Router on Sawstop

[Ben Grunow]

Anyone put a router in their SS table top? I think I want to go this route (no pun intended) so some feedback and pics would be nice.

What router did you use? What kind of work do you mainly do? Any problems with the SS top? etc Thanks in advance if any one has done this.

[Roy Wall]

Anyone put a router in their SS table top? I think I want to go this route (no pun intended) so some feedback and pics would be nice.

What router did you use? What kind of work do you mainly do? Any problems with the SS top? etc Thanks in advance if any one has done this.

Ben -

I have NOT done this.......but it would be SO convienent to have it there.

I have heard that the table will SAG over time...it does need reinforcement from underneath to prevent it. If you enclosed the router with a cabinet that went to the floor....that would certainly do the trick.

[Alan Turner]

Ben,
I put a router in the extension table of my Unisaw some years ago (1992 or so), and the results were not wonderful as the table board will not support the weight of a router over time. Plus, if you plan to use the TS fence as a router fence, and get all set up perfectly, you will always find that you need to make a rip cut, requiring the movement of the fence, and poss. the router bit height, etc. I did it because I was space challenged, and it was an error, at least for me.

[Phil Winn]

I mean Ben Grunow,
I have a SawStop....the extension table ($100.00), is "very simple"....I would just make your own....
Phil

[Jim DeLaney]

Ben,
I put a router in the extension table of my Unisaw some years ago (1992 or so), and the results were not wonderful as the table board will not support the weight of a router over time. Plus, if you plan to use the TS fence as a router fence, and get all set up perfectly, you will always find that you need to make a rip cut, requiring the movement of the fence, and poss. the router bit height, etc. I did it because I was space challenged, and it was an error, at least for me.

I did the same thing - with pretty much the same findings and results. Mine was on a Shop Fox saw, but otherwise...

I had originally put the router in the saw extension as a space-saving measure, since at the time my shop was in a (shared) two-car garage. When I moved to this place, with a dedicated shop building (26 X 32), one of the first things I built was a dedicated router table. It's loosely patterned after 'Norm's table' and the one pictured in the Woodhaven catalog, except that I used white Corian over two layers of 3/4" ply as the top (Heavy!) and mounted the router - an M12V - directly to the underside of the Corian. The fence is pretty much of my own design. It clamps to the ends of the tabletop, and works quite well.

Anyway, the dedicated table is orders of magnitude better than the saw-mounted one. It's what I'd recommend, if space isn't a constraint.

[Ben Grunow]

Thanks- I think the router would be great in the TS wing but it sounds like I would be undoing my router set up to make a quick rip too much. Maybe I could get my hands on a second fence for my TS and eliminate that problem. I wonder how much the Sawstop fence (no rails) is worth? any ideas?

[Hoa Dinh]

I have a router (M12V with Router-Raizer) under the right wing of my TS. The way I set it up, I can have the TS rip fence set at 36" before it touches the router bit.

The TS and the RT don't share fence.

I think the price of the second fence for you TS will be as much as a dedicated RT fence. A "proper" RT fence is more convenient (e.g. dust collection, split sub-fences, ....)

See mine here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hoa_dinh@sbcglobal.net/detail?.dir=203c&.dnm=3e7c.jpg&.src=ph).

[Ben Grunow]

Hoa- thanks for pointing that out. I was watching Norm on TV when I wrote that so at least I have an excuse.

[David Giles]

Ben, I've installed a router in the Sawstop extension wing due to shop space limitations. It's on the left side to avoid interference with the cabinet door. A big trash can sits under the right side for cutoffs. The top is a Jointech phenolic top reinforced with 1.5" aluminum angle brackets. The rail ends are supported by legs. I agree with the others that an unsupported router wing would sag. The Porter Cable router and lift are permanently mounted in the auxiliary table wing with the top closed to keep stuff out. The router is offcenter in the larger Sawstop table, but it doesn't seem to matter to the fence.

I have tried and don't like the dust collection cabinets under the router, but agree that a floor mounted design would be best. A broom works for me.

It's nice to work the router facing the fence. With an Incra fence, it doesn't take but two minutes to slide the saw fence over and attach the router fence. But the saw blade must be lowered which means sometimes it takes tweaking to achieve the right depth again. Forgetting to make that one cut is inconvenient. Plus the router must be recalibrated. But that the compromise associated with a 12x26 workspace.

[Ben Grunow]

Great name Zoot- That is cool and unique. Any pictures of your setup? I like the idea (my shop is the same size as yours) but my jointer is on the left and I like it there too much to change. I'm thinking that I might just make a mobile RT because it seems like the router on the right wing would be good for limited space but awkward to work with mostly because I like to stand in front of the RT not behind like the TS. Either way I would like to see a pic of yours if you have one. Thanks. Ben

[David Giles]

Thanks. I stole it from an old college buddy. Signed up on SMC with it before I realized that real names were the order of the day and don't know how to change it. Oh, well, I'm the only Zoot that I know.

I try to take some pictures this weekend.

[Aaron Beaver]

Thanks. I stole it from an old college buddy. Signed up on SMC with it before I realized that real names were the order of the day and don't know how to change it. Oh, well, I'm the only Zoot that I know.

I try to take some pictures this weekend.

Pm one of the Moderators, I think Aaron or Keith can change that for you. They fixed mine when I first signed up as well.

[David Giles]

Ben, my apologies. It took two days to take the pictures and three weeks to figure out how to get them off the old digital camera. Here's the router table attached to the saw. As small as my work area is, it's also a shop tour!
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c290/davidgiles/a4954a90.jpg

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c290/davidgiles/2da12ce7.jpg

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c290/davidgiles/cfce4e7d.jpg

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c290/davidgiles/IMG_9205.jpg