# First Router table



## Pastorshobby (Jan 31, 2018)

I have a Bosh 1617 Combo router and I am looking to buy my first router table. My budget is between $100-200. Any recommendations?


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Hev, Rev.; welcome!
Make your own! Tons of stuff in the archives here on how to go about it. Lots of plans available on the 'net as well.
If you fill out something about yourself, a first name would be nice, and what tools you have available to you, it'll help other members give you a better answer.
We love newbies here, if that's your level of experience. Basically a very mellow group of woodworking folks.


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

Pastorshobby said:


> I have a Bosh 1617 Combo router and I am looking to buy my first router table. My budget is between $100-200. Any recommendations?


Check out Steve Ramsey's You Tube channel. He built a simple router table. For an insert plate, Kreg makes one that has the hole already drilled for the hex key so you can make adjustments from above the table.

My table has two routers - a 1617 and a Triton 3 1/4 hp router. I use a Kreg plate for both of them.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Hey, Joe; great choice on the router.
Please read whatever you can find on dust collection. Wood dust is nasty stuff if left uncontrolled. COPD* down the road is a likely consequence.

*WHO | COPD: Definition


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## Pastorshobby (Jan 31, 2018)

Should I wear a mask? What would you recommend my sander has dust collector? and I have a shop vac. do I need better dust collection?


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Pastorshobby said:


> Should I wear a mask? What would you recommend my sander has dust collector? and I have a shop vac. do I need better dust collection?


Absolutely wear a mask. And you should consider making your own table as well. A do it yourself project like that will deliver many valuable lessons. Using the router plate will improve usability. I used the 1617 in a table for years until I replace it for table use with a somewhat more powerful model. 

The home page has a number of articles, and the one on 17 things will give you some help.

Mostly we don't think much of HF tools, but many of us have and like their 2hp dust collection unit, which goes on sale fairly often and with a coupon goes for about $150-$160. Picture with the filter on top. The sale item has a bag on top, which should not be inside your shop area.

The picture of the mask is the one I use mostly. It is sold by Rockler and uses 4 AA betteries to run a small fan that pulls filtered air into the mask and creates positive air pressure that keeps sawdust out. It also works with my safety glasses. It runs about $70. If I'm making one or two quick cuts, I will use a surgical mask instead (cheap at Harbor Freight), but I keep that mask on for the rest of the session.

I'll let you look up shop made router tables since there are many examples, including repurposing a laminate topped counter or one with white melamine. But you will want to have a fence for it, which is what the blown up drawing is. The port on the back pulls out sawdust.

The aluminum and red plate is a different brand plate, but close enough for an example. The red rings are different sized openings so you can fit them fairly close to the size of the bit. The final picture shows the plate being set into a recess in the table top. It also shows something called leveling screws to help you make the top of the plate exactly even with the table top. That is to keep the workpiece from catching on an edge and messing up your cut.

You will be using the router to make the table top. I think it is a good idea to have a two layered top to keep it from sagging and keep it as flat as possible. You can probably make your table for far less than $100.

The router table can be a repurposed cabinet or even an old table with the shop made top laid on top. Some of us have made a top and laid it across two saw horses.

Finally, I suggest you check your parisioners to see who does woodworking, or turn them into a woodworking ministry. Lots of us have a lot of miles on our bodies and brains and would love to be involved with a church group doing woodworking. A minister at a local church is a woodworker and has an unofficial woodworker ministry.

I hope this has been helpful. I am a fan of router use videos posted by Marc Sommerfeld. He sells router gear, but spent many years as a cabinet maker. His technique is really great, although he doesn't wear a mask--but he has a top notch dust collection system grinding away off camera.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

DaninVan said:


> Hev, Rev.; welcome!
> Make your own!


Exactly. http://www.routerforums.com/table-mounted-routing/17212-wanted-pictures-your-router-table.html


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

Pastorshobby said:


> I have a Bosh 1617 Combo router and I am looking to buy my first router table. My budget is between $100-200. Any recommendations?


Hello brother Joe and welcome. For several years I used this Kreg bench top router table and made a lot of things with it. This is just barely over your buget ($17) and it would be a good table for you. I sure enjoyed mine but I wanted to upgrade.

https://www.amazon.com/Kreg-PRS2100...46&sr=8-4&keywords=kreg+benchtop+router+table

Here is some pictures of dust collection I made. The sides are put on with velcro so if needed they can be removed.


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## Jimjjr (Feb 1, 2018)

I was just reading what you guys were saying bout router tables. I have a table saw Jet 10 X52 that I bought before I retired so I would have something to play with. It has a router lift on the end of it which I like as well how ever it doesn't have a fence or any form of dust collection and I'm not sure how's the best way to handle I guess if I had a fouler fence. Any suggestions?
Jim


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

Jim, regarding the router fence - here's a link to a post where I uploaded pictures of the router fence I made. I've since added a shopvac adapter for dust collection. When I had my router on the side of my table saw, I slid the table saw fence over to the router and attached this fence to the table saw fence with clamps. The front pieces slide sideways to enlarge the hole for the router bit.

http://www.routerforums.com/table-mounted-routing/68362-table-top-joining-3.html#post670106


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Jimjjr said:


> I was just reading what you guys were saying bout router tables. I have a table saw Jet 10 X52 that I bought before I retired so I would have something to play with. It has a router lift on the end of it which I like as well how ever it doesn't have a fence or any form of dust collection and I'm not sure how's the best way to handle I guess if I had a fouler fence. Any suggestions?
> Jim


You can buy a router fence from most sources (Woodcraft, Kreg, Rockler, etc.), or you can make one, fancy as shown or simpler with a nice flat piece of straight 3/4 ply on front. Since you already have a fence on the saw, you could clamp a long box four pieces of 4 inch wide ply glued or screwed into a 4 sided box. Cut an opening for the router bit to fit, then put a 2 1/2 inch DC fitting on one end, close off the other and clamp it into place for use. Simple works fine. Heck, some folks around here say they just used a 2x4 for a fence. 

The clamp I use for the fence is sold by Rockler. Universal Fence Clamps, Pair | Rockler Woodworking and Hardware


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

DesertRatTom said:


> The clamp I use for the fence is sold by Rockler. Universal Fence Clamps, Pair | Rockler Woodworking and Hardware


Mee Too! :grin:


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## Jimjjr (Feb 1, 2018)

Vince
Very good concept. Looks like it would work for me it may be awhile but I'm gonna try that.
Thanks 
Jim


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