# Router table



## Itchy Brother (Aug 22, 2008)

Have any of ya made your own Router tables?If you have would you be willing to show us some pictures?The tables I see in rockler and stores seem to be expensive and Im sure could be made a lot cheaper and probably just as well made.For the hobbyist I dont think there is a need for all the niceties the expensive ones have.What do ya say?Itchy


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## rrich (Jun 24, 2009)

Really there's nothing to building a router table. All it takes is a top with something to support it. 

Think a flat top on case goods. Design the carcass to meet your needs. Provide a good airflow for the part of the carcass that houses the router. Add drawers for storage and make the access door to router area BIG.

If you are going to add dust collection to the router cavity, make the dust extraction port extend lower than the floor of the router cavity. This will help with capturing all the dust generated. 

For the electrical connections, include a garbage disposal switch outside the carcass to turn the router off and on. Do not, repeat DO NOT use a foot switch to activate the router. (It is probably the most dangerous electrical switch in the world.)


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I made my own router table a while ago. I posted some photos on the forum. Here's the link. http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f13/completed-my-router-table-5970/
Ken


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

"include a garbage disposal switch outside the carcass to turn the router off and on."

Rich, what is a garbage disposal switch as compared/contrasted to a regular switch?

Itchy, I do not know what you are calling "I dont think there is a need for all the niceties the expensive ones have." What I think of as "niceties' are the T tracks, good fences, plate to hold the router, etc. I do not look at these as niceties but as necessities for a good table whether purchased or home made.

George


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## rrich (Jun 24, 2009)

GeorgeC said:


> Rich, what is a garbage disposal switch as compared/contrasted to a regular switch?


George,

A garbage disposal switch is an ordinary 120 V AC switch that can switch 15 Amps. (A router is 10-15 amps) If you go to the BORG or most hardware stores and asked for a 15 Amp capable switch, you'll get little more than a blank stare. If you ask for a garbage disposal switch that goes in the wall, the odds are that you'll get the right switch. If you get the answer, "Just pick any of those," you should be shopping elsewhere. If you get a question, "Oh, you mean a high amperage switch?" remember that person. They are an invaluable resource for electrical issues.


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## adpanko (Jun 25, 2009)

I just finished building my router table this past weekend and will post up some pics shortly. But I'd say there are two main components to think about when building a table. 1) the top itself (fence, plate, track, dust port, etc) is obviously the most important, but also 2) the base.

Personally, I think it is better to buy the top since many manufacturers have mastered the ins and outs of a solid, accurate and efficient top and it related features. I bought the Rockler top and fence, and it was all less than $200. It has all of the basic features and is a quality dependable product. I didn't think it was worth the time or money to build my own top, especially since the Rockler one has every feature I was looking for.

Secondly, the base. I've had my Rockler top for four years, and just had it on a pair of collapseable legs, so I can store it out of the way. But I just recently custom built a base cabinet for it with drawers and various storage for wrenches, bits, dovetail jig, and other miscellaneous router accessories. I customized the storage cabinet to my needs and wants, and probably put more money into it than I had to, but it came out solid as a tank, and has all the bells and whistles I wanted. Probably between $100-$150 for all of the wood and hardware for the base (plus another $60 for a mobile base kit). Pictures to be posted within a few days.


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## adpanko (Jun 25, 2009)

and yes, I think a separate safety switch is an important element to a router table, instead of having to reach under the router to turn it on/off. I bought an on/off switch that has a big paddle for the stop button. It was $30 and well worth it in my opinion.


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## Itchy Brother (Aug 22, 2008)

Kenbo,Now thats an outstanding router table! Did you make the top yourself?George what I meant by niceties is the accessory that will move the router by means of a crank instead od adjusting the cut depth on the router itself,which is cool but kinda expensive for a hobbyist that does a limited amount of routing.Itchy Oh and thanks for all the replies.


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## frostr2001w (May 21, 2009)

I made mine with an 8' piece of 4x4 as a frame. Used a melimine top, the @29.00 fence from rockler, the $29.00 aluminum plate on clearance from rockler,cuta t-slot with my router and put it togeather with Lag screws and on full locking swivel casters. Done. Very solid


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

rrich said:


> George,
> 
> A garbage disposal switch is an ordinary 120 V AC switch that can switch 15 Amps. (A router is 10-15 amps) If you go to the BORG or most hardware stores and asked for a 15 Amp capable switch, you'll get little more than a blank stare. If you ask for a garbage disposal switch that goes in the wall, the odds are that you'll get the right switch. If you get the answer, "Just pick any of those," you should be shopping elsewhere. If you get a question, "Oh, you mean a high amperage switch?" remember that person. They are an invaluable resource for electrical issues.


OK. I just never thought of approaching it that way. I just walk in and pick out the switch that I want. I guess all of the switches in my house are "garbage disposal switches."

G


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## Steve G. (Oct 4, 2007)

I'm in the process of building my router table. Some pics for thought.

I first made the legs. Glued two 2x4's together, planed, jointed and ripped them.









then glued 2 3/4" pieces of birch together.









The assembled it.









Where I am now.

















My shop is under construction now (getting an extra 11' x 11'), so i've not been able to finish it yet.


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## Gary Beasley (Jan 21, 2009)

I built my table from an old office desk, reinforced the deck with angle iron underneath and set a T track into the top. I fitted it with the mounting plate from the tiny little Bosch table I had and bought a good fence from Rockler for it.


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## adpanko (Jun 25, 2009)

Here is a link to pics of the table I just finished. I did a lot of research and looked at other user pics and suggestions and incorporated all of the things I thought were helpful and valuable. The only thing I'm going to add is a mobile base, and potentially a dust collection port to the cavity under the table where the router hangs. I have a port on the table top, but it only gets about 75% or so. So anyway, I hope you find my table and the comments on the photos helpful. I had a lot of fun designing and making this.

Andy

http://picasaweb.google.com/adpanko


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## Itchy Brother (Aug 22, 2008)

Very nice Adpanko!I doubt I could make a table as nice as that.Good work there! Itchy


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## Psych0ticNemes1s (Aug 19, 2009)

Very nice, I like the custom-ness of it.

adpanko, yours is nice as well. The MDF looks good.


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## Gary Beasley (Jan 21, 2009)

Gary Beasley said:


> I built my table from an old office desk, reinforced the deck with angle iron underneath and set a T track into the top. I fitted it with the mounting plate from the tiny little Bosch table I had and bought a good fence from Rockler for it.


I took a clue from the Norm Abram tablesaw setup episode and added legs to raise the table to the same height as the tablesaw deck. As my oversize router table gets used for glueups and other work the suggestion to use it as a support for large sheet goods while cutting is a good one. It's also a lot easier on the back and easier to access the router under the table.


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## Steve G. (Oct 4, 2007)

An updated pic, it's a very simple setup... nothing fancy or complex; As long as it's true and square I'm happy


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## ihackwood (Sep 5, 2009)

just for typing it , i built this stuff years ago, if you build a plenum, where your bit is all you need is a hole for your vac and you have a cleaner table,


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## Angrymaurice (Sep 2, 2010)

Very nice looking router tables guys. Going to start on my own soon.


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## Hendo446 (Nov 25, 2009)

*Here is an idea if you don't have alot of space.*

When I first got into woodworking, and before I really knew what to look for in tools, I got a cheap router / table from Lowes. The router works just fine for me, but the "table" was only about 1' X 1.5' and 1' tall. I got what I paid for when it came to the table (not much). So when I built my work bench I got the idea to incorporate the table that came with the router. It was almost an afterthought so I could have done a much better job if I had actually planned it out. You can get the idea from the pictures. 

This set up works out good for me because I don't do a whole lot of routing. When you take the bit out of the router the metal plate is just part of my work bench. If I had it to do over again I would add a switch like others talked about in this thread. Also, it's kind of a pain in the butt when I need a fence, because I have to clamp it to the table. You also can't use a miter gauge with my set up, but I have never neede one on my router table yet. 

Hopefully this gives you some ideas to kick around.


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## Ledhead (Aug 3, 2009)

Here's a couple pics of my shop built router table.
The top case lifts off so it can be taken to the jobsite. 
I also have a "garbage disposal switch" on the side.
The plate and track was bought at Rockler.
The top is just 2 x 3/4 birch plywood, laminated on both sides.


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