# Router table build



## Thylacene (Aug 25, 2014)

After many years I finally bit the bullet, bought a triton tra-001 router and set about building a table for it.

Being a bit of a cheapskate and impatient to boot, I dropped into the local ex govt furniture store. After giving the salesman an idea of what I was looking for, he asked me to wander out to the waste skips.

They had just tossed a 1500w x 870 deep x 530 high (wound right down) adjustable height desk. They were happy for me to just take it at no cost.

I got it home, and set to work on it. I cut 800 out of the rails on the base, and as luck would have it, the two rhs rails were different sizes, so I used the off cuts as sleeves, and screwed it back together using trek screws. As luck would have it, the same weekend there was a woodwork exhibition in town, with the guys from benchstandard.com having a stall.

I had been looking at their website while planning and scheming. I came away with a tidy alloy fence, featherboards, flip down stop, 1/4 alloy router plate and a blind dovetail jig for just over $400.

I am still to position the fence mounts, as I want to be able to reverse it for wider items. I also need to put in some nut inserts to make the dovetail jig removable.

Drilling the plate to accept the router plate will be the next step.

Once I have the table functioning and the router aligned so I can easily reach the switch and access the lift capability from above the table front the working face I will design a 400mm high cabinet to provide a box for dust collection and some drawers and storage for bits and pieces.

This will give a working height of 930mm that can be raised to 1080mm. I have been using a mates triton work centre, and it is low enough that I get a sore back from being hunched over ( I am 6'1 ) and at 930-980 it allows me to focus on the router bit through my reading glasses. I am not liking getting old.

The whole project is being built to manufacture a set of drawers out of HPDE plastic to fit to our boat, and as there is no glue that will hold HPDE long term, sliding dovetails, blind dovetails and heated 316 ss pins are the proposed mode of joinery. Will be a real learning experience, been many years since I did any serious cabinet making.

Taz


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Hi Taz, I know we are down under, but why is your shed up-side-down.....LOL.


Would love to see those drawers once completed...


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## BrianS (Nov 7, 2004)

I was wondering that too James. I guess it depends on where the earth is in it's rotation?  I would love to see pics of the process.


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Would be a great WIP with plenty of pics.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

I was told when pictures are taken south of the equator that they come out upside down when viewed in Canada . Something about the curvature of the earth . Or his iPad was upside down 
Great idea for a table btw


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I like the adjustable height part for the same reasons you do Taz. While we can offer lots of help with many problems, getting old isn't one of them.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

You have some very nice features there, Taz.

Good build....

PS I have 'righted' your picture.

This is a common result for pictures taken on a 'mobile device'.


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## timbertailor (Oct 4, 2009)

Really nice setup with a good size work area.
Congratulations on your new set up.


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## Mdawson (Mar 25, 2012)

RainMan1 said:


> Something about the curvature of the earth .


Nah, it's the coriolis effect, spins you right round.


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## Thylacene (Aug 25, 2014)

Ok, so I have to fess up, original photo was loose fit up to ensure I had dimensions I wanted. And it turns out a couple of minor adjustments required. So while I was mucking around I took some photos.

For the keen eyed you will see I had my first screw up, took an extra 1.5 mm from the rhs back corner of the plate rebate. I have also worked out that I will need to put a spacer between the plate and the router to ensure that the guide bushing sits at the correct height once mounted.

The box between the base and the table is a mould I am working on for a fibreglass enclosure, it just happened to be the exact height I needed. At full extension of the base the table is at 1080mm, which feels like comfortable working position and focus with my reading glasses on. Bear in mind that the top of my hips is 1180mm.

Once I have settled on table dimensions I will knock up a cabinet to enclose the router for dust collection, and use the remaining space for drawers and bit/tool storage. 

I am considering making the Worktop square, shortening one side 60mm, and edge banding with a 50x19 hardwood edge, drilled and threaded to allow mounting the fence either way across the table to provide more surface area when working on larger pieces, and another mitre slot 90 degrees to the existing for use with shop built jigs.

I may yet post pictures of the stand dismantled, I have a little more layout to do yet, and taking 50mm out of the stand is still a possibility.

Any suggestions on where I might acquire a safety switch from. Before anyone panics, I have a qualified sparky mate who will wire it. I would like to mount it where I can knee it off

I have locking castors ready to mount, just need to acquire some long hex nuts, the set in the frame are 8mm and the castors I have lying around are 10mm.

Open the photo to see it right way up. I will post other photos as separate posts due to iPad limitations, not certain if device or operator error.


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## Thylacene (Aug 25, 2014)

*The cut down frame*

This is the frame, cut down desk


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## Thylacene (Aug 25, 2014)

*Plate rebate*

So I found out the hard way that the radius I needed required a 12.7 mm diameter bit, rather than the 19mm I estimated, and being impatient I didn't measure my depth setting accurately and then I knocked my improvised template, result in rear rh corner.

I put self tappers under each grub screw to make for accurate levelling.


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## Thylacene (Aug 25, 2014)

A box this height will allow 40mm clearance between the router and the base when fully lowered, allowing room to fit a dust shelf


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

You had me at 'cheapskate'.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

jw2170 said:


> Hi Taz, I know we are down under, but why is your shed up-side-down.....LOL.
> 
> 
> Would love to see those drawers once completed...


me too but if you open the attachment and then click on the view original size button it will right it's self...

then you will discover that some well done fit and finish has be accomplished here...


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

rwl7532 said:


> You had me at 'cheapskate'.


To funny Ralph . I had a kraft dinner noodle stuck in my nose after reading that :lol:
Remind me not to eat while reading your posts


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

I wasn't paying attention and never realized it had adjustable height to . Very cool !


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## timbertailor (Oct 4, 2009)

Thylacene said:


> This is the frame, cut down desk


Nice score on the desk.
That worked out nicely!

P.S. I recommend these magnified safety glasses. No more contortions to see what you are working on. No more swapping reading glasses or trying to wear your safety glasses over the top of your readers.

Hope this helps.

Whole lens magnification Safety Glasses


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## tak35bne (Jul 23, 2014)

Some nice inspiration there indeed, just about to start making my own router table. Have ordered a Kreg plate drilled for a triton router and will pick up today a nice piece of marine grade ply wood that will be cut to 810mm long for the fence.

My biggest concern is cutting the hole for the mounting plate, have to research that as I am not sure what to do there.......


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## timbertailor (Oct 4, 2009)

tak35bne said:


> Some nice inspiration there indeed, just about to start making my own router table. Have ordered a Kreg plate drilled for a triton router and will pick up today a nice piece of marine grade ply wood that will be cut to 810mm long for the fence.
> 
> My biggest concern is cutting the hole for the mounting plate, have to research that as I am not sure what to do there.......


You can usually find a vendor that sells a template for your plate.


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## Thylacene (Aug 25, 2014)

Pick a. Half inch flush trim bit, if you have adjuster grub screws on your plate, the set depth 1mm deeper, if not, to thickness of plate.

Use the plate to put four pieces of stock, 1 at each side of where you want to put your plate, butted up to the plate, as a guide. You can also use a bush if you don't have a trim bit with a bearing on the shank end.

Simple as.

Taz


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## tak35bne (Jul 23, 2014)

cheers Taz, I am just trying to decide whether to use the flush trim bit to cut a rebate for the plate then cut the excess out with the jigsaw or to just cut the entire section out and use the kreg adjustable table insert mounting levelers.


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## tak35bne (Jul 23, 2014)

tak35bne said:


> Some nice inspiration there indeed, just about to start making my own router table. Have ordered a Kreg plate drilled for a triton router and will pick up today a nice piece of marine grade ply wood that will be cut to 810mm long for the fence.
> 
> My biggest concern is cutting the hole for the mounting plate, have to research that as I am not sure what to do there.......



Disaster today, the Kreg router plate arrived. Being a newbie, I explained to the vendor that I had a Triton JOF001 Router and was this plate pre-drilled for that model, was advised yes so bought. Came over express from the US of A and guess what, the plate was NOT predrilled for my Triton.


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## timbertailor (Oct 4, 2009)

tak35bne said:


> Disaster today, the Kreg router plate arrived. Being a newbie, I explained to the vendor that I had a Triton JOF001 Router and was this plate pre-drilled for that model, was advised yes so bought. Came over express from the US of A and guess what, the plate was NOT predrilled for my Triton.


Sounds like my luck. Are you going to drill it yourself or send it back?


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## Thylacene (Aug 25, 2014)

Ok, finally got some time this arvo to make some progress. A sheet of form ply resulted in a quick and dirty cabinet. Scored a safety switch off an old GMC table saw that I picked up for 20$ at the recyclers, and a bonus stand.

The ply panels are screwed together, and form a box around the router. I fitted a 50mm pipe flange Ove a 50mm hole I cut in the bottom to hook the shop vac up to. I also scored a piece of vacuum hose, the conveniently fits onto a 50mm to 40mm reducer, so I have suction from both under and behind the bit. It will never be as good as a decent Dust collection setup, but will keep me out of strife.

I fitted a small dust shelf that seems to work fine.

Still have to drill the fence mount holes in hardwood sides, and fit tee nuts, run a small rebate to allow the fence mounts to be attached with knobs.

I have to run the router through for the mitre slot, and then a hit of estapol on the raw timber and a splash of black paint on the ply edges and it will look just like a bought one. So at $55 so far, looking good.

For some reason the forum isn't allowing me to upload attachments tonight, will try again tomorrow.

Cheers

Taz


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## tak35bne (Jul 23, 2014)

Looking forward to some pics.


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## Thylacene (Aug 25, 2014)

*Torsion box under construction*










And router mounted to plate


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

That should be really solid Taz.


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