I’m so confused!

[Thomas McCurnin]

Might be fun to build a router table. Good first project.

[Wayne Cannon]

Bob, I'm not a professional and have never used a shaper; however, I have made extensive use of two router tables. You don't need to spend a lot of money. I have a nice Incra "Precision" fence, but frankly, it spends most of its time sitting on the floor. It, and similar fences, are very good at parallel operations, but that's a fairly rare for me.

My favorite after all these years is the Sommerfeld fence, because its pivoting fence is so quick and easy to adjust, has great dust collection, and nice beveled zero-clearance inserts. It pivots at one end, so pivoting the fence gives you fine adjustments of 1/2 the movement of the end of the fence. Sommerfeld's router table and fence combo is a bit pricey at $550, but you can get just the fence. A pivot hole and a couple of strips of slot-rail are all it needs. A pivoting fence could easily be incorporated into many of the simpler fences (Sommerfeld even sells their spring-loaded locking pin). There are other pivoting fences; Sommerfeld's just had everything I wanted.

[Bob Hardin]

Bob, I'm not a professional and have never used a shaper; however, I have made extensive use of two router tables. You don't need to spend a lot of money. I have a nice Incra "Precision" fence, but frankly, it spends most of its time sitting on the floor. It, and similar fences, are very good at parallel operations, but that's a fairly rare for me.

My favorite after all these years is the Sommerfeld fence, because its pivoting fence is so quick and easy to adjust, has great dust collection, and nice beveled zero-clearance inserts. It pivots at one end, so pivoting the fence gives you fine adjustments of 1/2 the movement of the end of the fence. Sommerfeld's router table and fence combo is a bit pricey at $550, but you can get just the fence. A pivot hole and a couple of strips of slot-rail are all it needs. A pivoting fence could easily be incorporated into many of the simpler fences (Sommerfeld even sells their spring-loaded locking pin). There are other pivoting fences; Sommerfeld's just had everything I wanted.

Thank you way e. I’ll definitely take a look

[Wayne Cannon]

FWIW, Sommerfeld's aluminum extrusion router table top is not compatible with typical router plates or lifts. I have a Triton router in the table which has a nice fine screw-type adjustment, but other than that, it's kind of a pain compared with my homebrew router table, big P-C router, and router lift. I just like the Sommerfeld pivoting-style fence.

[Jared Sankovich]

You can do a lot with a router/ plate and some clamps..
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But I'd still go with a shaper (a matching hammer to your slider would work well) but so would lots of other shapers

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I made my own router table based on Norms version II router table. Even with a Woodpecker lift, a new 3 1/4 HP router and all materials I don't have $2200 into it. I'd make my own router table just to get the experience.

[Derek Cohen]

There are a couple of tools that every serious hobbiest should build. The two most popular items are a work bench, especially important for a hand tool woodworker, and a router table. Both these items can escalate in complexity, but work perfectly well in their basic form.

My first router table was a slab of MDF with a hole drilled in it. A straight wooden board was clamped to the top as a fence. It worked as well as the fanciest table today. What the money is buying one is convenience, and not precision. Precision is user-made.

I am presently building a new router table ... just because ... which is a luxury as I do not use one much

The top comes from a discarded laminated 30mm thick high pressure MDF bench top (from a local kitchen builder).
The existing aluminium insert plate is being re-used.
A fantastic fence can be made from 8020 aluminium extrusion (eBay). About $25.
The router lift is a Router Raizer. I have used one for years and it is fantastic ... for 1/10th the price of a typical router lift.
The router is an old Elu 2 1/4 hp with variable speed and soft start. These are build like a tank, and available cheaply (UK eBay). They go on and on. (I love Elu and have 4 of them, some I purchased 25 years ago).

By the end of the build, I would estimate that I will have about $500 all up for something that is sold for about $2500. It can be done for much less.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Matthews]

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As someone (still) in the planning stages of a kitchen remodel - nice layout, expert execution.

Getting one cabinet "just right " is manageable.
Getting consistent results on more than a dozen doors was one of Hercules' labors.

Kudos

[Allen Mattsen]

If you're just now getting started, will you be needing a router table or shaper in the next four months? For what it's worth based on my experience, the lead times quoted by Incra are a bit pessimistic. Every item I've purchased from Incremental Tools arrived well ahead of the estimated shipping dates. I ordered the LS25 positioner on 28 May, with a 15-18 week shipping date. This would put the earliest shipping date at about mid-September with me receiving it towards the end of September. It arrived two weeks ago.

I have the Incra LS17 Super System in a cabinet I made for my small shop. If I had a larger shop, I would have bought the LS25 Super System and considered a larger fixed cabinet instead of a mobile cabinet that fits easily through the shop door. If I had taken my time and thought about what I wanted, I would have bought the LS17 "The Works" instead of buying components over a couple of months and eventually wound up with "The Works" for a $200 savings.

At no time did I ever consider buying a shaper, even though great used SCM and Felder shapers are available in my area for about the same cost of a new Grizzly shaper. Even though I am limited in the availability of router motors that will fit in the lift and work on European power, I am confident that the 2.4HP router I have will meet all of my home project requirements.

Is this the 36" or 43" table top?

I'm buying parts of a similar setup in stages and centering around the LS17 (eventually). Just curious is the 36" router table top from Incra is a good fit for the LS17 or is there any reason to get the 43" version instead if I'm not intending to later upgrade to the larger LS25. I'm starting with a Triton TRA001, magnalock plate, and Incra table top given the gigantic wait times for the LS positioners and my need for a router table sooner. I can't decide between the 36 or 43"! I wish I could just order the works and be done with it, but a 16-20 week wait time has me choosing to build it slow and in (available) parts. Thanks in advance.

[Mike Kreinhop]

Is this the 36" or 43" table top?

I'm buying parts of a similar setup in stages and centering around the LS17 (eventually). Just curious is the 36" router table top from Incra is a good fit for the LS17 or is there any reason to get the 43" version instead if I'm not intending to later upgrade to the larger LS25. I'm starting with a Triton TRA001, magnalock plate, and Incra table top given the gigantic wait times for the LS positioners and my need for a router table sooner. I can't decide between the 36 or 43"! I wish I could just order the works and be done with it, but a 16-20 week wait time has me choosing to build it slow and in (available) parts. Thanks in advance.

This is the 24x36-inch top with the 17-inch LS Super System. When I bought the components for the router table, my shop was constrained to 4.5x5 meters, and all tools had to remain in the shop, even when not being used. I had to choose my designs carefully so I could store the router table, bandsaw, jointer/planer, and still have circulation space. Since then, the conditions have changed, and I have another 5x5 meter space adjacent to the shop that can be used as an assembly area and to store tools not being used. Had this been the case when I bought the components, I would have bought the 27x43-inch top and the 25-inch LS Super System, as this would still fit through the door between the two shop areas.

The 36-inch table is great for the LS17. I think the 43-inch table will be too large for the LS17 and there will be unused space behind the LS sub-base. There is no problem with the sub-base hanging over the edge of the table, and it is pre-drilled for the sub-base with the intent that it will hang over.

I've ordered a LOT of items from Incra and the actual lead time was never as long as they claim on their website. When I ordered the LS25 positioner this year for my table saw, the estimated lead time was 15-18 weeks. It shipped ten weeks after I ordered it and I had it a week later.

During my long and expensive path to this table, I was going to use the TRA001 router. I ordered the table with the MagnaLOCK router plate, which is part number MLP7518-AL. The TRA001 fits perfectly on this plate and includes the hole for the winder to set the cutter height.

[Tom Bender]

Contrarian / realist here, you should not build kitchen cabinets as a starter project. They are kinda permanent and on display, and they will look like the first cabinets you ever built. And they will cost more than factory cabinets, not even including tooling costs. Also you probably want to start and finish your kitchen project all in less than a year. Buy the cabinets and take on as much of the rest of the project as you are confident with. Then build a dining table.

[Prashun Patel]

Such fantastic advice, Tom. Totally agree.

[Rod Sheridan]

I use the shaper in a hobby shop, no router or router table.

I’ve never missed not having a router, as others have said a Euroblock head with knives and limiters is the way to go, followed by a rebate head and an adjustable groover....Rod

[Brian Runau]

I built a router base from Norm's plans and added the kreg top, lift, and precision https://www.kregtool.com/shop/routing/ fence. They sell and angle iron base for it.

[Curt Putnam]

You do not indicate your location so I will suggest that you look for used gear. For example, I have a router table, plate and fence that I am going to sell for $100 or so. Craigslist can be your friend