what is available, it will work fine.

I did an informal flex test with the hitachi router that I use- I could perceive no deflection on the 24" x 32" top from the weight of the router. However, I didn't measure with a dial indicator, which I should have. I went ahead and backed it up, just to be sure.

I made my frame from oak (from pallets!), but have not completed the cabinet internals yet. I'll post pics when I get a chance.

[Steve Clardy]

from rockler.com. No sag. I hang porter cable 7537's on them. I made my top 1 1/2" thick for more support. I did not feel like a 3/4" top was enough for the long haul.
Steve

[Jim Becker]

Originally posted by Steve Clardy
from rockler.com. No sag. I hang porter cable 7537's on them. I made my top 1 1/2" thick for more support. I did not feel like a 3/4" top was enough for the long haul.

Steve, "sjcorpst" and Lynn are talking about making the entire top from phenolic, not just the insert. Thicker phenolic is a pretty sturdy material and can be machined nicely...allowing for use of the Rousseau (or other) insert rings to stop down the opening as appropriate for the routing operation at hand.

CMT actually markets a commercial version of this idea (in the 2nd generation now). A local woodworking friend of mine has the original CMT top and it's quite nice. The current version is even nicer.

[Mike Vermeil]

If phenolic machines well, then what do I have on my table?

My Unisaw which I bought used, came with an extension table to the right which was described as "phenolic." The surface is purple in color, it's 3/4 thick, is made up of layers of some type of woven mating embeded in some type of resin, is pretty flat and is hard as an absolute rock. When I cut the hole to mount a lexan insert for use as a router table, it damn near killed my router & bit. No matter how tight I got the router collet, the vibration was so bad it kept ripping the bit loose - not to mention the straight edge guide I had clamped to it. But the dust was proabably the worst part; a mustard-colored powder as fine as I've ever seen. On top of it all, it turns out that the purple surface layer is very suceptable to abrasion, and is wearing away anywhere something rubs over it repetitively. Despite it all, it's actually served the purpose pretty well, but I still can't wait to replace it.

What the heck is this stuff?

[Jim Becker]

Phenolic is one of the "early" plastic compounds. It's tough stuff, but certainly millable--with sharp carbide and careful attention. Like any man-made material, proper dust precautions need to be taken, too.

That being said, what you describe sounds more like built-up fiberglas!