home made router table question

[simmo72]

I'm wanting to put together a router table.
I have an insert (10mm thick plastic job with rare earth magnets) from CarbaTec and a Triton TRA001 and intend to use 2 x 16mm MDF 600mm by 900mm sheets glued together as the table top.

1. I have read about using melamine on both the top and bottom (for slidiness and in order to balance?) the table but do not understand - does MDF move?

1.1. Do I need to balance the table top?

2. Can I finish the sanded MDF table top with polyurethane or something similar (ubeaut wax?) to get a (relatively) frictionless table top? I want to be able to see if there evidence (scratching) of an uneven surface).

2.1. It will be a jig type table top, when it gets too scratched I'll replace it with a dedicated surface material but it will have routed grooves for jigs and mitre track in the top panel..

3. what would any home brewers suggest for a simple solution to tis problem?

[Harry72]

Balancing in this situation is not needed(that I know of anyway?).

[David L]

It would be a good idea to seal it all round with a couple of coats of poly to keep moisture out, then after sanding smooth give it a coat of wax to make it slippy

[shep1]

simmo
the theory with melamine on both top and bottom is that it will eliminate the potential for moisture to enter the mdf. If only one side is protected there is a possibility of cupping or bowing depending which side you are looking at. My experience with router tables is that you want them dead flat and to stay that way. Waterproofing the faces & edges with poly as David L suggests also works in the same way.
Shep

[dazzler]

Here is an interesting thread on tops.

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=37238&page=2&highlight=router

and here is a link to a top finished with Tung/poly and wax.

http://www.patwarner.com/router_table.html

This is how I did mine and it has been serviceable for about 2 years.

cheers

dazzler

[simmo72]

Thanks David L, shep1 and dazzler.
Answered and enhanced. Didn't think about the underside like that. Thought maybe the trend was to flip it over, plane and re-use the other side.

Cheers,

Simmo.