and now... Fletty's router table

[fletty]

The forum has lately been littered with posts on some stunning router tables and the downside to this is that I became disatisfied with my own! I made my old router table (pic1) about 5 years ago as a temporary arrangement "until I made a proper one". To save floor space, I built it into my table saw extension and mounted it on some aluminium angle that I screwed to the saw rail extensions (pic2). After making a mess of some fine beading, I realised that the table had 'slumped' so I attached the hardwood cleats front and back. This worked for a while until I needed to adjust the levelling screws to their maximum height and was rapidly running out of further adjustment. All this time I also bemoaned the lack of a mitre track .... so the new table was born!
I created a frame which had deep rebates at front and back to become the edging of the laminated ply top (pic3) and the lower piece of the 2 piece ply top was dadoed to capture the heads of 6 t-track bolts that would be used to mount the whole table on the same angles.The lower piece of ply was glued and screwed to the frame (pic5) ....

[fletty]

....the top piece of ply was glued and screwed to the lower but the screws were only placed where the router plate cut-out would be (pic6) and the whole thing covered with white formica (pic7).
I made up some router guides so that I could use a pattern following bit and pic8 shows a piece of mitre track sandwiched between the guides. Pic9 shows the router making the first pass for the mitre track dado. The same guides were then used to frame the router plate (pic10) and, to support the router, I temporarily glued a block to the router base (pic11) that was the same thickness as the guides.
I only routed the area that would become the rebate for the plate (pic12) .........

[fletty]

... the pattern follower bit gave a very clean and accurate cut as shown in pic13 and now ...
pic14 shows the home made plate fitted to use my Gifkin jig, note the 2 switches for the 2 routers (when I find the second one which is still "in a safe place' in the second bedroom!!), The dust collector is mounted to the main table via a pair of magswitches.
pic15 shows the 'standard' router plate using the table saw fence as a guide and pic16 shows the standard set up.
and now to make the cross slide but that will be another post, another day...
Fletty

[munruben]

Pretty good fletty. Thats one thing I got to get round to when I get clear of all the work that I haven't finished yet.:)

[damienhazo]

Well done mate. Lovely. Good on ya for taking the time to document the process and make a thread of it.

Happy routing!

[artme]

Good one Fletty!:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

[wheelinround]

Howd I miss this one nice work Fletty

[artme]

Nicely done mate!:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:
A great littl tutorial too!:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

[fletty]

....... note the 2 switches for the 2 routers (when I find the second one which is still "in a safe place' in the second bedroom......

The second bedroom today gave up its secret, the second router has been found, oh joy, oh happiness .....

Fletty

[Rookie]

Okay, I'm inspired. Nice work. I get increasingly frustrated with my router table, which is at the end of my TS, not being exactly being level with the TS. I've been meaning to do something about it for a while. Even have a big chunk of kitchen benchtop sitting there waiting.

Must get to the workshop before I get sidetracked.

[wheelinround]

So now do you make a 2nd table or use one for hand held

[fletty]

So now do you make a 2nd table or use one for hand held


Nup, it went straight into the second hole on my router plate made to go with the Gifkin jig .... and it was making little dovetailed boxes at midnight
..... does it get any better than that?

PS, how was the ornamental turning ... or have you been chucked out for bringing undesirable nonturners into the cave again!
Fletty

[wheelinround]

Wow double Barrel Routing
Faster than Quick Draw Mcgraw

No not kicked out of OTGA a since I have joined I have brought two new members with me.

Both Female :D