# Two new router tables



## garybaritone (Feb 21, 2009)

Just completed two new router tables starting with NYW plans than modified. Thought I would post pictures and an explanation of the completed tables. The blue one has a Benchdog cast iron top with a Benchdog prolift that has had a digital readout added and a PC7518 router . The green one has a commercial MDF and formica top that was altered to accept a Benchdog aluminum plate and a Triton TRC001 router. As you can see in the pictures, there are four drawers for bits (26 per drawer), three drawers for wrenches and small miscellany and three drawers with full extension slides for larger items. The cabinets are mounted on total lock casters and constructed from 3/4" MDF. The completed cabinets are VERY heavy but roll easily.
Enjoyed building these cabinets - hope you enjoy the pictures.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Very well done Gary 


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garybaritone said:


> Just completed two new router tables starting with NYW plans than modified. Thought I would post pictures and an explanation of the completed tables. The blue one has a Benchdog cast iron top with a Benchdog prolift that has had a digital readout added and a PC7518 router . The green one has a commercial MDF and formica top that was altered to accept a Benchdog aluminum plate and a Triton TRC001 router. As you can see in the pictures, there are four drawers for bits (26 per drawer), three drawers for wrenches and small miscellany and three drawers with full extension slides for larger items. The cabinets are mounted on total lock casters and constructed from 3/4" MDF. The completed cabinets are VERY heavy but roll easily.
> Enjoyed building these cabinets - hope you enjoy the pictures.


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## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

Nice work, Gary. 

Do you build these as Christmas gifts?


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## garybaritone (Feb 21, 2009)

If I did, you probably couldn't afford it.


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## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

Whats the little digital box for behind the fence?


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## garybaritone (Feb 21, 2009)

The box is a digital readout that has been added to the Benchdog prolift. It reads to .0005 inches.


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## Birchwood (May 13, 2005)

Well, there went my week! This was going to be the week I unveiled the premier woodworking project of my life.....a new router table. After seeing those truly great pieces of work I can assure you that I have now cancelled my plans and had deleted the photos I had so carefully taken.
Thanks a lot pal!!.........Ha. Great work. Just great.


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## BillP (Feb 24, 2009)

*Great Job!*

My wife says these look better then some of the furniture we have in the house.


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

Birch said:


> Well, there went my week! This was going to be the week I unveiled the premier woodworking project of my life.....a new router table. After seeing those truly great pieces of work I can assure you that I have now cancelled my plans and had deleted the photos I had so carefully taken.
> Thanks a lot pal!!.........Ha. Great work. Just great.


Birch I do not get that. Please post your project. If you feel yours is not as nice as the router tables in this post so what, you still put in the time and effort and your effort is worth just as much as anyone's.

Be proud of what you did and do not compare your stuff to others. Compare your items to your own previous projects and if it is better than your previous projects you did well. 

Even the maker of this router table may see another and feel his is not as nice. You can always find someone or something better. That should not detract from having pride in your own work, even if it is not as good as some others.


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## moreorles2000 (Dec 26, 2004)

i have to agree with nick as mine is not pretty but it does what i want it to do so far.
later on another table could be made using whatever info you have gotten from the forums. good luck.
les.


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## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

Garybaritone may I ask the product name/model#? Possibly where you bought?


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

Gary;Those are beautiful cabinets. Great job.

Birch;
Make a new thread and post the pics. Heck, my flip top planer stand isn't a piece of art either.


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## woodnthings (Jan 30, 2009)

*Inspiration and Information only spoken here!*

I totally agree with Nick, since this forum is at best anonymous. We don't know each other for the most part and haven't met so, we don't have any comparison of skill levels and efforts without your pictures. A picture is more informative than a page full of adjectives! 
All we can get from this forum is INSPIRATION and INFORMATION. We should not be ashamed of where we are in terms of skills. There will always be something to learn and someone more knowedgable to learn it from. Gary, In the case of those beautiful and functional cabinets, they just might be the start of a small business!
Our friend Ghidrah thinks that they were commercially made and wants to buy some!...There you go!
Sincerly, Bill


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## garybaritone (Feb 21, 2009)

*Costs of Two Router Tables*

BillP and I have completed the accounting for the two tables we just completed. We started building these cabinets just after New Years and worked most week days minus a two week trip to Florida.

The cabinets for the two tables complete with drawers but without tops, fences, lifts, routers, etc. had about $420 in materials for each one.

The green table has a commercial MDF/formica top and fence altered to fit a Benchdog aluminum plate mounted to a Triton 3-1/4 hp router. The total cost of this outfit was about $880.

The blue table has a Benchdog Promax RT cast iron top with a Prolift fitted with a Porter Cable 7518 Router. In addition the prolift has had a digital readout fitted to it. The total cost for this package was, are you ready?, $1750 (OUCH).


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## garybaritone (Feb 21, 2009)

The cost of doing a fun project with a friend --- priceless.


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## arkwood (Oct 22, 2006)

Awesome tables, a project I hope to get to someday. Have had Norm's plans so long the paper is yellowing. smile. I love the colors, that really brightens up a shop. Thanks for sharing.


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## Capt Splinter (Dec 30, 2008)

Great looking tables, Gary. I also like the colors you chose. Excuse my ignorance, but what does NYW stand for? I'd like to get a set of those plans and try one of these tables myself. Where can I get some instructions?
George


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## levon (Sep 14, 2008)

hello George,

it looks like jerry is offline. nyw is the new yankee workshop. you can go to that website and order the plans.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI George

You may also want to check out the links below 

http://www.routerforums.com/members/rt1000-10753.html
http://www.rt1000.com/
http://www.routerforums.com/tools-woodworking/587-king-canada.html
http://www.routerforums.com/tools-woodworking/3842-canadian-router-table.html

http://www.newyankee.com/getproduct.php?0301


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Capt Splinter said:


> Great looking tables, Gary. I also like the colors you chose. Excuse my ignorance, but what does NYW stand for? I'd like to get a set of those plans and try one of these tables myself. Where can I get some instructions?
> George


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## drasbell (Feb 6, 2009)

very nice work. and very close to the project that im working on, Im still a few weeks off on posting photos on mine.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

Birch said:


> Well, there went my week! This was going to be the week I unveiled the premier woodworking project of my life.....a new router table. After seeing those truly great pieces of work I can assure you that I have now canceled my plans and had deleted the photos I had so carefully taken.
> Thanks a lot pal!!.........Ha. Great work. Just great.


I would very much like to see your work. We are at all different levels of proficiency and are working from there to improve. I have posted things that are no where near the level of others but so what I am just learning. I take what I've done and what others have done and get inspired to do more and do better. Let's see your table.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

*Great finish*



garybaritone said:


> Just completed two new router tables starting with NYW plans than modified. Thought I would post pictures and an explanation of the completed tables. The blue one has a Benchdog cast iron top with a Benchdog prolift that has had a digital readout added and a PC7518 router . The green one has a commercial MDF and formica top that was altered to accept a Benchdog aluminum plate and a Triton TRC001 router. As you can see in the pictures, there are four drawers for bits (26 per drawer), three drawers for wrenches and small miscellany and three drawers with full extension slides for larger items. The cabinets are mounted on total lock casters and constructed from 3/4" MDF. The completed cabinets are VERY heavy but roll easily.
> Enjoyed building these cabinets - hope you enjoy the pictures.


Great finish, how did you acoompish the finishes? I could guess but would rather know first hand.


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## garybaritone (Feb 21, 2009)

xplorx4 said:


> Great finish, how did you acoompish the finishes? I could guess but would rather know first hand.


The cabinets are made from 3/4 inch MDF. Applied a couple of coats of sanding sealer with sanding in between particularly to seal the raw edges of the MDF that were sawn or routed radii. We than applied three or four coats of Rustoleum enamel with a 3 inch paint roller with some amount of sanding in between.

The finishes, although nice, really look better in the photos than in real life. I have made and finished a number of machinery cabinets in this way. The attempt is not to make them look like furniture but more like a cast iron or sheet metal painted machine would look.


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

Gary your 2 new tables are fantastic and too good to be used; if I had one I will keep it just to look at it LOL.

Fatz, you should post the pictures of your work. As other members have said, don’t compare your work with others. Just be proud of what you did and share your work with others. That’s how we all learn

Nicolas


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## Bogydave (Nov 14, 2008)

Great router tables. 
I'm envious, you have 2 already. 
Show some pics with sawdust next, so we know you're using them.  (though we know you are).
Good job!


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## hilldh (Mar 7, 2009)

Beautiful work Gary! Where and how can I get the plans? (I hope this is an appropriate question -- new member today)
Regards,


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## tmcrsn (Mar 3, 2009)

Those look amazing Gary! What do you think of the Benchdog cast iron top compared to an mdf or baltic birch top?


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## santana157 (Dec 23, 2008)

Where did you get your power switch?

Thanks.


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## Capt Splinter (Dec 30, 2008)

Thanks Bob and Levon,
I've been off line for a few days myself. I went to the New Yankee Workshop page and see the plans. I will order the plans and drool over it for awhile, until I build up the nerve to attempt it. 
George


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## garybaritone (Feb 21, 2009)

Doug,

The cabinets were based loosely on the New Yankee Workshop plans as far as number of drawers, etc. but were made from MDF and made to fit commercial tops and have locking casters on the bottom.

Tim,

I like cast iron for its mass and vibration reducing qualities and the ability to use a magnetic base indicator stand to adjust the fence and the future use of magnetic featherboards.

Jack, 

The powerswitch is from Rockler but I removed the large paddle because it is mounted sideways and the paddle would tend to fall forward and get in the way. I could put the paddle back on with a spring or rubber band to keep it in position.


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## Kenichi (Apr 1, 2009)

*switch details*

Garry, 

I am in the process of finishing my new table as well. A question. I notice that your switches are "flush" to the face. How did you accomplish that? The switch I have (from rockler, doesnt have the big stop flap) only has screw holes on the far back of the assembly. I cut a hole in the door to pass the switch through, but overall, am not happy with the result. Yours however look very nice and clean.


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## garybaritone (Feb 21, 2009)

I removed the switch from the plastic box that it was in and mounted it throw the false drawer front with the existing switch mounting holes. You must remove and reattach the wires to the switch to do this. I than screwed the drawer front onto the cabinet and placed all the wires inside the compartment made behind the switch (kind of a giant electrical box). The attached photos should make it clear.


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## garybaritone (Feb 21, 2009)

Make that "THROUGH the false drawer front". Sorry, should have proof read !!!!


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## garybaritone (Feb 21, 2009)

Just an additional note. I have now cleaned out my old router table cabinet and given it to my neighbor and loaded up the new cabinet. With three extra routers, wrenches, featherboards, safety guards, etc., etc., etc., I am running out of room in the cabinet (I still have some room for additional router bits).

I may have to start building a bigger, bigger router table. :blink::laugh:


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## vikingcraftsman (Mar 31, 2006)

Great job and we all run into that not enough room problem when we continue to build.


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## SteveSawDust (Mar 18, 2009)

Fine quality work, Gary. Well-done.


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## Trimax (Apr 9, 2009)

Wow those are awesome ....very nice


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## harry_godau (Nov 23, 2004)

Hi Birch,
don't be shy, post you table. Here is a photo of mine, very simple, no fancy fence adjustment, no miter gauge slot, never use it. Various style fences are clamped on with c-clamps. A long as the table surface is flat, that's all you need. Remember Bob's micro adjuster? It works every time, just as well as a thumb screw.





BillP said:


> My wife says these look better then some of the furniture we have in the house.


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