Do I need legs for my TS router table?

[Wade Lippman]

I have a Grizzly G1023SL and am putting a router table in the left side; 20" deep so it is even with the fence rail.

The table and the supports weigh 25 pounds; I haven't even gotten the router and insert yet (come on Peachtree, what's the problem?), but I figure that will be another 25 pounds. I am unlikely to rout anything much over 25 pounds.

When I really lean my weight on it, it feels perfectly stable. No hint of tipping, and the steel rails aren't likely to bend. Do I need legs? What have other people done?

On a vaguely related issue...
I intend on boxing the router in for dust collection. I was thinking that if I ran a hose from the router box into the saw cabinet the saw dust control port would work for both and I would only need a single connection. The cyclone ought to draw enough air to allow it work well.
It is just that cutting a hole into the cabinet is a really ugly idea, so I am reluctant. Comments?

[keith ouellette]

I would think the table saw rails are strong enough at that length to handle it.
I would saw no legs.

[Chuck Lenz]

Sounds like advise you should be asking Grizzly.

[Brian D Anderson]

I put legs on mine. My extension table came with adjustable leg levelers, so I figured why put them to waste. :) I put some felt pads on the bottom of them so they'll slide if I move the table (which is on the grizzly mobile base).

http://www.jfreitasphotography.com/Temp/routertable.jpg

http://www.jfreitasphotography.com/Temp/routertable2.jpg

Does it really need them??? Probably not, but I figured that it couldn't hurt.

I also added a miter track to my table. Not sure why Rockler didn't include one on this version.

-Brian

[keith ouellette]

I looked at the picture a second time and see the rail doesn't come out as far as I thought and there isn't one on the other side. I changed my mind and would put legs on it if it were mine.

[Jason Beam]

At the lengths you're working with - you'll probably only find one or two instances where legs would be helpful, so i probably wouldn't leg it. You have a fairly significant counterweight over there already with all that saw attached to it.

As for the dust collection - don't compromise your cabinet or the performance in anyway, IMHO. I agree about cutting a hole in the cabinet - it's just icky. Run a wye from your saw's port and send some more 4" flex to your router (behind? in front of? depends on logistics there). At least stick one blast gate on the leg going to the router so you can enjoy ALL of your suction on the saw itself when you aren't using the router. I'd put two gates on there myself - just because I'm anal about the airflow of my DC :)

[Wade Lippman]

Sounds like advise you should be asking Grizzly.

I did. Grizzly says that adding a router table other than the one they sell will void the warranty. That's helpful...

I asked the same question at Steel City and Delta. They both said the rails were strong enough. I am not sure if there is something different about the rails, or just the CS departments.

[glenn bradley]

Back awhile I did what Brian did but, I angled the legs back from the front of the RT and mounted them to the mobile base so the whole rig could move. My new setup is stationary but that setup worked quite well.

[Mike Goetzke]

I had a Craftsman 22124 and added a RT like you did. If I put my weight on the wing I could get a couple of casters to lift. That's when I added support under the router table, but, at the same time I added a cabinet w/ casters for storage. I now have a Unisaw and enclosed the router in a cabinet under the wing. I couldn't be happier.

Do they sell an extension for your mobile base?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/mbg/Unisaw%20Cabinet/IMG_0906_3_1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/mbg/Unisaw%20Cabinet/IMG_0905_4_1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/mbg/Unisaw%20Cabinet/IMG_0902_1_1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/mbg/Unisaw%20Cabinet/IMG_0904_2_1.jpg



Mike

[Wayne Cannon]

In addition to simply supporting the assembly, consider the flatness of the router table portion that will be supporting work. Check it in both directions. If the router table portion sags out of flat enough to slip a business card under a straight-edge, I would consider adding legs.

[M Toupin]

You mean like this? Bolt it directly to the rails, you'll be hard pressed to flex 3" angle iron. You're way over estimating your weight, there's no way you'll be even close to 50lbs for a table, router and box, half that if your lucky. My table is 3 layers of 3/4" MDF, 7/8" oak edge banding. The box is a bit ugly and I'll replace it someday, but it works as is. I needed a quick fix at the time, but I've just not got around to replacing it. Too many other pressing projects.:) The out feed table folds down too. It's an old pic, I actually have two folding legs on it now to allow leveling the out feed.

Don't over think it, it's not all that.

Mike

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[Wade Lippman]

It is good to hear from someone who did exactly what I am working on. I didn't think legs were necessary but I wanted to hear someone's success story.

FWIW, your box looks just fine...

My router is 13 pounds, the tabletop (3/4" corian) is 20 pounds, the box/frame/switch is probably 7 pounds. If you include the fence it is pretty right up about 50 pounds. But a lot of that is taken directly by the table wing, and the fence rail is rather heavier than it had to be.
My old table saw had aluminum rails and held my left hand wing router table just fine; though everything was built lighter (1/2" corian, 8lb router...)

[M Toupin]

It works fine. Eventually I intend to build a cabinet of sorts to go under it, but I have to work a few things out first. Like how to make is slide so I can access the TS motor if needed. It's on my "to do" list, but seeing as it works fine right now it's waaayyyy down the list due to the honey do's. Honey do's always take priority as the tool fund is directly controlled by the "honey":D

Mike

[James Suzda]

I've got a 1023 right tilt like Mike only I've got a Shopfox mobile stand, and when I put the router extension on the right side the saw felt a little "tippy". So, rather than taking a chance of setting my big coffee cup on the end and having the whole thing tip over I installed a couple of Grizzly's extension table legs under it. Now, with a left tilt you have a little more counter weight with the motor being on the other side, but I think I'd still put legs under the extension just to be on the safe side.

[Curt Harms]

Here's what I came up with. It works pretty well:)
80098
Of course it involves some metal working and wouldn't work with a 52" fence.

HTH

Curt

[Wade Lippman]

Yeah, I am considering that. A hedge between doing nothing and doing it right...

[Bill Keppel]

I had a Craftsman 22124 and added a RT like you did. If I put my weight on the wing I could get a couple of casters to lift. That's when I added support under the router table, but, at the same time I added a cabinet w/ casters for storage. I now have a Unisaw and enclosed the router in a cabinet under the wing. I couldn't be happier.

Do they sell an extension for your mobile base?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/mbg/Unisaw%20Cabinet/IMG_0906_3_1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/mbg/Unisaw%20Cabinet/IMG_0905_4_1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/mbg/Unisaw%20Cabinet/IMG_0902_1_1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/mbg/Unisaw%20Cabinet/IMG_0904_2_1.jpg



Mike
Nice cabinet for the router table for the 22124 saw. I am thinking of adding a router table to my 22124 TS and adding a cabinet under to collect dust and for more storage. You indicated that you had the cabinet under your router table for the saw on casters; did you also have the saw on a mobile base? and if you did, did you "connect the mobile base for the saw to the cabinet for the router so they could move "together" / as one unit?

Thanks for your help!!
Bill

[Mike Goetzke]

Nice cabinet for the router table for the 22124 saw. I am thinking of adding a router table to my 22124 TS and adding a cabinet under to collect dust and for more storage. You indicated that you had the cabinet under your router table for the saw on casters; did you also have the saw on a mobile base? and if you did, did you "connect the mobile base for the saw to the cabinet for the router so they could move "together" / as one unit?

Thanks for your help!!
Bill

Bill - first thanks and glad to help. The pic below shows the mobile base configuration. I modified it to have six casters (actually I switched to Woodcraft double-locking casters) and removed the kicker wheel:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/mbg/Unisaw%20Cabinet/IMG_0381_1_1.jpg


Also, The router table top is solidly attached to the cabinet and Biese rails. I purposely made the cabinet a little shorter than the distance from the top to the mobile base. I shimmed between the cabinet and base. Then I used some threaded clamps to solidly fasten the two together. So the TS, mobile base, and cabinet/RT move as one unit.

Mike

[Bill Keppel]

Bill - first thanks and glad to help. The pic below shows the mobile base configuration. I modified it to have six casters (actually I switched to Woodcraft double-locking casters) and removed the kicker wheel:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/mbg/Unisaw%20Cabinet/IMG_0381_1_1.jpg


Also, The router table top is solidly attached to the cabinet and Biese rails. I purposely made the cabinet a little shorter than the distance from the top to the mobile base. I shimmed between the cabinet and base. Then I used some threaded clamps to solidly fasten the two together. So the TS, mobile base, and cabinet/RT move as one unit.

Mike

Mike,
Thanks for you input. I see your table saw in the photo(I assume you had the same base when you had the 22124 and cabinet) was one unit that supportes not only the saw, but the outfeed table. I currently only have a jet mobile base under the saw; I will need to figure out a way to add to / connect the mobile base for the saw to the router table cabinet which I will have on casters (under the router table extension on the saw). I would perfer to save some $S and not purchase an improved mobile base like the one you have.
Thanks for your help!!
Bill

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

It depends.
Is the saw plenty heavy? Can it take the cantilevered Router table hanging off and you working on it without tipping?

Is the router able so well designed that it can depend solely fro the TS?

It depends.

[Scott Schwake]

Resurrected thread....

Mike,

It looks like those casters are retractable so you can set the mobile base directly on the ground? If so, can you give some details on how you built that?

Thanks, Scott


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