Another router table post

[Grizz]

Ok, I know that this topic seems to be covered extensively in this forum, but I was watching the Router Workshop on the Woodworking Channel and noticed that their tables are very simple. No t-track, simple fences and lots of different jigs to do things with. So, has anyone else out there got a dead simple table with no bells and whistles? Does it work/do you intend to keep it that way? And, does anyone know what the mounting plates are made from on that show?

Many thanks,

Grizz.

[Tex B]

Grizz,

You did ask for it. No bells or whistles. Embarrassingly poor workmanship really. Sides are from a bench seat I found when we bought the house, top is melamine, base is perspex (router slipped when I was cutting the circle and I've never bothered to fix it) on/off switch a bodgy rig from a cheap fixture. The 'fence' is a bit of hardwood screwed to a bit of ply. A bolt keeps one corner in place, the fence adjusts to where it needs to be, and a clamp makes sure it doesn't move. After using this for about four years, I enclosed the thing with thin MDF, added a dust port at the back, and figured out if I screwed a 4x2 to the bottom, I could clamp it in the B&D WorkMate in about 5 seconds.

I have no plans to upgrade, as it does everything I want it to do so far, although it does not do anything elegantly. Kind of like me in that regard.

Tex

[Bodgy]

Having used Tex's table, I'd have to agree that it does the job, no probs. It also is not such a sorry looking thing in the flesh, as the photos suggest.

The swiveling fence is a great idea.

Only two things I'd want in addition are:

a) a method of raising from above the table
B) a mitre guide.

The second is notoriously difficult to implement, even my flash Jet table insert doesn't have it.

[Tex B]

It also is not such a sorry looking thing in the flesh, as the photos suggest.

High praise indeed. I am humbled.

Tex

[duckman]

Grizz,

You did ask for it. No bells or whistles. Embarrassingly poor workmanship really. Sides are from a bench seat I found when we bought the house, top is melamine, base is perspex (router slipped when I was cutting the circle and I've never bothered to fix it) on/off switch a bodgy rig from a cheap fixture. The 'fence' is a bit of hardwood screwed to a bit of ply.
<snip>
Tex

I love your minimalist approach, Tex. :) I've been contemplating doing something similar for a while now. I have a Triton router table and although I'm very happy with it, I want more room in my workshop and also the ability to take my router, in a table, out on site when needed. Enclosing the underside of the table as you've done for dust collection purposes is also a great idea.

A few questions if I may.

How thick is the perspex?
How is the router attached to the perspex?
How is the perspex attached to the table top? Gravity perhaps?

Cheers,

Mark.

[Tex B]

Duckman,

How thick is the perspex? 5 or 6mm I'd say. You just need enough to hold the router without sagging, but the opening is not much bigger than the router, maybe 2 or 3 mm all around, so you don't need much thickness. Just rout out the top of the melamine to fit.


How is the router attached to the perspex? Drilled holes in the perspex, countersunk, had to get slightly longer screws to attach the router. Take off the baseplate that comes with the router, and screw the perspex to the router instead.

How is the perspex attached to the table top? Gravity perhaps? Gravity it is. I've never done anything that puts any upward pressure on the perspex, so it just sits there.

Guys, I am not bragging about this cheap thing, just answering Grizz's question about anyone having a dead simple, no bells table. Kind of embarrassed about putting the pics up here, with all the really cool router tables others have made or bought. But it works and I have no plan to upgrade.

Patrick Speilman has some good ideas in his router books, and some designs for some simple tables as well, might be worth a look if you want a stable base for an inverted router on the cheap.

Tex

[duckman]

Duckman,

How thick is the perspex? 5 or 6mm I'd say.
Sensational. I've got quite a bit of perspex that's around 6mm thick. It came from a former branch of the ANZ bank. Used to keep you and me away from the tellers.;)

You just need enough to hold the router without sagging, but the opening is not much bigger than the router, maybe 2 or 3 mm all around, so you don't need much thickness. Just rout out the top of the melamine to fit.
Excellent. I was thinking along those lines but had never gotten around to trying it out.


How is the router attached to the perspex? Drilled holes in the perspex, countersunk, had to get slightly longer screws to attach the router. Take off the baseplate that comes with the router, and screw the perspex to the router instead.
Do you ever take the router of the table and use it hand held with the perspex sub-base still attached? I've been thinking that if I did a good enough job of cutting and attaching such a sub-base that it would be possible and practical to do that. For me, as I currently only have the one router, that would be a very convenient way of mounting it.


How is the perspex attached to the table top? Gravity perhaps? Gravity it is. I've never done anything that puts any upward pressure on the perspex, so it just sits there.
This gets better and better. ;) For some unknown reason, whenever I've seen routers that are 'held down' by gravity, I've always imagined them being pulled upwards by me feeding timber past them. Perhaps I should stop thinking about a new router table and just get stuck in and build one.:)


Guys, I am not bragging about this cheap thing, just answering Grizz's question about anyone having a dead simple, no bells table. Kind of embarrassed about putting the pics up here, with all the really cool router tables others have made or bought. But it works and I have no plan to upgrade.
I for one, am glad you did. And if it ain't broke, why try to fix it?:)

Thanks for all that info, Tex.

Cheers,

Mark.

[Tex B]

Mark,

When I use the router outside the table, I unscrew it and put the old base back on. Two reasons for this. One, the router won't fit through the hole in the table. So I have to unscrew it anyway to get it out of the table. Second, the perspex piece is kind of big to be used as a base. It would interfere with other jigs, and be kind of like routing with a piece of ply attached to the router.

Mostly that router lives in the table (though it was out when I took the pics). It is an old, big, heavy router, and I recently picked up a slightly used Festool 1010 for handheld work, which is a pure joy to use.

I'd say build your table, no more excuses. As long as the table is dead flat, the fence can be adjusted and fixed, and the router bit can stick out the top, you should have a workable router table that will last for many years. Then you can add, improve, and adjust to suit your work and budget.

Tex

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Top Ten Reasons I Procrastinate:

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[Grizz]

Thanks Tex. That is one good router table. You have inspired me to make my own now. I was always putting it off because I didn't think I had the necessary skills yet to build my own. Yours has convinced me to work on the KISS principle and I like that.

Grizz.

[Tex B]

Yes Grizz. You can clearly see how very little skill is required to build a workable router table.

Man, this is embarrassing.

Tex

[aniceone2hold]

When Bob and Rick Rosendahl introduced the world to router mounting plates back in 1981 they used a 1/4" thick phenolic plate that was 7" square. The current mounting plates are still 1/4" phenolic and measure 11" square. So far all routers have been able to mount to this plate without modification. The Router Workshop mounting plate has a 1-1/2" center hole and they produce their own guide bushings to fit. The Vac-U-Plate system adds a special trough that mounts to the table and does not interfere with router removal for adjustments. This is a very popular system here. The most popular mounting plate size in the US is the 12" x 9" design used by Rousseau, Trend, and Woodpeckers. Other brand names have slight variations on this size. Since the majority of your work will be done on the edge of your wood a simple fence and a safety pin covers most jobs with ease. Here is a photo of my first table with a Rousseau mounting plate. I havent run across anything it cant handle.