# DIY router table?



## theartfulbodger (9 Feb 2011)

Silly Question alert! #-o 

I _nearly _bought one of these

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-ax ... rod833056/

when it was 99.99 but now it's 119.99 :shock: 


Luckily I've found a 90cm by 100cm offcut of kitchen worktop going spare so I'm planning to make a router table for a DW613. 
What else will I need to buy? How does the router attach to the underside of the table? I'm planning on making the top of the table hinged so I can get at the router to change the cutters.

Any top tips or links to easy to follow plans would be very much appreciated :ho2


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## Titus A Duxass (10 Feb 2011)

You need a Router Table Insert (RTI) plate similar to this - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trend-PLATE-Rou ... 33&sr=1-87 (other suppliers are available).

Do a search on here, there is a lot of info. to read.


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## studders (10 Feb 2011)

For the money I think this is hard to beat, even if you don't use the legs. By the time you've bought all the components you'll have spent that much, plus you save a lot of time.


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## theartfulbodger (10 Feb 2011)

Thanks for the fast replies chaps.

I've never had much luck with the search function on this forum.. 

Will take a closer look at the Rutlands table, though I gather there might be more reliable companies to order things from 8)


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## knappers (10 Feb 2011)

I have to say, that Rutlands table really does look like outstanding value for money. Even if you are building your own table, the plate and accessories / tracks that come with it are worth almost that.

Si.


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## studders (10 Feb 2011)

I think so too, 36mm pressure laminated top - that aint gonna droop. I wish they'd make it a bit clearer that the feather boards are extras.

TAB - Rutlands, only a problem when things go wrong, errr.......


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## theartfulbodger (10 Feb 2011)

I had to read all the blurb twice to check about the feather boards... at 30 odd quid each for the different ones on offer it would bump the price up a tad. Although I see what you mean about the table looking like value compared to the cost of buying individual components. 


Food for thought! At the moment I'm holding the router upside down by the fence and cutting tenons  which is probably not recommended..

Anyone got this table, any reviews?


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## Pvt_Ryan (10 Feb 2011)

Why do you need the insert plates? I am fairly sure in one of the woodworking mags I saw in the last 3 months the guy just cut a hole for the router bit in the table top.


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## Titus A Duxass (10 Feb 2011)

Not having a RTI plate and connecting the router directly to the table top means you lose some depth of cut (equal to the table top material thickness).

For most people this would be a minimum of 19 mm less depth of cut.

You can, of course, make your own RTI out of polycarb, phenol, ally or whatever you have to hand as long as it's strong enough.


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## theartfulbodger (10 Feb 2011)

studders":3t1emusy said:


> I wish they'd make it a bit clearer that the feather boards are extras.



I bet a few people might have told them that :wink: 

I signed up to their email club earlier today and the first one that came through was for this router table... with the added text
*Shown With Optional Featherboards

:mrgreen:


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## Mike Wingate (10 Feb 2011)

Build your own table . Buy 4 featherboards at £5 each from ebay. When you need a better, bigger table, add a better fence or routerlift. Make what you need. I have found few tables really suit the variey of tasks that I demand of a table. I use 2 home mades, One large with an Incra jig, and a smaller one with a hollow dust extracting fence. No mitre slots on either table, but the router plate and lift fit both. No volt release switch essential in my opinion.
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... CT0183.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... CT0182.jpg


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## Titus A Duxass (10 Feb 2011)

Mike Wingate":1rixu6e2 said:


> Build your own table .
> http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... CT0183.jpg
> http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... CT0182.jpg


Nice table.


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