| Project by mjdinsmore | posted 446 days ago | 1895 views | 16 times favorited | 16 comments | ![]() |
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How hard do you think it’d be to find a reasonably priced router table? I have a handheld router that I’d like to undermount to a table.
So I took a trip to Lowe’s to see what they had. The bulk of their offerings were either Skil or Vermont American (which looked like a rebranded Skil). The fences on them were pretty poor – they ranged in price from approximately $85 to $130.
The only real option I saw there was a Bosch table that looked pretty nice but cost $250. Isn’t there a decent one for less?!? I saw one at Sears but I don’t think it fits my router.
I just got a Rockler catalog in the mail and they had a decent looking model but I don’t know anyone who has one to validate its quality.
So, I didn’t decide on any of the store-bought models. Instead, I purchased some raw materials and built my own. There is a few minor tweaks I want to make – like shelves to hold the bits and and floor-mounted power switch. Some of the parts necessary for the table I ordered from Lee Valley Tools (they have a great variety of tools and some not so common things in stock). The router table works great – easy to adjust and switch bits, align the fence and plenty of surface area for the wood. I’ve made some molding and cabinet doors with it already.































16 comments so far
PaBull
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292 posts in 565 days
posted 446 days ago
Thanks, I am saving it in my favorites, I need to build something like it.
-- http://www.twinoaksgrowers.com
teenagewoodworker
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2482 posts in 668 days
posted 446 days ago
that looks nice. i made my own router table too. you can get so much more out of it that way and for a lot less! thanks for the post.
JLYoung
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26 posts in 681 days
posted 446 days ago
Nice Table with some great accessories. I’m in the process of building a table into the extension wing of my tablesaw and just noticed the Veritas circular router table insert in their catalog yesterday. I beleive that’s what you have mounted in your table. How do you like it? Was it easy to install / level? How do they keep it from spinning in the table?
Any insight would be much apprecated.
tooldad
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456 posts in 614 days
posted 446 days ago
The only thing I have seen and I bought it back when was about 10 years ago. Black and Decker actually made a table router/shaper is what they called it. Pretty much a table router more than a shaper. I have used it to make several raised panels with a 2” panel cutter and most of my roundover, chamfering, etc. Very easy to change bits, adjust height. Finally now that it is about 10 years old, the motor is finally showing it’s age. It was $150 at the time. Only saw it at a chain called Menards, (home depot’s of the north) in my hometown in Lincoln, NE. Haven’t seen it there for at least 5 years or so now. too bad, it was decent for the price.
wdh
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5 posts in 540 days
posted 446 days ago
Nice router table.Different idea for the feather board tracks.I like the fence.
-- Wayne,Saint John,NB
Douglas Krueger
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388 posts in 623 days
posted 445 days ago
Nice engineering, looks like it will do everything a store bought model will do. Enjoy the new toy.
-- I can so I wood but why are my learning curves always circles
LeeinEdmonton
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150 posts in 481 days
posted 445 days ago
One of the nice things about building your own table is that it will be less expensive than a manufactured table. Further if it is your first router table it is unlikely that you will know exactly what suits you hence if your bought an expensive manufactured “first” table & it ends up having short comings for your use you could find yourself married to it due to it’s cost. A home built table does not give you this problem. For example, mine is now about 10 years old & am planning to eliminate it’s irritating problems by building a new one. Just gotta get to it one of these days.
-- Lee
mjdinsmore
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32 posts in 453 days
posted 445 days ago
JL Young—I did get the Lee Valley insert. And to be perfectly honest, I messed up the first one they sent me. Totally bogus mistake on my part—but they sent me a second one for free! That’s great customer service.
It was easy to level, as I had cut a hole for it to drop in, and I had used the router to cut a lip all the way around for it to sit in. A single hole accepts the cylinder/barrel post that ensures it doesn’t rotate.
It works well, and I had filed down a few edges of the lip so I can take the router out from the bottom as well (handy feature).
mjdinsmore
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32 posts in 453 days
posted 445 days ago
Oh, I also wanted to mention I cut the hole in the top about 2/3 of the way instead of exactly in the middle. This way I can flip the fence on either side depending on the size of the wood to give it more or less table to rest on. For things like thin trim boards, I use the narrow side, but larger peices get the wide side so it has plenty of bench to rest on.
cabinetmaster
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8753 posts in 458 days
posted 445 days ago
I like the table and I agree with everyone else. A table you make yourself seems to work better and you’ll always find ways to improve it. I think I am on my 4th or 5th version over the years. Great job.
-- Jerry--A man can never have enough tools or clamps
Blake
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2766 posts in 774 days
posted 443 days ago
That’ll do the trick just fine. You’ll get a lot of good use out of this.
-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com
Dusty56
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3517 posts in 588 days
posted 314 days ago
Beautiful table design , but what’s up with the featherboard placement ? Hopefully no rookies will see this and try to use theirs in this fashion .
-- You know you're getting old when you know the difference between you're (you are) and your (belonging to you) AND how to use them in a sentence .
mjdinsmore
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32 posts in 453 days
posted 313 days ago
Hahaha! I was wondering if someone might notice! I just slid those on so I could have a free hand to hold the camera. I certainly couldn’t use it with the way they are!
Thanks for the compliments!
Dusty56
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3517 posts in 588 days
posted 313 days ago
You’re welcome …How is the table / fence system holding up ? Would you change anything ?
-- You know you're getting old when you know the difference between you're (you are) and your (belonging to you) AND how to use them in a sentence .
mjdinsmore
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32 posts in 453 days
posted 300 days ago
Everything is holding up really well. I had to adjust the fence because my original design didn’t allow the throat to close up enough. Luckily, it was as easy as unscrewing the wheels on the back and sliding them out and taking my chisel to expand the slots the ride in to be slightly larger.
I think about maybe making a way to keep the dust collector port to ‘snap in’ so the hose doesn’t move it. I’m thinking maybe just some rare earth magnets might work. Either that or fix my hoses so it doesn’t put sideways pressure on it so it wants to pop off.
PurpLev
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2764 posts in 548 days
posted 300 days ago
the rockler one is OK, I had 1 that was working fine…preset holes, so it’s easy to use out of the box – but it’s laminated fiberboard… I had my shop in the basement and after 1 flood incident it left my router table top useless as it absorbed the water, and flared out… kinda sucks but what can you do.
I think yours looks great, and will def. be better than anything at lowes! the only think you might wanna keep in mind is fullproofing that the top is flat (either beef it up, or secure it in multiple locations to a base so keep it from twisting out of flatness.
I’m still planning my replacement router table (and new top that I will make myself) it’s just that there is no rush for it at the moment, so it may take a while…
-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.