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Thread: Why is it good to have a horizontal router table?

  1. #1

    Why is it good to have a horizontal router table?

    I'm thinking of making or buying a horizontal router table. If you have one, how does it help you when doing projects? Could you tell me the different ways you have used one? Thanks.

  2. #2
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    A table mounted router allows you do do cuts that are either very difficult or dangerous to do with a hand held router. For example you can use larger diameter cutters in a table mounted router more safely. You can also make dado type cuts on wider boards than can be accommodated with the fence on a hand held router. Routing multiple pieces is much faster with a table mount because the router is held in place and you can quickly route the next piece without messing with clamps. You can make grooves in the ends of pieces using a tall fence more easily than you can do it with a hand held. You can make your own custom dowels with a table mounted router and a fence.

    Oops misunderstood the question.
    Last edited by Lee Schierer; 08-30-2018 at 5:20 PM.
    Lee Schierer
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  3. #3
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    I designed and built my own horizontal router mortise. I offer a model for sale but also have a SketchUp model you can download for free to build an earlier but fully functional version. Take a look at the attached link for details, including many of the things you can do with it.

    https://sites.google.com/site/jteney...outer-mortiser

    John

  4. #4
    John
    Enjoyed the video and pictures Great job.
    Bob

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    Routing recesses or rabbets in the ends of long narrow pieces is very difficult and dangerous on a regular router table or with a hand-held router, but easy on a horizontal router table.

    I built mine from a kit by Woodhaven. It looks very similar to John's, above. It has a table with two axes of motion for the work (in-out & left-right) and the router can be moved vertically (up-down).

  6. #6
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    I like to use sliding dovetails for a lot of things. It is hard to get a consistent cut on the end of a long board held vertically on a regular router table. I considered a horizontal table more than once for that purpose, but don't have the space.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stan Calow View Post
    I like to use sliding dovetails for a lot of things. It is hard to get a consistent cut on the end of a long board held vertically on a regular router table. I considered a horizontal table more than once for that purpose, but don't have the space.
    Yes, that is an easy operation on a horizontal router mortise:



    These boards were definitely too long to do vertically:



    John

  8. #8
    John, thank you for making the excellent video. Your machine would ease a lot of tasks in any workshop. Just wondering as to the size and approximate weight of your setup minus the weight of the router.

  9. #9
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    You're welcome, Jim. The machine has dimensions of about 24" wide x 18" deep x 15" high, and weighs about 35 - 40lbs depending upon what you hang on it, such as the Rockler on/off switch. The X-Y tables lift off so you can transport it in lighter sections. I purposely designed it with some extra mass in the X-Y tables to resist any surprise pulling by the router bit. When the runners are fit properly, whether made of wood, plastic, or aluminum, the tables slide with low but required effort by the operator. The machine shown above is now about 8 or 9 years old, still working fine, and has never needed any repair or rework. The MDF has proven remarkably durable sliding on the maple runners. I cut thousands of mortises with it before designing an improved machine. I gave this one to a friend who continues to use it.

    If you do build one and the RH in your shop changes a lot seasonally, you would likely be better off using plastic or aluminum runners, though I suspect wood may still work fine if you use a stable QS species.

    John

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