Router table top cover

[Gadjet]

Hi,
I'm just putting together a router table and I was wondering if the MDF I'm using is good enough or is there some hard-wearing veneer that can be bonded to the top?
If so, where's a good place to buy it from?
Cheers

 

[Spectric]

A lot of people use the moisture resistant MDF and there is also the HDF board. Give this a read

https://forestplywood.com/blog/plyw...ow-theyre-different-and-what-theyre-good-for/

 

[MikeK]

One of the members here made a router table using a piece of laminated kitchen top from one of the hardware stores.

 

[Gadjet]

A lot of people use the moisture resistant MDF and there is also the HDF board. Give this a read

https://forestplywood.com/blog/plyw...ow-theyre-different-and-what-theyre-good-for/

Thanks, I'll give it a read, I was just going to use MDF as I have some, and then seal it with MDF sealer.

 

[Gadjet]

One of the members here made a router table using a piece of laminated kitchen top from one of the hardware stores.

That did cross my mind but the only piece I have is a strange colour

 

[MikeK]

That did cross my mind but the only piece I have is a strange colour

Who's going to know? The wood certainly won't care.

 

[Gadjet]

Who's going to know? The wood certainly won't care.

Me but I see what you mean

 

[MikeK]

Here's one thread by @weirdbeardmt using the kitchen counter top.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/my-homemade-router-table.126434/

 

[Gadjet]

My proof of concept phase so far

 

[J-G]

Hi,
I'm just putting together a router table and I was wondering if the MDF I'm using is good enough or is there some hard-wearing veneer that can be bonded to the top?
If so, where's a good place to buy it from?
Cheers

Kitchen worktop is a good posibility but I would look seriously at 'Tufnol' sheet which is available from 1mm to 50mm thick which you could use as a 'surface' ( 1, 2 3mm thick) or a solid (12, 15, 20 . . . mm) - - - available from directplastics.co.uk along with many other hard-wearing industrial plastics such as HDPE, PE500, PEEK and others - any of which would be vastly superior to MDF (in any form).

 

[MorrisWoodman12]

Pray tell what's the roller pressure finger alternative thingybob?

 

[Spectric]

I would imagine it makes a nice slippery surface to make passing wood through the cutter easy. I think the price is prohibitive for using it as a solid top, 25mm @ 600mm square is £477 inc vat and at 30mm £534 inc so using it just as a cover or surface is more cost effective, those prices are in the same ball park as buying a ready made, ready to use router table / router table top. Buying 6mm same size as a cover is £115.

Another product to look at are the composite panels used in vehicle body construction, things like the delivery vehicles used by the supermarkets and other vehicles with a specialised purpose.

 

[Gadjet]

Pray tell what's the roller pressure finger alternative thingybob?

I bought it from Banggood, it's rollers only roll one way so in therory stops the wood from backfeeding (not the reason I bought them) also the wheels are angled in towards the fence pulling the wood against the fence as it goes through, I made an error though as I thought the price was for two but it was only for one, my fault for not reading the details properly :-( anyway it's a really good quality bit of kit.

 

[Gadjet]

Kitchen worktop is a good posibility but I would look seriously at 'Tufnol' sheet which is available from 1mm to 50mm thick which you could use as a 'surface' ( 1, 2 3mm thick) or a solid (12, 15, 20 . . . mm) - - - available from directplastics.co.uk along with many other hard-wearing industrial plastics such as HDPE, PE500, PEEK and others - any of which would be vastly superior to MDF (in any form).

I was looking at some 1mm tufnol sheets as a way forward.

 

[Recky33]

Most router tables use a plate to fix the router to, so most ware will be on the plate not the table as the finger boards will be around the cutter

 

[J-G]

I would imagine it makes a nice slippery surface to make passing wood through the cutter easy. I think the price is prohibitive for using it as a solid top, 25mm @ 600mm square is £477 inc vat and at 30mm £534 inc so using it just as a cover or surface is more cost effective, those prices are in the same ball park as buying a ready made, ready to use router table / router table top. Buying 6mm same size as a cover is £115.

Another product to look at are the composite panels used in vehicle body construction, things like the delivery vehicles used by the supermarkets and other vehicles with a specialised purpose.

Without quoting or referencing my post I wasn't sure that you were talking about Tufnol @Spectric The figures you quote do confirm that though.

I agree that Whale brand Tufnol is not a cheap option but Kite Brand at 3mm thick 600 Sq is <£32 - Personally I only buy Whale but then I don't use that much, never bought thicker than 12mm.

 

[Spectric]

Personally I only buy Whale but then I don't use that much, never bought thicker than 12mm.

So how does this material machine, cutting and routing wise ? Also how do you fix it to your underlying board, normaly I would have thought they were put on under pressure .

 

[TRITON]

Textured formica sheet, usually about 1mm thick and you contact adhesive it on to mdf. The textured finish gives it less friction

 

[J-G]

So how does this material machine, cutting and routing wise ?

Superbly! - It's essentially a Phenolic Resin impregnated material, Whale is Cotton, Kite is Paper (hence the lower cost) full details Tufnol

I use it for Gears - mostly clock gears but also Myford 20DP Change gears - as well as Clock plates. It is utterly 'stable' over a wide temperature range - I've never had any issue with expansion/contraction.

Drilling, threading, milling, sawing - absolutely no problem, similar to brass, better than Alum.

Also how do you fix it to your underlying board, normaly I would have thought they were put on under pressure .

I've never needed to make up a composite but suspect that if I needed to it would be by screwing together. Should I consider glue for a 1 > 3mm thick sheet, I would try something like EvoStick Contact. - I have fabricated some 'parts' (small) using CA without issue.

I first came across it in the late 50's during my apprenticeship.

 

[Spectric]

I use it for Gears

Yes that is where I have heard of Tufnol before, gears and the Essex Ford 3 litre V6 engine had a tufnol cam gear.