# Table saw / Router table WIP - Finished



## LarryS.

Hi all,

Following on from my previous threads asking for advice I started building the table this weekend. So attached are some pics to show progress so far....

the starting point, a table saw with loads of bits jutting out which was just too big for the workshop, so I decided to build something with more flexibility so including a router table, storage, drawers and removable jigs / extensions







castors bought from axminster which should keep the unit mobile (very important in my small shop)





the castors mounted on the base





my first ever go with a router !! making a slot for the centre panel to fit into :





made a couple of jigs to ensure everything stays in line:





unit starts going together :









put in a couple of support cross members which the router table will sit on:





the eagle has landed ! :





should be able to use the table rails over the router table section :





router top not cut yet but you get the idea (its a kitchen counter offcut bought from local b&q yesterday for 6 quid) :





left-over bits that I am going to replace with jigs which should take up a lot less space in the workshop:





whats going into the unit :





QUESTION : Where should I mount the router in the router section, in the middle, front left, back right ? My guess is back left so there is max space in front for wide stock and max space to the right for long stock ?


----------



## Rich

Very nice Paul, and quite ingenious, I'm watching this thread very carefully, if you can do it with your TS200 then so can I, it's just having the guts to do it, if I could do what your doing it would give me at least another 1.5 m square in the w/s, but that will soon get filled, hopefully, with a mini centre lathe, I wait with baited breath.
regards, Rich.


----------



## Anonymous

Hi 

Nice job, 

Where ever you put it will be wrong, so how about you make the top that holds the router removable. And set the router 2/3rds 1/3 off centre and that way you will be given more choice. And as you can get to all sides of your bench well the sky is the limit, you just after make sure the fence can be moved around.


Alan


----------



## LarryS.

Bespoke":2iu4ca91 said:


> Hi
> 
> Nice job,
> 
> Where ever you put it will be wrong, so how about you make the top that holds the router removable. And set the router 2/3rds 1/3 off centre and that way you will be given more choice. And as you can get to all sides of your bench well the sky is the limit, you just after make sure the fence can be moved around.
> 
> 
> Alan



fair point alan i might just do that, thanks again for the input

rich,

the planning took a while but actually doing the job hasn't been very difficult, if you want to do it then I'd say have a go, i can send you measurements and more pics if you want

paul


----------



## Waka

Paul

I think what you are doing is a good idea, it ceretainly saves space in the WS, it also gives you some added space to the right of the saw blades.

Regarding the setting of the router insert, I'd set it back as far as you can, beatring in mind the fence arrangement. Mine I think is set back about 16" (independent router table), and I've managed to put some fairly wide pieces through.


----------



## LarryS.

Waka":g6avevms said:


> Paul
> 
> I think what you are doing is a good idea, it ceretainly saves space in the WS, it also gives you some added space to the right of the saw blades.
> 
> Regarding the setting of the router insert, I'd set it back as far as you can, beatring in mind the fence arrangement. Mine I think is set back about 16" (independent router table), and I've managed to put some fairly wide pieces through.



cheers waka, thanks for the advice


----------



## Chris Knight

Paul,
Definitely a space saver for you. 

Looking at the pix of your shop. I'd also offer the comment that you would find a bunch of drawers will save a lot of space. They are far more efficient than shelves for most things and keep the dust off stuff to boot.


----------



## LarryS.

waterhead37":2u8k40n3 said:


> Paul,
> Definitely a space saver for you.
> 
> Looking at the pix of your shop. I'd also offer the comment that you would find a bunch of drawers will save a lot of space. They are far more efficient than shelves for most things and keep the dust off stuff to boot.



Chris,

Exactly the same as I've been thinking  , just going on screwfix to look for the hardware

paul


----------



## Oryxdesign

waterhead37":1kbucezw said:


> Paul,
> Definitely a space saver for you.
> 
> Looking at the pix of your shop. I'd also offer the comment that you would find a bunch of drawers will save a lot of space. They are far more efficient than shelves for most things and keep the dust off stuff to boot.



Whilst your on side issues, I would recommend that you plasterboard the ceiling as not only is the dust from the isulation bad but it will also hold any dust you create only to be released into your face when manoevering long stock.

The 1/3 and 2/3 idea sounds really good to me. Good luck with your projct.


----------



## LarryS.

Oryxdesign":m9uew0ma said:


> waterhead37":m9uew0ma said:
> 
> 
> 
> Paul,
> Definitely a space saver for you.
> 
> Looking at the pix of your shop. I'd also offer the comment that you would find a bunch of drawers will save a lot of space. They are far more efficient than shelves for most things and keep the dust off stuff to boot.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Whilst your on side issues, I would recommend that you plasterboard the ceiling as not only is the dust from the isulation bad but it will also hold any dust you create only to be released into your face when manoevering long stock.
> 
> The 1/3 and 2/3 idea sounds really good to me. Good luck with your projct.
Click to expand...


cheers oryx, i'm planning to put plywood up there (one of the first jobs with my new set-up !) so that I can hang stuff from it


----------



## LarryS.

An update on progress tonight :

wanted to get rid of the mess of pipework :






so knocked up a bit of integration into the unit:












Spot the flaw though !!! Went to cut a panel on top of the saw and realised the top pipe was too short !LOL!, will put the longer piece back on tomorrow

did a rough cut on the router top (will do a clean cut tomorrow) :





I've found that the cheap top is slightly cupped (about 2 mill in the middle) so am going to have to come up with some way to straighten it, live with the problem or buy another top - any suggestions ?

bonus of the day a new present turned up from e-bay :





hopefully some more progress during the week


----------



## staffie

Paul,
You could flatten the top using the router with a sled accross the top, I remember a post somewhere on the forum on how to do this.


----------



## LarryS.

staffie":180yx4cq said:


> Paul,
> You could flatten the top using the router with a sled accross the top, I remember a post somewhere on the forum on how to do this.




Staffie,

The top is a cheap kitchen worksurface rather than solid wood, as such the laminated top is only about a mill thick (looks more expensive in the photo than in real life  )

thanks anyway, paul


----------



## OPJ

I'm not sure what to suggest with regards to keeping the router table top flat. How are you planning to fit it to the rest of the carcase? Perhaps... Adding three rails across the shortest distance on the underside and screwing up through the rails would work? I'm not sure, it looks quite thick.

I'm really impressed with how well this is coming along. It makes me think I could squeeze one of those Record saws in my garage-'shop somewhere but, I might have to settle for utilising my mitre saw in something similar.

Are you also planning add a hinged outfeed extension table to the back of the saw?

You might want to play around and find the best position for the extraction hose (crown guard). As it looks currently, it looks as if it might foul any timber or sheets going through.

With regards to positioning the router, look at a spindle moulder for a decent idea of how to off-centre it.


----------



## LarryS.

Olly, 



OPJ":cxiw37ul said:


> I'm not sure what to suggest with regards to keeping the router table top flat. How are you planning to fit it to the rest of the carcase? Perhaps... Adding three rails across the shortest distance on the underside and screwing up through the rails would work? I'm not sure, it looks quite thick.


I haven't had any flashes of inspiration either, may have to go for a double-thick MDF top and then try and find something to laminate it with (perhaps buy some of that fireback from B&Q that has been mentioned).



OPJ":cxiw37ul said:


> I'm really impressed with how well this is coming along. It makes me think I could squeeze one of those Record saws in my garage-'shop somewhere but, I might have to settle for utilising my mitre saw in something similar.


The next project is to build a similar contraption for my mitre saw which is currently in the garage because its stand takes up so much space (I want everything I need in the one place). Happy to share ideas on this too if you want.




OPJ":cxiw37ul said:


> Are you also planning add a hinged outfeed extension table to the back of the saw?


Yes the plan is to add extensions to both the back and left hand side (hinged and folding down) but haven't worked out the detail yet (the project is now into the 'make it up as I go' phase !



OPJ":cxiw37ul said:


> You might want to play around and find the best position for the extraction hose (crown guard). As it looks currently, it looks as if it might foul any timber or sheets going through.


Yup, yet another area where I am waiting for divine inspiration 



OPJ":cxiw37ul said:


> With regards to positioning the router, look at a spindle moulder for a decent idea of how to off-centre it.


sounds like a good idea

cheers

paul


----------



## Rich

Hi paul, Iv'e sent you a PM.
regards, Rich.


----------



## Anonymous

Looking foreward to the next installment as this is giving me a few ideas for my set up.

Thanks, Steve.


----------



## LarryS.

Not much progress on the project due to family house moves, work, golf and also a bit of my job !
Have decided to make the router table top first, install it then make the drawers using the router table. Attached are some pictures of its construction :

two layers of MDF chosen for the top





Piece of 'fireback' bought from Homebase for £30 to cover the top and bottom (its perfectly flat, shiny and hard-wearing so should be ideal, idea stolen from a previous poster on the forum) :





Warning ! First time I glued it on I copied another post on the forum who had used PVA (but not with fireback like I was using), left it like this for 2 days : 





only to take all the stuff off and find that only a light touch peeled the covering off !! Went into emergency cheesed off mode and applied a lot of impact adhesive to both the fireback and the top of the MDF and stuck it all together, 24 hours later it seem stuck fast, learning point there.

Tonight for the first time I used a router with a laminate trimmer bit to trim the edge of the fireback (i'd left it over hanging) and here is the result :






also took a present i'd received of a mini router table from Lidl, took the NVR switch from it and mounted to the table, should make turning the router off and on much easier and safer :




here is how the project looks at the moment, please ignore all the cr*p within the unit : 





well chuffed with that. Next jobs are : 
Mount the top permanently
Put router plate in it (intending to go for the tilgear aluminium one which I am going to order tomorrow)
Then mount a mitre slot and fence
then make the drawers


----------



## Rich

nice one Paul, i'm still looking and learning,
regards, Rich.


----------



## harryc

I always knew there was a use for those LIDL tools  

Keep up the Good Work

Harry


----------



## LarryS.

harryc":1o783ysb said:


> I always knew there was a use for those LIDL tools
> 
> Keep up the Good Work
> 
> Harry



I've still got 90% of it left but as yet have found no use apart from giving me something else to trip over


----------



## wizer

you know what, I really like this project. It's a great space saver. What height is the table out of interest? and is that a dust hose hanging out the side?


----------



## LarryS.

WiZeR":3vm3zj78 said:


> you know what, I really like this project. It's a great space saver. What height is the table out of interest? and is that a dust hose hanging out the side?



Wizer,
I built the table top to be 96cms from the floor (which felt comfortable when I tried different heights using a workmate with blocks of wood on top of it). 

Plan is that everything I build from now on (mitre saw cabinet, morticer cabinet and a worbench will all be the same height so they can each be used to support wood on the others).

Glad you like it, its been great fun to build so far (my first real project), for explanation of the hose on the side have a look at page 1 of the thread, there's a load of pictures explaining it.

cheers

paul


----------



## Escudo

Well done Paul, I like your project and idea. In a way you have sort of created a combination type machine, great for saving space.

I see above you were looking for ideas for a chop saw station. There is a good idea in a book I have aptly titled "Workshop Idea Book" by Andy Rae.

It is a relatively small station which houses the chop saw in the middle with space either side to support stock. Underneath are some useful drawers and a bench top drill press and grinder. The later items can be removed and fixed to the top. They seem to be permanently attached to a piece of mdf which clamps to the top. Seems a reasonable idea.

Hope this is of interest. The book I mentioned has lots of ideas with decent pictures. I'm sure it cost less than a tenner through Amazon.

Cheers, Tony.


----------



## LarryS.

Tony,

Sounds like an the ideal solution for my shop, just so happens I have a book called 'How to build the complete workshop' which also includes an idea which sounds just like yours (and is going to be the next project), no doubt i will post pictures to show my trials and tribulations as it progresses !

just need to get this blinkin router table finished now


----------



## OPJ

Paul, is that the WOOD Magazine book? I've got a couple of their others which I've found really useful and was wondering if this one's any good?

Looks like you did a good job of gluing on the fireback but - and I don't know how you clamped it together - next time, you might find it easier to place two scraps of ply/MDF (one above, one below) and put clamps around the outside, which should theoretically give even clamping pressure?

I've never tried contact adhesive though. Whenever I see that word, an episode of Home Improvement springs to my mind where Tim glues his forehead to a table top!! :? :shock: 

:wink:


----------



## DavidE

Hi Paul,

It's looking good, I think the fireback will be a good choice.

OPJ - When I glued my fireback down, I had the dilema of how to clamp it... In the end I went for a hybrid of your suggestion. I ran some mdf across and also some 3 x 2. It was clamped around the edges. I also put a small shim in the middle 3 x 2 and clamped it at either end. That had the effect of putting some pressure in the middle. I was pleased with how flat it was. Also when I routed the insert out the middle showed it had laminated well.

Cheers
David


----------



## LarryS.

Hi all,

Just making preparations this evening for mounting the tilgear insert plate to my table and realised I need a template cutter for the job. Where could I buy one of those on a saturday morning, would they stock them in B&Q or would I need to go to somewhere more specialised (I live in Bath). Hope someone can tell me because I want to get on tomorrow whilst the girlfriend is away and I've got some peace !

cheers


----------



## Slim

I've been to B&Q for a template cutter before without success.

Do you have any guide bushes? If you do, you could just increase the size of your template and use a normal straight bit with a guide bush.


----------



## Shultzy

Screwfix have plenty if there's a branch near to you.

http://www.screwfix.com/cats/A238047/Bl ... er-Cutters


----------



## LarryS.

Slim":1glc1svd said:


> I've been to B&Q for a template cutter before without success.
> 
> Do you have any guide bushes? If you do, you could just increase the size of your template and use a normal straight bit with a guide bush.



haven't got any guide bushes but just checked b&q website (which seems to have been improved recently) and they are showing some template cutters in stock for my local store, will be up there first thing


----------



## LarryS.

Shultzy":1fa3m8nu said:


> Screwfix have plenty if there's a branch near to you.
> 
> http://www.screwfix.com/cats/A238047/Bl ... er-Cutters



why didn't i think of that !? there is one round the corner from b&q, thanks shultzy i'll give them a go if no joy in b&q


----------



## LarryS.

Girlfriend is away for the weekend so made some progress today....

Got the tilgear router plate yesterday so got ready to fit it :






made a jig to guide the router from :





nerves we're definately kicking in when i first plnged the router into my lovely table top i'd made :





after the routing of the rebate was done :





then did a rather messy job on jigsaw'ing out the centre (blade was an inch shorter than the thickness of the table) :





finger then hugely crossed as i tried to drop the insert in.....and....




SUCCESS ! Was more than slightly amazzed that it worked

then moved onto construction of drawers, firstly two to go underneath the tablesaw section :





after three hours of cursing, cutting, cursing some more, cutting some more, starting again and cursing some more I came up with this :








NOW SPOT THE FLAW ! Yes, I had said I was moving onto the construction of drawers. Don't ask me how but I forgot I was building two and built one massive one ! :shock: Spent even more time cursing (using much worse words this time) then cut it in half and made the two I'd originally intended :





all glued up, hopefully tomorrow morning they will still be as such and I can then fit the runners and move onto the final drawer.


----------



## wizer

Mighty_Genghis":3sinhavr said:


> Girlfriend is away for the weekend



ccasion5:  

Thanks for the update Paul. This project has inspired me to make some decisions on the layout of my workshop. I'll be building one of these by the end of the year.


----------



## LarryS.

WiZeR":1vui8jbh said:


> Mighty_Genghis":1vui8jbh said:
> 
> 
> 
> Girlfriend is away for the weekend
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ccasion5:
> 
> Thanks for the update Paul. This project has inspired me to make some decisions on the layout of my workshop. I'll be building one of these by the end of the year.
Click to expand...


The way i'm going you may finish before me !


----------



## LarryS.

tried fitting the first two drawers today and amazingly they did fit, chuffed as its my first ever attempt but it did take about 2 hours per drawer but I got faster as I went along so hopefully the final drawer will be a lot quicker (put together this evening and glue is now drying, hopefully fit one evening this week). Pics below :









I added screws to the joints just to be safe but think the glue would have held them anyway. Main problem was a severe lack of clamps (I only have 2 full size ones) so had to use screws for the joints I couldn't clamp, will be ordering some asap. All the joints are simple rebates but I thought that was a good starting point for my first ever construction

After I do the final drawer (in section under the router) I am probably going to fit a couple of swing up extension table for the table saw to help when cutting panels (was a real problem cutting the bigger lumber for the drawers)

any comments / suggestions / ideas welcome


----------



## Rich

Looking great MG, could you possible show a pic of how you replaced the steel extension table with your timber one?, a pic from underneath would be invaluable as I intend to follow your example, I am so impressed.
regards, Rich.


----------



## LarryS.

Rich":2gori7fd said:


> Looking great MG, could you possible show a pic of how you replaced the steel extension table with your timber one?, a pic from underneath would be invaluable as I intend to follow your example, I am so impressed.
> regards, Rich.



Rich,

I'll take some pictures tonight but its pretty simple. The centre upright and right upright of the cabinet (under the router table) are joined by two lengths of 3x2 to hold their shape. The table then sits on these rails with some screws underneath for me to level the table off.


paul


----------



## OPJ

LOL Just noticed the old router table *thrown* back in to it's box in the background of a couple of your recent photo's!  

Looking good though. I like the idea of adding swing-up extensions for the table saw.

You do appear to have quite a bit of "dead space" around the router inside the cabinet. Do you have any ideas as to what you could do with this or store in there?


----------



## LarryS.

OPJ":2vw8oq3m said:


> LOL Just noticed the old router table *thrown* back in to it's box in the background of a couple of your recent photo's!
> 
> Looking good though. I like the idea of adding swing-up extensions for the table saw.
> 
> You do appear to have quite a bit of "dead space" around the router inside the cabinet. Do you have any ideas as to what you could do with this or store in there?



OPJ, No I haven't got any ideas yet for round the router, any suggestions ? like you say its a lot of dead space, perhaps a door on the front with shelfes built onto it may help (uses space and will deaden the noise of the machine)


----------



## LarryS.

update as of tonight, built the last drawer 2 days ago and glued it up, installed it this evening : 











Rich you asked about the mounting for the router table, some pictures which I hope will help (if not let me know and I'll try some different angles), like i said its a pretty simple method of the top sat on the cabinet sides with a couple of rails across, then used screws to level it all off :














Jobs to finish the unit off are :
1. route the cables through the cabinet (tidy them up)
2. Build a door for front of router section (perhaps with storage built into it)
3. put a back on it and some dust extraction under the router table
4. Build a fence for it

The onto a cabinet for my enormous Mitre saw (Bosch 12 inch sliding compound) as at the moment on the stand that came with it its too big to fit in the shop !


----------



## Rich

MG, Thanks for the pics, most helpful, it really does look good, you must feel very proud, I think you can guess what MY next project will be,
many thanks for sharing and showing.
regards, Rich.


----------



## LarryS.

Rich":zo33x3pp said:


> MG, Thanks for the pics, most helpful, it really does look good, you must feel very proud, I think you can guess what MY next project will be,
> many thanks for sharing and showing.
> regards, Rich.



no worries rich, if you need any info / measurements e.t.c let me know. 

paul


----------



## stevebuk

fantastic project, loved every installment. Any chance of seeing how the router fastens to the plate please.
thanks
steve


----------



## LarryS.

stevebuk":32g66lp1 said:


> fantastic project, loved every installment. Any chance of seeing how the router fastens to the plate please.
> thanks
> steve



steve,

i can take some pictures but its simply screwed to the insert plate (three bolts I drilled through the plate), then the plate (and router) dropped into the top, which bit are you specifically interested in ?

paul


----------



## stevebuk

hi paul
i have read in other parts of the forum that people were having difficulty in getting screws to fit through to the plate, only i want to buy a router table and fit my router into it, never used it yet, and i've had it 3 years. Is yours fastened with the screws it came with.
many thanks


----------



## LarryS.

ah right, no its not, you'll need screws about 1 inch long (ones in the router are only about half an inch). They are UNC thread, if you look on this thread there is a link to a company that sells them (and loads of people who had the same problem) :

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20880&highlight=unc+thread

when you get the bolts (countersunk ones) get a nut with them, i had to trim the bolts to size so you'll need a nut to re-cut the thread : put the nut on and screw all the way on, then cut bolt to length required and use the nut to re-cut the thread at the end (turn it back and forth at the end)

hope that helps


----------



## OPJ

Paul, have you thought about dust extraction below the table yet?

If you're gonna have an opening at the back of the cabinet, you could consider adding a slope and a valley so that any shavings and saw dust are inclined to slide down and in to the hose?

You could possibly partition off a small section to the right of the router and store small things in there - maybe some push sticks or featherboard?

I wouldn't have thought you'd want to put too much in there in case, you know, it gets sucked up! :shock: 

I'll be interested to see what you do with the Bosch GCM 12SD also (I have the exact same model and need to do something similar) when the time comes. What's wrong with your DeWalt saw - you thinking of putting two together on different settings or something?! :shock:


----------



## LarryS.

Olly,

I'd seen a post which had a slope on it under the router so was planning to copy the solution, only complication with the final solution is how to compromise between that, storage space and access to the router for adjustment. 

A temporary slope is an idea but temptation would be to leave it out if it made things awkward, so am trying to think of a good compromise which would be permanent.

As for the GCM 12 I am planning something like this : 





basic principle being fold down sides so that when its not being used it takes up the minimum possible space.


----------



## OPJ

Looks pretty similar to the idea I have in mind (Fine Woodworking). Not sure what to do about storage inside though. Drawers? Shelves? Blades? Small machinery? Jigs... I'll get there in the end though.  

What sort of ply have you been using for the router table project? (sorry, you probably did mention it earlier. :roll: )


----------



## LarryS.

basic exterior ply 18mm from b&q. 

for the next project I went back to b&q for wood and found a cheaper 18mm ply that I think is beech ply, not sure what the difference is except for the price (and the new ply is yellow, old more of a brown colour), think the original was birch


----------



## frugal

Mighty_Genghis":3rerr7in said:


> Girlfriend is away for the weekend so made some progress today....
> 
> Got the tilgear router plate yesterday so got ready to fit it :



Is there any chance you could let me know the stock number and price for the tilgear router plate? I have just gone through their catalogue and they only have a plastic router plate (£19) that is described as having a slight crown on it, I can not see any metal plates.

I need to build a router table soon and the consensus here seems to be that crowned plates are not as good.


----------



## LarryS.

Frugal,

It isn't in their catologue but if you ring them they will know what you are talking about (its what I did). On their receipt its down as 'Router Aluminium Table Insert *OFFER PRICE* £29.50 plus vat (305x230x9.5)' but no part number


paul


----------



## frugal

Mighty_Genghis":3tm4icew said:


> Frugal,
> 
> It isn't in their catologue but if you ring them they will know what you are talking about (its what I did). On their receipt its down as 'Router Aluminium Table Insert *OFFER PRICE* £29.50 plus vat (305x230x9.5)' but no part number
> 
> 
> paul



Cheers, 

I need to make an order with Tilgear, so I will give them a call and find out what to put on the order form.


----------



## LarryS.

Finally started on the process of fitting a fence and feather boards to make my router usage easier but more importantly safer. 

So today the mitre slots turned up from rutlands, so got those fitted : 






also got 4 kits for mounting jigs. Has anyone used the same ?? I've no idea what the single plastic washer and single self-tapping screw are for. Also no idea why the two metal inserts are different (one has a simple hole, the other has in the same place a threaded alan bolt (supplied with an Alan screw) ?? Help


----------



## Shultzy

One hole should have a Allen grub screw so that you can clamp the plate in to the track to act as a stop. The other is an unthreaded hole which allows you to screw up from beneath in to a workpiece. You might be missing a plastic washer.


----------



## LarryS.

Shultzy":cwyam9a3 said:


> One hole should have a Allen grub screw so that you can clamp the plate in to the track to act as a stop. The other is an unthreaded hole which allows you to screw up from beneath in to a workpiece. You might be missing a plastic washer.



Shultzy thanks for the info but I still don't get it (having a dull moment thats already lasted 30 years). The grub screw if its to be used like you say (which makes sense) is upside down ? Also why does one of the inserts have it and the other not ?

sorry for more questions but this has me stumped


----------



## OPJ

I bought one of those T-slot-things a few years ago and, although I've never actually used it, I think the holes the the extra screw may have something to do jig-making, or cutting cirlces on the router table?

I'm sure something like this was mentioned on the back of the packaging?

The other thing the grub screw might be used for is raising the T-bar slightly in order to get a tighter fit?


----------



## Shultzy

Paul, if the grub screw hole is fully threaded turn the grub screw around. I think the two items are different to give more options.


----------



## LarryS.

Shultzy / Olly,

Looks like you were both right, its to enable the construction of a circle cutting jig. Instead however I'm using them as simple runners for the new mitre fence I built yesterday : 











You'll notice that on the front I mis-calculated the holes for the adjustment slots (one of those errors that was difficult to hide!)

For the box to accept the vacuum cleaner I tried using glue only to join it = to see how strong it would be. I'm amazed that its rock solid, I always thought that glue wasn't very sturdy.


----------



## Shultzy

Paul, route out between the holes and nobody will notice


----------



## LarryS.

Shultzy":9ohqpv7z said:


> Paul, route out between the holes and nobody will notice



that would be cheating,

i'll do it tomorrow


----------



## lemonjeff

Mighty_Genghis":10cptfpt said:


> Frugal,
> 
> It isn't in their catologue but if you ring them they will know what you are talking about (its what I did). On their receipt its down as 'Router Aluminium Table Insert *OFFER PRICE* £29.50 plus vat (305x230x9.5)' but no part number
> 
> 
> paul


Paul,
What size is the insert hole please?

Jeff.


----------



## OPJ

I like the fence, Paul, especially the sliding feature of the two face plates.

Will you be covering those in a laminate at some point as well?

I'd be very careful if you intend to rout-out those between the two holes you now have on the back of your fence. I've tried to do something similar before on a router table and, because the cutter can catch the piece on both sides, there was some dangerous snatching of the MDF involved! :shock: 

You may be a lot better off, and safer, drilling out the waste first and then cleaning it all up with a chisel after. Not sure if using a handheld router would be any safter really - the last thing you want to do is end up with one very big hole! :wink:


----------



## woodchip

I like the fence Paul, I think I'll pinch it.


----------



## motownmartin

Nioce one paul, doesn't it feel good when you have made your own kit.


----------



## LarryS.

motownmartin":39z3wt9i said:


> Nioce one paul, doesn't it feel good when you have made your own kit.


Feels excellent, in spite of the minor [email protected] up ! I'm probably going to leave the holes as they are, eventually just replacing the two pieces with a couple of off-cuts.



lemonjeff":39z3wt9i said:


> Paul,
> What size is the insert hole please?



I'll measure it when I get home tonight and let you know 



OPJ":39z3wt9i said:


> Will you be covering those in a laminate at some point as well?


Where could I source some laminate from ? I keep seeing it mentioned on the forum but haven't got a clue where to get it from


----------



## OPJ

Do you not have any offcuts left over from the fireback you used for the top? That's the kind of stuff I was thinking of.


----------



## LarryS.

OPJ":37vzw1vd said:


> Do you not have any offcuts left over from the fireback you used for the top? That's the kind of stuff I was thinking of.



nope, i put it on the underside of the top as a result of all the threads that talked about top's warping when underneath had a different material because of moisture absorbtion

suppose I could go for more fireback but its £30 a throw (isn't it amazing how tight we all can be about £30 on plastic when I'd worry less about blowing hundreds on big kit) :lol:


----------



## LarryS.

lemonjeff":z65rd56i said:


> Mighty_Genghis":z65rd56i said:
> 
> 
> 
> Frugal,
> 
> It isn't in their catologue but if you ring them they will know what you are talking about (its what I did). On their receipt its down as 'Router Aluminium Table Insert *OFFER PRICE* £29.50 plus vat (305x230x9.5)' but no part number
> 
> 
> paul
> 
> 
> 
> Paul,
> What size is the insert hole please?
> 
> Jeff.
Click to expand...


Jeff, sorry for delay I was kanckered when I got home from work yesterday so didn't head out the workshop. Attached is a picture I just took which shows the hole to be 4 inches, it also shows the inserts that come with it :


----------



## OPJ

Paul, do you reckon 1mm thick acrylic might do the job?

Just noticed there's a guy in the General Woodworking forum who's looking to do a router table of his own and has found some very cheap acrylic.


----------



## LarryS.

OPJ":jd37u5te said:


> Paul, do you reckon 1mm thick acrylic might do the job?
> 
> Just noticed there's a guy in the General Woodworking forum who's looking to do a router table of his own and has found some very cheap acrylic.


might be just the job, i've just found a local plastics supplier so am going to try them first (always good to see something before buying it)


----------



## lemonjeff

Paul,
Thanks for that. 
Looking at this




There's lip which looks like it makes the hole about 3 1/2" Dia. 
I have a 3 1/2" Panel bit do you think there's enough meat on the lip to take little bit off?

Jeff.


----------



## LarryS.

Jeff,

the current opening is 3 1/4 inch, if you shaved some off it could undermine the screw holes for the inserts :


----------



## LarryS.

just tried using my new fence for the first time, worked an absolute treat :


----------

