Thread: Router Top in Table Saw

Chris, been thinking the same thing myself, I have a jet supersaw and I am in the thinking stage of making it from chip board with a couple of stiffeners underneath and nice shiney laminex on top.
I think your fence idea is good and the whole thing with the TS fence gone will make a great BIG router table.
I will be interested in your results.
I gotta get rid of the Triton router table now.

This idea came about due to a stuff up on my part. I put the saw on casters and when we tried to move it, the damn thing is heavy one end and wants to fall over. So my idea is to put a rolling cabinet in the open area between the fences up to the underneath of the rails and this will stabilise it and the whole lot will roll around. That leaves the depth of the rails up to the height of the TS deck. I am going to build a router top to sit on top of the cabinet about 70mm thick. The top will definitely be a torsion box for rigidity with a drop Auluminium or phenolic router plate and I will screw the top to the top of the cabinet.

My biggest problem is where to site the router itself within the top. The natural thought is to put it in the middle, but I am not sure. I am a short a*** and I suspect it will be to far away from me for good control. I am thinking towards the rear rail so this puts the fence at my right and bringing it towards the infeed end of the table so this puts it close to the operater. I am starting the building of the cabinet today and will make a final decision on the router palcement when that is finished.

Chris

That sounds like a great idea for the fence. I guess you mean to use the existing track on the saw table for the adjustment. Might borrow that if I may - am about to set up a second hand table saw which has two extension pieces, and was going to replace the middle one with a router table. I know a dedicated one is probably the ideal but when space is at a premium it has to be the next best option. You have given me food for thought. Thanks.

Chris
I have added a router table to my Supersaw and thought the my photos may be of interest.

I brought the router table top from Professional Woodworkers Supplies together with the "T" and Mitre track. Most of the fence I made myself. I attached the top by using Aluminum angle and shimed it to achieve a perfect flat top.

What may be of interest to you is the very handy draw I attached under the top. So so handy with all the tools close to hand.

Hope the photos help

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Originally Posted by Mini

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My biggest problem is where to site the router itself within the top. The natural thought is to put it in the middle, but I am not sure. I am a short a*** and I suspect it will be to far away from me for good control.

Now come on Chris your not that short I had to look up to you didn't I

A solution for all you short A blokes a pallet floor for you to stand on raises you up about 4 to 6 inches.
Have seen these in many a workshop just make sure all boards are together and no gaps easy to slid around if need be also saves your ankles and feet from cold and legs from cramps being on concrete. If you don't weant to tackle pulling the boards off pallets etc make one up using chipboard flooring with grabholes and or something to grab and lift it with.
This will give you better access to you table bench etc.

I would put the router slightly off center so that if you are doing small stuf you can work from one side of the table and easily reach the bit but if you need to do larger sized panels you can work from the other side of the saw and have a large working area. Should be too hard to make the fence so that it can be turned around.

I put the centre of my router plate (phenolic ex PWS) 350mm from the edge of the router table, then there is 50mm between the edge of the router plate and the mitre track.
I'm a short-ass too and find that 350mm is about right it also gives me enough room to run the Incra mitre gauge in the mitre track.

I think these measurements were suggested by Gwhat somewhere, but I can't find the post anymore!

Originally Posted by Mini

I am going to put my router table in the space where the fences overhang on my TS. I have been thinking about this for a while and have the idea to run the direction of feed across the table saw thus not being able to use the TS fence. The reason I am considering this is that it gives me a built in outfeed table. I can remove the TS fence in about 5 seconds flat and put on a quick fit router fence, one clamp, pivoted on one end with a pin and a track with a T bolt or some such at the free end. To use it I will just drop the TS blade below the table and lift the guard. Comments please.

I've been planning to do this too. I think one of the advantages (apart from saved floor space) is that you could use the router either way - either feeding across - or along onto the TS top.

I strongly recommend using a swivelling fence on a router. I have one on my existing router table. I fitted a couple of internal threaded inserts into the table top in a couple of different positions and just drop a threaded rod (with a black handle) through one end of the fence and into the insert. Then swivel it to adjust the cut position and use a clamp on the free end.

On a TS extension, you could do it this way, or fit your fence up against the TS fence and use it that way if needed. Or use the extra space over the saw for an Incra jig. This is why I'm doing it. Maximum verstaility.

Don't get caught up in thinking that a router fence has to be square to anything - unless you are using a mitre gauge - in which case it has to be square to the fence. But I've never felt the need to use a mitre gauge on a router.



A very versatile arrangement.

Doug Stowe uses that swiveling fence arrangement on his router table.

There are applications for using a mitre gauge on the router table, rail and stile (cope and stick to seppos!) comes to mind. Any application where the work needs to firmly held in place benefits from being clamped to a mitre gauge.

Originally Posted by waikune

I brought the router table top from Professional Woodworkers Supplies together with the "T" and Mitre track.

G'day Waikune,

On the t/top from PWS you've got a mitre track in the top there, I'm trying to work out which is best?

• T-Track Gold comes in at 1220 lengths which is good for because my r/table will be 1100 wide, it also takes 1/4 track products.

• the mitre track is the norm but only comes in at 915mm lengths, unless there's now a longer length.

If I go option 1 I'll be fabricating my on mitre sled, if I go option 2, I could use an off the shelf variety.

Anyone got an opinion on the better?

Originally Posted by jaspr

Don't get caught up in thinking that a router fence has to be square to anything - unless you are using a mitre gauge - in which case it has to be square to the fence. But I've never felt the need to use a mitre gauge on a router.

I said this but on reflection, a mitre gauge doesn't need to be square to the fence either.

On the use of mitre gauges, per se, I've never found the need for one. For end grain routing, I use a coping jig that runs against the fence. It has a toggle clamp for holding the wood securely. Either that or the right angle attachment that comes with the Incra jigs.

But I know a lot of people use one. I've always thought it was just out of habit, because that is what they do on their TS. One of the risks is that the trench helps to weaken the table top and encourage sagging. So, if using one, pay particular attention to having a sag free table. The weight of a big router like the Triton 3 1/4hp puts a lot of downward pressure on the top.

Originally Posted by Waldo

G'day Waikune,

On the t/top from PWS you've got a mitre track in the top there, I'm trying to work out which is best?

• T-Track Gold comes in at 1220 lengths which is good for because my r/table will be 1100 wide, it also takes 1/4 track products.

• the mitre track is the norm but only comes in at 915mm lengths, unless there's now a longer length.

If I go option 1 I'll be fabricating my on mitre sled, if I go option 2, I could use an off the shelf variety.

Anyone got an opinion on the better?

I would still go the mitre track way, just use 2 lengths, no reason not to join them.

G'day,

Spoke to Grahame at PWS yesterday and I'll be using the mitre track. I've also ordered a mitre track slide so I can make a few jigs to run in the track.

Originally Posted by jaspr

So, if using one, pay particular attention to having a sag free table. The weight of a big router like the Triton 3 1/4hp puts a lot of downward pressure on the top.

I think table tops sag because there is no design forethought. Build a carcass and bung a top on it leaves the top prone to sagging and thicker tops may exacerbate the problem solely from the weight of the top itself. I can think of at least two methods to prevent it, I myself am building a torsion box and I bet that doesn't bend or sag.