Learn me some about router tables please
BungalowJeff
| Posted in Tools for Home Building on
I’m thinking about getting a router table. This would be mainly DIY use for replicating trim, etc.
I am a self-confessed tool junky, so some bells and whistles (if useful) are always welcome.
…that’s not a mistake, it’s rustic
Replies
After spending lots of money buying one I would build my own now.
Buy the plate and make the table. I would also attach it to my tablesaw rather than making a seperate free standing unit. But if you want to buy one. I would look at Woodhaven or the cast iron one that attaches to the tablesaw....cant remember the name of it now but I think its benchdog not sure exactly :>)
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Hey..welcome back! Life can now resume.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.
Why bu9ild teh table into you tablesaw? I have a saw with 50something extension arms and was thinking of building a router table into it, but then I started questioning my thinking? What are your thoughts on the subject?
Its all about room. In my shop I have a seperate RT. But everytime I need it I have to move some other machine outta the way. I just think its more conveinent to have one in the tablesaw. But in actuality if I had one in the TS id probably be wishing I had a seperate one. :>)
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By building the router into the extension on the table saw, you gain:
1. Room in the shop, you don't need a separate big box.
2. Leverage your investment in the fence system of the TS
3. Nice massive machine that stays put while you use it.
The downside is:
1. You can't leave a setup on one machine and use the other. For a small DIY shop, probably not such a big deal.
2. It's just a router, doesn't have the guts of a real shaper.
For me, building a drop-in into the extension on the Unisaw was definitely the right choice.
-- J.S.
plus building one you can build it as big as you want or need.
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I built this one from yankee work shop. Works great, has a port on the back which facilitates a vacuum. http://www.newyankee.com/getproduct3.cgi?0301 Then he can put whatever top and mechanism he desires. I used a plunge router, 3 hp for raised panels if needed. Bookoo storage.
Semper Fi
Welcome back by the way, How was the food?
This is the one I bought. The one with the sliding table .I wish I would have bought the cast iron one that mounts to the TS instead.
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/routabl2.html#precision_table_anchor
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Thats nice! One thing I do like about it is the table tilts. I don't know why but it seems neat. If you prefer something else step out and get it. We don't live forever!!
Sell yours on site. Sounds like a lot of people desire a router table like that.
Semper Fi
Holy Canoli!! Thanks for all the replies folks!
I have some serious head scratchin' to do now, but at least I have some good input.
I will really have to consider the cost-to-use for a shaper.
Of course this is all moot if someone has figured out a way to make trim with a Multi-Master? ...that's not a mistake, it's rustic
Shaper is fantastic, make sure you get one that chuck up router bits
<!----><!----> <!---->
Phill Giles<!----><!---->
The Unionville Woodwright<!----><!---->
Also, don't forget to figure in the cost of router bits vs. shaper cutters. If you will be doing many linear feet of one or a few profiles, no question the shaper is probably the better way to go. But, if you already have quite a few router bits, and want to make limited quantities then maybe the router would work for you.
I like the bench dog pro lift with the PC big mother router in it ( notice I said I like it. That doesn't mean I own it), but even with a pretty good deal that combo has got to run close to $600.00. Then you have to make some kind of a top to mount it in. Not to mention a fence.
Just some things to think about. Good luck.
Yep, that was what I was going to say too (only you said it better)!
I have the Jessem router lift and am very happy with it. A lift is the only way to go IMHO. Also, a variable speed router is a requirement - you can't run the big bits unless you dial down the speed.
John Sprung.
have a 1500+ sq foot shop and still it is jammed to the ceiling. I've learned that equipment needs to be on wheels.. I roll everything out of the way except the equipment I'm working on.. I've seen pretty tiny shops done exactly this way with much more equipment than I own.. put a shaper on wheels roll it out, use it and roll it away when finished..
Same here, in fact the Unisaw is still on the same dolly that my grandfather put it on. The exceptions are the lathe and vertical mill at my parents' house. But those are metal working machines.
-- J.S.
My two lathes are as well but then they are jammed into a corner of the shop because whatever I do with them is smaller not longer than the lathe itself.. whereas a table saw can easily cut board ten times as long as the saw.. My metal cutting band saw is on wheels for exactly that reason.. what I cut may be longer than the bed I have to cut it on..
No big thing to adapt a table saw wing. Just get a greenlee knockout or hole saw and punch a hole in the center of the wing and then figure out where the mounting screws will go to mount your spare router base to the underside of the wing.
If the wing is recessed, like craftsman brand, then cut some laminate formica and adhere it to the recess in the wing then recut your holes. Get flat head screws and recess or countersink the screwheads in the wing.
Mount the router when you need it. Remove it when you are cutting on the Table saw.
Easy cheap and substantial. Why don't they do that in a factory std option?
Jack of all trades and master of none - you got a problem with that?
I'm the opposite after building one in the past I would, and did buy one last time.
I have a Bench Dog and it has served me well, it did come missing a whole list of parts for some reason but their customer service was great and I had the parts sent next day to me, they didn't ask for a reciept or any other confirmation that I actually did buy it.
While I was looking for the last one Woodcraft had a brand by the name of JessEm that looked pretty sweet also
What I would do next time is buy just the top, the insert plate and fence and make my own cabinet.
For a router I would suggest looking at the Milwaukee routers that have the adjustable turn nob for height rather then a router lift. I almost bought a lift but having never used one I'm not sure what I'm missing and the Milwaukee depth adjustment is very sweet.
by the way I still haven't bought a new router myself yet ;)
and welcome back, or did you just manage to sneak in?
Edited 12/1/2006 8:05 pm ET by CAGIV
heyyyyy..whadda u doing here...I thought you got fired.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2sCbO4Uvlg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7wEctHyuc0&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV460jyubzII have dreamt of an open world, borderless and wide... where the people move from place to place, and nobody's taking sides.. http://www.yusufislam.com
http://WWW.CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
I have a home-built, based on Oak-Park accessories and insert plate ( http://www.oak-park.com/ ). If I was to start fresh, I'd look at the Lee Valley system, including their table; Bench Dog (they have a great saw wing and a really neat router centre); or, a Jessem table.
I have friends with CNC router tables and CNC router carvers, that's the way to go if you're doing volume.
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
The fence on a router table is the heart of the system, while the table itself is easy to make.
I am a great fan of the Jointech router fence set-up. It's expensive, but it works like a dream.
It consists of two parts:
http://www.jointech.com/dovetailjig.htm
http://www.jointech.com/dovetailfence.htm
********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
oh gawd, you had to post that.
I do not want a JointechI do not want a jointechI do not want a JointechI do not want a JointechI do not want a jointech...
you sound just like me.....diy'er who likes tools!
try this, http://www.benchdog.com/promax.htm
it's the benchdog co's router extension table that replaces the left side steel of your table saw. it is heavy, stable and if you have an out feed on the table saw, you now have an outfeed for the router....i really dig mine.
Benchdog is probably your best dollar value. Great fence system, especially for adjustable opening used for trim making. If you add one to your table saw thinking that you can use your saw fence for the router, think this over carefully. You will end up buying a fence for the router as soon as you have needed to bury the bit into the fence and don't wan to dut into the saw fence to make it work.
The left side extensions are great as song as they include their own fenc with the router set-up. Making trim pieces often involves routing a profile on a larger board and then ripping the profile off and repeating the steps to get the amount of trem needed. Easy if saw fence and router fence are separate. Pain in the ..... if you have to reset each fence after eac h cut.
Benchdog is available at Woodcraft if you have one in your area, or email the catalog from Mfg.
Bungalow Jeff,
In my opinion a router table doesn't do things well enough to justify it's cost. It only works well for short pieces, light pieces. Longer, heavier pieces seem to quickly tip them over.. Plus the router can't really hog out wood quickly forcing you to make multiple passes.. any time you increase the number of passes you increase the chance of a mistake.. In addition the good ones are a pain in the butt and expensive as well. For less than the cost of a dedicated router and router table you can buy a very decent shaper.. Now a shaper does the same things a router and table do but it does it safer, quieter and for less cost..
A really scary operation that I see all of the time is raised panels done on a router table You get that big bit spining along at 50 bizzion rpm and tell me that doesn't frighten you..
A shaper spins much slower while able to single pass most things.. which wears out the cutters much much slower and you aren't at nearly the same risk level..
If you don't dedicate a router to the table you wind up spending much too much time replacing and adjusting.
Shapers sell for less than the cost of a router and good lift table.. if you build your own lift table, good luck! I assume that you consider your time worthless and you don't mind doing work for the sake of doing it yourself but even then it's doubtfull you can buy a good router and etc. for what a Shaper from Grizzly costs.. Doubt me? go to Grizzly.com and check for yourself
I own a ton of Grizzly stuff and it's all great stuff! I know there are other manufactures out there but I stick with what's been good for me..
I bought a cheap workbench glued all the joints as I put it together then drilled a hole in the middle. Built a fence out of 3/4 plywood. Has a six foot long bed. Take the bit out, its a workbench, with 2 cheap vices. Especially good for making trim.
I have the Veritas router table system with all the bells and whistles.
I even added the "router raiser" to my 4 hp Freud router.
I love this system.
I love that I can easily remove the router from the "clamped in" sysytem and put it right back in the exact same position almost instantly.
Its a bit costly at around five hundred dollars but I really didn't have the time to make one which you can most definatly can do.
I love the metal top and how true it is.
Check it out in Lee Valley's site.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2sCbO4Uvlg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7wEctHyuc0&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV460jyubzI
I have dreamt of an open world, borderless and wide... where the people move from place to place, and nobody's taking sides.. http://www.yusufislam.com
http://WWW.CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
I've tried the Lee Valley pin router attachment too. Tried it ? Like it ?
<!----><!----> <!---->
Phill Giles<!----><!---->
The Unionville Woodwright<!----><!---->
<<<<<<<<<<<I've tried the Lee Valley pin router attachment too. Tried it ? Like it ?>>>>>>Phill
No, that was the only thing I haven't tried yet but I did just order today from Infinity that raised panel set that has the slip in cutters.
The owner gave me a good deal on it so I went for it. We spoke on the phone this morning. Real nice guy,
The set includes the stile and rail cutter which is an all in one and the raised panel cutter is something new with extra hardened steel carbide cutters that are removeable if they get worn out or if I want to use a different profile.
Check it out on their site.
http://www.infinitytools.com/departments.asp?dept=1256I'll let you know how I like it. I want to do an entire 4' high by 30' long wall in MDF painted w/ a rubbed off in spots milk paint finish and maybe a little crackle paint technique as well here and there.
Its a sort of attic room addition above my shop I'm finishing.
Want a few of the panels to be removeable to hide storage behind the entire wall. Might even do the opposite wall as well depending on how I like the look.
Kind of excited about trying this idea.Should be an interesting project.
Be well
andy...
I have dreamt of an open world, borderless and wide... where the people move from place to place, and nobody's taking sides.. http://www.yusufislam.com
http://WWW.CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
There are unlimited possibilities for making your own table and there are all kinds of tables you can buy. But from time to time you come across a tool that, while it might cost more than you would like to spend, is a real pleasure to use even if only occasionally. I found such a tool in the Veritas router table from Lee Valley. I never thought I'd pay so much for a table but I did and I love it. I even went so crazy as to buy their router table stand too. The combination is one heck of a well engineered set up. I only use it occasionally but when I do I look forward to it.
If you go with something that needs the router raised up and down the ROUTER RAIZER is considerably cheaper than its compititon. Might not be as great but it does the job its supposed to,
I have it attached to my Lee Valley Veritas router table.
I have dreamt of an open world, borderless and wide... where the people move from place to place, and nobody's taking sides.. http://www.yusufislam.com
http://WWW.CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Bungalow Jeff,
Consider this, The space a router table takes up is about the same space a shaper Table takes +or- If on wheels the way all your equipment in your shop should be,when you are finished you simply roll things out of your way.. leaves you a decent amount of space to work and still allows you to have the proper tool to do the job..
Something on wheels would be a necessity. My "shop" is just a corner of the basement right now. It might actually be a formal shop one day, but until then tools need to square dance around each other.
I need to find a real tool place near me. The Home Despot only has the Ryobi bench top router kit and dumb looks. I don't have any qualms about buying online, I just want to get a feel for the thing first....that's not a mistake, it's rustic
Bungalow jeff,
I cannot recommend too highly the Grizzly line.. They are wonderful people to work with, sell tools at much below retail price and all of my major equipment purchases have held up remarkably in spite of running 40,000+ board feet of hardwood thru them.
In all of that time I have had one $5.00 fan belt fail which I got at my local auto parts store and it took maybe 5 minutes to install.
They sell direct go to grizzly.com and you'll see their catalog and price list.
Thanks frenchy.
Great advice from you and all on this post. Man Law prevents me from gushing further, except about a tool....that's not a mistake, it's rustic