A great router table for little cost and just a few hours to build.
Robert W. Lang
Pages: 74-75
From the June 2009 issue #176
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This router table’s original design was born out necessity. I needed a router table at a job site, and I didnt have the space or the desire to carry my large one. I cobbled it together quickly, screwed the routers baseplate to the bottom of the tabletop, and made a simple fence. It still works well a dozen years later.
When building a router table it is easy to get lost in the details. You can build something as large as a 5-horsepower shaper. It has drawers to store every router bit from the catalog, and other accessories for every possible situation. This table will provide everything you need, whether you prefer to keep it simple or have a second table for your shop. This is also a great starting point if you want it to be more creative.
The top measures 41 cm x 61 cm large enough to handle all but extremely large panels and small enough to store below a bench or on a shelf. The small size also helps to keep the top from sagging, a common issue with super-sized router tables.
The table’s height will be a compromise of comfort and accessibility. I chose a router that clamps in a fixed base and can be quickly removed for changing bits. I left plenty of room for this operation, which leaves the top a bit high when placed on my workbench, but just right when set on sawhorses.
Online Additional
Click here to view a short video that demonstrates how to inset a base plate into the top of a Router Table.
From the June 2009 issue #176
Buy this issue now
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