# HD3D Router Table



## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Will do a break down on its construction for those interested..


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

... Step one: You gotta have three spare routers. 

Seriously - the professionalism in its construction is well evident. So much attention to the little details. I am impressed.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

So ho ho ho, here we go...


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

So the whole base is made from MDF. Except the top

Wait..... your not saying naughty things about MDF are you???????


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

Tool Agnostic said:


> ... Step one: You gotta have three spare routers.
> Seriously - the professionalism in its construction is well evident. So much attention to the little details. I am impressed.


Not ony 3 routers, but 3 lifts as well.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

woodnthings said:


> Not ony 3 routers, but 3 lifts as well.


Lifts can be expensive and for this setup really not needed, but it's an example , but upgrades aren't out of the quesrion..

Trying to open a cabinet shop and having accounts but not a lot of money for Weaver shapers or space I needed something similar to this ⬇


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Discussion Starter •  #10  •  1 mo ago (Edited)




When in doubt, draw it out...

There's nothing better than a full size pattern. Patterns won't mean it's perfect once it's built, but it atleast give you a visual of the size and room it will take to have it in the shop.

At this point it is an awkward place and cannot give specific measurements. At some point maybe towards the end I'll try and give specifics to get a better understanding of size.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

So the bottom base, off the pattern which figures dados for it to slide in, is layed out off the pattern. I used dado versus cleats, etc for the best support.


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## _Ogre (Feb 1, 2013)

Rebelwork said:


> When in doubt, draw it out...


you should learn a good cad program like autocad. i draw everything in full scale in autocad, 
easy to get build measurements or check for clearance and interferences
the learning curve is difficult, but many community colleges teach autocad


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Have it... But it doesn't build anything...

Remember I have corel, Ecabinets, autocad, and numerous other programs. My Computer is slow and out of date...

I don't have a key to cabinet vision solids anymore either.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

So with being a cabinet maker at the time I always cheat my dados by making them deeper than 1/4. A little deeper allows me to cheat if the angle depths arent correct but the cabinet its sliding in is wider or narrower than expected. Less or more is easily obtained without going back and recutting/refitting the exterior pieces.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

As you can see it goes on the side and slips in the dado I already cut out. There are 6 sides, but there will be 3 this size. Now while the pieces are loose, its time to cut the doors out.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Here we have the door cutouts. These were cut out with the table saw but I don't recommend this for the diy er. I'm old school and In the late 70's, early 80's all shops used a a tablesaw and did blind cuts. It was the norn back then. Today with the advantages of new routers and the great options routers have brought to the table I would recommend a plunge router, a router template guide and a 1/8 plunge bit or just make a face frame. Using the tablesaw saw means a blind cut and cleaning up the corners with a jigsaw. . Much more smoother and cleaner with the router..


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

As you can see in the photo , the bottom opening will eventually be for storage, and the top opening with be eventually for the router access


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Well we have 3 pieces of a 6 piece cabinet. On the other thread sides there will be no access. Just storage. 
This was cut on the table saw before, but I suggest the same process with a router and suggested bits...


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

At some point you'll need to decide it you want this mobile. I did as I need to move things around when cleaning. Drilling these and working out the daily will save me some headaches later. The dado is placed 1.5 from the bottom . This will take the 3/4 bottom shelf and allow me to beef it up another 3/4 , as you can see in the photo..


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

When I cut angles and I want to close them up on the point. I'll add .5 so if I need 30, 22.5 or 45 degrees I'll make them 30.5, 23,45.5...

Its the same when cutting crown trim around the home. Ill add .5 or decrease by .5 depending if its a inside or outside corner

This makes for a nice point on two pieces once glued and dried..


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Once the unit is glued and locked into place, It can be twisted if necessary to square up the top. It will start getting a little complicated from here but I'll do my best to explain..


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Looking back at the pattern if everything is as the pattern suggest. We should be able to go forward. We only need to mske sure the router plate and router have room to be inserted and removed if necessary. For mine I used a Rousseau router plate and Dewalt 625 router..

When I mentioned making a router cabinet and needed many rousseau plates. Many woodworkers stepped up and shipped there unused Rouseau router plates they no longer needed for just the shipping cost. Many thanks to those who tried to help. Recycle to others who may have a need, when you no longer have a use...Again many thanks...


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Some of you may have notice with your xray vision or maybe not, but I did use a locking rabbit joint on the partitions. You could do this many ways. But if you do this way, you will need to do this before they are assembled on the exterior pieces...

Notice the red highlighted area in the photo..


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

At this point you will need to make partitions for the router cabinet. This is the inner foundation which will keep it 

#1...solid at all times,
#2...give each router it's own space 
#3...give it a flowing area for dust collection
#4...give the top plenty of support..

You will need 6 pieces, 3 lefts and 3 rights...you can get the sizes from the pattern as always...

When in doubt, pattern the sucker out..


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

If you've noticed in one of the previous pictures there have been holes cut out for dust collection..


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Here we have how it should look once it's been cut through.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

At some point, either an exterior hole needs to be cut outside with a hole saw or can be cut In the beginning before assembly.. there will be three DC holes coming from the cabinet along the outside as seen in the picture below.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

The interior hole was measured using the round diameter and can be cut with a jigsaw, scroll saw or band saw. The hole is cut smaller to allow sanding at the edge sander to close the hole up on an angle. The could be done several way. A oscillating sander for example... ]


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

So I guess we are now ready to make the 45 degree dados for the shelves. These will be how dust is extracted to the bottom DC..


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Sometime when I want to sneak up on a tight fit I'll leave the dado blades off and just use the saw blade. A router bit could be used as well. Here I'm just going too sneak up on the dado with my factory miter guage. Making sure I have a left and right for each opening. When completed you will eventually be able to slide the pieces in , which will lead to the DC


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Now did you measure everything correctly.? Making all pieces for the interior of the cabinet exactly the same as you need 3 of each?

Santa is watching. If you fib now, it could put you on the naughty list....


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

At this point you should be dry fit the internals inside the cabinet. If all is well, you can add a triangle to the center with a hole. You can fit it before or after assembly, glue it in and bondo this to make dust collection a smooth transition.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

At this point the wheels can be put on, internals glued in place. You can run the remainder of pipe to the outside of the cabinet. You can use a jigsaw, in my case used a hole saw..


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

At this point doors can be fitted.Depending on the hinge , you may need additional support glued and added where needed..I have a habit of finding Ebay hinges at a good price and save them for odd ball projects...


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

At this point you can mount the plexyglass or you can do it at a later time as well...


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Here you can see a switch for power. A toggle or a switch and wire suitable to power the routers. This is a good place for a safety switch.... There are 3 routers in this cabinet and will need 3 power switches installed. This can be done now or later.....


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

I was looking at the last photo and realized it was a cabinet I made going down stairs for things my brother sends me from over seas. Guess after 15 years I should finish it..


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Well it looks like we have a cabinet assembled. Time to sand and prepare for paint. In this case I decided to use⬇.....I used little pieces corner blocks in the corners of the door openings. This will give the doors a stop when closed...


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

So there you have it. One completed base for a router cabinet. You could paint this many colors. Milwaukee, Dewalt, Bosch, etc. Im a Delta fan so the color was just fine for me


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

Like like your "3 ganged routers" onto a single base cabinet, but how is that any different than the "3 ganged tablesaws" like I made? You didn't think that was such a great idea in a different thread:


Rebelwork said:


> I dont have three ganged table saws. That's woodnthings.
> I'm a retired pro. We don't combine saws...


So, it's OK to combine routers? Of course you can because it saves floor space, dust collection attachments, wiring 3 different bases, and most of all it saves changing out cutters/blades. Exactly one of the main reasons I combined the 3 saws. Router settings are a royal pain to get back exactly the same, height and depths for making duplicate parts or redos. It's time consuming and tedious, so a very good idea! ...... even for a home shop.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

If I were making cabinet doors again, that is the way I would go, it saves tons of time in set up. Thanks for showing us your build, I appreciate it.

Reb, you have a lot of the same tools I have, I see you are a Senco fan and I even see a Plumb hammer there. They were my favorite when they were made right.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

woodnthings said:


> Like like your "3 ganged routers" onto a single base cabinet, but how is that any different than the "3 ganged tablesaws" like I made? You didn't think that was such a great idea in a different thread:
> 
> So, it's OK to combine routers? Of course you can because it saves floor space, dust collection attachments, wiring 3 different bases, and most of all it saves changing out cutters/blades. Exactly one of the main reasons I combined the 3 saws. Router settings are a royal pain to get back exactly the same, height and depths for making duplicate parts or redos. It's time consuming and tedious, so a very good idea! ...... even for a home shop.


3 routers are not the same as 3 tablesaws. Would you like me to explain this too you?

Better yet.... create a topic and we will discuss it...


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

BigJim said:


> If I were making cabinet doors again, that is the way I would go, it saves tons of time in set up. Thanks for showing us your build, I appreciate it.
> 
> Reb, you have a lot of the same tools I have, I see you are a Senco fan and I even see a Plumb hammer there. They were my favorite when they were made right.


When I worked for Gary White cabinets he also built houses. I was helping them hang sheetrock and I kept coming off the nail and gouging the sheetrock. Gary took a look at the sheetrock and said his wife could do a better job. Took a look at my hammer, a $3 Kmart hammer and said that's your problem. Handed me a Craftsman hammer and it was night and day. Never go back to a cheap hammer. Quality does make a difference...


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## B Coll (Nov 2, 2019)

Rebelwork said:


> Will do a break down on its construction for those interested..
> View attachment 422525
> View attachment 422526


Very cool. I remember seeing spindle shapers like this. One for cope, one for stick, one panel raiser. Great job!


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)




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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

There won't be too much on making a top. Everybody has there formula professional or not.

In this case I bought a sheet of PB from Home Depot. I can tell because it printed on.

Looking at the pattern you should know what size to make the top..

You did make a pattern right?


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Deciding on how to make the top? I made it out of two layers of 3/4 PB. You could chose to make it from one layer and beef up perimeter and center. Highlighted in red ⬇


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Did I hear mumbling about Particle board for the top rather than plywood?

*Well.......*


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

On the top I used 3/4 maple but any hardwood will due. If you use softwood it could be dent between laminate and wood and crack a nice job in seconds. Hardwood takes a lickng and keeps on ticking.

I ran a core bit down the middle as I wanted a clear line to be painted to give me quick reference of the edge. Something I need with age these days.

Then laminate is applied and routed. I the took a bevel bit and smoothed the edges..


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

So we now have a top , edge banded with hardwood, routed and covered in laminate. I used cheap Rousseau plates and routed accordingly. I made patterns first and tested the cuts and made them just under the desired depth. You don't want the plate proud by any means. Better under tHan over allows you to sneak up on the desired settings..

Using a PC plunge router, template guide and a plunge bit I plug the bit to the setting on the router positioning the template three times in the correct position using the pattern as a guide line.

With the three router plate holes routed. I now take a jigsaw and cut the reminder of unwanted waste. Test fit and install the router plates...At this point the top can be set on the router cabinet and check that everything is as the pattern suggest...

At this time I'm looking at a future a aluminum miter slot. You can mount it at this time or wait till you have the fence up to determine the best spot..


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

I'll try my best to explain my Frankenstein router fence setup. It's 3 in 1 and figured on the size of the table....it was figured for safety.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

.....


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

First thing to do is decide the dust collection. For me I went with standard 3" pipe. I first layed out a triangle, measuring the 3" coupler sizes and marked my holes.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

Rebelwork said:


> I'll try my best to explain my Frankenstein router fence setup. It's 3 in 1 and figured on the size of the table....it was figured for safety.


"Fluffy", not "Frankenstein."


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

I know that I will add a 3/4 bottom and what ever is left after the coupling hole I'll clip that section off making the hub as small as possible.

You can use a jigsaw.scroll saw or hole saw to make the hole. I suggest making it tight so assembly makes it easier when it comes time..


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

At this point you have a hub. You'll now need to make a top to fit the hub. You'll again need a 3 + or - hole to take the 3" coupler in the top piece. This hole is where router debris will be ejected from the machine to you Dust collector from the the top of the router table....


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Here looking again at the hub. You will need to 3 bolts to secure the top/lid to the DC. You want this removable in case debris clogs the opening. This can easily hapen on a raised panel bit. Nothings perfect so you want to think ahead.

You want to put the new top we just made on top. Careful to position it were needed. Sometimes hot glue or tape could be used to hold the piece in place.

You can hand drill this or use a drill press to drill through #1 the top pice and #2 the hub....

You now want a drill bit the size required a hanger bolt. You want it long enough to secure it into the hub and yet long enough to stick above the upper top plate. Once drilled you can install the hanger bolts. There are many ways to is tall hanger bolts. I won't a dress this at this time.

With the hanger bolts installed. The tip plate with the DC port hole installed on top,and the hanger bolts penetrating through the top with enough threads showing you can now install the nuts. In my case I used black plastic brass thread nuts...


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Here you can see I have installed a bottom. It has 3 places to mount. I don't recommend threaded inserts but rather bolt through the top. You can use threaded inserts but beware they have a tendency to raise the grain we installed stalled which could deform the top. So be careful.

You can see were on the second picture high lighted in hot pink..


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

So here we have a 1/4×1/4 piece that has been added on for a blast gate. Once you have decided the size you can make all the blast gates at one time. The blast gates are the same for the entire cabinet. You will need three pieces for each bladt gate. You will need 12 left/rights and 6 bottom pieces...Just remember to allow for paint.

Try not to get carried away with over doing the paint and making it too thick. They will have trouble sliding.

Remember sometimes less is more...Unless you have a heavy hand..


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

So with the 1/4 applied, the blast gate made to size a back plate was installed. A threaded insert is installed in the back of the blast gate housing


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Here you can see I've added the front cover to the blast gate.I also used a threaded insert which a thumb screw. So there are two threaded inserts in parallel so I can raise the blast gate and hold it up so it doesn't block the DC hole.

I used 1/2 Baltic Birch for this. Wait....... did I hear applause for use of Baltic birch...

As you can see the baffle with couplers. Another coupler will be added later for exhaust from the router chips to there final destination...


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Here we have the top for the baffle. I enjoy the scroll saw, but I bet I haven't used it twice in 10 years..


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

When I was designing the router table I tried to keep safety in mind. I went to the farm and garden supply and purchase several tractor axle U bolts 🚜 

I found they worked perfectly in my setup⬇


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

As you can see...


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

I've got t pull up more photos then I'll complete this . Thanks for looking..


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

If the rain continues I'll try and do some more.


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

looks like Mr Bean is aproving of your every move - as am I.

unfortunately, i think i could have 5 routers set up, and i would have to tear one down for a different bit or set up again... but you machine would certainly help!


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

I made mine because of space plus I could afford to buy a lot on Weaver shapers and didn't eat anymore than roughly 3sq ft...


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

I've got to drag this table out just to get the router bits out. I need to send them in for sharpening. At one time I used a Jacobs routercollet. It worked but scary...I finally removed it..

Anybody still using Jacobs routercollets?


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## allpurpose (Mar 24, 2016)

How did I miss this on my summer reading list? 
Very informative and entertaining as well. I'd ask where the candy machine is during intermission ,but I cut all the sweets out of my diet except for the obligatory 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in my first cup of coffee in the morning. 
I really should build one of these dohickies, but I'd have to let all the grass outside keep growing and sell the riding mower for the space in the shop..


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

I drug the unit out yesturday. I'm going to clean it up and check the bits to see if they need wharpening. Not really doing doors anymore but might just leave the tongue and groove bits in it.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

The trickiest part for me was combining everything in a short space. The fence lock down and supports..


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Once the fence plate has been squared into position , i used threaded inserts to attach it..







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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

In these pictures you can see I've cut out for DC and have bolted it to the table.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

I finally took a look at the routers. I pulled the Dewalt 625 and changed it to a Freud FT2000E and its held up well. I cant stand Freud router bits , but the router has he has up well running a raised panel bit..


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