# Thought I'd share the build of my router table



## JI808 (Aug 7, 2013)

I had a local guy ask me to make some house vents for him. He provided the wood and I went to work. 

I routed slots for the slats to fit into but I found that my only good work area without a back wall on the bench was the top of my router table. The table itself is one we had at the car audio shop. There was no dust collection, no fence, it was used primarily for template work and round-over/chamfer bits. It was a basic thing, built from MDF with an Alucobond top. The table and JessEm lift were given to me when the business moved to a new shop and they bought four new lifts.

Anyway, while building those vents I decided I needed a new router table with more function. I wanted a router table that I could use to do more than simple template work, I wanted a larger work area, dust collection, and storage for tools and bits. 

Since I'm not a dedicated or hardcore woodworker I had to have a table that, when not being used for routing, would be functional for other tasks. If I want to throw something large on a table it would be nice if it could hang off the sides without hitting a back wall.

I searched the Internet and found that everyone seems to build dedicated router tables or add-on extensions for table saws. After a bit of searching, I decided I wanted to use the dust collection idea from the "Ultimate Router Table" build and I'd design the rest.

I went to Woodcraft for Incra miter and T-channel tracks. While there I picked up one of their 1 1/2" x 27" x 60" birch tops. On the way home I stopped by Lowe's and grabbed two sheets of 3/4" maple plywood.

Got home, routed the pocket for the router lift as well as miter and T-channel slots. screwed the tracks in place and put the new top to use cutting up those sheets of ply to build the cabinet. The cabinet is 54" long and 23 1/2" deep. 

I made the router chamber as compact as possible. I thought the smaller chamber volume would help with dust evacuation and the smaller chamber also allowed me to maximize drawer space.

On the right side of the router chamber I made three small drawers. One for 1/2" shank bits, one for 1/4" shank bits, and one shallow drawer for router lift inserts and wrenches for the router. The bottom and fronts of these drawers are made from 1/2" ply with 1/4" MDF for the sides and back wall. 6-32 T-nuts were used to attach the drawer slides to the drawers.

Since I wanted an on/off switch mounted above the drawers I made a channel for cable routing above and behind the drawers. The small drawers are mounted on full-extension 20" soft-close slides. 

The last picture is how the table sits now. Used 3/4" maple for the rails and stiles. I made the door frame for the router chamber tonight and will get the acrylic in it and get it installed tomorrow. I still need to build more drawers and get more slides. I'll use 22" slides for the rest of the drawers. I don't have the fence yet, but when I get it, it will go on. Wife says it's going to be my birthday present so I'll wait a couple of weeks. 

Anyway, I know guys are always wanted to see router tables, so here's mine.

Input, advice, and criticism are all welcome. :laugh:


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Jason, looks nice. I would add a couple of short dowel sections in one of your drawers to hold your collets when they are not in use. Keep up the good work.


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

Looks good Jason 
Really nice job, hope you enjoy it for a long time


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

I like it, Jason.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Yep, definitely like it.


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## JI808 (Aug 7, 2013)

Thanks, guys.

Semipro, the plan was to build it so I could get all the use out of it that I'd ever need then be able to pass it down to the kids when that time comes.

I'm still looking for material to make the base. The plan is to make a 2" square tube frame to fit inside the cabinet bottom. The casters will mount to the steel, as will the cabinet. With the steel frame supporting the cabinet, it will survive military moves without issue and should never sag.



Mike said:


> Jason, looks nice. I would add a couple of short dowel sections in one of your drawers to hold your collets when they are not in use. Keep up the good work.


Mike, that's in the plan, just need to get the proper size dowels. 

I'm not a hard-core woodworker, but more of an all-around type of person. I did a good bit of research and pulled some of the best ideas I found during my search to build this router table/cabinet. I think I found that idea from you here on the forums. Collet storage, if I remember correctly.

Made more progress.

Blew it apart, glued, and re-assembled it all.

Bottom partition is in, 3/4" maple for rails and stiles attached, and the front, left, and back edges (top and bottom) of the top were hit with the 1/4" round-over bit. Also made the door frame for the router chamber.


Got the door built, cut the acrylic to fit, drilled four 1" holes for air inlet, installed hinges, applied some Watco Danish (dark walnut) oil to the rails, stiles, and the door frame. Also installed a small light for the router chamber. 


Does great for keeping the dust out of the inside, but I'll give the inside a few coats of clear to reduce surface friction and help the few bits of reluctant debris to move with the airflow.

To keep the door closed I used some strong little magnets I found forever ago at the craft store. Just drilled a 3/16" hole and pressed them in.


Large drawers will be built next, then I need to decide on a design for the drawer fronts. I cut a rabbet in some of the 3/4" maple that was ripped for rails and stiles to make the door, inserted the acrylic, and secured the acrylic by backing it with 1/4" MDF. I didn't bother cutting a design into the door frame because I'm unsure how I want to make the drawer fronts. My wife says it would look good if I just made the fronts from maple as well. 

If I make maple drawer fronts I'm not sure if I should leave them square or cut some sort of design into them. 

Advice/ideas for drawer fronts?


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## anniekirk (Apr 11, 2010)

Thanks for the tip on the dowels Mike. All of these years and I never thought of it...John


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## JI808 (Aug 7, 2013)

A little update.

I got the maple drawer fronts on the three small drawers for the side a few days ago. Used the same Watco Dark Walnut Danish oil on the drawer fronts that I'm using for the rails, stiles, and exterior ply surfaces. 

I used the 3" wood drawer pulls I picked up for 99 cents each at a local Ace Hardware that was going out of business. A Home Depot came in less than 1/8 of a mile from the place and I kept an eye on the sale prices. Got 26 drawer pulls for 75% off. Used Watco Natural Danish oil on the drawer pulls.

Also made a small panel to mount the on/off switch for the router. I didn't want a large switch like others I've seen and I wanted a safety key in the thing so kids couldn't turn the thing on if they saw the switch and got a bad case of "What's the big red button do?" I know my kids won't mess with it, but if friends come over, I want to make sure the place is safe. When the switch is on the router, light, and Shop-Vac all come on. 

I used a Kreg two outlet switch that is sold for their router tables, removed the switch and extended the switch wiring, then used a 3-prong plug to hardwire power for an outlet on the back of the cabinet so I can plug the Shop-Vac into the outlet and it will kick on/off with the switch. The line for the outlet also feeds the small cabinet light.

The router chamber has been given a few coats of satin finish Minwax Helmsman spar urethane to reduce surface friction and keep the dust moving. I also added a couple of dowels as Mike suggested for collets. I only have two collets (1/4" and 1/2"), but it's nice to have a dowel in each drawer for the proper collet.


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## mstrfnsh (Aug 19, 2013)

Wow,Jason I really like it. Gives me more to think about and hopefully I will get off the fence about buying or building. Al


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## JI808 (Aug 7, 2013)

mstrfnsh said:


> Wow,Jason I really like it. Gives me more to think about and hopefully I will get off the fence about buying or building. Al


Build!

That way it's exactly what you want.


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## OMC-TRIPLE-X (Nov 3, 2011)

Very sweet looking table! Enjoy!


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## bdusten (Mar 22, 2013)

Looks amazing, I bought a little table now I'm looking into building my own. Thanks for posting gives me a few ideas!


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## JI808 (Aug 7, 2013)

Got some work done today and I'm _loving_ this table. Having the ability to have a piece of work hang off any side is nice, but having the T-track with clamps makes it that much better. I've been clamping the work down with the T-track and clamps and just letting it hang of the edge for cuts. Clamped the Kreg pocket hole jig to the bench and made short work of a big drawer tonight.










Plenty of table means plenty of support for large items on the router. Since I'm cutting with the circular saw, I'm cutting slightly oversize and then using a straightedge and a template bit to trim all the pieces to their exact sizes. Routed this assembled drawer as you see it. 









That was a good time to see how well the dust collection setup is working.

Here's the inside of the router chamber. Clean. 









The top side was messy, but that will be much cleaner when the fence gets here and I get it installed.









Got the biggest drawer installed on 22" full-extension slides. Built it from 3/4 maple/birch ply for the bottom and 1/2 for the sides and back. Most likely overkill, but I don't want it to sag. I have another set of slides to go on. These are rated at 75lbs so a little redundancy won't hurt. This drawer is 32" wide, 23" deep, and 8" tall. All of my DeWalt 18V stuff fits in here with room for other large items.


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## mstrfnsh (Aug 19, 2013)

I really like the way you have the dust port made under the router,and it obviously works well. Again I like what I see. I'am going to give making one my self a try this fall or winter, hopefully by then I will have gotten a little more building under my belt. I plan on making one out of cheap wood first because I'am sure I will make a few mistakes. Al


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## JI808 (Aug 7, 2013)

mstrfnsh said:


> I really like the way you have the dust port made under the router,and it obviously works well. Again I like what I see. I'am going to give making one my self a try this fall or winter, hopefully by then I will have gotten a little more building under my belt. I plan on making one out of cheap wood first because I'am sure I will make a few mistakes. Al


Take your time. If you're going to build, make it something you can put to use.

It's on 2 1/2" dual-locking casters now. Got some drawers made, some drawer fronts made as well. Need to cut the top drawer front to size and get it installed. It's clamped up now.

Three drawers and fronts left to make.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Looking good Jason.


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## leman (Oct 20, 2013)

Hi Jason,
Very nice looking and sturdy as well. Many times functional utility takes over aesthetics and it looks like a box. But you balanced between functionalities, usefulness and aesthetics. Congrats.
One quick question – Do you have any vertical lift mechanism build into? I remember seeing one picture which looks like a lift mechanism. I want to build a table with proper lift mechanism for macro as well as micro adjustments. Thanks in advance for your help


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## JI808 (Aug 7, 2013)

leman said:


> Hi Jason,
> Very nice looking and sturdy as well. Many times functional utility takes over aesthetics and it looks like a box. But you balanced between functionalities, usefulness and aesthetics. Congrats.
> One quick question – Do you have any vertical lift mechanism build into? I remember seeing one picture which looks like a lift mechanism. I want to build a table with proper lift mechanism for macro as well as micro adjustments. Thanks in advance for your help


Sorry, guys. Been busy here and haven't hit the woodworking forums much.

Leman, thanks, man. I'm using a JessEm router lift and picked up a Wixey digital readout that I installed on it.









Table has been done for quite some time, I've just been busy.









Picked up the Kreg Precision fence. For what I'm doing, it's nice. I did make a change. Since I'm using the area under the table for storage I didn't want a through hole in the top for the left side of the fence. The fence works like a table saw fence and the left side has a bolt that passes through the top. I just installed a T-track in the top and modified the stock parts to work with the track. You can't see it in this pic (not yet installed)...









...but it can be seen here.










I also picked up the 10-gallon Oneida Dusty Deputy so that's saving some bags in the Shop-Vac. when we move back to the mainland I'll pick up an actual dust collector.


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## Grobbie (Jan 13, 2014)

It looks like a perfect table that are able to be used as a multi function unit. Is it possible to have plans of you table. I am at present planning a new workshop as I have relocated to my own home. Help will be greatly appreciated.
Kind Regards
J C Grobler


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## JI808 (Aug 7, 2013)

Sorry, no plans. I designed it all as I built. 

Just made it up as I went along.


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## JI808 (Aug 7, 2013)

An update.

Finally applied clear to the cabinet. Went over it all once more with WATCO Dark Walnut Danish Oil then followed up with some satin clear. 

I liked the function of the Kreg fence (liked the table saw style lock) but the fence's dust collection isn't a good as the simple dust collection unit I built. I'm going to do a little work to seal up the large extruded fence on the Kreg to direct/force airflow through the opening at the bit.

The unit I built from scrap is great at removing chips and dust. The Kreg? Not so much.









I have also relocated the Wixey digital display to the top of the table. Recessed it in the top and cut a piece of acrylic to cover everything except the pushbuttons. Love this thing.









Stacked with ply to start building a project for SWMBO. Color is much nicer with clear. Just need to put some natural Danish Oil on the eight lower handles and clear them.


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## BCK (Feb 23, 2014)

nice job...


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Wow Jason you've got skills ,and a good imagination .
You guys are the reason I want to build my own router table . I wouldn't think of buying a pre made one now


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## timbertailor (Oct 4, 2009)

I really like the top and the overall size.

Makes the table far more functional as a router table and assembly area.

Thanks for sharing your design with us.


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## Aquaman (Feb 7, 2015)

That is one serious router table, buddy! Great work


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## JI808 (Aug 7, 2013)

Thanks, guys.

Man, haven't been on here in forever. Seems some of the picture links are dead so I'll add some overall shots.

Also, someone asked for plans. I DID find the sketch I made before I started. 

A few pictures of this thing in use. I do a lot of template work with the car audio stuff. also use it quite it bit for roundover and such.

So much of the car audio fab uses the router I'm thinking I need another lift so I can keep two set up for different cuts. One to flush trim when running templates and other for roundover and such.


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## timbertailor (Oct 4, 2009)

JI808 said:


> I had a local guy ask me to make some house vents for him. He provided the wood and I went to work.
> 
> I routed slots for the slats to fit into but I found that my only good work area without a back wall on the bench was the top of my router table. The table itself is one we had at the car audio shop. There was no dust collection, no fence, it was used primarily for template work and round-over/chamfer bits. It was a basic thing, built from MDF with an Alucobond top. The table and JessEm lift were given to me when the business moved to a new shop and they bought four new lifts.
> 
> ...


I love the repurposing of the engineered wood top.

Well done and thanks for sharing. Should serve you well for many years.


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## gsxrdemo (Dec 15, 2010)

*router table*



JI808 said:


> Thanks, guys.
> 
> Man, haven't been on here in forever. Seems some of the picture links are dead so I'll add some overall shots.
> 
> ...


Nice work! Should be able to make some nice templates for a couple Steve Meade 18's
My table is under construction.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Jason looks like your doing some great work with your table . I'm with you as I want more than one router . I was debating to build a double router table and use my table saws extention for a third .


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

I thought ths looked like the IL logo on that sub but it didn't look like any cone I've seen on there Subs before .
I googled it and I see it's the thin version . I used many JL subs in the past , MB Quartz for mid bass and up


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