Another router table #1: Starting at the top

I got tired of making due with my current router table (a single sheet of MDF for a top sitting on an old HTC folding bench, rudimentary fence held on with clamps and adjusted with a hammer) and decided to build a new one. Of course, I’ve started about 3 different designs in Sketchup, and I keep finding something on this site to make me revisit it. I did settle on an overall size, so I figured I’d let the cabinet design age a bit and work on the top. I decided to make the top a torsion box for a few reasons (not the least of which is that I’m cheap and I had the materials to do it in the shop already). So the top is 32” by 24”, the top ‘skin’ in this case is a piece of melamine laminate and the bottom is a 1/4” piece of ply. With 1” for the torsion box members the whole top is about 2” thick

The dry fit of the torsion box is surprisingly ridgid if you’ve never worked with one; it should make a good top. The 3/4” laminate should hold the router and plate well enough, but I framed the space to directly support the edges anyway. I picked up a router lift for this project, and I’ll probably do a review on that after I get to use it a bit.

-- Chris