# First Router Table



## FlamingiIdiot (Feb 6, 2020)

So I made my first router table. I made it with Sande plywood from Lowes and a black Melamine top with a JessEm Rout-R-Lift II, Taytools 300015 Deluxe 32 Inches Long Router Table Fence and a large paddle on off switch. Now to start making jigs for it. Any suggestions on what jigs I should start off with? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

sweet!!!


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

as for jigs...
those you make as and when you need one...

#1 should be things for safety, gripper, feather boards, and push blocks...

then come the jigs and sleds... 
coping/miter sleds, multi-angle, box joint, dovetail, etc...
a fence extension for vertical routing...


----------



## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

Its not finished!
There's no mitre slot for your coping sled jig.

Apart from that, its almost too pretty to get dirty. (lol)


----------



## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Very nice build...great attention to detail and execution...

As for jigs, no need to make anything until you need it. Some are better and easier to buy rather than make while others are more useful if they are DIY.

For example...did you need any jigs or templates to make your table...?

If you are going to end-grain route a profile you could buy or make a coping sled...or you could just use a square piece of cutoff laying around and just use it as a backer board. If you're going to cut some mortises for door hinges and you only need one door done you can use your chisels or very quickly make a small template to do that. More exotic cuts like dovetails could deserve a purchased dovetail jig or you could make one or if you don't do that many you could do them by hand...

The world is at your feet but you may want to make or buy what you need when you need it...

Best of success with your projects...looks like you won't have any problems...


----------



## woodworker47 (Dec 19, 2008)

Very nice table.

Frank


----------



## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

Nice and a good size. I would add another feather board on the fence so that you have infeed and outfeed pressure. I would also add two on the table to keep things tight to the fence.


----------



## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

Erik it looks like you have this well in hand. What do you want to make. One of the first things I tried to make from some plans I found was a coping sled as I needed to make face frames for cabinets and other projects. I tried to use the shop made and found that the base flexed too much so I bought a Woodpecker's sled which works great. Had I had a local access to phenolic sheet I may have gone that route but with it's cost figured buying was better.


----------



## Bushwhacker (Jun 16, 2009)

Beautiful.


----------



## Multiwood (Feb 24, 2013)

Dry nice Erik


----------



## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

https://www.routerworkshop.com/boxjoints.html

Super quick box joint jig.


----------



## roxanne562001 (Feb 5, 2012)

Very nice


----------



## Potowner1 (Feb 17, 2011)

Nice job, Eric. You obviously put a lot of thought into your table before building it. 

You're going to put a bunch of miles on that beauty


----------



## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Holy mother of pearl, that is a beauty! I like the color match to the table saw. 

I'm in the jigs fas you need them school of thought. If you want to make something for it, consider a tall version of your split fence. BTW, you really did a nice job on that fence. As to accessories, I suggest a variety of push blocks and sticks, and no one does it better than Grrrippppper and some featherboards to go on the table and the fence. One brand even comes in orange and black, see pix.

Before you spend time and money on accessories, I suggest you watch a few YouTube videos of Marc Sommerfeld. His technique is really simple and effective. 

Marc Sommerfeld on raised panel door. Watch the techniques and how simple they are. Rarely uses a jig except for setting bit height. For that, he uses an Easyset jig, $39 for either his bits, or Freud matched door sets. Pix below of easyset jigs. I really learned to use the router by watching his videos. They keep the camera rolling so you see the whole process. But he doesn't wear a mask, which is a must.

Here's the video, part 1




 Part 2 should be visible on YT.

Here are the Easyset jigs, yellow for his bits, red for Freud's matched bit set. They are really nice and you set them for thickness of the wood you're working on so the cuts are perfect from the start. BTW, he drops a half inch grommet into the collet so there's a definite bottom to align the matched bits.


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Wow! That's a beauty!!
How did you arrange your dust collection?


----------



## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

Too good looking for the shop.


----------



## whimsofchaz (Jun 6, 2013)

Welcome to the forum Erik. Nice table. Hope to see more of your work your stuff looks well done


----------



## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

Fantastic table, Erik. I still want to upgrade the fence on mine... I like your stop-block set-up.


----------



## RÖENTGEEP (Feb 18, 2014)

AMAZING !!!! TABLE :surprise:


----------



## Rusty Nesmith (Feb 1, 2020)

Very nice.


----------



## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

Very nice router table!! You sure do nice work.

I like to have a Grripper handy at my router table with the narrow side removed so it clears the bit, for most often feeding my work past the router bit. Some good shop made or purchased featherboards are a good idea too. 

Charley


----------



## papasombre (Sep 22, 2011)

Nice color contrast. Too beautiful for sawdust as somebody wrote.


----------



## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Don’t know how I missed this one , fantastic job Erik! It doesn’t get much better than that


----------

