Home-built router table

[Tom Andersen]

Folks, I finally finished my router table shown in the pictures below. I know that this is not at the furniture level that some of you are at. Anyway, the main reason that I am posting is to report that in spite of the modest level, this has taken a LOT of time and cost quite some money. I've had to buy wheels, boards, insert screws, knobs, hinges, drawer guideways, paint, DC tube, electric components, router plate (actually two because the first one was not precise enough).

So to the those of you planning to build a router table my advice is: Think twice, it may be cheaper to buy one and it takes a lot of work to build one. One should only build it oneself for the fun of doing so (and that is certainly a valid reason:) ).

[Chris Padilla]

How does Tom "Norm" Andersen sound? :p

:D

[glenn bradley]

Tom,

That looks real nice, I think you'll be happy with it. My router table (TS extension) is the second most used tool in my shop. I bought it. With the cost of supplies :( and material :eek: there are many things that I could buy cheaper than I could make them. I think you touched on the point of my love for woodworking though; I make things for the enjoyment of it.

If I need something NOW, I generally buy it :p. Example, there are plans for tenoning jigs out there that look pretty complete but for $50 on sale, I bought one. Coping slides run upwards of $75, that I'll make (some scrap, $25 in parts, presto, $50 leftover for wood).

[Chris Barton]

What a great job!!!!! You will get great service from that!

[Allen Bookout]

Very nice Tom!

I think that you have to take cost into account. If you have to buy everything for a project like that you may be right. Some shoping might be in order. I built my table very cheap because I built it out of materials that were left over from other projects and I had no plans for the materials anyway. I did put out for the Woodpeckers aluminum plate like yours and am glad that I did.

For some guys the table is a project on its own and in that case the expense does not really matter as long as the pleasure exceeds the cost.

In any case, you did a nice job and will enjoy it a lot.

Allen

[Bob Noles]

Tom,

Dispite your obstacles, I think you did a most wonderful job and if you amortize the cost over the useful life of that project, you may be surprised at just how inexpensive the yearly expense is. ;)

Nice job and I'll bet you honed some skills from it as well, I know I did when I built mine.

[Jerry Olexa]

Nice work, Tom. You'll enjoy using it more when you've built it yourself... Good job!!

[Andy Fox]

Nice table Tom! It looks like you did plenty of design work before getting started.

[David Rose]

Tom, a project like that can get expensive. But unless you can find one built in a foreign country with really cheap labor, I doubt you'll find that quality for that price. Even then, you won't likely get the same quality of components. And for me at least, the router table/cabinet was a good learning experience. You may be farther along than that.

At any rate, I am glad that I work wood as a hobby. I can take my time or rush a simple thing. I can build it cheap or really lavish it with fine wood and components. The choices are mine and not my client's. Most of the time I could buy what I build way cheaper... if I could find it, and it was mass produced. Shoot! Plastic would store some things that are now in wooden benches and chests. But yuck! :eek:

Very nice job!

David


Folks, I finally finished my router table shown in the pictures below. I know that this is not at the furniture level that some of you are at. Anyway, the main reason that I am posting is to report that in spite of the modest level, this has taken a LOT of time and cost quite some money. I've had to buy wheels, boards, insert screws, knobs, hinges, drawer guideways, paint, DC tube, electric components, router plate (actually two because the first one was not precise enough).

So to the those of you planning to build a router table my advice is: Think twice, it may be cheaper to buy one and it takes a lot of work to build one. One should only build it oneself for the fun of doing so (and that is certainly a valid reason:) ).

[Corey Hallagan]

Excellent, the router table looks great! Nice job.

Corey

[Tom Andersen]

I just want to show you guys how crazy low the prices are on Chinese router tables here in Scandinavia. Hopefully my homebuilt table is much better! Here is a router table without router at 199 Danish Crowns = 33.70 $:
http://www.harald-nyborg.dk/merinfo.asp?varenr=7666&n=10&KundeID=

A complete router table with an integrated router and speed control costs 1298 Danish Crowns = 220 $:
http://www.harald-nyborg.dk/merinfo.asp?varenr=8419&n=10&KundeID=

I might buy the router table just to get the featherboards and the electric switches.

[glenn bradley]

I just want to show you guys how crazy low the prices are on Chinese router tables here in Scandinavia. Hopefully my homebuilt table is much better! Here is a router table without router at 199 Danish Crowns = 33.70 $:
http://www.harald-nyborg.dk/merinfo.asp?varenr=7666&n=10&KundeID=

A complete router table with an integrated router and speed control costs 1298 Danish Crowns = 220 $:
http://www.harald-nyborg.dk/merinfo.asp?varenr=8419&n=10&KundeID=

I might buy the router table just to get the featherboards and the electric switches.

Tom, that's a kick. Thanks for sharing.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Tom you did a great job, it may have cost you a bit of money, but you wil use it and get years out of it for sure!

What kind of DC are you using?

I found with mine, I had to put a bunch of holes in the door of the router enclosure to get enough airflow to remove the sawdust.

Just a thought.

Again great job!

Cheers!

[Rich Torino]

Tom,
great job on the router table....

[Joe Trotter]

Folks, I finally finished my router table shown in the pictures below. I know that this is not at the furniture level that some of you are at. Anyway, the main reason that I am posting is to report that in spite of the modest level, this has taken a LOT of time and cost quite some money. I've had to buy wheels, boards, insert screws, knobs, hinges, drawer guideways, paint, DC tube, electric components, router plate (actually two because the first one was not precise enough).

So to the those of you planning to build a router table my advice is: Think twice, it may be cheaper to buy one and it takes a lot of work to build one. One should only build it oneself for the fun of doing so (and that is certainly a valid reason:) ).

I am new to this so bear with me here.

What is the need for two adjustable fences? I have an old craftsman plunge router that was my Dad's. I want to make or buy a table and have been doing some reading about it. I havent figured out why there are two fences.

Thanks, Joe

[Alfred Clem]

Joe Trotter: a split fence (not two individual fences) is very useful for at least two reasons. First, the outfeed side allows you to adjust for the amount of material you have removed. Second, having two sides which can be moved closer together or farther apart, you can come quite close to the bit without having to make a zero-clearance fence. A zero-clearance, of course, is ideal when using big bits such as those used when making door panels.

[John Kain]

Tom you did a great job, it may have cost you a bit of money, but you wil use it and get years out of it for sure!

What kind of DC are you using?

I found with mine, I had to put a bunch of holes in the door of the router enclosure to get enough airflow to remove the sawdust.

Just a thought.

Again great job!

Cheers!
Since we nearly built the same table, I'd agree with Stu. If you have a ShopVac the front holes will hurt your collection, but with a real DC you will need the holes in order to let the workpiece flow, not getting sucked down by suction and helping dust collection from below. It's a good problem to have.

EDIT: If you can use a dedicated DC, you might consider an extension to the the fence bifurcation as it will totally eliminate wood shavings to clean up after. Maybe a solid MDF piece situated behind the split with a fixed hose? It works very well for me.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

What is the need for two adjustable fences? I have an old craftsman plunge router that was my Dad's. I want to make or buy a table and have been doing some reading about it. I havent figured out why there are two fences.
I don't use a split fence. The only part of the fence that matters to me is the infeed-side.

Having a split fence is necessary when using the router table as a mini jointer. In that application it is necessary to split the Fence and have the halves on different planes relative to the cut depth intended just like on a regular jointer.

The only other instance where a split table might prove useful is when the board on the out-feed end takes up a chattering (for whatever reason) and you need to apply a little pressure against it to stop the chatter from telegraphing to the cut.

Attempting to apply the split Fence technique to the out-feed end of the stock and obtain any real benefit would I think require that you also modify that out-feed fence to conform to the profile you will have routered onto the stock..



I do that to my finger guides when I am routering both sides of the stock as when I make Dovetail Keys. I still just let the outfeed end of the stock run free not attempting to bring a fence up to it.

[Gary McKown]

Tom, the same type of stamped (or molded) tables are available here in the U.S., at comparable prices. Have you ever heard of Harbor Freight? The aluminum one is exactly like the first I ever owned (Sears) and quickly gave away.

No way are these comparable to your product, though. You have a good top and insert, good fences, router and bit storage, dust collectability, and most likely a far better router, to name a few improvements over the Chinese junk.

[Joe Trotter]

Thanks, I always looked at the pictures as two fences.

[Matt P]

Looks great, great job