How do you actually glue the MDF for the table?.............

[Mark Rios]

Woodpecker ended up just refunding my money for the (2) tables that I got from them since neither of them were flat. When I would shim and shim and shim and shim and finally get it close, it would be far away from close the next morning. I'm thinking that since they only have the laminate on one side that there is an issue with uneven moisture?

So, I do search after search and all that I can find under "building a router table" is info, lots and lots of info, on building the CABINET. They also spend alot of time on the 674 ways to build a router fence. I've already got my cabinet and Incra fence. After Googling and Googling I can't find out how to actually, physically glue up the two pieces of MDF to each other and then glue on the laminate on each face. This method has been recommended to me and I've seen it posted here a couple (few?) times but not the actuall glue-up process.

How does one glue up that large of an area, 27" x 43", without a vacuum press and assure that it is/stays flat? Do I ned special clamps? (If I need to spend a bunch of money on special clamps, what savings is it over buying a table?) What glue is used? How do you keep the table from developing small humps and valleys? Do I need a special bit to rout the hole for my lift? A special bit for the laminate?

If someone could point me to a tutorial of the actuall process of the table build it would be very helpful and I would be extremely grateful. Or, if it's not really all that much, posting it here would be great too.

Thanks very much for your help and advice.

[Doug Shepard]

I can only suggest what I did to glue 2 layers of 3/4" BB ply for my drill press table. I put pilot holes and panhead screws in about every 6" then "Clamped" it in the middle with the screws while the glue was drying. I used regular clamps on the edges. Aftterwards I removed the screws, filled the holes, then glued the laminate on.

[Kelly Anderson]

I did the same as Doug this spring and it seems to be as flat as it was to begin with.

[Art Mann]

My method was a little unorthodox, but it worked well. First, you have to start with a flat surface as a reference. I used my tablesaw top. I placed one slightly oversized layer of MDF onto the saw and spread a layer of Titebond II on the surface with a trowel used to apply flooring adhesive. I then placed the second layer (also oversized) on top of the first one. I then placed a couple of short (32") 2X4s on edge on top of the MDF to act as cauls. I placed another 2X4 between and on top of those two (in the form of an "H") to apply the downward clamping force. I then used a small hydraulic car jack and a length of 4X4 oriented vertically to press down on the 2X4s from a ceiling joist. You can apply a tremendous clamping force to the surface in this way and must be careful about placement of the 4X4. Leave it clamped that way for a couple of hours and you have a very flat double thickness of MDF. After the glue cured, I trimmed the top to the final dimensions on the tablesaw.

[Tim Morton]

you could also try and find 1" MDF and them use contact cement to glue the laminate to both sides.

[Andy Haney]

I cut 2 pcs of MDF a little oversized; cut holes in the center "some" less than the final opening size (for router plate) would be; gathered every clamp I could find (pipe, bar, F, C, etc) and plenty of scrap "caul" material; and rigged up a clamping surface (scrap material and a Workmate) that would help to keep everything as flat as possible.

Then I got out the Titebond II to spread on both pieces of MDF; aligned them a little off-center to provide a straight/square single board reference to cut the edges square to the right final dimensions; and clamped everything together in as many places as I could get a clamp on a caul (over 2 dozen clamps). By cutting the center holes ONLY "some" smaller than the final size, I was able to get pretty good clamp pressure over the whole (final) surface area.

After 24 hours I took off the clamps; used the "reference" edges to cut the top (full depth) to final size on TS; cut out the rest of the center opening to dimensions about 1" less than the router plate to provide for a for 1/2" lip under the plate edge. Then I used a template that matched the plate precisely and a pattern bit set to the thickness of the plate to create the "lip".

Use contact cement to attach laminate to both sides...follow instructions with a roller to get a good seal. Drill through the laminate in the center so you can use a trimming bit the clean out the hole for the plate, and do the same on the edges. Glue a hardwood trim around the top to seal moiture away from the MDF.

Long winded, I know. I hope it is helpful. My table top has been through seasonal changes in Kansas with no movement.

Andy

[Darl Bundren]

American Woodworker had an article on this in March 2003. They used bags of sand wrapped in garbage bags to provide the clamping pressure and assembled it on a table saw top. They also suggested offsetting the two pieces of MDF by about a 1/4" so you could have the factory edge to rip them to the proper size on your table saw. I haven't built a router table top (yet), but this seems like it would work and be fairly inexpensive. Good luck!

[JayStPeter]

I clamped mine to my tablesaw surface with a few cauls. Plastic laminate using contact cement on both sides. The cauls I used were angle iron that I later cut up and bolted to the bottom to keep it flat. Went around the perimeter, across the center, then across at the front/back of the plate opening. Aside from one spot where some debris got between the MDF and laminate to form a lump, the thing is very flat.

[John Stevens]

D'oh. Removed as redundant.

[Craig Walls]

I just finished a router table and I got my info mostly from Woodworker's Journal, Dec '05. There;s a good section and lots of pictures on the top portion.

[Craig Walls]

oops, forgot this...there's also info on a miter groove and T track slots which you'll probably want to include.

[glenn bradley]

This is a perfect use for those barbell weights you've always been meaning to work out with. I used my table saw top as a reference surface to set one piece on. Spread the glue with a small paint roller from the BORG; nice and even, no globs.

Position the other piece and apply weight; I used a spare T.S. extension wing and some dumbbells. No dumbbells or weight plates? A 90 pound sack of cement is about $3 at the BORG. Then I clamp around the edges BUT be careful. You can apply a lot more pressure with screw clamps than the weight will apply; you can cause a problem with your attempt at a flat lamination. As others stated, leave the pieces over size and cut to final size following the lamination step.

[Keith Weber]

I used barbell weights, but recently had them stolen. Since I don't want to replace them, for my next project, I'll be using 5 gallon buckets of water. The nice thing about that, is that you just pour the weight down the drain when you're done. Sure beats moving 300 lbs of cast weights back into storage!

Keith

[Guy Germaine]

I went at mine a little differently. Your dimensions look to be close to what mine are. I used a sheet of Melamine and made a "torsion box" type of table. All of the pieces are set in rabbets or dados for strength. I also left a "channel" open down the middle so I could (eventually) hook my DC up to it. I then banded it with some scrap walnut I had laying around. It's VERY heavy. I had to make some legs to put under the end of it, but I reall like it. Notice the small square "hole" inthe back of the top, right behind the bit. I have a 4" DC hose hooked up to that and it really sucks the dust down when cutting dados. I also built a box around the router and hooked a 2" hose up to it.

http://www.fototime.com/75B8D696C096675/standard.jpg

[Bartee Lamar]

I did what art did... I used my Table saw and TS outfeed table as a flat surfrace.

I used Titebond II and spread it over surface. I convered it with newspaper and put concrete blocks over the surface.

I had like a 1/4" offset between the two surfaces on two edges. This way I could use the edge to rip a clean edge then turned the piece 180 degrees and do another rip to exact size.

Be careful with how much glue you use. If I did this over I would user Lee VAlley 2002 GF glue. It is thinner and would be easier to spread and not leave any space between the layers. Use some sort of trowel with glue ridges.

I have problems with contact glue and MDF.

I did end up with a flat surface.

Still i process of finishing Router table.

[Dave Falkenstein]

Mark - Email me at daviddubya(at)qwest.net and I'll email you a detailed description of how I made my 1-1/2" thick, laminated MDF router table top. I made the top several years ago and it is perfectly flat today.

[Tom Andersen]

I don't know whether that is feasible in the US but here in Scandinavia we can buy MDF board with a thickness of about 40 mm (1 1/2 inch). You can see my router table at http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=39938. I bought the board at one of the Home Depot type shops that will cut a piece for you at the dimension you wish.

[Joe Spear]

I used contact cement to glue together two layers of 1/2" MDF, one layer of 1/4" plywood, and one layer of formica on the top and one on the bottom, so it is just a little over 1 1/4" thick. The sandwich is 30" x 36". The top is so large because I wanted to get full capacity from my 17" Incra fence system. I glued on 1"-thick purple heart with Titebond III as edging. The top is supported by the edges of the cabinet I made from 1 1/2" thick beech. I also added two cross pieces under the table as additional support.

The router is a Milwaukee 5625 and hangs in a Woodhaven EZ Lift inside a plywood dust collection box. (The box is not supported by the table top but is mounted to the cabinet and uses foam insulation tape to snug up to the underside of the table. So the box also helps support the top.) In six months there has been no sagging and no delamination.

The recommendation to use two layers of 1" MDf seems to me to be overkill. I think that cross beams under the top will keep it flat. My original router table (with a Bosch 1619 and a RouterRaizer) had a 1"-thick top from Highland Hardware, and it never sagged in three years. I didn't do anything particularly to assure flatness for the new one. I just laid the MDF on my Corian kitchen counter (which I guess is flat), brushed on a couple layers of contact cement for each gluing operation, and put the thing together.

[Jim Becker]

Tom, MDF is available in many thicknesses here in North America, although it's not as easily sourced by "the masses". A full service lumber yard or sheet goods supplier is the place to ask. They may need to order, but it's available.

[Scott Loven]

There is a guy that they call Mr. sawdust (http://www.mrsawdust.com/) that explains in his book how to build a perfectly flat top for a RAS. Basically it involves cutting two slots in each sheet of MDF and gluing two strips of steel vertically in each slot as you glue the two sheets of MDF together. Acts like two I beams, just don't do it where you are going to cut the opening for your router plate:)
Scott

[Laurie Brown]

After reading what everyone else did, I'll probably make everybody cringe with mine. ;)

I cut the two pieces a bit oversize, poured regular old wood glue all over (didn't use anything to spread it, just left it poured), sandwiched the two pieces together, laid them on top of my already constructed router table cabinet, and put some gallon paint cans on top for weight. Let it dry overnight, then trimmed the edges flush and to size with my router, edge banded it with poplar, and mounted it to the table with screws through the cabinet top from below. I made my own jig out of scrap poplar to route out the hole for my Router Lift FX. I didn't laminate my top at all, just left it MDF and routed some grooves for t-tracks. As far as I can tell it's flat, and I've had no problems using it, mostly for raised panel doors.

[Howard Acheson]

I have made six router table tops and the shop I used to be involved with made maybe 100 bank counters and all of them were made with two 3/4" layers of particleboard and, when it became available, MDF. Except for one, the layers were glued with solvent based contact cement. It was fast, easy and permanent. It's the only way I would make a multi-layer router table top.

The one router top that was glued up with PVA adhesive became a problem. After a couple of months the top surface become un-flat. When we cut open the glue up--two layers of MDF with formica glued to both sides--we found the PVA was still wet. Apparently, not enough oxygen was able to get in to cause a proper cure. Of course, we had had no way of applying enough pressure to get good contact. With contact cement, there is no problem with adhesion.