Router Table cabinet base question.

[Jim O'Dell]

Ok, I'm getting close. I need to enclose the 3 open sides of the base. Not so much for beauty as for solidifying the base to reduce the racking if I push on it hard. My first thought was to use 3/4" oak veneer plywood. And I think that would be best, but it might be a little expensive too and with the new job, I'm a little low on shop funds at the moment. Could I use laminate flooring? Glue up a panel and screw it down? Would this be stable or would it expand/contract differently than the rest of the material I already have in this thing? (base is made of oak or ash legs, 3/4" oak veneer ply, and a few oak solids for the drawer rails) I will be out today for a Celtic Festival, and could go by the surplus builders store for some cheap laminate if that will work. Could stop by to see if HD has some damaged oak ply they will sell cheaper. Thanks! Jim.http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=73181&d=1191807960

[Tommy Curtiss]

It looks good to me the way it is,but I built my cabinets out of ash ply and stained them with a light walnut and they really look like oak,,the reason I am telling you about this,,ash is about 40.00 a sheet,,oak about 75..or you can also go with a secondary wood ply like parica,,the cheapest place I've found to buy ply is Texas ply on the north side of Ft.Worth,,or Sweeny off of beach st and 121,,( we use parica for the shealves and inside partitions..it looks and stains like oak ) hope this helps

[Jim O'Dell]

Yes, a big help. Don't imagine they're open on Saturdays, are they? :D Thought not. You know, the more I think about it, the legs are probably Ash, not Oak anyway. I'm sure the leftover ply I've used was oak. Didn't realize Ash was still that much cheaper than Oak. It was when I built my kitchen at the old house, but hadn't priced it lately. I got all of that material, solids and ply from Barney Robinson's Hardwoods over on E. Lancaster. His motto?---Best Ash in town! :D Really nice people to deal with too, but that was 25 years ago. Hadn't bought ply from RES. Have bought moldings there. Nice selection of several species. Just can't go hand pick the wood for grain. The only thing I don't like about my new job is I don't feel like I can leave early to go shopping!:p Thanks for the info. Jim.

[frank shic]

jim, your incorporation of the herc-u-lift into the router table is brilliance. i wish i had thought of that earlier tonight - before i started pocket screwing together my next router station!

[Jim O'Dell]

Frank, pocket screws come out just as easily as they go in!!!! That is, unless you used glue also. :D The only bad thing is the foot print is limited in size. And I combined the long arms from two lifts. Means my last stand has to be pretty compact. I wish I could have made it a bout 8" longer. Guess I could have ordered the lathe extension bars, but who knows what that would have cost! Jim.