barebones router table (pics)

[Walt Caza]

Good day to the Creek,
Just wanted to share my 4th and latest router table.
My first was 4' long, counter high, homemade mounting plate and
Norm-esque with shelves, drawers and storage.

My second was a barebones little table with the LV round pop-out plate,
which can be instantly used as handheld, and back to table in 2 seconds.

My third is a horizontal table which would be another discussion.

My fourth I will show here...

The big, fancy one took up way too much space. Using it over time revealed that I could do without it.
When shop space is at a premium, you have to make hard choices.
I can hardly find enough room for crucial tools, so my approach is...
If I can take it or leave it, I eliminate it asap.

The LV plate kit is handy and well done. I snuck up on the fit with
great patience and accuracy. Ultimately, the slight amount of movement
caused by plate shift was a deal breaker for fence work.
Works fine for riding an edge bearing, but alas, that is only half the battle.

I have just swapped the top for a no-plate router mount.
It is quick, cheap and barebones...but efficient and effective.
I carried forward many lessons for this latest top.

pic 1: simple MDF table, high enough to easily get router in and out,
plenty of clamping rim on bottom for bench mount, plenty on top for fence and jig mounting.
LV base and mount plate in table.

pic2: out of table, note the rubber post which tries to prevent plate shift,
also maple handle had to be removed to clear hole size.

pic3: despite predrilling, screwholes in edge split MDF.
Corners have deliberate glue fillet to seal for d/c.

pic4: to max out range of bit depth, I relieved a recess in router zone by hand with a mortising bit

pic5: Laminate with contact cement, rough texture to bottom, smoother
one to top. Both sides to help prevent sag over time.
If time proves it necessary, cleats can be added later.

cont'd next post

[Walt Caza]

pic6: The top is mounted with Z clips into biscuit slots. Quicker than laying out screws, and eliminates many holes through top and splitting.
It is a joy to work with a dead flat router table. No bump or drop onto or off of a mounting plate.

pic7: Mounting holes are easily and accurately layed out by previous baseplate. I went with an 1.25" bit hole, but did punch dimples at 2"diam
in case I later enlarge it by drilling the larger hole straight thru MDF, then
clamping this guide over the smaller hole for centerless drilling.

pic8: Any straight edge becomes a fence. I joint whatever board is handy, not always purple.

pic9: Bearing routing is simple, but runs smoother with zero plate shift.

pic10: Both samples up close.

This little router table represents a change in my thinking. Overlooking the
glossy magazines and pretty anodized aluminum to get real.
Putting function over form, and needs before spendy wants...
I regained 12 squr feet of precious shop floor by swapping to this little workhorse.

If I build another similar table, the 17" height will become a good working
34" total height when they are clamped together in a stack. Adding bit holes in the bottoms, will allow me to stack while keeping my set-ups.
Such as raised panel doors...could keep both stile and rail set-ups simultaneously.

The router is mounted with front access to macro and micro height adjustment and also the on/off switch.
The table stiles are rabbetted to accept a front panel to close in base for dust collection.
I can lay thin sheet stock over the bit for zero clearance as needed.

This little table is fully functional and could be jigged to do whatever my
larger table could do. A little clear acrylic sheet over the bit will serve as
an unobtrusive safety guard. I may add a miter slot, but hardly used my last one. I look forward to cutting up the old table any day.
I find homemade shop fixtures can be effective and are more satisfying to put to work. Don't believe you need to buy all this fancy stuff.
That is more a function of marketing than woodworking.
Thanks for looking,
Walt
:)

[Grant Davis]

Form and function what more do you need. Nice job.

[J.R. Rutter]

Sweet! I need to make some of these that are full height for standalone use.

Are you going to do any dust collection?

[Amy Leigh Baker]

I have wanted exactly this, a portable, bare bones table. It's the design I've been tossing around in my head for a while now.

I've never owned a table before, and my only question is where do you get the mounting plate? Do you use a mounting plate that came with the router? It seems like I could build the top just as you have done, then put the baseplate of my router upside down on top, and attach it to the router through the mounting holes in the top. Is this how a homemade table works?

Amy

[Steven Bolton]

I find your router table to be very timely. I just got done with a ton of frustration with a rockler jessum plate that was not flat. I didn't know it at first and thought it could not be true, but I put a Lee Valley straight edge on it and you could put playing cards through in some areas.

I now want a router table with no plate.

How thick is your MDF? Does the router raise itself high enough? I am home for lunch so I haven't read your post carefully.

Thanks much

Steve Bolton

[Steven Bolton]

You probably have this in the post, but what are the dimensions of the top?

thanks

SB

[Charles Wilson]

So, how much $$ did you put into this router table?

Dimensions?

Chuck

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
Sweet!

[Steven Bolton]

Walt, how easy is it to change the router bit? Do you have to remove the router?

sb

[Joel Goodman]

I have an old 690 PC router (non plunge) with the fixed base mounted in a table of 2 layers of 1/2 " baltic birch laminated together. I cut out for the router before I laminated the top -- so that I only lose 1/4" of depth compared to the stock baseplate. Drilled holes through the top (countersunk) and mounted the router with longer length machine screws (after removing the base plate). It's stayed flat for several years. It is braced on the bottom. If I need the fixed base I just unscrew it and put on the stock base plate. Costs little and works very well with a homemade fence.

[Steven Bolton]

But it did sag after a couple of years?

sb

[Peter Stahl]

Nice job Walt, looks good. It is simular to the Router Table that they use on the Router Workshop. Very simple and basic. I wouldn't add a miter slot (but that's just me), I think a sled works better for a router table but I guess it will depend on what you use the router table for. What size router are you using?

[Walt Caza]

Hi Everyone, sorry to have orphaned this thread,
I have been out of action for awhile...(life and also some death)

Grant: yep, I don't need anything more, you're right

J.R.R.: yep, the front stiles are rabbeted to let-in a panel to facilitate dust
collection. I will cut in a hood to the box back, and also a cord pass-thru.

Amy: That table mount router baseplate comes from Lee Valley. I had posted (LV) but I know it was a long read.
My post showed two different router mount approaches. Both require you remove and set aside the
stock baseplate. The first method used the LV plate, sunk flush by pivoting
from the center, both for a ledge, then a thru hole.

Steve: Not critical at all, but my first-try dimensions were:
All 3/4" MDF---box 14x22 by 15" high
---top and bottom 20x28"
front stiles 2.25" wide with 1/4" by 1/4" rabbet to let-in front d/c panel

lots of room to get a router in and out, that Bosch is 10"high

Charles: the first table with LV plate cost me Can$39, but include the
center drill and trammel and template to mount the baseplate.
the second table with no plate at all, cost me just scrap MDF and time.

Rich: thanks for the sweet, works sweet too!

Steve again: I find bit changes ok with my 2 wrench router, it helps when
the router is firmly mounted... (not necessary to remove)

Regarding bit depth: To get max bit depth, I routed the recess in the router zone, works great with lots of range.

Joel: ya, that's the ticket, sounds like a good practical set-up

Steve: I think this table too small to sag enough to present a problem,
plus a fresh top is cheap and quick to make, plus you could add cleats if you really feel concerned.

Peter: I have not seen router workshop in many years, I didn't know they
were still running it. My table I made from a primitive sketch, but I can see
how most of these simple ones would resemble each other, function kinda
dictates the form. I agree, I have not found a miter slot to be too helpful
on a router table. Ya, a sled against a fence works great!
That Bosch 1617 router is 1.75HP I guess.

Thanks all for your interest and responses.
Sorry I have not been in my shop to answer sooner.

If my long posts were unclear, I have moved away from the plate system...
and prefer the no-plate table for secure mount without shifting.
Crucial for fence work.

I would not mount the top with screws right thru ever again. By using Z clips I eliminated 14 such holes.
I do plan to make another table the same, to stack them at a 34" working height.
Sort of a stand alone router station, but with 2 set-ups at the same time, which can be quickly swapped.

Lee Valley sells a pack of 3/4" router mounting screws, great for tables...
in 6 common sizes, some hard to find, for just $4.

I mentioned fence and bearing routing. The third method of routing is with template guide bushings.
The pic shows how the LV plate accepts brass inserts to make the bit hole smaller ranging 1/4" - 1".
This can minimize tear-out and kickback.

Also template guide bushings from 3/8" - 1.5" outside diameter are supported and available from LV.
This offers a tidy work-around for my Bosch routers which do not support the Porter-Cable standard guides.
Thanks for looking, and your kind words,
Walt
:)