# Quick and dirty router table



## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

I need a router table. While practicing on a piece of scrap I realized the piece I need to put a bevel on is just too small for hand routing. Don't have money to buy or build something good right now and don't want to waste money on garbage so I'm looking to make something that will answer my needs now. Here's what I'm looking at.

I'm working with 3/4 MDF. Can I just mount the router on the MDF? Will that leave me with enough exposed bit for useful work?
Thanks


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## mikeswoods (May 18, 2009)

Howdy!

Don't use MDF for the table--the router screws will pull through that and that's dangerous.

1/2" cabinet ply works well for a top (with some framing to keep it flat)

Make your fence the same length as the table---pin the left hand side with a screw and use a clamp to hold the right hand side.

I've made a bunch of job site tables over the years--after using this you will be pleased.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*The problem with a home built table*

Is making bit changes and cutter height adjustments easily. You may want to get an additional base for your router and leave one screwed to the portable table. Not necessary, but handy. A router whose height you can adjust from the base is handy also. Other wise you have to reach under and loosen, adjust and tighten for each height change. A router base plate with a removable center ring would make bit changes easier like this from www.ptreeusa.com 

http://www.ptreeusa.com/routerPlates.htm
*Deluxe Router Plate *










Inverting your router in a router table allows for safer and more versatile operations. Our deluxe router table insert is made from high strength plastic. Large 9"x12"x3/8"(1/4" lip) design accommodates heavy routers.​ *Snap out rings allow for openings of 3-1/8", 2-5/8" & 1-1/4" for a closer match to your router bit. The deluxe router table insert includes a shoulder pin for freehand work and magnets to help hold the insert into your router table. Threaded Allen wrench inserts in each corner help you level and easily adjust the router insert with your table.*
*No.* *Description* *Price*​ *Quantity*​ *1075*​ *Deluxe Router Plate 9" x 12" *​ *$29.99*​ 3035​ Replacement Rings 
(Includes both Rings and Shoulder pin)​ $8.99​


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

I figured I'd use some shoulder washers but maybe that wouldn't be enough. Guess I'll need to get some ply. Thanks.


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

Well, I was hoping to avoid spending any money. If I have to, and go beyond the realm of quick-and-dirty, I'm tempted to go with something like this:

Peachtree’s Own Portable Router Table (found on the same page)

Or go with something low cost to get started

or get the basic start for a "system" like Woodpeckers or Kreg

Then there's this inexpensive one from Grizzly.

I feel like I should get some sort of top made for routing if I'm going beyond a quick fix. I don't care if I have it on sawhorses until I can add a base. I have a good router (Milwaukee 2 1/4 horse combo) and I can dedicate the fixed base to the table. Thanks for the help.


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## jack warner (Oct 15, 2010)

next on my list for the router table is this pc. no more going under the table at all.


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## rrich (Jun 24, 2009)

When I "*THOUGHT"* that I had invented the router table... :thumbdown:

My first router table was about 11" square piece of 3/8" aluminum. I chucked up the aluminum in a lathe and milled out a 1/8" step to fit the base and then a hole in the center to allow the bit to stick out. 

This was then attached to a 3/4" plywood box. The fence was the edge guide that came with the router.

You would be amazed at the work that can be done with something that crude. The plan that you are showing is far more sophisticated than my contraption.

By all means go for it! That table will work well. A few bits of advice.

1 ~ Take one of the screws that holds the router face plate to the router to the hardware store and get six more just like it. Then get another six about 1/2" longer. You want to attach the router to the top using these screws by going through the table top and into the router base. (My router used SAE threads but many routers that are made off shore use metric threads.)

2 ~ Use some Baltic birch 1/2" thick for the table top AND brace the top with 1" strips of the Baltic birch to prevent sagging. Just be sure of clearance for the router motor. The 3/4" plywood may be a bit of a reach for your router to get the bit above the table top.

3 ~ A 1-1/2" diameter hole for bit clearance is a good compromise.

4 ~ Build a frame and legs to support the table on the bench top. Leave yourself about 3" clearance between the top of the router and the bench top.

5 ~ As time goes by, you'll need to make several fences with different size clearance holes.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I like this "expensive" one from Grizzly!*

http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2011/Main/68
It has a sliding table. Another less expensive route is to use a cast iron table saw extension with a router hole like this: http://www.grizzly.com/products/Router-Table-Extension/H7507
Peachtree also has one. 
http://ptreeusa.com/routerTables.htm
Bench Dog does as well, and that's the one I have. The main advantage is it saves floor space and it doubles the table space to the right side of the blade.
Just be aware of the different size openings that fit specific brands of router lifts and plates. There are 2 sizes of router plates listed on the Peachtree site and Bench Dog is a 3rd size.


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

*Solution for now*

OK, I think I'm going the 1/2" birch ply route for now as a low cost solution. That will also give me a chance to gain experience and make the right decisions when ready to spend some $. I like that Grizzly "expensive" one too, but for perspective, it costs more than my Craftsman RAS, Grizzly jointer, Makita planer and Powermatic drill press combined! :thumbsup: Happy to go DIY for now.

Design I'm thinking: top 16" x 24" with 2" support under the edges and 2" support rails underneath close to the router mount. All with the 1/2" ply, 2x4 blocks in the corners for glue and screw. I think this should provide enough support to keep it flat. Sound good?

Hopefully I'll get some time today to get to the store and work on it. If so I'll post some pix.

Many thanks! :smile:


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## Brian Kent (Jul 16, 2011)

Here is an excellent article by Pat Warner, who uses mdf supported by a frame.
http://www.patwarner.com/router_table.html


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## mikeswoods (May 18, 2009)

Shop Dad said:


> OK, I think I'm going the 1/2" birch ply route for now as a low cost solution. That will also give me a chance to gain experience and make the right decisions when ready to spend some $
> Design I'm thinking: top 16" x 24" with 2" support under the edges and 2" support rails underneath close to the router mount. All with the 1/2" ply, 2x4 blocks in the corners for glue and screw. I think this should provide enough support to keep it flat. Sound good?
> 
> 
> ...


I prefer a table about 48" long x 16" or 24" wide--this will support long stock without having to push the stock down with your fingers,in order to keep it in balance,

It's just safer.---Mike---


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

mikeswoods said:


> I prefer a table about 48" long x 16" or 24" wide--this will support long stock without having to push the stock down with your fingers,in order to keep it in balance,
> 
> It's just safer.---Mike---


+1

~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

*First router table DONE!*

Hey all, thanks for the comments. First time attempting something like this and I really appreciate the support. I was looking for the Pat Warner link and couldn't find it. Thanks Brian! 

Was able to get some time in the shop today and knowing we all like pictures I've got some to share. I agree on the bigger table but for now I think this will do as a start. So far my projects are on the smaller side and I can take lessons learned here and apply them when I make a bigger table. :smile:

So I went through with the plan and created the "quick and dirty" router table, though I think it turned out pretty robust. I can't say that it's dead flat but it's not too bad. I can shim the middle under the rails to make up for a very slight dip in the middle. (I could just see a narrow crack of light.)

It is 24"x16" with 2" support apron/rails. I used 2x4 to hold everything together - just screws, no glue. I have the fence cut, just didn't get it done before having to report to dad duty.

Here's the set up. Clamped to my sawhorses. All screws on top are recessed. Just ran a test piece of cedar through with a bearing bit. Had to remember which way to go since I haven't used a table router before! 









From the underside.









Bill, I even drilled through so I can adjust from the top!









Flipped over, I can store on it's face and it doesn't take up much room.









Thinking about giving it a coat of BLO for protection. Fun project. Look forward to giving it lots of work. :yes:


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

BTW - Tom your router table is awesome!. Seemed like you whipped that together in no time. :thumbsup:


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## mmwood_1 (Oct 24, 2007)

Shop Dad said:


> Thinking about giving it a coat of BLO for protection. Fun project. Look forward to giving it lots of work. :yes:


I too, use a basic 2" x 4" frame and ply-top router table. Have had it for 16 years now. It does the job. I use an axle bolt for one end of the fence, which allows free pivoting, and a c-clamp at the other end. If I need to remove the fence, I can remove the nut on the axle bolt without tools. and pull the fence right off.

BLO on your table may leach onto any wood you run across it. Just a cautionary word. There's not really anything to protect it from, is there? And BLO doesn't really offer anything in the way of protection from anything, so why do it? I rub a coat of paste wax on the surface of mine every once in awhile, and rub it off really well. No residue transfer to my work pieces, and it greatly reduces friction while pushing your work pieces through.

Another thing I do is I have a piece of 1/4" birch ply cut to the same size as my table top. My main top has a cutout for 3" bits, so when I need to have zero clearance on a small bit, for instance, I pin the 1/4" to the table top with 3/4" brads, then raise the router bit up through the 1/4" top, just like when you do a zero clearance throat plate on a table saw. (I can already hear the safety police screaming about this, but it's really not a big deal.) When finished, I just pry the 1/4" top off and hit the nail holes with 220 grit to smooth them out. Works well. I actually have a 1/4" top on most of the time with a 1 1/4" or so hole in it.


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

I had thought about paste wax but I've never worked with it. Glad to hear that's been working for you. Sounds like a good option. So far I've sanded with 100 but I'll step it to at least 220 before putting anything on.


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## rrich (Jun 24, 2009)

Hey Tom,

I love your router table. I'm in the process of building myself a new one. I want a deep and wide table top for larger pieces. The top for the Incra is deep but not very wide.

I really like the fence that you built. What do you do when using smaller diameter bits? Do you have an insert system for making ZC inserts for special cuts? Do you have DC built in to the cabinet or the fence? I assume that the "T" tracks are used to secure the fence in position?

Thanks.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

rrich said:


> Hey Tom,
> 
> I love your router table. I'm in the process of building myself a new one. I want a deep and wide table top for larger pieces. The top for the Incra is deep but not very wide.
> 
> ...


These probably answer a lot of your questions. I do need to route a rabbit inside the insert's cut out for inserts... I have the thinner acrylic, just ain't got time to do it...

Did I miss anything?

~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

firemedic said:


> These probably answer a lot of your questions. I do need to route a rabbit inside the insert's cut out for inserts... I have the thinner acrylic, just ain't got time to do it...
> 
> Did I miss anything?
> 
> ~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


 
Hi tom - what's goin on in the last picture?:huh:


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## rrich (Jun 24, 2009)

That is a really unique feather board arrangement. That shows some creative thinking.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

jschaben said:


> Hi tom - what's goin on in the last picture?:huh:


Setting up for some 2 3/4" beaded oak molding. That's a feather board. I also put a 'normal' feather board above as a hold-down. 

Working on a hand-crank power feeder for soon too!

~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

firemedic said:


> Setting up for some 2 3/4" beaded oak molding. That's a feather board. I also put a 'normal' feather board above as a hold-down.
> 
> Working on a hand-crank power feeder for soon too!
> 
> ~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


 
Thanks, I couldn't for the life of me figure that one out... featherboards..:thumbsup::laughing:


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Shop Dad said:


> Hey all, thanks for the comments. First time attempting something like this and I really appreciate the support. I was looking for the Pat Warner link and couldn't find it. Thanks Brian!
> 
> Was able to get some time in the shop today and knowing we all like pictures I've got some to share. I agree on the bigger table but for now I think this will do as a start. So far my projects are on the smaller side and I can take lessons learned here and apply them when I make a bigger table. :smile:
> 
> ...


That is nice, yours is a lot nicer than mine. I have wanted to build a router table but never got around to it. Most folks would laugh at my set up but I have ran many many raised panels, stair parts and much molding on it.


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## Visions (Jun 16, 2011)

That's pretty nice for a "make-shift" router table!:thumbsup: Nothing wrong with that at all!

As for the BLO, I would avoid it, as it will be greasy and stink for weeks. Poly or something similar will work much better! Arm-R-Seal, Seal-A-Cell or Waterlox would be great too. These will help work slide easier than BLO as well.
I used BLO on a bench top once, ended up planing 1/8" off the top to get rid of the stench, stuff is gross and isn't much protection anyway.

One solution for a nice, big and sturdy router table is a solid core wooden door. They are very sturdy, thus not needing a ton of support, so a simple 2x4 leg and perimeter frame system will suffice. It's plenty large enough for anything you will ever need.
And best of all, they can be had for little or nothing from building salvage companies and demo crews.
The way to get around it being so thick is to use a router plate. And if you don't want to spend the cash on one that is pre-made, there are polycarbonate and phenolic sheets available to make your own, or, you can do what I had done when I first made a router table. Make your own plate from 3/4" birch ply, just rout in a recess for your router, put some threaded inserts in the corners and down the sides and use allen head set-screws for levelers.

You can also adapt the shop-built router plate to other tables and designs as well. I used mine in a plywood torsion box design by adding support strips around the cut-out in the router table for the plate to sit on, worked awesome. 
If your ambitious, you can make a cut out and recess in the center for different size inserts for large and small bits. You can either buy the inserts, or make them from Lexan with a hole-saw really easily. Or if you need a zero-clearance insert, hard-board or really thin ply works too.

Wayne


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