# Base cabinet for Bosch router table



## kartracer63 (Jan 19, 2009)

This is my first cabinet. I just finished it earlier today. I attempted several firsts on this project. Drawer with dovetail joints were done with my new Rockler dovetail jig ( nailed it on the first try ). The door was my first tongue and groove joint and first stile and rail panel door attempt. Constructed the face frame using the pocket joints.
This cabinet will help me on all of my future projects by getting the router table down to the correct height. It previously sat on an old kitchen table in my shop, and was really too high for me. 
I think I've got just enough confidence to move onto my next project... a toy box for the grandkids. When they come for a visit now, they're digging in cardboard boxes to get toys. So, my wife has requested a "built by grandpa" toy box. Wish me luck.

Eric


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Nice job Eric

Is that a slot machine I see in the back ground ? 

I need to ask what are all the trophy's and the plaques for ? bike riding ?

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kartracer63 said:


> This is my first cabinet. I just finished it earlier today. I attempted several firsts on this project. Drawer with dovetail joints were done with my new Rockler dovetail jig ( nailed it on the first try ). The door was my first tongue and groove joint and first stile and rail panel door attempt. Constructed the face frame using the pocket joints.
> This cabinet will help me on all of my future projects by getting the router table down to the correct height. It previously sat on an old kitchen table in my shop, and was really to high for me.
> I think I've got just enough confidence to move onto my next project... a toy box for the grandkids. When they come for a visit now, they're digging in cardboard boxes to get toys. So, my wife has requested a "built by grandpa" toy box. Wish me luck.
> 
> Eric


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## DPLRBruno (Mar 12, 2009)

Great looking jointery Eric. Nice job with attention to detail. Clean edged and nice looking dovetails. Keep the photos comming. Oh! nice floor.
Bruno


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## kartracer63 (Jan 19, 2009)

Thanks Bob. There are two slot machines there... and the trophies are from kart racing.

Thanks Dave. I am aspiring to be as good a craftsman as you are. Your work is amazing. I'm just starting out and have a lot to learn, but with all the great people on this forum my learning curve should be reduced dramatically. I'm a racer at heart, which inspired the checkered floor. It's easy to clean up, but a little slippery when covered with saw dust.

Eric


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

kartracer63 said:


> This is my first cabinet. I just finished it earlier today. I attempted several firsts on this project. Drawer with dovetail joints were done with my new Rockler dovetail jig ( nailed it on the first try ). The door was my first tongue and groove joint and first stile and rail panel door attempt. Constructed the face frame using the pocket joints.
> This cabinet will help me on all of my future projects by getting the router table down to the correct height. It previously sat on an old kitchen table in my shop, and was really too high for me.
> I think I've got just enough confidence to move onto my next project... a toy box for the grandkids. When they come for a visit now, they're digging in cardboard boxes to get toys. So, my wife has requested a "built by grandpa" toy box. Wish me luck.
> 
> Eric


Well now if I don't feel silly, sorry about what I might have implied on other thead. It applies, just not to you, like I said it still applies to me and guys like me who go for too much too fast. BTW love the cabinet and for a first time you have done very well, keep up the good work. 

BTW nice shop, was it a garage, basemet of where? Would love to see more shots, for ideas on how I am going to set mine up in the next few weeks. Really like the floor. I think I will just paint mine for now and add some tiles to stand on by the bench, and other places one stands a lot.


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## DPLRBruno (Mar 12, 2009)

Eric, if you look in some of my photos you will notice I put down an epoxy floor in my shop. It's from a company called U-Coat-It. It bonds with the floor and cannot be removed except by grinding. It's the same floor coatings some NASCAR shops use. I used the tan with colored flakes. Hides the saw dust. I used the abrasive granuals and the floor becomes non skid. The little lady still parks her car on it and the coating has held up for 2 years now. The only thing I don't like is the fact that when you park a car or truck on ANY type floor like thins you have to put something under the tires. There is something in the rubber compond that leaches out and leaves an imprint on the floor. It will happen even on the white tiles you have or any floor material. 

I spend allot of time building stuff for my shop. Still have against the wall type of work benches to build and I just starting this week running another 20 amp curcuit with six outlets.

Your shop is really clean. Nice job. What kind of clear coating did you use on your cabinet? Is it spray or brush?

Bruno


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## thistlefly (Dec 2, 2008)

Sweet, neat, and clean. I was planning on building a roll-around work cart as my first project (helping organize the mass of "stuff" which is in the way of other progress), but now I'm thinking a cabinet base for my router table (the Bosch RA1181) might be a better beginning. 

Thanks for sharing-

Bob


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## kartracer63 (Jan 19, 2009)

Jerry, Thanks for the kind words. My shop is located in a basement garage. My wife's garage is directly above mine and has a spancrete floor. My shop measures 24'x32' or 768sf. It has a single car garage door which I will, on occasion, park a vehicle in my shop. I have a shop sink with running water. It's heated and air conditioned. I have other ammenities too... TV w/surround sound, pop machine, hot dog machine, pizza oven, microwave, etc. I have no good reason to go into the house, other than to use the bathroom on occasion.

Dave, I just used Minwax Polyurethane on the cabinet. Brushed it on with a 1" foam brush (LOL). It's all I had handy at the time. I applied two coats with a light sanding between coats.
I did notice your floor in your photos... looks great. I had considered the same floor in my shop when I was finishing it. I actually went to a friends race shop to look at the floor. But, I really was going for the checkered racing theme look and decided to go with the tiles.

Eric


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## TRN_Diesel (Feb 24, 2009)

Nice job Eric. I am thinking of doing the same thing once I get the other projects done ( two nightstands for the master bedroom)

My router table will be built into my table saw and I was thinking of doing the rolling cabinet to slip underneath the router while I am using it and then afford me the luxury of moving it if I want to move the table saw over to the side to park the truck in the garage.

I only wished I had the shop you do. For now I am in a 26 x 26 detached garage with no heat and a cracked floor that makes it hard to move my saw around . I plan on getting it mud jacked this summer and getting the walls and ceiling insulated so I can have heat and the comforts to build in the winter time. 

I am looking at the same dovetail jig you have form Rockler (Complete Dovetail Jig - Rockler Woodworking Tools) Is this the same one you have? Do you recommend it? 

I do not see the use of getting a larger dovetail machine like the Leigh D4R to accommodate pieces up to 24". I plan on just using it to do drawers and I can not see honestly building drawers deeper than 11".


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## kartracer63 (Jan 19, 2009)

Dan,

Yes, that's the same dovetail jig. I was actually shocked on how easy it was to cut the dovetails with the jig. I also purchased the dust collector...WOW, hardly a trace of dust after cutting the joints. I would highly recommend buying the dust collector. I also purchased Rockler's Dovetail Setup Jig, Rockler Dovetail Setup Jig - Rockler Woodworking Tools , that turned out to be more useful that the calibrated numbers and lines that came on the jig itself. The numbers and lines on the jig were off a fair amount from the factory. So... I just didn't even use them, and used the setup jig instead, great results on the first try.

Eric


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## TRN_Diesel (Feb 24, 2009)

Cool thanks for the tip. As far as the dust collection goes I think I will try this home made jig first because I have some left over plexi glass I can use for the project.

Have a look at the plan I have and let me know if you think this will work ok for the intended application.


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## kartracer63 (Jan 19, 2009)

Dan,

That looks like a neat idea. But...(there's almost always a but) I don't like the idea of having the extra weight of the dust collector and hose attached to one side of the router while I'm trying to keep the router baseplate flat against the template. Not to mention the stiff hose fighting me through the whole process. Just seems like it would be more complicated than it needs to be. Rockler has the dust collection attachment on sale for $43.99 right now. I would have been happy to pay more than that, now that I've seen how well it works.

Eric

p.s. no... I don't own stock in Rockler


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## TRN_Diesel (Feb 24, 2009)

LOL ok nice to know. Thanks for your honest opinion and insight. That is what I like about this forum, no nonsense opinions without all the BS you usually get.

Keep paying it forward.


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## JayL517 (Feb 16, 2009)

Hi Eric,

Nice cabinet for the Bosch router table.

I am a newbie woodworker looking to buy my first router table. Some of my options now are the Rockler table top and the Kreg Benchtop. Would you recommend that I buy the same Bosch table you have?

Thanks,

Jay


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## kartracer63 (Jan 19, 2009)

Jay,

I don't think there is any improvements from the Bosch that I have to either one that you're looking at. I've been pretty happy with my little Bosch table so far. Eventually I'll probably make my own table with more table surface and a better fence. But, for now this has been able to do everything I've needed to do.

Eric


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