Horizontal Router Table

[Dave Avery]

Attached is (another) miserable picture, this time of the horizontal router table I built earlier this year. I've referred to it in several posts, so here it is. I use it mostly for mortising while doing loose tenon joinery.

Rather than taking the precision metal tool route (like Dan and Sparky), mine is much more simple and requires good old hand power to adjust and move. The basic structure is 1" MDF. The table top is a refurb from Woodpeckers for $30. To this I added a miter slot that the phenolic top rides in (restricts movement in the "Z" axis). The work is held in place with toggle clamps, which can be arranged either parallel or perpendicular to the fence. The router in use is an old Ryobi RE600, a fairly poor excuse for a hand-held plunge router, but perfect for this application (springs removed). The router is mounted to more MDF and the entire MDF piece moves up and down. Under the phenolic at each side are adjustable poplar scraps which controls "X" axis movement of the table.

Perfect, no, but relatively inexpensice and easy to make. Dave

[Dave Avery]

Hopefully attached

[Jim Kountz]

Dave, have you used this router table much? Im curious to see how its been working out for you, I just built one myself and posted the pics for all to look at. I think I stole your fence idea with the toggle clamps! Hope its not a patented design!

Jim

[Dave Avery]

Hi Jim,

No patents here..... I did the same as you, borrowed from a number of things I'd seen.

Yes, the table works pretty well. It takes a little muscle to slide the 3/4 phenolic covered ply left and right, but not too much. The set-up takes a little time, but once it's done the operation is precise and repeatable.

A big plus is the ability to route mortises in the end of relatively long stock. The toggle clamps really hold well. The picture doesn't show it, but the piece that the toggle clamps are mounted to is removeable and can be repositioned to be parallel with the rear fence.

All that said, I still WANT a multi-router. Good luck finishing your table. Dave.

[Jim Kountz]

Dave, I did the same thing with my fence. Making is removable and I put another set of threaded inserts in the table so it can be positioned perpendicular or parallel with the router. I dont have my toggle clamps here yet but when they arrive I'll mount them much in the same way you did. Some good ideas all around I'd say and again like yourself, I would still love to have a Multi-Router!! Take a look at my post of the table I just built and see what you think.

Jim

[Jason Tuinstra]

Dave, I like your table. It looks like you did a good job with it. Have you ever cut regular tenons on this setup? If so, how'd they turn out? Were there any steps in the shoulders? I'm still looking for the perfect setup that will yield the perfect tenon. I'm assuming you use an up-cut spiral bit?

[Dave Avery]

Joson,

Thanks for the compliment....... I'll post a better picture now that I have the appropriate photo editing software.

Anyway, no on the first question. I've used it strictly for loose tenon joinery. Pragmatically, loose tenons are as good as regular tenons and they're easily cut with less set-ups. The table travel left and right is identical, so the size of the loose tenon mortise is identical. I usually cut the mortises first and then mill the loose tenon stock (unless I have left over loose tenon stock).

Solid carbide upcut spiral bit, which dulls faster than I'd like, particularly in end-grain cuts.

While I like the set-up, I wouldn't call it perfect........ good luck in your quest. Dave.

[Ken Salisbury]

Horizontal router tables are versitile and something every shop should have. I have had one for just about as long as I can remember. Lots of folks have made versions of it which first appeared in Woodsmith Issue #67 (many moons ago). I use to use it for both mortises and tenons but now have a dedicated mortiser. However I still make 95% of my tenons on this little jewel. You can see the details, etc here:


The Old Rebel's Horizontal Router (http://www.oldrebelworkshop.com/tenon%20jig.htm)

[Dave Avery]

A little better picture of the original.... Dave.

[Chris Padilla]

Horizontal router tables are versitile and something every shop should have. I have had one for just about as long as I can remember. Lots of folks have made versions of it which first appeared in Woodsmith Issue #67 (many moons ago). I use to use it for both mortises and tenons but now have a dedicated mortiser. However I still make 95% of my tenons on this little jewel. You can see the details, etc here:

The Old Rebel's Horizontal Router (http://www.oldrebelworkshop.com/tenon%20jig.htm)

Ken,

Very cool and not at all complicated like I was thinking. It is fairly straight forward and you can't beat a router and a nice spiral bit for clean tenons!

Thanks!