Thread: Router table question

Originally Posted by sam63

Then I have done a rough calculation, and I presume I need another $200 for the rest of the material plus the time.

Not if you build it out of MDF, should be lots cheaper than that I would think.

Just did a quick calculation on the cost of my home made router table. $1500.00. this includes
Triton router
Custom laminated top to my specs.
Ground aluminium router plate with inserts.(will take 3 1/4" bit)
Triton switch.
Incra Ultra 16 system.
Incra split system joinery fence.
20mm HMWPE faces for fence.
MDF for cabinet.
Adjustable feet for leveling.

Bear in mind I use this table a hell of a lot so I put a lot into it. There's nothing worse than a router table that won't micro-adjust or wont give consistent accurate results. I couldn't buy what I wanted so I made my own. With routing there is no such thing as near enough. Well IMHO anyway.

I saw a GMC router table complete with router for $299 at Mitrio . Not sure of the quality , didn't look at it closely , but it would be a very good starting point .

Originally Posted by sam63

..... what is the advantage of building it from a scratch?

Depends, is woodworking your hobby or do you do it for a living?

I reckon that I can build one that will be better than the same thing that I could buy for the same $ IF & only if I don't include my labour bearing in mind that I can get $99/hour for after hours work 'cos that's when I would be building it.

If I chose to work weekends, I could buy some spithot gear but when would I use it?

I reckon I'd have more fun building a router table in my shed next to my fridge than I would fixing some cranky old codger's computer.

ok, sam,

you have the triton router, now go out an dbuy the triton router table. you said you have never used one before, so at this point you dont really know what you want it to do. the triton table is pretty good for what it is and reasonably cheap, and portable too ( personally i love the portable bit). but i know htere are better ones out there.

Once you have this table you will be able to identify the good and bad features of it and other tables and gain an insight into what you would want to build into your own table if you decide to go that way, and if you do build your own table then you will find that you can sell the triton table for a pretty good price secondhand anyway. but if you find the triton is adequate for your purposes keep it and enjoy it.

thats my opinion fwiw

dbuy? is that something you do on ebay? :confused:

Maybe he could buy one second hand from somebody who has already seen the error of their ways, opps... I mean, had the benifit of finding the things they don't like.

Originally Posted by Cliff Rogers

dbuy? is that something you do on ebay? :confused:

Cliff its a stupid comment like that which started the other thread that is running wild, are you trying to do the same here just in case the other one is closed down???.

Errrr..... No?


I did add a sensible (but low) dig at Triton.

G'Day All,
Sam63, recently bought a ryobi Home Workshop, 254mm table saw/router table/jig saw combination setup, I had to supply my own router so as the old one was Kaput, I got a nice 3hp Hitachi to go with it. The only thing I have found so far that is against it, is the out feed side of the table is virtually non-existant, but I intend to make an extension table soon as I finish the renovations and get back into my woodwork as a hobby. The old one was a B&D pressed metal thing, that you would now only pick-up at the local $2 shop or garage sale, I inherited it from my Dad. The top flexed when I put even the smallest amout of pressure onto the job to feed it into the bit, it wasn't really a safe piece of gear, and I tossed it to the tip (wouldn't even give it away) due to this reason. I'm not saying to buy one or anything like that, just a bit of insight to another make and model that's out there.
savage.

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for the replies. I do not think I can justify spending $$$$ as a weekend woodworker. I take your suggestions and get something cheaper as a start. Can you tell me how these off the shelf router tables rate when it comes to accuracy in particular fence and mitre gauge accuracy?


Cheers
Sam

Originally Posted by sam63

Can you tell me how these off the shelf router tables rate when it comes to accuracy in particular fence and mitre gauge accuracy?

Sam

THe Triton table has a couple of issues but the fence is excellent, including micro-adjusters planing shims etc. the mitre gauge is fairly accurate and adjutable

Sam63, to clarify (or justify) my router table and to define routertables in general let me say the following.

For most general use a simple flat table with a hole cut in it for the bit and the router nounted underneath, combined with a straight piece of board with a bit clearance hole in it will do a hell of a lot of your routing requirements. This is what I used for a long time and a lot of woodies use similar or slightly more sophisticated versions of it.
You can then step up to insert plates, routerlifts (if your router doesn't have one built in), better fence etc. The sky is the limit, some of the routerlifts are worth the proverbial "arm & a leg". I use the adjustment on my Triton router as is because I'm usually on my knees anyway, reading the vernier height gauge that I set my cutter height with.
My taste in woodwork involves "old fashioned" style furniture with elaborate mouldings sometimes requiring up to 5 passes with different bits. Now when you are using timber worth 8-10 grand a cube and you've spent some time on a piece, the last thing you need is to stuff up a job because you couldnt set the cut accurate to the last poofteenth, or you were taking the face off the timber and didn't have accurate offset fences.

Well thats the story I used on SWMBO anyway.

Originally Posted by sam63

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for the replies. I do not think I can justify spending $$$$ as a weekend woodworker. I take your suggestions and get something cheaper as a start. Can you tell me how these off the shelf router tables rate when it comes to accuracy in particular fence and mitre gauge accuracy?


Cheers
Sam

Wash your mouth out with soap and water. It is exactly this attitude that makes it hard for us genuine wasters of money to gain approval from the treasury for additional purchases.

Just ask us, we can all give you endless reasons to justify the purchase of anything you need.

Just ask us, we can all give you endless reasons to justify the purchase of anything you need.

For example, when the router is in the table it's much easier to have a second router to do free hand stuff, and if you need to do a lot of work with different bits then you need more routers to save you the hassle of switching back and forth.. (thats my story and I'm sticking to it)