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Best router table setup

9K views 29 replies 11 participants last post by  HorizontalMike 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hello.
Digging for expert opinions…
I've been using a homemade router table for several months, but it has proven to be a total failure. :(
Now I really need a new one, and I don't want to mess around. I'm ready to buy a high-quality table and lift.
I don't want to spend more than ~$800.

Here's my current idea:
Excalibur 24×32" cast iron top
Excalibur fence
JessEm Mast-r-lift II
Homemade stand/cabinet
Cost should run about $800 or a little less.

Anybody have some other ideas?
For what I do, it needs to be very accurate, and I can't stand poor quality.
 
#2 ·
If you want accuracy get the Incra system, incredibly accurate and very repeatable. Also the Incra Mast-R-Lift II is made by Jessem but I think the throat plate system is better. I have basically this setup but I have it mounted in my table saw, so I have the Wonder Fence Joinery setup.
 
#3 ·
Are there any cast iron tops the incra fits? I'm not set on cast iron, but I've read some stuff about phenolic that scares me a bit. I read that the phenolic is flexible and relies on a good stand to hold it flat, and I've also read reviews of warped tops…should I fear this?
 
#5 ·
Maybe I ought to say what I'm doing with it?
I'll be doing about 10 feet of template work per day with 1/4" template cutting 1/2" material. And the same amount of very fine chamfering and 1/8" roundover. And then some occasional grooves and rabbets, etc.
 
#7 ·
Well, let's not go into that too deep…it would require some objectionable language to do it justice.

The top is no where near flat and cannot be bowed (a good thing, if it had been flat in the first place), the fence is worthless in every way, the shop-built lift holds the router at about 2 degree angle….the list goes on.

I thought when I built it that it was going to be the best table ever, so now I feel like such a failure I don't want to even think of trying again…........
 
#10 ·
I do have a table saw, and it needs an extension. But I need an accurate router lift, and judging by the plunge base on my bosch 1617, I'm not sure I want a plunge router as my lift. How about:
Excalibur 16×27 cast iron wing
JessEm Mast-r-lift II
...but what for a fence??
 
#11 ·
My current table saw situation:
Wood Gas Hardwood Machine Composite material

My shop is long and skinny, so the right side of the saw is against the wall. The router table would replace the wood extension on the left.
I likely won't use the fence all that often, what's your thoughts on a fence that clamps to the TS fence?
 

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#12 ·
IMO, this setup is plenty accurate. As a matter of fact, I would venture to say that regardless of the router/lift/table setup, that "user" error when shoving a piece of lumber through, is probably the greatest potential for making errant cuts. Been there and done that enough that I know that it is not the router setup, but ME. When I function/feed at the top of my game, then everything goes great as well. Can't blame this setup at all.
My 2¢...

Tire Wheel Automotive tire Motor vehicle Automotive design


Motor vehicle Table Engineering Gas Machine
 

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#13 · (Edited by Moderator)
I have noticed in videos that Charles Neil and one other professional (I don't remember which one) use a router mounted on the bottom of a plywood top. Very crude looking but it seems to be all they need to get the job done. And the plywood didn't even look like paint grade stuff as I recall. But they probably have supports that pull the plywood flat which is something I didn't know how to do when I was newer to the hobby.

The Triton routers and some others are designed to be used as HMike has his. I imagine they work just fine; HMike is probably not the only guy who is happy with this setup.

In my case I spent the money and got a Woodpecker's setup. Yes, the lift works very well and may have some nice features compared to say Mike's Triton (I don't know; I haven't compared the two) but it has a bit of backlash that I need to work around so even it isn't perfect. Mine is an MDF top, but with proper support (I'm using a Woodpecker's metal stand) I don't see any sagging issues.

My point is that there are several different strategies for getting yourself a router table setup that is going to work well for you. The options that cost more may require less effort and skill to set up and may be more fun to use, but it seems the more economical options can work just fine as well.

In my view the key features are:
1. dedicated router for the table. Big motor & big bearings are best
2. above-table depth adjustment (some plunge routers provide this)
3. above-table bit changing.
4. flat-enough table with a smooth top (pushing stock over a plywood top is not my idea of fun)

Alternatively, if you are going to be pushing lots of stock over the table you probably want a shaper that can better handle a high workload. I have the big Porter Cable router and at times I feel the need to back off the feed rate so that I don't push it too hard.

Then it gets down to what you want to do on the table. Some special features are fun to use in certain applications but pretty meaningless otherwise. My fence (Woodpecker's Superfence) has some features that I enjoy and some the have been a bit frustrating. Incra fence positioners are really cool for some work but require lots of table behind the bit.

One thing I left off originally: Dust collection. Routing can throw off an awful lot of dust and chips and makes a huge mess without decent dust collection.
 
#14 ·
I just picked up a rockler table, w/ FX Lift, a Porter Cable 2 1/4hp motor and accessories for $300 off craigslist. Bittersweet craigslist score because the previous owner died from an untimely heart attack. =\

I was looking for a shaper and almost pulled the trigger on a benchdog cast iron setup.
 
#15 ·
Ditto to Greg.

A successful effective router table need not be expensive.

Mine is mounted in my extension on the Table saw. Not the cast iron wing that is available, but the wood extension. I installed a router lift which was ~350 8 years ago from jointech, that I bought at a woodworking show.

Looking at the list in the OP, there is a plan to spend 800 bucks excluding the router itself.
That seems a lot more than is needed to have good results
 
#16 ·
Sure, a fixed base router bolted up under a piece of MDF with a 2×4 clamped down as a fence would work ok, but a large, industrial-grade cast iron table with the best-ever lift and an Incra Positioner would be easier to adjust, easier to change bits, everything will go more smoothly.

That was quite exaggerated, but you get the point. That is why I want more than a cheap homemade job…

If what you're saying is that for only a few hundred bucks I can have a table that is smooth and dead flat, and something that I can swap bits out and have adjusted to within a few thousandths of an inch in less than 40 seconds, I'm willing to listen. But as I said in the original post, I don't want to mess around…
 
#17 · (Edited by Moderator)
Still, why not consider a shaper?
A 1 1/2 or 2HP shaper will be fine and usually have spindle attachments for router bits. If my current setup didn't work so well (porter cable 690 in a shop made table; and I make money with my woodworking) I'd definitely invest in a shaper.

Edit to add: If you go the lift route, the incra version of the mast-r-lift II has a better insert system. The rings use rare earth magnets to stay in place, are adjustable for level, and have dust collection notches.
 
#19 ·
PLEASE NOTE-When Greg mentions that his router lift has some slop in it that he needs to "work around", that is rather common and each router setup has their own needs. That said, those "work arounds" usually mean that the router lift is accurate on the "lifting" cycle, but sloppy on the "lowering" cycle. FWIW, gravity just isn't perfect in lowering a router. Other than that, IMO most router lifts will perform relatively equal once the above issue is factored into the equation.
 
#20 ·
Most shapers seem to have a top speed of 10,000 to 11,000 rpm. I use router bits mostly with mine, though it did come with some shaper cutters. I have not found the speed to be a problem, though maybe it's just because I have lower standards.

One advantage of a shaper is that on certain (admittedly uncommon) occasions, you need to flip the cutter upside down and feed stock from the other direction. Some router bits with removable cutters will even let you do this. I'm thinking about situations involving reversing grain, such as routing edges on circles and rings.

Anxiety about inadvertently running the shaper backwards led me to tape down the reversing switch.

My first shaper was a 3/4 hp Grizzly (very limited by the 1/2" spindle); my next was a Grizzly 1.5 hp. which I liked quite a bit, and would have kept except that a 2 hp. Jet (blue paint vintage) came up at a terrific price, and I jumped on it.
 
#21 ·
Yes, the slop I have is what HMike describes.

But I have no regrets about the Woodpecker lift. The top end lifts from the name brands, Kreg, Jess-Em, Benchdog, etc., look to me like they will perform similarly. The possibly unique feature of the Woodpecker lift is that it can be quickly raised and lowered for bit changing and roughing-in the depth so you only need to use the depth adjustment crank for fine adjustments.

I suggest as your starting point is to pick out your favorite lift/router combo and compare that to the big Triton router. Whichever package you find most appealing will probably make you happy. This is going to be a chunk of change.

The next step I suggest is picking a table. Any table from a name-brand supplier (Woodpecker, Incra, Kreg, etc.) that fits your lift/router will probably make you happy. MDF, phenolic, or cast iron will all work well. The important decision criteria are probably whether you want the option of mounting it as a table saw extension, and whether or not you intend to use an Incra positioner. There is no downside to a table that fits as a table saw extension. But the best layout of the top is significantly different depending upon whether you are using an Incra positioner or not unless you go for a very large table. An Incra positioner is absolutely the way to go for certain operations, but for many other operations it offers absolutely no advantages. I have the small Incra fence/positioner system for some things I hope to do one day, but so far have not used it.

The final step I suggest is picking a fence. This choice requires more care. For certain operations I do (lock miter joints) I NEED the fence to be SQUARE to the table, otherwise the final joint won't be square. My Super Fence was off. I have some of the aluminum extrusions that Rocker uses on its lower priced fences and they are off. My impression is that any choice you make will make you happy most of the time but frustrated part of the time.
 
#23 · (Edited by Moderator)
I like a lot of the features of Woodpecker's Super Fence although I do not use the offset feature.

It is simple enough to add an auxiliary fence.

I prefer having 2 fence panels that can be adjusted individually. Like many other fences, these panels adjust left/right to provide the desired opening for the bit.

What is not so common is that these panels can also be adjusted up & down. Setting the outfeed panel 1/4" or so above the table improves dust collection on the outfeed side. When I am not using the fence for stock control I put both panels up 1/4" to help with dust collection - it significantly reduces chips on the table top. When I am trimming edge banding I run the piece vertically up tight against the fence with the bottom edge of the infeed panel a bit higher than the top edge of the edge banding; the edge banding to be trimmed clears underneath the fence but I have good contact between the work and fence all the way through the cut. In other situations I position the infeed panel above the router bit and close the gap between the infeed and outfeed panels, again so there is always full contact between the work and fence.

What is frustrating is that the stupid simple little brackets that hold the fence faces to the fence base are noticeably out of square. Very surprising given the precision of Woodpecker's other products. The more complicated offset brackets were not so bad - it was the simple ones that were the worst. Woodpeckers sent me replacement parts but they were not better than the originals. If I had to do it again I would ask them to machine the brackets to be square. I manually ground my brackets to be more square and used shims to fine tune the assembly. What I have considered is pitching the brackets and use a pair of 3D Squares for each panel instead of the bracket.

One feature that I would like in a fence is an easy way to handle multiple passes for profiles that remove a lot of wood. One work around is to set the fence for the first pass, run all the parts, move the fence for the second pass, run all the parts, etc., and finally carefully set the fence for the final light pass. Alternatively what I have tried to do is come up with a stack of auxiliary fences that I can can remove one-by-one for each pass until they are all gone for the final cut.
 
#26 ·
For a table mount I would not go with the Triton. I tried one in my table and it was just too much hassle. Sure you can adjust the bit height from above the table but first you will have to drill a hole in your mounting plate, to reach the fitting.

The Triton also has some safety features that don't lend itself well to a table mount. You have to turn the power switch off to be able to get full extension for bit replacement. You also have to go under the table to lock in your adjustments, which to me defeats the purpose of making the adjustments from above the table. If you have it mounted in any kind of dust collector box, all this becomes a real pain.

I ended up getting the Incra Mast-R-Lift II and a PC 7518 for my table. I couldn't be happier with this setup and highly recommend it.
 
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