Another round of DIY Router table advice!

[scubadoo]

Hello,

I'm trying to decide wether or not to DIY a new router table. I have a really basic one that I knocked up quickly for building guitars but would like something more precise with a fences and tracks.

I'm trying to decide if i should go ahead or just get that £99 Delta one from Axminster.

The difficulties I foresee are:

I need a good flat top - the only suitable thing i can find is this tufnol stuff http://www.directplasticsonline.co.uk/T ... /1P13/2mm/

I can't afford to get a 20 or 25mm thick piece so was planning to get something thinner, maybe 2 or 3mm and glue it to two stacked boards of MDF. What glue, epoxy? then route for on one of those router inserts ( I already have one). I'd probably have to get the 1200m sheet but at least I'd have some left over to build a drill press table and some more for jigs.

Then I need to get some tracks to run a fence and feather boards, was thinking that this stuff from Axminster is not too pricey http://www.axminster.co.uk/kreg-kreg-mi ... rc=froogle I assume I need one on either side for a fence and one on the front for feather boards, What else do people use that front track for?

I'm sure I can knock up a fence but I'm not really sure how to fit dust extraction. Above, below or both? I have one of those big orange Fein Hoover/extractor things.

Then i just need to build a frame or cupboard.

Could probably do with one of those NVR switches as well.

In reality most of my work will be doing guitars with out a fence or anything on top but it'd be nice to have the options

Any advice much appreciated.

 

[MickCheese]

How about one like this?

Similar to the New Yankee Workshop one.

http://books.google.com/books?id=cPsDAA ... &q&f=false

Mick

 

[Den Dezyn]

very interesting post scubadoo i wish to build a router table also so will be keen to see the feedback i checked out the link and wondered if one of the other plastic sheets could be used for the top and facing for the fences at less expense there are a few that say they are slippery yet hard wearing both qualities that are needed. Mick checked out that table looks good and as you say very similar to NYW one. To add a little something which router would you recommend to fit in the table.

Den

 

[condeesteso]

Brilliant post!! - I have been down this road a few times, and also bought commercial ones. In my experience the ideal is flat (obviously), very stiff, and dead. Dead because the router / cutter generates a lot of vibrations and they are always bad when cutting.
i recently made a slightly mad composite with cement sheet, mdf, hardboard, Thixofix to bond the layers... It was a mother to make but works very well, with a UHDPE (ultra-high density polyethylene) top.
If I was doing it again, I would go with tufnol 6mm (top), and several layers of thinner mdf, say 3 x 9mm, bonded with Bostik or similar. i think that is important as the bostik is elastic and will not transmit vibrations to the next laminate in the top - so the whole top becomes 'dead' vibrationally. Also it's low-cost (6mm tufnol is sensible).
One other idea I recommend, scrap yard or similar... some 2 x 2 angle iron, to go under and stiffen even more. MDF is saggy, so this will help a lot.
I go on about stiffness but having had a solid cast iron table once, I am certain it makes a difference. If you can absorb as much of the 'chatter' generated by a high-speed cutter driven by a big motor, you will get cuts that shine - honestly.
btw, i say 6mm tufnol assuming the insert / mount is a 6mm plate (most are i think). Please do NOT buy an off-the-shelf table, you will make something far better at home and save a pile too.
let us know how you get on.

 

[Shultzy]

There are a number of good router table posts in the projects section [including mine -))]. I used a piece of worktop which hasn't deformed, but I think that's due to the support of the cupboards below. There's really no need to put tracks on the table, they only fill with sawdust and you can clamp feather boards to the top. One thing I would change with mine is to make the front overhang a bit wider as the clamps sometimes get in the way of the drawer knobs.

 

[George_N]

I have made the router table in Mick's link. The plans are also in the book "Woodworking with the router" by Bill Hylton and Fred Matlack. I used birch ply for my table and table top as that was what the design called for. When I built mine a few years ago it cost me about £100. It uses an 8'x4' sheet of 18 mm ply and also a sheet of 6 mm ply. I also had to get a sheet of formica for the top and a set of locking castors. I already had a piece of phenolic plastic for the router mounting plate. Birch ply has just about doubled in price since I built my table and if I was doing it again I might use WBP ply for the carcass and doubled up 18 mm MDF for the top (laminated both sides) but having said that I really like my diy table. There is also the satisfaction bonus of building your own.

 

[scubadoo]

Do you know what, i've been thinking this over and over and I'm honestly leaning towards just getting that Dakota table for £99. My time is so limited at the moment (by a very full on toddler!) that it would probably take me way too long to find and assemble all the bits and by the time I've bought the material for the top, some tufnol, the 3 t-tracks, fence material ply etc I'd have spent that much anyway.

If I did get it I'd probably box it in, add a shelf and fit a safety switch.

I'm still unsure though, not having table saws or means of cutting panels or dados is one thing that makes me want to go for the Dakota.

 

[condeesteso]

Agreed it will take quite a few hours to build from scratch, and it's very easy to spend £100 plus on various materials, track, etc. So 'off-the-shelf' may be a good idea. If it is then mounted to a sturdy base and maybe stiffened you should get good results. Can't find a Dakota (Rutlands) or a Delta (Axminster) at that price but it sounds very good value, I would just be prepared to stiffen it as necessary, especially if you plan to fit a bigger router.

 

[andersonec]

Been down the diy router table route and if I was going to do it again I would buy a ready-made top and make the base to whatever specifications you think you may require.
If I was to make the top again I would make the base and make sure it is as flat as possible across the top, I would then fix the first layer of mdf and when I was happy I would then glue the top layer of mdf to the first and leave clamped for a couple of days.
Jewsons now do a ply almost equal to birch ply, it's Wisa-twin.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I'm a bit late in here, I know, but I would not hesitate to recommend Norm's Deluxe Router Table. Plans from Brimarc (no affiliation). They are in inches, unfortunately, but dims are not critical and the basic design is excellent. I've modified the fence itself to be micro adjustable (mine's better than your-ors, nah,nah,na-nah,nah) and I've built BIll Hylton's horizontal router table into the end (the wrong end, as it turns out) but basically it is the same build. Excellent.
Yes it's a project in itself, but once you've done it, you'll have something excellent for the rest of your life. No- brainer.
Steve

 

[motownmartin]

I agree with steve, this table is excellent, robust with no interfering vibration it also keeps the noise and dust to a minimum.

Unlike Steve I cheated with fence and invested in the Incra which has been brilliant.

I did do a wip thread router-table-wip-t18155.html which might interest you, a lot of members gave me sound advice.

 

[scubadoo]

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

I would love to make my own but in reality, i have so little time and i'm not that sure of my cabinet making skills, don't really know much about joints and such! It's also tricky without a band saw or table saw. I just have a poxy old jigsaw and my router.

The first router table I built was a right botch job, still, I've built many guitars with it, no problem; but now i just want something more refined.

I've been thinking about the Jessem table that is currently on sale at Rutlands for £250. It seems like that would give me most of what I need and i believe is of very good quality?