Horizontal Router Table

[Andrew Kertesz]

Does anybody have/use a horizontal router table? If so what brand and what pros and cons have you discovered? Thanks...

[George Bokros]

Outside of a Multi-Router I only know of one. It is by MLCS. I have seen plans for making one I think it was in WoodSmith or Shop Notes.

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shops...l+router+table

[Tom Leftley]

I found several references for this by going to You Tube and clicking on "horizontal router table" in the search box.
There is also a two-part series on the MLCS table that George mentioned.

[Andrew Kertesz]

Finding one is not the issue... I'm looking for pros and cons from somebody that actually has and uses one.

[Robert Willing]

You may get some input here http://www.routerforums.com/tools-woodworking/

[pat warner]

An horizontal router has certain advantages and disadvantages.
The router is raised and lowered on a pivot; and you can adjust its depth with the motor or maybe a plunge stroke. A fence can still be used but the pivot provides some measure of adjustment.
All cutters are horizontal and for work that must be routed on end (tenons e.g.) it is expeditious. Cutters (panel-wing) can & are designed for horizontal use. They're still power hungry but they are long, rather than of large diameter. Of course, radially designed cutters are essentially useless on an HT. Their (HT) configuration lends itself to mechanization. Many are created just for morticing & tenoning. There are special safety precautions. Cutting under the cutter, e.g., may cause an unexpected self-feed.

A router spindle in the z-axis is the standard routing config.
A fence and perhaps carriages are essential. Edge work is far more amenable with the cutter sticking out of the table surface. The work is far less fixtured too. On my table, the the work is carried on sled/carriages. Books have been written about these differences. It could be time to go to the library.

[John TenEyck]

I use one of my own design: https://sites.google.com/site/jteney...outer-mortiser

I've talked about it here several times so a search should turn up some additional information. At the link provided above is a SketchUp model that you can download for free and build your own if you would like to. The link also provides basic instructions on how to build it as well as a video showing the basic operation of the machine.

I also have an upgraded model: https://goo.gl/photos/ZAUc7UUMhH8hEMBg7



About a dozen happy users now. Note, in particular, the tilting table option. Anyone making chairs or other angled work will really appreciate this feature. Send me a PM if interested. With either machine, you can make integral tenons, loose tenons, sliding dovetails, rabbets and dados in edges of stock, and raised panels using vertical panel raising bits. Loose tenon joints are fast and easy to make, and registration of the joint is very precise with no fiddling, paring, tuning, etc. required.

John

[Rick Fisher]

I have a multi router and use it on occasion.. Its nowhere near a commonly used tool in my shop. Its handy for plunge cutting specific dimensions, over and over again. I have the pneumatic clamps which is a bonus..

[Jim Dwight]

I only occasionally want a horizontal router table. I can't remember the last time I used mine. For my occasional use, I am happy with my arrangement. I just took a piece of 3/4 melamine particle board, put a hole in it for the bit to come out. Put one of my fixed bases for a PC690 router on the board, and put hanger bolts on the back of my vertical router table to attach it. I also put a curved slot in the melamine. To use I attach a router motor and then attach the board to the router table. There is a notch in the table top for the bit. I have screw adjust for the height of the horizontal setup. I loosen the wing nuts to adjust height and then tighten them to fix the router for a cut. A little crude, perhaps, but effective.

[Ed Aumiller]

I have a router table made from a 3' x 5' computer table top 2" thick.. since I only used about 1/2 of it, I made a horizontal router on one end of it..
I then made an x/y table that operates the same as the multi router...
For loose tenon joints it is great..
It is very handy for making repetitive pieces with the x/y table, set the stops one time and do it over and over again..

Do not use it that often, but it is very nice to have when I need it..

Glad I built it...

[Wayne Cannon]

I have one from Woodhaven that is similar in appearance to John TenEyck's. Not as fancy as a Multi Router, but quite functional.

The horizontal router table is especial convenient for routing a piece that would be awkward on a router table (e.g., the end of something long and narrow). My last HRT project, for example, was routing stepped recesses (similar to Soss hinge recesses) in the ends of handrails to clear & hide post hardware.

[John TenEyck]

A horizontal router mortiser is far easier to use than a common router table for mortising, and especially for loose tenon joinery. You need to make a serious of shallow cuts to mill mortises with a router. That is very difficult to do with a conventional router table set up - you'd have to increase the depth of cut after each pass. Holding parts on end is another thing that makes the conventional router table a no-go, especially with long parts. The horizontal router mortiser solves all those problems by it's very nature.

John