# Router Table Build Questions



## deck99 (Mar 20, 2006)

I am in the mood to build a router table one again. This will be my 3rd one. This time I have found out that I want it wider. I also am thinking about adding a flip top and mounting the router to the table rather than using an insert. Has anyone else mounted your router directly to the table? My last table I used a 2 3/4" hole and this worked for basically every bit, including a 2 1/2" raised panel bit. This way I don't need a hole insert.

Also last table I went all out and covered the MDF top with laminate, trimmed out in oak, etc. This seems didn't reeeeaaallly seem necessary. Has anyone else just used bare mdf top with a coating like wax or poly?

Thanks,

Deck


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Deck

" used bare mdf top with a coating like wax " 
Yes, I have one like that and it works great, a coat or two of Johnson Paste Wax and if it gets a bit dull just a quick new coat and it's ready to go back to work...and it's as slick as a baby's bottom...

The flip down sounds great but I would suggest using a plate insert, when you drop it down just pop out the router and put it away or just use it for plunge router jobs..

It can be the 7" sq. one or the 11" sq. one from Oak Park that I do recommend , the 7" one works great for many of the hand type router jobs you will do...plus you can use the brass guides that do come in Handy for the router table and the plunge jobs...

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deck99 said:


> I am in the mood to build a router table one again. This will be my 3rd one. This time I have found out that I want it wider. I also am thinking about adding a flip top and mounting the router to the table rather than using an insert. Has anyone else mounted your router directly to the table? My last table I used a 2 3/4" hole and this worked for basically every bit, including a 2 1/2" raised panel bit. This way I don't need a hole insert.
> 
> Also last table I went all out and covered the MDF top with laminate, trimmed out in oak, etc. This seems didn't reeeeaaallly seem necessary. Has anyone else just used bare mdf top with a coating like wax or poly?
> 
> ...


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## challagan (Feb 7, 2006)

Router great Pat Warner's table design is of MDF and he just coated it with poly. It works well and seals it. Seal it well around the edges. 

Corey


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## deck99 (Mar 20, 2006)

bobj3,
The first two tables I built I had an insert. I thought It would be nice to just mount my Hitachi to the table and not have to mess with cutting an insert in. My Hitachi is strictly to be used in my table. Why do you say I should have an insert?

thank you,
Deck


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## challagan (Feb 7, 2006)

I think it definitely makes it easier to work on if you need to but it doesn't have to have an insert. In fact, Pat Warners doesn't that is made out of mdf. Neither does box makers Roger Gifkins set up. 

Corey


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Deck

Well let start with the top, The norm is 2ea. 3/4" thick MDF parts to make a good router table top glued up as one, you can use just one or some plywood but it should be 3/4" min...now if you bolt up your Hitachi to the board you just lost 3/4" of the router moving up that's not a big deal most of the time unless you use lets say a 1/4" shank bits from time to time, the 1/4" router bits are always a bit shorter the 1/2" shank ones.

Now if you make up the top and it comes out at 1 1/2" thick...I'm sure can see what I'm saying, but you may say well about if I route out a pocket out to set the router base in that's 1/4" to 3/8" thick, if you use plywood or MDF the wood will not hold the router and it time it will crack the board and you did all the work for not.

Now if you use a plate insert you will only lose 1/4" to 3/8" and the plate just sits on and small lip and it can hold up the 3 1/4HP router..



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deck99 said:


> bobj3,
> The first two tables I built I had an insert. I thought It would be nice to just mount my Hitachi to the table and not have to mess with cutting an insert in. My Hitachi is strictly to be used in my table. Why do you say I should have an insert?
> 
> thank you,
> Deck


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## cptblackeye (Aug 22, 2007)

*just built a MDF table*

This is how I built my table after spending a couple of months tinkering with different ideas. I glued up a 3/4" sheet of MDF to a 1/4" sheet of MDF. I then topped the 1/4" with 1/4" hardboard. I cut out a 7" diameter hole in the 3/4" and drilled mounting holes through the other 2 layers. My Hitachi M12VC is bolted to the 1/4" MDF and 1/4" (slightly thinner than 1/4") hardboard. I then trimmed the edges with 3/4" SYP to leave no exposed edges. My table is 24" X 36" with the router mounted centered left to right and 10" from the back. I used a 1-1/2 Forstner bit for the hole then enlarged it with a 1/2" roundover by coming straight up. Used it yesterday for the first time and it worked beautifully. Total cost of materials $22.00. All from Home Depot. I'm a very happy camper!
I have been reading this site for a couple of months and will make my introduction post soon. 

Tony
I will post some pics of it soon


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## cptblackeye (Aug 22, 2007)

*Pictures of new table*

Here they are. I hope this helps. I used a 1/2" roundover, 45 lock miter, and a 1" flush trim in it with no bit height issues (all bits are 1/2" shank).
I copied the fence from this forum. I mount the table on a workbench from Harbor Freight for $9.99 and tighen the adjusters and it holds it securely.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

There are several very good reasons to use a mounting plate. #1 is this is the fastest way to change bits and make height adjustments. #2 is you know the plate will support the router and not give way under a load. #3 is the ability to use guide bushings. #4 would be the ability to reduce the opening size to zero or minimal clearance. While you could accomplish this with an auxiliary table top you would lose a great deal of depth adjustment.


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## JDługosz (Sep 10, 2007)

deck99 said:


> I also am thinking about adding a flip top and mounting the router to the table rather than using an insert. Has anyone else mounted your router directly to the table?
> ...
> Also last table I went all out and covered the MDF top with laminate, trimmed out in oak, etc. This seems didn't reeeeaaallly seem necessary. Has anyone else just used bare mdf top with a coating like wax or poly?


Two more reasons for using an insert plate:

1) use of a "lift" that lets me set the height from above the table, and precisely. This is a mechanism that's attached to the plate. I suppose you could attach it directly to the table instead, but it already comes with the plate.

2) the plate is more precise than the bulk of the table. It is aluminum or heavy-duty stiff phenolic laminate, is machined flat using tools you don't have yourself, is stiffer than the rest of the table, and provides the reference for attaching the router so it is perpendicular to the plate. The rest of the table can be plywood or whatever.

On the other hand, I had thought about a table that has a tilt top, for other purposes. One idea for my next worktable (not a router table) would have a tiltable top.

—John


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## gregW (Mar 14, 2007)

Nice table Tony... I've been thinking about making a table like yours (no insert & quick setup and break down) and I got a lot of good ideas from the pictures you posted. 

Thanks!


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Tony, I don't know if the photos. give a wrong impression, but the centre hole appears to be no bigger than about 1" in dia. which wouldn't be big enough for lots of cutters incl. lock mitre which requires height adjustment to suit the thickness of the material usually leaving it partly below the table surface.


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## elfworks00 (Jul 31, 2007)

I am designing a table that will hold two routers. The top will be 1 1/2" thick either MDF or plywood. I plan to mount the routers using Jessem aluminum rings which use aluminum twist loc inserts. The outside rings are 5 3/4" in diameter. The router screws will sit in the countersinked holes of the rings and will be flush with the table top. The screws will go through 3/8" of top and screw into the router bases. 

The top will be 32" long and 24" wide. The rings will be mounted 10" from each end and will be 12" deep. Jessem uses these rings with their phenolic tops. My question is whether or not these rings will work with a plywood or MDF top?

Primary use of the table will be for cabinet making. I will be using a CMT matched set of tongue and groove bits. The routers will be a Porter Cable 892 and a Triton 3 1/4 HP. I have a new house and need to make a kitchen full of cabinets and drawers.

Thanks for your help!


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi elfworks00

I would not recommend mounting the router just to the ring, it will be a pain from the get go, the 1st.error you will have the holes will not line up to the routers and 5 3/4" is a bit small, I would recommend using a stantard mounting plate, the Jessem are a bit high in price but you can get around that by using the one below,just buy two plates and use one for each router, then you can just drop the router in the pocket and go to work.



http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94331


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JessEm 02021 4-Piece Tab-Loc Insert Ring Set
http://www.amazon.com/JessEm-02021-...41-0208429?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1191677887&sr=1-4

JessEm 03100 Rout-R-Plate Router Mounting Plate
http://www.amazon.com/JessEm-03100-...1-0208429?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1191677926&sr=1-30

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## Thrifty Tool Guy (Aug 23, 2007)

Deck,

I've given-up on the insert method and opt-ed for simple tables (23"x20") with different size openings. Typically, I laminate a piece of 1/4" thick furniture grade plywood (Baltic Birch) to a 1" thick MDF sheet. The MDF sheet is cut with a clearance hole to pass the router base. I laminate the top and exposed bottom (i.e., the area within the MDF clearance hole) of the plywood with formica sheet. The router base is mounted the laminated plywood piece which seems to be quite rigid and the formica supports the flat-head base screws. At that point, I only have to drill/bore the table opening to the desired size, which is easier (for me) than mounting a base plate. 

Since I have a local hardwood furniture manufacturer, the 1" MDF and Baltic Birch plywood are scrap pile escapees. Similarly, the formica sheet is scrap from one of my local kitchen cabinet builders/installers. When I'm feeling really fancy (i.e., making one for some other person), I'll trim the table edges with scrap hardwood from furniture manufacturer dumpster. In the end, my material cost is limited to contact cement and a few finishing nails.

Now, relative to the advantages of an insert plate, I would have to say that I agree with all the arguments advocating an insert. However, in my world, I've never had to remove a router base from a table (I have a two base Bosch router unit), so an insert doesn't hold many advantages for me. Actually, I rarely spin anything larger than 1.5 or 1.75".

Good luck,

TTG


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## grim99 (Feb 24, 2007)

Deck,
I have had a homemade one at work with the router mounted directly to the table.
It works fine most of the time, the thickness of the table will get in the way of some bits. The other day I had to do some work on it and finally cut out for a plate. It is 17 years old and I have run out of places to screw a router under it. I think I like the plate better.
Goodnight,
Grim


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi TTG

"I rarely spin anything larger than 1.5 or 1.75"." 

That's like saying I have a Corvette but I only have 4 spark wires hooked up..   .....you don't need to have your foot in it all the time but if it's not setup to do it all you can't use to it's full potential when the need comes up.








Thrifty Tool Guy said:


> Deck,
> 
> I've given-up on the insert method and opt-ed for simple tables (23"x20") with different size openings. Typically, I laminate a piece of 1/4" thick furniture grade plywood (Baltic Birch) to a 1" thick MDF sheet. The MDF sheet is cut with a clearance hole to pass the router base. I laminate the top and exposed bottom (i.e., the area within the MDF clearance hole) of the plywood with formica sheet. The router base is mounted the laminated plywood piece which seems to be quite rigid and the formica supports the flat-head base screws. At that point, I only have to drill/bore the table opening to the desired size, which is easier (for me) than mounting a base plate.
> 
> ...


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## cptblackeye (Aug 22, 2007)

harrysin said:


> Tony, I don't know if the photos. give a wrong impression, but the centre hole appears to be no bigger than about 1" in dia. which wouldn't be big enough for lots of cutters incl. lock mitre which requires height adjustment to suit the thickness of the material usually leaving it partly below the table surface.


Very good eye, The hole is actually 1-1/2 inches in diameter. I have not used the lock mitre on this table yet. This is my second table. On my first and more primitive experimental table I used the lock mitre and made the hole bigger by raising the level of the bit slowly (plunging) to increase the hole size. The biigest bit i've used on this table is a 1/2 inch roundover and plunged the bit into a 1 inch hole to open it up to the current 1-1/2 inches. I'll be posting photos of my projects completed on this table soon. 
P.S. - i really like your avatar! 

Tony


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## grim99 (Feb 24, 2007)

That's a really good idea TTG, having a table with a built in plate.
Grim


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## Thrifty Tool Guy (Aug 23, 2007)

Grim99,

Thanks, I've been pleasantly surprised with the rigidity of the 1/4" plywood and formica laminate lay-up. Phenolic sheet or Aluminum plate would definitely be stronger, but I haven't found any readily accessible dumpsters stocking those items (but I do continue to look!) .

Relative to Bob's comment, when the day comes that I need to swing a bigger bit, I'll drill a bigger hole in the existing table and make a new table top with a small hole or design and fab a small insert ring to reduce the gaping big hole I just drilled. No need to pay for a Corvette when a Beetle does the job.

TTG


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi TTG

"No need to pay for a Corvette when a Beetle does the job." 


But you own the Corvette now   

But just to add a note ,,,the router table mounting plate can be anything and what works best is a round mounting plate just a bit bigger than the router base plate ,say by 1/2" to 1" or so, it that way you don't need to cut the hole bigger the 1st time you want to use a big bit.... 

They are Cheap to make and it only takes 3 screws to switch them out when the need comes up..

here's link for a bit of show and tell ,, this is for a small Colt but it works for any router that you want to put in a router table...

http://www.routerforums.com/jigs-fixtures/4883-small-router-table.html

Pie are square but router mounting plates don't need to be square 


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Thrifty Tool Guy said:


> Grim99,
> 
> Thanks, I've been pleasantly surprised with the rigidity of the 1/4" plywood and formica laminate lay-up. Phenolic sheet or Aluminum plate would definitely be stronger, but I haven't found any readily accessible dumpsters stocking those items (but I do continue to look!) .
> 
> ...


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