# Norm Abram Router Table



## Litrenta (Aug 3, 2012)

*Cabinet & Top*

I've been wanting to build a new router table for a while now ever since I got rid of my old one. I've always like the Norm Abram style router table, I just needed some time to build one. Since the weather is getting nicer and it's not below freezing up here anymore, I finally got a chance to start this. I used the plans that were available at: http://www.crestonwood.com/router.php

They were a good set of plans to start with and best of all they were free! I've completed the base so far and just started moving onto the top of it now. I got a little bit of practice working with contact cement when I laminated the bottom of the bit drawers with some 1/8" melamine hardboard that way I would know what I was dealing with when I did the top.



















Everything is made out of maple plywood, and I was able to use so many scrap cutoffs from other projects so it's been a really nice use of materials. Plus I had all the knobs given to me when someone did a kitchen redo so that was another score! Overall I'm really happy with the progress of it now and it's probably the nicest piece of shop furniture I have to this point. Been using this as a good test for a lot of different methods of joinery and really trying to hone my skills.




























The top is some Formica countertop material that I scored from HD for 10$ because there was a chip in it. The top is a sandwich of 1/2" and 3/4" MDF along with the Formica top. It was edge banded with some Oak I had kicking around and used some biscuits to keep everything nice and lined up when I did the glue up. I think this was the best mitering job I've done so far, everything fits perfectly and is nice and level with the top. In the past I haven't been so lucky so I'm happy it turned out well.



















Just need to finish up routing the top for the router plate, finish the router fence, add the T-Track, and build the dust extraction chute. But I think at this point all the hard work is done. Now I just need to make sure I don't screw up routing the t-track or router plate and wrecking the decent job I've done with the top =)


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## Mip (Sep 16, 2012)

Litrenta said:


> *Cabinet & Top*
> 
> I've been wanting to build a new router table for a while now ever since I got rid of my old one. I've always like the Norm Abram style router table, I just needed some time to build one. Since the weather is getting nicer and it's not below freezing up here anymore, I finally got a chance to start this. I used the plans that were available at: http://www.crestonwood.com/router.php
> 
> ...


Looks good so far. I have the same plans, and when I have more times between projects and work, I'm going to build this table. Take your time in deciding where to put the t-track groove, like you said, you don't want to screw up now when you can see the end in sight.


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## NiteWalker (May 7, 2011)

Litrenta said:


> *Cabinet & Top*
> 
> I've been wanting to build a new router table for a while now ever since I got rid of my old one. I've always like the Norm Abram style router table, I just needed some time to build one. Since the weather is getting nicer and it's not below freezing up here anymore, I finally got a chance to start this. I used the plans that were available at: http://www.crestonwood.com/router.php
> 
> ...


Nice job!
Those are a great set of plans and I'll be building my own version soon.


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## rsharp (May 6, 2008)

Litrenta said:


> *Cabinet & Top*
> 
> I've been wanting to build a new router table for a while now ever since I got rid of my old one. I've always like the Norm Abram style router table, I just needed some time to build one. Since the weather is getting nicer and it's not below freezing up here anymore, I finally got a chance to start this. I used the plans that were available at: http://www.crestonwood.com/router.php
> 
> ...


Sweet! You'll be wondering why you didn't build one a long time ago. It will become one of your most prized tools in the shop!


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## NiteWalker (May 7, 2011)

Litrenta said:


> *Cabinet & Top*
> 
> I've been wanting to build a new router table for a while now ever since I got rid of my old one. I've always like the Norm Abram style router table, I just needed some time to build one. Since the weather is getting nicer and it's not below freezing up here anymore, I finally got a chance to start this. I used the plans that were available at: http://www.crestonwood.com/router.php
> 
> ...


I forgot to add, one thing I would have done is apply the wood edging first, then the laminate. That way you's have a seamless top.


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## Litrenta (Aug 3, 2012)

Litrenta said:


> *Cabinet & Top*
> 
> I've been wanting to build a new router table for a while now ever since I got rid of my old one. I've always like the Norm Abram style router table, I just needed some time to build one. Since the weather is getting nicer and it's not below freezing up here anymore, I finally got a chance to start this. I used the plans that were available at: http://www.crestonwood.com/router.php
> 
> ...


NiteWalker, I decided to do it by laminating the top first because I didn't trust myself getting everything straight with the formica. I laminated the top, used a router with a flush trim bit to get the top nice and even and then I used a biscuit joiner after it was laminated. So when I attached everything it's perfectly level with the top. It turned out amazing and I would definitely do it again that way, I found there was a little less room for error. Only thing I needed to cleanup was a little squeeze out from the glue.


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

Litrenta said:


> *Cabinet & Top*
> 
> I've been wanting to build a new router table for a while now ever since I got rid of my old one. I've always like the Norm Abram style router table, I just needed some time to build one. Since the weather is getting nicer and it's not below freezing up here anymore, I finally got a chance to start this. I used the plans that were available at: http://www.crestonwood.com/router.php
> 
> ...


Thanks for sharing, looks very sturdy


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## Shuja (Feb 10, 2014)

Litrenta said:


> *Cabinet & Top*
> 
> I've been wanting to build a new router table for a while now ever since I got rid of my old one. I've always like the Norm Abram style router table, I just needed some time to build one. Since the weather is getting nicer and it's not below freezing up here anymore, I finally got a chance to start this. I used the plans that were available at: http://www.crestonwood.com/router.php
> 
> ...


nice execution Hope by now you have a lot of wear & tear on this table


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## Litrenta (Aug 3, 2012)

*Finishing Up*

Well it's been quite a while since I wrote an entry for this but I figured I would share the finished product. I hadn't needed to use my router throughout the summer on most of the projects I was working on so it basically sat as a cabinet with a top that housed my miter saw. When I built my tapering jig though it came down to me needing to finish this up so that it could be put to good use.

I positioned the router plate exactly where I needed it and then cut some pieces of MDF to build a frame around it and double stick taped them to the top. I popped out the plate and used a flush trim bit to plunge into the formica/MDF top to route out the lip that the plate sits on. Then I drilled some relief holes and used a jigsaw to cut out the inside. I found on my previous router table top that this way never really yielded perfect results so once I rough cut with the jigsaw I just put up another guide to clean up the inside edges.

With the router plate setup, I was able to use my table to finish my tapering jig. With the tapering jig completed I was able to cut the proper angles on the router table fence after laminating them with formica as well. Then it was just a matter of slapping in the t-tracks, mounting hardware, homemade switch, etc and voila! Finally a decent router table which I have used for a handful of odd jobs since I finished it.

Sorry there weren't more pictures of this part of the build but for the most part it was just a lot of small finishing details to get it done. Threw in the tapering jig to show how I cut the angles for the fence.


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## NiteWalker (May 7, 2011)

Litrenta said:


> *Finishing Up*
> 
> Well it's been quite a while since I wrote an entry for this but I figured I would share the finished product. I hadn't needed to use my router throughout the summer on most of the projects I was working on so it basically sat as a cabinet with a top that housed my miter saw. When I built my tapering jig though it came down to me needing to finish this up so that it could be put to good use.
> 
> ...


Very nicely done!
My tapering jig is very similar. 

The table looks great too.


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## palaswood (Aug 9, 2013)

Litrenta said:


> *Finishing Up*
> 
> Well it's been quite a while since I wrote an entry for this but I figured I would share the finished product. I hadn't needed to use my router throughout the summer on most of the projects I was working on so it basically sat as a cabinet with a top that housed my miter saw. When I built my tapering jig though it came down to me needing to finish this up so that it could be put to good use.
> 
> ...


So it looks like you opted for no router lift. Do you find adjusting to be a pain? I rigged up a router table (top is nearly done, but no cabinet or legs as of yet) and I found that its not too bad to manually adjust the height, but I barely used it. For more heavy use, how is it without a lift?

I'm planning on finishing it so I'm curious if I should invest in a lift mechanism.


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## Illinoiswoodworker (Mar 24, 2013)

Litrenta said:


> *Finishing Up*
> 
> Well it's been quite a while since I wrote an entry for this but I figured I would share the finished product. I hadn't needed to use my router throughout the summer on most of the projects I was working on so it basically sat as a cabinet with a top that housed my miter saw. When I built my tapering jig though it came down to me needing to finish this up so that it could be put to good use.
> 
> ...


Very nice, I made one almost like it. However, I used MDF because I didn't know how much I'd use it. I have to say that I use my router table a lot more than I thought I would.

The one thing I don't like about the Crestwood plans are the narrow drawers. I'd make them a couple inches wider. I don't mind manually adjusting the router bits but I'm still a young man. Maybe in a few years I might buy a lift….....

All in all, I love the router table.


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## Litrenta (Aug 3, 2012)

Litrenta said:


> *Finishing Up*
> 
> Well it's been quite a while since I wrote an entry for this but I figured I would share the finished product. I hadn't needed to use my router throughout the summer on most of the projects I was working on so it basically sat as a cabinet with a top that housed my miter saw. When I built my tapering jig though it came down to me needing to finish this up so that it could be put to good use.
> 
> ...


Hey guys, thanks for the comments. Actually I am in the process of building a shopmade router lift. In shopnotes I found one a while ago and Steve Ramsey from Woodworking For Mere Mortals built the same one. Fairly straight forward build and I still have a lot of threaded rod kicking around that was given to me. I'll post the router lift when I get it all setup and attached.


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## Litrenta (Aug 3, 2012)

*Router Lift*

Well now that the router table was done, the one thing I've always wanted is a router lift. The Craftsman router I have is absolutely horrible at setting depth, the whole mechanism locks up so I just have to keep fudging it until I get it to the proper height (not ideal).

I found this in Shopnotes a while ago and within a couple weeks of me starting my table I noticed Steve Ramsey from Woodworking For Mere Mortals built it as well so it was nice to see the whole process come to light. I bought the parts for this back when I started the table so I was able to build it as soon as I finished up the table.

I actually had a hell of a time with this project (mostly because I didn't follow some of the steps) but to get things to line up perfectly and everything moving correctly took a bit of playing around. Overall though it turned out really well and it's a great little addition to my new router table. Currently I have a socket wrench to move it up and down but am probably going to make a little homemade socket specifically for this task so I can move it up faster than with the socket wrench.


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

Litrenta said:


> *Router Lift*
> 
> Well now that the router table was done, the one thing I've always wanted is a router lift. The Craftsman router I have is absolutely horrible at setting depth, the whole mechanism locks up so I just have to keep fudging it until I get it to the proper height (not ideal).
> 
> ...


great build. simple and practical. I don't think it needs to be anything more than just that.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Litrenta said:


> *Router Lift*
> 
> Well now that the router table was done, the one thing I've always wanted is a router lift. The Craftsman router I have is absolutely horrible at setting depth, the whole mechanism locks up so I just have to keep fudging it until I get it to the proper height (not ideal).
> 
> ...


Looks great and very practical. Well done.


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## dougmk (Jan 6, 2014)

Litrenta said:


> *Router Lift*
> 
> Well now that the router table was done, the one thing I've always wanted is a router lift. The Craftsman router I have is absolutely horrible at setting depth, the whole mechanism locks up so I just have to keep fudging it until I get it to the proper height (not ideal).
> 
> ...


Nicely done.


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

Litrenta said:


> *Router Lift*
> 
> Well now that the router table was done, the one thing I've always wanted is a router lift. The Craftsman router I have is absolutely horrible at setting depth, the whole mechanism locks up so I just have to keep fudging it until I get it to the proper height (not ideal).
> 
> ...


Great job on the lift! I really like mine. It has been in service over a year and working prefectly.


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## grantd (May 5, 2014)

Litrenta said:


> *Router Lift*
> 
> Well now that the router table was done, the one thing I've always wanted is a router lift. The Craftsman router I have is absolutely horrible at setting depth, the whole mechanism locks up so I just have to keep fudging it until I get it to the proper height (not ideal).
> 
> ...


Did you end up using the 3/4-16 threaded rod on this? If doing this again would you stick with the 16 threads per inch or would you prefer something with fewer so that it moves more quickly? the 3/4 diameter on plans seems like overkill but it isn't much more so I may stick with it when/if I get around to doing mine.


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