# First router table



## JohnFleming (Jun 25, 2013)

I'm new to this forum, so if this topic has already been addressed, please feel free to point me to an existing thread.

Anyhow, I'm a relative newcomer to woodworking, and I'm looking to buy my first router table. I've scoured the normal places like Lowe's and Amazon to get a feel for prices and ratings, but I worry that's only skimming the surface, and I'd really appreciate some more expert advice.

I'm operating on a budget of around $200-$250 for a standalone table (I already have a router and a small set of bits). That would probably get me a good benchtop table (Bosch on the lower end, Bench Dog on the higher), but I've been keeping my eye out for a quality used table. The problem is I can't find a lot of quality used tables on the market, even on places like Craigslist, and even outside my budget. I guess woodworkers aren't too quick to sell them.

I've been reluctant to consider Craftsman and Skil brands because of personal experiences using their other power tools, but I may very well be missing something worthwhile.

So, can anyone pass along advice on where to look or brands to consider? Thanks much.


----------



## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

John, if you can stand to keep a lot of your hard earned money consider the Grizzly T10432. I think it is still on sale for $119. I guess you could always spend the difference on bits.


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Welcome to the forum John. I don't know if Grizzly makes a table top version in case you have to have one but you could consider the Lee Valley top and build your own stand. Veritas® Router Table Top - Lee Valley Tools I've had one for quite a while and they are a pretty good top. Any router clamps onto it in a couple of minutes. I also have a home made one and I prefer it and it cost a fraction of the LV one.

By the way, you fears about the Craftsman and Skil tables are fairly well founded.


----------



## JohnFleming (Jun 25, 2013)

Mike said:


> John, if you can stand to keep a lot of your hard earned money consider the Grizzly T10432. I think it is still on sale for $119. I guess you could always spend the difference on bits.


Thanks, Mike. That's just the kind of advice I was hoping to read. I've heard great things about Grizzly — I even tried to find a Grizzly table saw before I settled on a used Ridgid.


----------



## JohnFleming (Jun 25, 2013)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> Welcome to the forum John. I don't know if Grizzly makes a table top version in case you have to have one but you could consider the Lee Valley top and build your own stand.


Thanks for the suggestion. I had mulled over building my own, but I figured that could be a future project after I built up some experience.


----------



## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Welcome to the forum, John.

I agree with Mike.


----------



## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

JohnFleming said:


> Thanks for the suggestion. I had mulled over building my own, but I figured that could be a future project after I built up some experience.


Yep, Mike is the one to heed when it comes to buying one. But after using a borrowed router table when I first started routing, I made my own, and haven't looked back.


----------



## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

Welcome to the forum. A lot of knowledgeable helpful people here, they really help on the learning curve. Im in the middle of building my own right now, I will post the pictures when I get it done here http://www.routerforums.com/table-mounted-routing/17212-wanted-pictures-your-router-table-74.html
Thats a place you might want to look too


----------



## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Mike's suggestion is the best. And there is one other option, buy the top but make your own stand. I have the Rockler setup and really like it, but now, I'd have built my own base so it was closed in and had room for drawers and a doors to keep dust under control. Even though the steel stand is pretty rigid, cheaper stands tend to flex too much for my taste. A shop made plywood stand would be more rigid and handle casters for easy moving better than thin steel.

Rockler's router lift is a nice item too, which I bought as part of the table package. Perfect fit for my Bosch router and much easier on the knees than reaching under the top to make height adjustments. My two cents.


----------



## skyrat (May 26, 2013)

John, Check with your library and see if they have Bill Hylton's book "Router Magic". He has some real simple bench top designs and works you through laminating your own top and making the router plate. The experience of building will help you gain knowledge and when you are finished you will be proud of your accomplishment. If you do a little looking you can get deals on materials. I built mine with a entertainment center my neighbor was throwing away. I got a 5x12 sheet of plastic laminate for $10 because it had a chip in it. A on/ off switch for $2 at a garage sale. So you don't have to drop a lot of coin on materials. By the way the book has a ton of useful information in it.


----------



## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

A very good book Art.


----------



## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

You can get it here for 7-9 bucks including shipping
Bill hylton - router magic - AbeBooks


----------



## Roodog (Apr 10, 2013)

Hi John, Andrew (Roodog) from Western Australia here. I would like to suggest that you try a Triton router table. I have had one for a long time. I have found it to be terrific. Not only is it inexpensive, but if set up correctly it is very accurate. Triton is available in the US as I have read some posts here which mention the brand. Their router is also very good, and they have a really good set of bits too. I hope this helps, and happy woodworking!


----------



## JohnFleming (Jun 25, 2013)

thbart said:


> Check with your library and see if they have Bill Hylton's book "Router Magic".


Great suggestion for further reading. Thanks very much.


----------



## JohnFleming (Jun 25, 2013)

Roodog said:


> I would like to suggest that you try a Triton router table. I have had one for a long time. I have found it to be terrific. Not only is it inexpensive, but if set up correctly it is very accurate. Triton is available in the US as I have read some posts here which mention the brand.


I'll definitely look into it. Thanks for the tip.


----------



## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Andrew, while the Triton table is one of the best offered in Oz it falls far short of other tables offered in the US, and it is not available here. Even if it was, why pay $500 for a router table when a very good one is available for $119? The Triton TRA001 is popular here and priced to compete with other brands and it is one of the top sellers.


----------



## greenacres2 (Dec 23, 2011)

If I were stranded on a desert island with a router, set of bits, and electricity--and only given one other item I could bring along...it would be Router Magic by Bill Hylton. Great reference.

earl


----------



## Willway (Aug 16, 2012)

Hi John, I have the Grizzly table Mike suggested, and I can honestly say I don't think you can do better for double the price. It has a lot to offer. I will use it to build the cabinet for it, and use the stand for another piece of equipment.


----------



## JohnFleming (Jun 25, 2013)

Willway said:


> Hi John, I have the Grizzly table Mike suggested, and I can honestly say I don't think you can do better for double the price. It has a lot to offer. I will use it to build the cabinet for it, and use the stand for another piece of equipment.


That's quite an endorsement. Thanks very much.


----------



## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

John, while I consider the Grizzly table the best choice for a first router table purchase it does have one short coming: I am 6'4" and it is too low for me. The Detroit area forum members who have worked with this table at my place like the table and have no issues with it. It is easy to build a riser for this table to sit on or to build your own base cabinet for it.


----------



## Willway (Aug 16, 2012)

Mike said:


> John, while I consider the Grizzly table the best choice for a first router table purchase it does have one short coming: I am 6'4" and it is too low for me. The Detroit area forum members who have worked with this table at my place like the table and have no issues with it. It is easy to build a riser for this table to sit on or to build your own base cabinet for it.


Mike there is a sure cure for the table height problem of the Grizzly. All you need is a piece o 3/4 ply and 4 of these foot lockable swivel casters. $14.76+ for all 4. Raises the table height by 4-1/2" (3-3/4" caster+3/4" ply) and really makes a big difference and gives you a little mobility. These are good 125# casters despite their rediculous low price.

3" Swivel Caster with Lock


----------



## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Thanks Dick but that is still too low for me. Keep in mind that I have this table on hand for local forum members to use. I sit on a stool when I am using it. My Router Workshop table sits on top of the stand for an old Sun tune up machine. This is a very comfortable working height for me and the stand has casters.


----------



## GulfcoastGuy (Feb 27, 2012)

John, you could always get the Grizzly table and make a base for it later at a height that suits you.


----------



## papasombre (Sep 22, 2011)

+1 Daikusan combined with Bill Hylton´s book.


----------



## Dodgeboy77 (Jun 14, 2013)

Willway said: <<_All you need is a piece o 3/4 ply and 4 of these foot lockable swivel casters. $14.76+ for all 4. Raises the table height by 4-1/2" (3-3/4" caster+3/4" ply) and really makes a big difference and gives you a little mobility. These are good 125# casters despite their rediculous low price. _>>

Let me add a caveat to Willway's otherwise good idea. I did a similar thing and put my shop-built router cabinet on HF locking swivel casters (that just lock the axles). I hated it. Unfortunately, with all four casters locked, a little side force and the cabinet would still move a couple inches in any direction due to the locked casters swiveling on their spindles.

Now an answer to this would be the total lock brake type of caster that locks both the wheel and the spindle. I don't know for sure if the ones in Willway's link do this or not. Here's an example (that would be too big for a router cabinet): E.R. Wagner Plate Caster, Swivel with Total-Lock Brake, Polyurethane on Polyolefin Wheel, Roller Bearing, 750 lbs Capacity, 5" Wheel Dia, 2" Wheel Width, 6-1/2" Mount Height, 4-1/2" Plate Length, 4" Plate Width: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

I ended up replacing two of the casters on one side of my cabinet with simple wooden legs, which made a big improvement. The next step will be to 'un-swivel' the remaining two casters by welding the swivel mechanism. The cabinet won't be quite as maneuverable but I don't move it that much anyway,

Bill


----------



## MartinW (Jun 26, 2013)

I do agree with Bill,
locking swivel casters usually still swivel when locked - and that's annoying for any workbench to say the least.
One could work around that by adding some raise mechanism - so that the casters only touch the ground for transport, otherwise are raised - but that's usually too much of an effort.
Probably the easiest way is a table with four sturdy legs, and two big wheels on the outer side of two legs - so that when lifting the table at the opposite side, the wheels make contact with the ground. Stands solidly, and relatively easy to maneuver still.

Martin


----------



## Dodgeboy77 (Jun 14, 2013)

A great idea, Martin! Most router table/cabinets don't have the weight that a big workbench does. Therefore they tend to move pretty easily on locked swivel casters when you don't want them to - but are easier to move when you _do _want to. I found this out the hard way and it's pretty annoying. Another idea I had (If I would redesign this from the start) is just to have legs (with adjustable feet) on one side and _non_-swiveling casters on the other side. Or do like Martin suggested.

I didn't add adjustable feet to the legs on mine - yet. When I have the table where I use it, it's solid. When I move it a foot or so away - on a visibly flat and smooth basement floor - it wobbles!

Bill


----------



## MartinW (Jun 26, 2013)

Bill,

so your floor is as "flat" as mine is  - wobbling tables are the 2nd most annoying thing in the workshop for me, directly after still swiveling locked swivel casters (which worst case cause results to be non-precise)
I am now using the "heavy duty lifting levelers" from Axminster - at 13Euro for a set of 4 these are reasonable inexpensive - that really makes a difference. And easily adjusted with an allen key

Martin


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

If you need it to stay still when you park it then one of these two types is better. The first one is a drop down locking leveler foot. Floor Locks and Floor Truck Locks
The second one is a drop down locking caster. http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=30842&site=ROCKLER 

The second one is probably better for an uneven floor. The base of the cabinet is more likely to bridge across the uneven spots.


----------



## Willway (Aug 16, 2012)

You know this has came up before about these castors. We have several pieces of equipment mounted on them, including, 2 heavy workbenches and have no problems with movement as long as all 4 are locked. One thing I would suggest is to use 2 fixed locking and 2 swivels for easier movement. They are easy to lock and unlock because it can all be done with your foot. Level floors, well... that's a different problem. Double locking castors are a great idea but at 5-6 or more times the cost, that would really cut into my bit, blade and wood budget.


----------



## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

MartinW said:


> Bill,
> 
> so your floor is as "flat" as mine is  - wobbling tables are the 2nd most annoying thing in the workshop for me, directly after still swiveling locked swivel casters (which worst case cause results to be non-precise)
> 
> Martin


At least you have a floor to work on and presumably a roof. Though I agree with you a wobbling bench/saw is very irksome. Sometimes I have to reposition my table saw 3 or 4 times to get it to stop wobbling. The up-side is I don’t usually have to vacuum the grass.


----------



## MartinW (Jun 26, 2013)

Steve,

"cosy" would probably be the polite word for your workshop? 

Martin


----------



## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Daikusan said:


> At least you have a floor to work on and presumably a roof. Though I agree with you a wobbling bench/saw is very irksome. Sometimes I have to reposition my table saw 3 or 4 times to get it to stop wobbling. The up-side is I don’t usually have to vacuum the grass.


I do.....LOL.


----------



## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

jw2170 said:


> I do.....LOL.


James you should keep your yard cleaner. :nono:

I have yet to have a pile that big (Maybe that the difference between the expert (you) and the learner (me)). When I cant see the grass I vacuum, then have to fish out the pieces of grass that clog up the hose. :sad:


----------



## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Steve, that was from just running a few boards through the planer.

I saw a tip on another post to add the shavings to the compost pile. Previously, I just added the waste to the garbage can.


----------



## greenacres2 (Dec 23, 2011)

Shavings from hand planers go in LOML's flower pots as "special mulch"...surprising how long they stay curly. I don't do much hand planning yet, but there's usually a 5 gallon bucket full for her to swap out. The chips from the separator are becoming a large ground cover area under some pine trees. Looks better than the scraggly weeds, and under the pines even those are sparse. Interesting how they dump from the barrel--striations of cherry, white oak and poplar sort of look like one of those sand design things (sand mandella??) It's pretty cool.

earl


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

jw2170 said:


> Steve, that was from just running a few boards through the planer.
> 
> I saw a tip on another post to add the shavings to the compost pile. Previously, I just added the waste to the garbage can.


If it is just shavings from the planer and jointer it is prized by people who have chickens, rabbits, horses, cows, etc for bedding material. It it has a lot of fines from a saw or sander, not so much. The fines affect animals much like it does us.


----------



## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

greenacres2 said:


> Shavings from hand planers go in LOML's flower pots as "special mulch"...surprising how long they stay curly. I don't do much hand planning yet, but there's usually a 5 gallon bucket full for her to swap out. The chips from the separator are becoming a large ground cover area under some pine trees. Looks better than the scraggly weeds, and under the pines even those are sparse. Interesting how they dump from the barrel--striations of cherry, white oak and poplar sort of look like one of those sand design things (sand mandella??) It's pretty cool.
> 
> earl


Great idea, put them to good use. My woodworking friend makes signs covered with various colors of wood sawdust.

You can see more of his work here http://www.routerforums.com/tools-woodworking/41866-hoot.html


----------



## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

jw2170 said:


> Steve, that was from just running a few boards through the planer.
> 
> I saw a tip on another post to add the shavings to the compost pile. Previously, I just added the waste to the garbage can.


A Few Boards? How much were you taking off? Good grief you could have re-sawn the boards and had two. :jester:


----------



## Bastien (May 10, 2013)

I am about to build my own as well. It will be a cabinet with a solid laminated top, and a quality router plate and T track. I'm topping it off with the Incra LS system and wonder fence. You owe it to yourself to check out their website. You can add the LS system then the fence as you can afford them.


----------



## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Bob, not everyone goes for the "whistles and bells" method of routing. This is not a slam, just a way of describing accessories with lots of micro adjustments, etc. I much prefer the "Keep it simple" methods that were taught by Bob and Rick of the Router Workshop.


----------



## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> If it is just shavings from the planer and jointer it is prized by people who have chickens, rabbits, horses, cows, etc for bedding material.


But any walnut, not for horses. That is poison for horses, or so I've read. Will try to find a reference.
Found one. http://www.understanding-horse-nutrition.com/black-walnut-tree.html Bad news for horses.


----------



## greenacres2 (Dec 23, 2011)

Bastien said:


> I am about to build my own as well. It will be a cabinet with a solid laminated top, and a quality router plate and T track. I'm topping it off with the Incra LS system and wonder fence. You owe it to yourself to check out their website. You can add the LS system then the fence as you can afford them.


Welcome to the forum Bob. I drank the gold and red Koolaid about a year ago--got an older Incra Pro on my router table with the Wonder Fence and a TS-LS on my table saw. Got another top ready to add to the saw, then i'll be able flip that fence and 2 table set-ups at the same time. I could, and have, done without--but they sure are nice to work with.

earl


----------



## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Daikusan said:


> A Few Boards? How much were you taking off? Good grief you could have re-sawn the boards and had two. :jester:


Taking re-cycled pine boards, about 3" wide and 4ft long, down from 1" to 20mm.

That was probably about 60ft of board.


----------



## mpIX (May 30, 2013)

My 2¢, 

Metal top 1st, solid steel is best but much to much $$$, cast aluminum is a good compromise. Composite tops warp! MDF and it's buddies need to be reclassified a banned substance! 

On the low end i like this Sears.com

My first table, Craftsmen rebranded version of the Bosch RA-1181, Bosch Router Table-RA1181 at The Home Depot Sears currently offers the same top with a different and completely unnecessary cabinet base and jacked the $$, (got my Craftsmen version of the Bosch RA-1181 on sale for $140). Sears.com

I tried the Bosch RA1171 composite top table Shop Bosch 15-7/8-in x 25-1/2-in Adjustable Router Table at Lowes.com it was junk! Extremely poor design and hardware. Long story short, the composite top delaminated when trying to level the drop in router plate with the table top! 

Actually IMHO, the entire router plate concept is a royal PITA time vampire to get perfectly level with the table top so as not to have a gap for the workpiece to either drop or get hung-up on when pushing thru during operation. 
I would 100X rather a quality metal table top with just the hole pattern to mount the router in the top such as the first budget table i suggested only i haven't found one large enough for my needs. 
Interestingly, years ago Sears did offer a larger version of the first table i recommended. When i was shopping around for a table i came across a few of them for sale used, the owners must have known what they had because they were asking top dollar, ~$150 for those older tables! 

Of course this is all just my opinion, YMMV, good luck


----------



## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Marc, opinions vary.


----------



## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Marc, after reading your post I went to see your profile in order to see your routing experience but there was nothing there! The reason for seeking this information is that my experience is far different to yours.


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

JOAT said:


> But any walnut, not for horses. That is poison for horses, or so I've read. Will try to find a reference.
> Found one. Black Walnut Tree: A Poisonous Plant to Horses Bad news for horses.


You're right Theo. 95% of my shavings are pine, spruce, D. fir, and white birch which are fine. There are some that are bad like Walnut, yew, and red cedar. Some of the bad ones don't make good compost either like red cedar.


----------



## mpIX (May 30, 2013)

Mike, you said you like simple, well, you cant get much simpler then router mounting directly to the table top without the need for a plate. 

And yes i don't see the point to the plate insert. Perhaps you and or Harry could elaborate on the benefits of the plate for anything other then ease of DIY table construction and perhaps installation of a router lift (neither of which i have experience with)? 

Again keep in mind i'm of the opinion high pressure laminate table tops are sub par, if a good metal top were used the leveling would be a factor of the mounting holes being drilled precisely and the router itself (motor and fixed base), being perpendicular to the routers base, a router design factor independent of the table.

Harry, if i did the same cut ten or ten thousand times, a table top with a top plate that doesn't sit perfectly flat and flush to the table top at the edges of either the plate perimeter or the table top cutout for the plate, is going to be very prone to cause the stock passing thru (depending on size), to either seesaw at the low edge and or get hung up on the high edge. How that affects the quality of your work will vary depending on the degree of precision you are after, the size of the piece, etc. In my case it was a major fail with the Bosch table. A problem imo, which i wouldn't have had with a good and level precision made metal table top designed to fit a router without the use of a plate insert.

Btw, have either of you actually set up and used the Bosch RA 1171 table? 

As to opinions, i'm sure i'm not alone in preferring metal over laminate, just do a google search and read the table reviews. 

If money and weight were not a factor i'd chose the full sized cast iron top every time.
Router Table Packages and Accessories, Routers and Accessories - Rockler


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Marc, it is very easy to level a mounting plate. In fact, the Grizzly plate ($13) comes with leveling screws built in. Two of the advantages come from ease of bit change and the ability to use router and plate as a more stable edge routing platform. You just pop the the plate out for both. I'm not sure why you have such a low opinion of HPL tops. They perform well and last a long time.

I have a Lee Valley steel table Veritas® Router Table Sets - Lee Valley Tools and it is a very good table and will last more than my lifetime but it does have some shortcomings as it does not allow the 2 best points of using a plate that I pointed out. All of the tables available for purchase have a common flaw, the router is dead center in the table leaving a lot of unusable space behind the fence. The last table I built probably didn't cost $20 to make and was far superior to the Lee Valley table or the Sears or the $600 Rockler tables you linked to.


----------



## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Marc, the reason for mounting plates is quite simple: they make it much easier to change your bits. Leveling a mounting plate is very easy. All this takes is four Allen screws and some ND Vibratite to lock them in place. I have built a few tables and installed/set up lots of mounting plates over the years. None of my tables have ever sagged or warped. I owned the Craftsman version of the Bosch 1171 table and prefer it over the 1181. I really like my Router Workshop table and use it all the time. I got one of the Grizzly T10432 tables to show that this $119 sale price is hard to beat. We are testing the big 3+ hp routers in this table. The last photos are the economy table mentioned in the sticky threads.


----------



## mpIX (May 30, 2013)

Mike said:


> 1),Marc, the reason for mounting plates is quite simple: they make it much easier to change your bits.
> 
> 2), Leveling a mounting plate is very easy.
> 
> ...


1), Other then that the plate is thinner then a table top i don't see how so as i don't remove the plate with the router attached to it to change bits. It's easy for me to change bits with the router still mounted to the table or to remove the router motor block from it's fixed base of which remains attached to the table, change the bit and reinstall the router motor block into it's fixed base.

2), not in my experience, and certainly not with the level of precision i'm shooting for.

Vibration was a issue with the Bosch 1171, just when i thought the plate was level and set, part way thru the job i'd find the vibrations caused the screws to move thus the plate was no longer level. I discovered this the hard way after it trashed the piece i was working on due to seesawing! 
Haven't had that trouble with the 1181 which uses about twice as many leveling screws into a metal table top then the 1171/t-nuts into composite table. 
Now i regret not taking photos of the 1171 top after the t-nuts/mounting screws split the layers of the composite top, you would've seen how crappy it is. And i'm not a hulk, actually i have measurably much less grip strength then the adv male of my age group. I'll guess if you questioned Bosch about it they'd deny the issue completely...perhaps blame it on a lose wire...

Btw, i never heard of ND Vibrate, sounds like it should've been included with the table. 

3), unfortunately all you need do is read a few reviews to see that not everyone has been as lucky as you wrt composite table tops warping. 

Honestly and with all due respect, although some of my points are subjective, in general, your answers contradict everything i experienced and leave me with the impression that you haven't read my entire post.


----------



## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. And they have to respect the opinions of others.

That does not mean there is only one answer to a problem.

Lets not get nasty.....


----------



## greenacres2 (Dec 23, 2011)

Right on James. Design and material of a router table top is very subjective. Kind of like the choice of routers. The truly RIGHT answer for each person is theirs only. 

But...i'm highly partial to MY right answer!! Trouble is, I haven't completely found it yet. Just see some of the good and bad directions I've taken thus far in the journey.

Have a good evening--or in James' case, by now a good morning I think.

earl


----------



## mpIX (May 30, 2013)

You're absolutely right James, and very well said Earl. I couldn't agree more


----------



## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Marc, I have read your posts. Norm used a Rousseau mounting plate on the first NYW table for 10 years trouble free and would still be using it if Rockler hadn't insisted he build a new table with their accessories when they sponsored the show. The Rousseau is slightly convex which guarantees the wood will always be at the exact same height as it passes over the bit. This does not effect accuracy. Mounting plates do not need to be perfectly flat in the table for good results. The leading edge must be flush or a hair lower than the table, the trailing edge flush or a hair higher than the table. Your wood will not catch with your mounting plate adjusted this way. There will not be a noticeable difference in the cut. This means plus or minus .003" and the glue will take up any difference.

You still have not filled out your profile so let me ask: do you have a typical home shop or is this a professional production shop? Controlled climate or wide variations in temp and humidity? These things can make a huge difference in what will work best for you.

Most of my tables have been built from quality 3/4" Baltic birch plywood and have Formica top and bottom which really adds to the rigidity. The first table photo was built from the plans in Shopnotes #1 and is constructed with a 3/4" Baltic birch plywood topped with two 1/4" layers of tempered HDF, (Masonite) and Formica top and bottom. The red oak trim adds even more rigidity and seals the edges to water migration. I built that table in 2004 and it is still true, my first attempt.


----------



## mpIX (May 30, 2013)

Woodwrights Shop with Roy Underhill and the New Yankee Workshop are two of my favorite shows! 

So it sounds like not all table top plate inserts are created equal. In many scenarios your method of mounting a top plate will be just fine, not so with the work i'm doing. For example, if i'm trimming and truing a small length of 3/8" thick wood or plexiglass which is shorter or not much longer then the top plate, it can and IME does catch on the hairline difference in height going from the ever so slightly recessed plate. For me, trying to adjust and keeping that plate level is more trouble then it's worth. I wouldn't have to deal with it if the table were made without the plate insert. 
I'm quite sure i use my router table for my own specific purposes which are likely different then what the average router table owner is doing with theirs. 

Btw, sounds like you did a good job on your DIY table top. 

And yes i do have a climate controlled home workshop which helps allot here in Philadelphia with our humid dog days of August.


----------



## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

jw2170 said:


> Taking re-cycled pine boards, about 3" wide and 4ft long, down from 1" to 20mm.
> 
> That was probably about 60ft of board.


Pine? Retracting my previous statement and will stop my pining . . . :yes4:


----------



## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

@OP = Dammitt man, build your own table top. It's not rocket science and you will appreciate it more than a store bought one.

A 1/4 sheet of 3/4 inch mdf cut in half and glued together to form a single piece. Trim the edges with some hardwood and laminate some Formica over the whole thing. Buy the router plate of your choice and install it.

You can set it up on saw horses or clamp it to a work bench. Or build a rolling cabinet under it.

Here is my table clamped to the bench and supported with an adjustable roller stand. The other pic shows where I drilled a hole through the Rockler Group A plate so I could adjust the bit height from above the table on the Bosch 1617 router.

Hope this helps.

Good luck.
Mike


----------

