# What I've been playing with



## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

My router was sitting on metal legs with one shelf where I had boxes of bits, the router wrenches and inserts etc. This was always buried in the sawdust that I hadn't breathed in. So I figured it was time to do something... the router table was my dirtiest tool.

I didn't take pictures of the build but it's basically a Norm Abram's design adapted to fit my top (came with my Incra plate). If you're interested in making one, Creston Wood (Don Phalen) has a free PDF (and Sketchup 8 files) available on his site: Ultimate Router Table He also has pics of the build steps. (No it's not THAT woodworking-plans guy.)







I made mine mostly from scraps around the shop except the faces and made four drawers and four bit holders and doors at the bottom. I just used hardboard panels for the doors and the backs of the compartments but I used a plexi one for the router door (like the REAL one). I made four different drawings on the computer to mark the holes for the bit holders.




























Fence:
I still need to make a new fence but that might wait, the one I have works okay but I'd like a taller one with adjustable faces and easy featherbord and stops. Maybe similar to the one in the plans but probably a longer track.

The fence locks that I added work very well so I'll use them again on the new fence.














Levelling:
The feet on mine are just lag screws with the heads tapped into stopped holes in wood disks. Contact cement holds rubber sheet on the bottoms of the disks. My floor isn't very even so the adjustment is necessary to take the rocking out. I start with the lags screwed right into blocks added to the bottom and then back out which ones need it.

Dust:
I only have a pair of shop-vacs for dust collection in my garage. I have a 2-1/2 inch hose from one going into a little box at the back of the table from which I'm running two 1-1/4 inch hoses. One to the fence and one to the router port. I'm not sure how effective it will be but it should be a big improvement over just a face mask... I hope. Still working on that part, which won't really be finished until I make my new fence. By then I should know if that system works or if I should start over.














Blooper:
I already made a cabinet in the same fashion (see pics) and plan on making more in the same cheap style. I put stopped 1/2 coves in the bottom of the drawer faces for my fingers (no knobs needed).





















You didn't notice where I had to rout the corner out of one drawer face so it would pass by the light switch covers did you? Didn't think so.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

that is some major squared away Paul...


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Great job on the router table build Paul


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

That was a major project. You did better than good!!


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Awesome job Paul.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

That's really similar in design to my latest one Paul except I put large drawers at the bottom to hold my routers. Now you have me wondering if I should have put doors on instead.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Good job, Paul, that is a bunch of work there,looks real professional too.
Herb


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## Multiwood (Feb 24, 2013)

Excellent build Paul. You will get a lot of use out of it.


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## woodworker47 (Dec 19, 2008)

Paul,

Excellent build. I also used this same design. As Charles stated, I put a drawer in the bottom instead of doors. I also used a piece of plexiglass for the opening instead of a door. I like your door design.

Frank


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## Danman1957 (Mar 14, 2009)

Nice work Paul,
I have all the cut parts on a workbench and need to dado them and then assemble. As Chuck stated, I like the idea of the doors instead of drawers at the bottom. I might modify my plans.
cheers, Dan


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## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

Paul that turned out great. I did this project last year but used Woodpeckers Super Fence and a Router II lift from JessEm. Best shop project to date. I also built by the plans putting 3 drawers in the bottom for accessories and additional routers. Between this build and the rack of bits I have mounted on the wall it's all in one place. I also added the lift style wheels to make it mobile for long wood. Hooked up to my CV1800 DC and I get zero sawdust in the router chamber or on the top. The fence has a 4" to 2.5" dc hose connection and the chamber has a direct 4". I'm amazed at how well this system works. I had offered to have my rescue squad buddy build his at the same time but he passed on the offer and has been kicking himself since. I also have recently added the Micro Adjust after trying to do raised panel doors and the drawer lock miter joints. Really helps me zero in on the exact depth for these cuts. 

https://www.astral-imaging.com/woodworking_shop6.htm

Now I really need to start putting some finish on these things.............not my favorite part and can't get my bride interested in doing it either. Oh well.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Excellent job Paul, the only difference that I would have made would be to have more clearance at the bottom for feet to go which prevents leaning over.


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

sreilly said:


> ...I did this project last year...


Your's blows mine away! Nice job.


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

harrysin said:


> Excellent job Paul, the only difference that I would have made would be to have more clearance at the bottom for feet to go which prevents leaning over.


This is quite a bit higher than what I had, Harry. There are just blocks screwed on the bottom corners for the lag screw levellers. They could be easily changed and might have to be... my back has been a little stiff lately.


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

Thanks for all the nice comments, guys. It should be a big improvement from what I had. The investment was very little more than time. So for the price I'm quite pleased with the results.


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> That's really similar in design to my latest one Paul except I put large drawers at the bottom to hold my routers. Now you have me wondering if I should have put doors on instead.


Chuck, I think that drawers might be less bending. One advantage of the doors though, is that it's easy to put in shelves to fit your needs. The doors are cheaper to make... that's an advantage to a guy like me.


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## Bushwhacker (Jun 16, 2009)

Very nice job Paul. Beautifully done.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Richly deserved compliments, Paul; it's a beauty! 
I'm assuming you have a slope on your garage floor (1/8" per Ft.). It's a p.i.t.a for shop purposes.
Levelers are pretty straight forward but castoring is another story.


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

Stoneface said:


> ...I also used a piece of plexiglass for the opening instead of a door. I like your door design...


Frank, I have to get at the locking lever and the spindle lock on that router. So it was a necessity... I'll be in there all the time. I was making doors already so it wasn't a big deal to make that door but the dado was different for the plexi than for the hardboard. I put a magnet catch at the top and an adjustable stop block at the bottom.


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

DaninVan said:


> ...I'm assuming you have a slope on your garage floor (1/8" per Ft.). It's a p.i.t.a for shop purposes.
> Levelers are pretty straight forward but castoring is another story.


Mine's similar to a ski slope in parts, Dan. There's a corner that has settled. I built a shop cart with casters, tools will roll off in some parts of the garage.


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## ScottyDBQ (Jul 5, 2008)

You did a terrific job on this table and wall unit. Thanks for the detailed photo of the fence hold down - I think I'll follow it. And gotta love that outlet "relief".


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## denniswoody (Dec 11, 2011)

Great job. Having a quality router table makes woodworking a lot easier. I really like the storage, keeping everything handy.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Thanks for sharing, Paul. Great job.


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

ScottyDBQ said:


> You did a terrific job on this table and wall unit. Thanks for the detailed photo of the fence hold down - I think I'll follow it. And gotta love that outlet "relief".


Thanks Steve. I opened that up fence lock in the one pic to show the set-up. In use you only have to turn the knobs very little. I drilled the screw holes undersize so the screws are basically locked in to the bottom piece. I glued the hardboard spacer into the bottom piece only. Those spacers were cut to size and dry-fit tested first. Works great (I was surprised) and no more hunting for the C-clamps that I was using.


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

Very well executed. Should lead to many future projects with ease.


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## bfblack (May 2, 2012)

Looks like a well built router table. Two guys in my woodworking club built router tables from the same plans and they seem to be happy. Relative to the dust collection, having an enclosure around the router will improve the under the top dust collection. I have the Incra Clean Sweep and am really pleased with it. Before Incra started marketing the Clean Sweep, they developed plans for a shop built unit and that design is attached.


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## papasombre (Sep 22, 2011)

Very nice RT, Paul.
I liked pictures 6 and 7, related to the fence locks.


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## ScottyDBQ (Jul 5, 2008)

Thanks for the additional info on the fence lock Paul.


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

bfblack said:


> ...Before Incra started marketing the Clean Sweep, they developed plans for a shop built unit and that design is attached.


I'm trying to get a way with a shop-vac. The router has a dust collection thing that I'm going to try. That and a fence port *might* work hooked to my vac. Even the table plans mentioned had additional parts for a dust collector but I'm trying to collect just from a cup like thing around the bit, not the whole chamber. I haven't done much testing yet and just bought some hose clamps to seal up the connections.

Thanks Ben, I saved your pdf in case my plan doesn't work.


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

papasombre said:


> Very nice RT, Paul.
> I liked pictures 6 and 7, related to the fence locks.


Glad you like it, Alexis. The fence locks work great. I didn't invent the idea - just adapted it to my use. If you have questions feel free to ask.


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## woodworker47 (Dec 19, 2008)

Paul,

Here is a picture of my build. I used the Rockler router table top and fence. As I stated before, I added the Plexiglas door for improved dust collection. Note the holes in the bottom of the door. These were need to increase air flow and improve dust collection. When I built the bottom drawer, I made is with such tight tolerances that the door would not close. I had to drill a couple of holes in the back to allow the air to escape so the draw would close. 

Frank


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

Stoneface said:


> ...the door would not close. I had to drill a couple of holes in the back to allow the air to escape so the draw would close.


You should have attached the vacuum to it and have it air powered! Just kidding... nice build, Frank.


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## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

Sweet cabinet Frank. I like the looks way more than mine.


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## woodworker47 (Dec 19, 2008)

Paul,

Never thought about using the vacuum to close the drawer. Great idea!!

Frank


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## bfblack (May 2, 2012)

I thought drilling holes along the bottom of the plexiglass door would reduce the down flow of air around the router bit. Your photos did not show what the Rockler throat plate insert looks like so I assume there is a single center hole for the router bit. Incra sells throat plates that have much more open area for air down flow around the router bit; see https://www.incrementaltools.com/INCRA_6_pc_CleanSweep_MagnaLOCK_Ring_Set_p/inc-csmlringset.htm. Of course, these only work with the Incra router lift system.


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

Ben, I'm only using a shop-vac. I'm not collecting from the whole compartment. There is a vacuum port on the router itself and one on the fence. These are only 1 1/4 inch hoses, going to a small box with a 2 1/2 inch port going to the shop-vac. I haven't done much routing with it yet but what I have done was clean. So it seems to work fine. I intend to make a new fence and then I'll know better how well it works. I put a plexi face on one side of my (splitter) box so I can see if I get any accumulation. I might try to find a 'Y' to fit my hoses. I don't use very large bits, like panel bits, so I should be okay. Those Incra plates look nice but I wouldn't need them for my shop-vac setup. I can see them being good for a stronger dust collection system and I think it would be better drawing air from the table top, rather than through the door. Some people that are drawing through the door have an adjustable flap to regulate how much comes in that way, to optimize the flow.


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