It’s as easy to use and build as it is to construct.
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in American Woodworker’s March 2008 issue. Adjusting for inflation, the correct title would be Router Table
Sometimes, less really is more. Take router tables for instance. Its not at all difficult to ring up a tab for a manufactured router table, complete with a new router, loaded with convenience, durability, adjustability, and precision.
The best thing about a router is the fact that it can convert a portable powertool into a stationary one, which I find compelling. It also expands its versatility and utility.
It is easy to lift the motor and change bits by tilting the tabletop.
A router table is simple to construct and very affordable without compromising functionality. A basic table is just as versatile, precise and simple to use as one made by the grandees, but it costs far less.
The fence can be adjusted by one side only using integral clamps. Big plastic wing nuts are easy on the fingers.
Ive just finished a router table (excluding the router). I bought most of the materials and hardware at a local home center.
You can improve the safety of your router tables with shop-made reducers at almost no cost.
Theres no router mounting plate to buy; the router attaches directly to the hinged top.
FEATURE PACKED
Dust collection is integrated into the fence and under table.
This is no bare-bones table, its packed with great features such as an easy to adjust zero-clearance fence with sacrificial faces, an offset router mounting that allows you to use more of the table for work support, table inserts to accommodate different bit sizes, a tilt top for easy access to the router and quick bit changes (even with a plunge router), and built-in dust collection.
The adjustable fence faces can be adjusted on either side and have four faces that you can turn over if the ends become chewed up.
Of course theres a host of enhancements to the basic router table including enhanced dust collection below the table, a front-mounted switch, and even bit storage.
A router located at an offset location allows you to access the router from your home for most router-table operations.
All these add-ons are covered at the end of the article.
For a large offset, flip the fence to the back of the top. The extra support is ideal for panel raising.
100€ Router Table Cutting List
Overall Dimensions: 61 cm D x 91 cm W x 34-
Part Qty. Dimensions Material
A Tabletop 1 3/10cm x 61cm x 91cm MDF
B Frame front/back 2 3/10 cm x 2
C Frame ends 2 3/10 cm x 2
D Stretchers 2 3/10 cm x 1 3/10 cm x 17 1/20 cm hardwood
E Legs 4 1 1/10 cm x 2 1/10 cm x 84 cm 2 x 6
F Side aprons 2 3/10 cm x 41 cm x 15 3/41 cm plywood
G Back apron 1 3/10 cm x 13 1/20 cm x 29 3/41 cm plywood
H Bottom 1 3/10 cm x 18 15/41 cm x 29 3/41 cm plywood
J Edge band 1 3/10 cm x 1/10 cm x 29 3/41 cm 2 x 6
K Fence base 1 3/10cm x 3
L Fixed face 1 3/10cm x 3
M Sliding faces 2 3/10 cm x 10 cm x 61 cm MDF
N Dust pickup block 3/3/10 cm x3
Cap for dust pickup 1 1/10 cm x 3.
Q Clamp jaws 2 1
Miter ends at 87
Bevel edges at 3
Cut from scrap
Stack and glue
BUILD THE BASE
After 26 lumber has been seasoned for at least two weeks, cut the leg blanks (F).
Cut 3-degree compound miters on the tops and bottoms of the legs. All the cuts are made with the head tilted 3- degrees. Divide the legs into 2-pairs consisting of one front and one back leg.
Cut the plywood panels (G-J). First, crosscut a 30-3/4-in. Take a piece of plywood and cut it into pieces. Rip it into a 19- in. wide piece for the bottom, a 13-in. Wide piece for the bottom, a 13-in. wide piece for the side aprons. Crosscut the side-aprons piece in half.
Turn the tablesaw blade 3 degrees and make a bevel at the four corners of the bottom panel. This will reduce it to its final length of 1/8 in. shy of its final width.
FIGURE A EXPLODED SIGHT
Glue a 1/8-in. Glue a 1/8-in strip of solid wood to be attached to the front edge. After the glues have dried, trim flush.
DETAIL 1 CLAMP BOLOCK
Return the tablesaw blade to 90- degrees and set the miter gauge to 3- degrees. The tapered ends of the back and side panels should be cut.
Place biscuit slots markings on the ends and sides of the back and side aprons. Transfer the marks to the marks by aligning the legs with the apron.
1. Glue and clamp the two side assemblies. Use the offcuts from tapering the aprons as cauls so the clamps have parallel surfaces to address.
Place the biscuits on the bottom shelf. Transfer them to the bottom edge.
The biscuit slots should be cut. Set the joiners fence to 87-degrees to slot the beveled edges of the bottom panel. Glue and clamp the two side assemblies together (Photo 1) as well as the back and bottom panel assembly.
2. Attach the side assemblies to your bottom shelf and back apron. Tapered cauls will prevent the clamps slipping when they are tightened.
Join the two leg assemblies to the back and bottom panel assembly (Photo 2). Attach the tapered panels to the legs using masking tape. This will ensure that clamps have parallel bearing surfaces.
BUILD THE TABLETOP
3. Mark the locations of the router mounting screws on the top with a transfer punch-a.k.a. A spotter.
Cut the tabletop panel (A). Chamfer all four edges, top and bottom, to minimize chipping.
Lay out the bit hole location on the top (Fig. A. ).
Install a V groove bit and place the router on the penciled crosshair. The router should be oriented exactly how you want it to. Mark the points where the mounting screws will be mounted ( Foto 3).
The mounting holes on the top should be drilled and countersink. Mount the router to the tabletop.
4. Use a transfer punch to transfer the mounting bolt holes from the framework onto the MDF top.
Cut the support frame parts (B, C and D). Cut rabbets in the ends of the front and back pieces.
Assemble the frame on the tabletop. Your router base will help you determine the spacing between stretchers. As well as the cutout at the front, lay out the dadoes or rabbets in both the front and rear frame members.
Machine the frant and back rails. Next, place the frame on a flat surface.
For 1/4 inch holes, drill. holes though the frame edges. Place the frame on the tabletop, and then transfer the holes to the tabletop ( Foto 4).
5. Cut threads in the top with a 1/10 cm-20 tap. A 13/64-in. bit is used. bit to drill a 5/8-in. deep stopped hole at each mark, first. Make sure you clear all the chips from the holes. Turn the tap until the hole is filled.
Tap the MDF to install 1/4 20 machine screws ( Foto 5). Threaded MDF has better holding power than wood screws driven into pilot holes.
6. Reposition the frame on the tabletop and fasten it with 1/10 cm-20 flathead machine screws. I used seven 8-cm-long screws for the perimeter frame members, and two 5-cm-long screws for the stretchers.
Mount the tabletop to the frame (Photo 6). You could glue the frame, but if you eever changed routers, youd need to build a new top.
7. Lay out and drill the two 3/8-in.
hinge-bolt holes in the frame. To prevent blowout, attach a spare scrap to the frame’s interior.
Drill holes in the frame for the hinge bolts ( Foto 7, Figure. A). For 1/4-20 bolts, make threads in the rest of the bolt holes.
8. Drill hinge holes through backlegs. Tape 3/10 cm shims to the top edges of the stand and rest the tabletop on them. Mark the locations of the hinge bolt holes on the back legs with a transfer punch and then drill.
Place the top on the stand. Use shims between the top edge of the stand and the MDF top. This keeps the top floating above the stand so all the weight from the top is carried by the framework underneath.
9. Mount the folding stick to the stand first. Measure 1-in. Measure down 1-in from the stand’s top edge. Place the folded stay along the line, so that it is clear of the front leg. Mark the location of the screw.
Transfer the hinge boltholes to the back legs of your stand from the top frame. Drill the hingebolt holes through the back legs (Photo 8). Install the rest bolts and hinge bolts.
10. Attach the stay to your top. Use a clamp to hold the stay in place. You decide the degree of tilt that suits you.
To hold the top open, mount the stay ( Photos 9 & 10).
BUILD THE FENCE
11. Fix the base with glue and clamps.
Fix the face of the fence (M) to the base of your fence (L).
Cut the bit opening in the two fence pieces. Bore a 2-1/4-in. hole should be centered at 1-in. You can make a Forstner cut or use a holesaw to create the edge. You can start by cutting from the edge.
Assemble the base and fence. Glue the edge of the base to the uprights face (Photo 11).
12. Use a Forstner bit, holesaw or holesaw to bore a hole of 2-1/10 cm through the dust pickup block.
Round off the outside corners at the ends of the fence on a band saw, then sand smooth.
Cut and glue-laminate scraps of hardwood to form the dust-pickup block (P).
Bore a hole of 2-1/4 in. Through the block ( Foto 12).
Cut a U-shaped hole on the bandsaw and trace the block’s outside profile. Smoothen the surface of the sawed.
13. Glue and clamp the dust pickup to the fence. Tape scrap across the openings in the face to provide a bearing surface for the clamps.
Cut the dust collector cap (Q). For your dust collector hose, bore a hole. Attach the cap to your dust collector hose and the pickup to your fence ( Foto 13).
14. To square the fence’s face with the base, join the glued-up one. Flatten the base first, then join the fence with the base to form the fence.
Square the face of the fence to the base on a jointer (Photo 14)
Cut two clamp jaws (R) (Fig. A, Detail 1) from scraps. Sand the faces and edges.
Drill mounting bolt holes in the fence base (Fig. A).
15. Make a stop hole in the fence base to hold the alignment screw head. The clamp block should be aligned perpendicularly to the tabletop. Mark the hole with the clamp block. Make sure the alignment screw head is centered on the base.
To act as an alignment screw, drive a panhead or roundhead screw into the block close to the bolt hole. Drill oversize holes for the bolts in the fence base and add a shallow hole to house the alignment screw head (Photo 15).
16. Use the fence to cut the countersunk grooves in the adjustable faces.
From leftover MDF, make the adjustable faces (N). Cut faces to size, then use your new router table to rout stopped slots for the mounting bolts (Photo 16).
Drill mounting holes in the fence for the adjustable facings (Fig. A).
To rout the hole in the tabletop, use your biggest bit. You will need to create a narrow rabbet that is the same width as the material used for inserts.
Cut one insert that fits nice and snug, and use it as a pattern for routing out a half-dozen more. When you put a hole in an insert, label its diameter.
Enhancement 1
A) BELOW THE TABLE DUST COLLECTION CAPTURES FUGITIVE DUST
It is difficult to capture all dust and chips generated by router-table operations. While a fence-mounted pickup can be useful, most of the dust that escapes from router-table operations will not be captured without one.
The support frames stretchers can be used as the base of a dust chute. Two-piece covers can be made from MDF or plywood scraps. Insert rounded baffles to close off corners where dust gets trapped. Place the caps as close to the router base as possible and drill a hole to accommodate a dust-hose connector ( Foto A).
B)
Extend a hose from this under-the-table channel and splice it into the hose from the fence-mounted pickup with a wye fitting. Leave enough slack in the hose to permit tilting the tabletop (Photo B).
Enhancement 2
EXTERNAL SWITCH CONVENIENCE AND SAFETY
Powering up a table-mounted router with the router switch is usually a nuisance. And lots of us are uneasy about fumbling for an out-of-sight switch in an emergency. So a front-mounted switch is a worthwhile addition to any router table. The switch was wired to an extension cable. Cord wrap is made of hardwood scraps.
Enhancement 3
CONVENIENT ONBOARD BIT STORAGE
Bit storage is a practical addition to the table, and theres enough plywood left to construct a small box for two or three drawers. The drawer fronts require an additional 4-ft. piece of 1-in. x 4-in. oak. The drawer bottoms, which are made of 1/10 cm plywood, are large enough to fit into the slots in the box sides.
Two drawers are equipped with bottoms that can be drilled to 1/2-in. and 1/4-in. shank bits; together theyll accommodate about 80 bits. The top drawer stores bits-opening inserts and other accessories, such as collets, wrenches, collets and bit-opening inserts. It can be accessed easily during bit changes by being exposed when the top of the tabletop tilts up.
Woodcraft, www.woodcraft.com 2 Wing Knobs, #85J94
Optional Upgrades
Switch Jet, www.jettools.
com, click on Shop Parts, # 994542 Switch, # 523028 switch box, # 998654, 2 strain relievers, Hardware Store, 12/4 extension cord,
Dust Collection Woodcraft. www.woodcraft.com 251-1153, 2-1/2 in. x 10-ft. hose with 2 end fittings, #128689, 2 -1/2-in. Y fitting, #144282, 2-1/2-in. end fitting,
Bit Storage 3/4 in. plywood parts cut from leftover material 1/4-in. plywood for drawer bottoms 3/4-in. Oak for drawer fronts or pulls
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