Made a new Router Table this week

[Brian Kent]

I was tired of despising my router and table. I was not using them because of excessing noise, vibration, frustration and lack of control. So I started reading and listening and taking advice.

Here is what I came up with.

To start with, I made this new fence this week, using scrap wood and parts I already had, plus about $30 in sale items from Rockler. I bolted most everything together, so that I can correct mistakes and make changes and improvements as I go along.

My cheapo router table from the past (Wolfcraft from Home Depot) is for now my router mounting plate. The table is a discarded school table with maple trim and solid core laminate in the middle.

The Wolfcraft aluminum table had about a 1/8" crown on it. The aluminum was only about 1/6" thick, so I couldn't grind or sand it to shape. Just before I was going to throw it away, I pounded it hard about 7 times with a big old rubber-face mallet and it was almost perfect. A couple extra blows on one corner finished it. I was laughing for about ten minutes as I checked it with a straight edge.

Tomorrow I expect delivery of a reconditioned Porter Cable 892 router from Amazon. It was only $119 plus $11 shipping. For that price and with a 1 year warrantee, I'll take a chance on a reconditioned unit. It is replacing the cheapest 1/4" collet Ryobi.

I added an above-table adjuster for $31.

For my final step in this stage, I'm trying the winning router bit (Whiteside #3212 Cove and Bead) from the Fine Woodworking bit comparison.

Total cost was $226 for a new router, 1 trial bit, shop made fence and freshly-pounded table. Let's see if that buys a little more smoothness and control and a little less vibration and noise.

[Mike Heidrick]

Just an idea. If the table top/alum base is not flat (sounds like it may be??) scrap the table top and alum and just mount the base to a piece of MDF with a hole cut out for the bits and the height adjuster - al la Pat Warner. Then mount your fence to the MDF. Change the bit from underneath.

[Brian Kent]

For now at least the table is flat. But since it original was a router table that costs about the same as a good bit, who knows how long that will last?

One problem that I have to work around is that the miter slot is very shallow and will not handle regular miters or feather-boards. For now I'll use the miter that came with it (with a replaced handle) and make a long featherboard to clamp to the table.

I chose the router that has the lowest decibel rating I could find. A couple of articles said a better-made bit is a little quieter (or less vibration) than a cheaper one. I am hooking it up to the Delta dust collector instead of the shop-vac. Out of control noise really bugs me. Volume is not as important as screaming and shaking vs smoother and lower noises.

Future plans include asking anyone for acoustical advise on bench and table materials that are sound deadening, sound enclosing, etc.

Also, do electronic noise-suppressing headphones work better than regular ones?

[Mike Shoemaker]

Very nice, I'm pretty new at a lot of this. Could you give some info on the above table adjuster?

[Tom Henderson2]

Looks sharp, Brian. nice work.

Noise is an issue for me too, Brian. So be sure to share any noise-reduction info that you come across.

[Brian Kent]

Mike,

I am giving you this information as one who owns the "Micro-Height Adjustment Knob" a day before I own the router.

The theory is that for $32 you get a tool that reaches through the table, fits into the Porter Cable 890 series router, and adjusts the height "accurately to within 1/128 of an inch". If the theory is correct, it's a nice bargain. If not, I'm only out $32.

It also comes with an offset wrench that is supposed to allow above-the-table bit changes.

Tom,

I'm also a musician (percussionist).
When my handplanes chatter and when they sing to me, the volume may be the same but the sensation is really different.

In music you build a box around your whole studio to isolate noise. But just about every musical instrument also has a box / board / tube to create and amplify the musical sounds.

I'm hoping to experiment over time to see what kind of router table or cabinet or box would dampen and smooth out noise rather than amplifying it.

My guess from musical experience is that hard, thin materials with firm connections might resonate and amplify, while heavy, dense materials with rubber gaskets and acoustical foam lined chambers would reduce noise.

What I'm checking out right now is the difference that "smooth" makes!

[scott spencer]

I love the ingenuity and the reclaimation efforts Brian. Nice job!