Bench Dog router cabinet assembled.

[Brian Hale]

I just put a few pics of my new router table up on the web.

http://picasaweb.google.com/kbmihome/BenchDogRouterTable?authkey=ZaVF6NFwZjE

I'm VERY pleased with the quality / fit and finish of this beast. The shipping weight of the 3 boxes is 163 lbs so i'm guessing the assembled cabinet weighs about 150 lbs. Extremely solid unit!

Brian :)

[John Lucas]

Brian,
Thanks for a very thorough slide show. One question: how flat is the cast iron top and do you forsee and deflection issue?

[Brian Hale]

John,

I used a 24" Starrett straight edge to check the flatness and the greatest gap i could find was .007 measured from the front left corner to the back right corner. A couple other spots i could fit a .0015" piece of brass shim stock under the straight edge but that's about it. The extension plate on the back of the table is flat and when bolted to the main top, is only about .005" higher in the back. I could shim it but don't see a reason for it.

As for the deflection, i don't think that'll be an issue. The top is very substantial, ~ 50 lbs for the just the front part and the ribs are pretty stout.

Brian :)

[Gary Warren]

Please let me know how you like it once you have used it. I am considering one as well. Also, does your Makita have above the table height adjustment or will you adjust from below. Just curious as I cannot tell. Thanks for great pictures.

[Don Bullock]

Brian,
First, congratulations on your excellent new router table.

Second, I'm looking forward to reading what you have to say about the advantages of the top when compared to MDF etc.

[Gary Keedwell]

Brian,
First, congratulations on your excellent new router table.

Second, I'm looking forward to reading what you have to say about the advantages of the top when compared to MDF etc.

Yea Brian.....What Don said...I also had my eye on that baby.

Gary K.

[Jim Becker]

Brian, thanks for the great pictures!!! I just received my cast iron top yesterday when the big-brown-truck stopped by while I was away on business, so your pics at least show me what to expect. I still need the extension (and the lift) to begin my project with it. I'm pleased to see how great the quality is and it appears I'll not have too much problem adapting a "box" to surround the router, either.

[Mike Weaver]

Brian,

Thanks for posting this. It looks like a great purchase!

I look foward to seeing some action shots of upcoming projects.
I'm sure the other half is already asking how long it'll be until the next project [for the house] is underway. :eek:

-Mike

[Brian Hale]

I did a couple test cuts today with 1/2" bit, 3/8" deep in red oak. Most noticeable was the complete lack of vibration in the table and the cuts were noticeably smoother compared to my old plywood top. Another bonus, if i ran the piece over the bit a second time, no more material was removed which IMHO means the insert plate and top are indeed very rigid.

I also ran a piece using light downward pressure, just enough to keep it on the table and then ran another piece over the bit pushing down quite hard. These was no measurable difference in the depth of cut.

Gary, my Makita (RF1101) doesn't have above-the-table adjustment but this just a temp setup till Uncle Sam makes good on his debt to me so i can get the ProLift Max. ;)

Mike, funny you should mention that! I haven't even finalized the drawings for this 14' long built-in china cabinet/buffet thing and today she was talking about the window box / planter that goes under the 3 windows in the sun room. It's going to be made from Ipe. :rolleyes:

Jim, packed in the box with the cast iron plate are the angle brackets and dust gaskets you see in my pics so i assume you'll get the same hard wear with yours. Even if they aren't in the box, there are 4 tapped holes (1/4-20 IIRC) in the bottom of the plate you could use.

Brian :)

[Roy Wall]

Brian,

Why is there a "bolted on extension" on the back......? Is it turning the "table saw wing" version of the RT into a cabinet width unit??

[Jim Becker]

Why is there a "bolted on extension" on the back......? Is it turning the "table saw wing" version of the RT into a cabinet width unit??

Exactly. The top does double duty. Without the extension, it's a bolt on for most RT saws. With the extension, you can plop it on a cabinet (yours or BenchDog's) and have a finished back with a more complete surface area that is missing without the saw. My adaptation will be an interesting play on that since it's going on the slider in place of the outfeed table and oriented parallel with the sliding wagon.
----

Brian, I can see from your pictures that getting a small suspended cabinet under the top will work out fine. Thanks!

[Corey Hallagan]

Nice one Brian. I have the pro top contractor and I really like it. They make a quality product in my opinion.

Corey

[Brian Hale]

Yes Cory, very good quality throughout.

I need to do some DC adaptations to it though. I'm hoping to run a 4" from my DC to the 4" port on the back of the cabinet and then "Y" off that line to the 2 1/2" port on the fence. Just need to find the right connectors....

Brian :)

[Jim Becker]

I need to do some DC adaptations to it though. I'm hoping to run a 4" from my DC to the 4" port on the back of the cabinet and then "Y" off that line to

Yup...do the 4" port to the cabinet. It will rock. (my shop-built router station has been set up that way for a long time and dust extraction is nearly complete.

The one downside to the cast iron table for fence collection is that the option of putting a hole in the top to eliminate the hose is difficult or impossible. My current router table has that arrangement with an extended hood on the back of the fence...I got the idea from Dizzy when he did the same years ago on his Incra-based router table (http://home.pacbell.net/jdismuk/routertable.html) and have really enjoyed the convenience.

[Brian Hale]

Thanks for the link Jim! That's a nice looking setup he has there.

I tried using just the 4" port that enters the cabinet where the router is and it does a good enough job keeping that area clean but there's plenty of chips on the top of the table. I hooked up the Shopsmith DC seen in the background of one of my pics and that did a good job on the table top but running both seems like a waste. Several vendors sell DC parts and one even has a 4" "Y" with one leg being a 2 1/2" port and the other being a 4" port and i think that'll be the way I go.

Brian :)

[Jim Becker]

Loop back out of your cabinet to the hose for the fence, rather than split the 4" drop. You need that air anyway to fill the 4" duct.

[Chris Dodge]

Gary, my Makita (RF1101) doesn't have above-the-table adjustment but this just a temp setup till Uncle Sam makes good on his debt to me so i can get the ProLift Max.

I have the Benchdog Router table with e ProLift Max and don't know what I ever did without the lift. It is fantastic! I can't imagine there being a better lift out there!

[Brian Hale]

Everything i've read about this lift is positive. Lots of steel and 6" of travel; sounds like something i'd like! :D

Brian :)

Come on tax return!!!! ;)

[Ralph Tyson]

Corey, how do you like the Pro-Top? How is the dust collection? I've been looking at it because it seems to be perfect for the small space that I have.