small bench mounted router table

[kityuser]

I have a B&Q router table *shudder*, its the biggest pile of ali crap that I have ever used, what was I thinking when I bought it (a few years ago now).

infact its SO bad that its a bit of an insult to my gorgeous Freud router thats slung under it. SO the time has come and I`m gonna take the plunge and make myself a bench mounted router station.

any ideas from you guys? threads to point me towards. Everyone "these days" seems to make flashy floor mounted ones with even fancier draws, I`m gonna try to stick with a basic design..... a big slab of kitchen worktop that I`ve inherited, a fence scavenged from the B&Q monstrosity a router plate inherited from a relation and copious amounts of 18mm ply left over from my workshop "hutch" project.

I really want it to be compact (as space is limited in my shop) but not too small to be unusable, any ideas on size? I see some of the axminster ones are around 3' x 2' for the top...........

I made a really quite beginners effot on sketchup for the workshop hutch, maybe I`ll have a better go for the router table.

Steve

 

[arminiusrex]

try this link:


http://www.jeffgreefwoodworking.com/pnc ... index.html

Hope it helps

 

[Boz62]

Hi,

I'm thinking along your lines as well. The router guru Pat Warner seems happy with a 2 foot square top. Looking at the Jeff Greef link above, I think 20" square as a bench top mounted affair would be comfortable for the majority of smaller workshop jobs. That design does make it all very "accessible". My existing MDF "clamp in a Workmate" top is 2 x 3 foot and usable, but it does make for a cramped workshop when it's set up. And it's a bit low for use with a bad back Up on a workbench, I think 2 x 3 might be a bit too large. I suppose it depends how much access you have to the rear, or around the bench in general

Boz

 

[sawdust maker]

I did this to save space with my router table. It slides out when needed.

Doing it this way saves space and makes the router table very accessible.

Paul

 

[RobertMP]

I've got the B and Q table with a big Triton fitted to it. I threw the fence away as that really was rubbish. The table itself is not too bad - it's flat enough and I mostly use a batten and some G clamps for a fence. I have a couple of bits of beech screwed to the underside of the end overhangs so clamping is easy.

I'd like a decent router table but keep thinking I have nowhere to put one. I keep the BnQ one under a bench and just clamp it to the work surface when I need to use it so it takes no space. Quite like the raised working level when it is on the bench.

I too have a slab of kitchen worktop that I've kept for a table. doubt I'll use it unless I see some space saving ideas that aren't too much bigger than the BnQ cheapie.

edit - and as I type one appears above

I have an 8ft x2ft table that is so useful I don't want anything mounted on it. I guess a lift on lift off version might be an option. Does the wood or formica work surface make a big improvement over lightly waxed BnQ aluminium?

 

[big soft moose]

I have a B&Q router table *shudder*, its the biggest pile of ali crap that I have ever used, what was I thinking when I bought it (a few years ago now).

infact its SO bad that its a bit of an insult to my gorgeous Freud router thats slung under it.

I can sympathise - my nice shiny yellow dewalt router is stuck in a "biggest pile of crap" screwfix plastic table - I too am shortly venturing down the build route. I havent decided on bench top or floor standing (but on wheels) so i shall watch this thread with interest

 

[Digit]

Space is short in my shop as well, so like others on this forum my router is built into my table saw, worth considering Steve, assuming that you have a TS of course.

Roy.

 

[kityuser]

Space is short in my shop as well, so like others on this forum my router is built into my table saw, worth considering Steve, assuming that you have a TS of course.

Roy.

I do indeed roy, as the name suggests I have a kity (419).
I have considered it, BUT I have the extension table kit from kity which is pressed steel, and I'm not really a great metal worker :lol:

I'll have a play with sketchup and post my master plan...

Steve

 

[Digit]

My TS is cast iron, so I had to fork out some shekels, but it was well worth it.

Roy.

 

[OPJ]

Here's one I built last year:

It's a benchtop model, made almost entirely from 18mm MR MDF, with a top measuring 600mm x 450mm, laminated on both faces with white Formica. Aluminium plate came from Tilgear and the NVR switch is from Charnwood.net. In all, I think I spent about £100 on materials, excluding the Freud router :roll:, bolts, studding, knobs etc.

Yes, it is a benchtop model. I think the height to the top of the table is about 370mm... Whatever it may be, it's made to fit in the space below my mitre saw. :wink: