My horizontal router table

[colinc]

I thought that some people might be interested in my quick and cheap horizontal router table. Similar to the one in Bill Matlack's book but simplified and made from bits I had hanging around.

I built it as a prototype a couple of years back and have used it regularly since - imho everyone should have one. It really comes into its own for loose tenon joints.

(I hope the pictures aren't too big)

Back view showing how the router (original 1-speed MOF 96) is held in position:

[img]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/p213938b74e5907c07b4036805ed51ab7/efbd3713.jpg

leg morticing sled:

regards

Colin

 

[Adam]

Looks a great idea. Do you know why this is not more common?

Adam

 

[colinc]

No, I don't. A number of people that have seen it have gone away and built one.

The sleds could be improved by being thicker than the current 12mm, as they flex a bit. I'd also add some tee track to the vertical face for holding feather boards - I clamp them currently. A mitre on the bottom of their contact edge would be useful as the dust does build up there. I hope it's clear but I use two sleds with different fences, one parallel to the cutter and the other at 90 degrees. Again setting thos in tee track would be useful for coping with differing material widths.

The sled would also benefit from stops in tee track to aid repeatabilty. I'll make mark 2 one day. I'd probably use a 1/2 router next time and use spiral upcut bits as sometimes it gets a bit smoky if the mortice gets chocked with dust.

Dust extraction is going in one day but using the collector on by elu pulls a lot out of the back.

 

[Chris Knight]

My router table has an accessory I built that mounts a router horizontally but (to my surprise) after I built it, I didn't use it very much.

I think the reason(s) is that it does not have the accuracy of say my Incra positioner and it takes a few minutes to get it set up. I thought I might use it for tenons but I find that with a simple sled, it is very easy to slide a rail requiring a tenon, alongside the router fence and cut it just as if it were laid horizontally on the router table, With the accuracy and repeatability conferred by the Incra, I am able easily to cut both the long/short sides of the tenon.