# Please comment on my table design



## dustmaker (May 18, 2009)

I just completed my first drawing with SketchUp for my new router table design. I would appreciate any and all critiques and/or recommendations. I will be using a 24" IncraJig and that is why I am using a wider table top, plus it gives me more storage in the cabinets  Forgot to dimension the insert plate, but the bit is about 13" from the left side.
Somethings I have wondered about:
1) I see a lot of table designs where the laminate is cut flush to the MDF, and then the hardwood edging applied to this. Here I am applying the hardwood first, then laying the laminate on top (so flush with and covering the hardwood). Are there issues with going this way?
2) I plan to put heavy duty locking casters on all four corners, so the center will not be support, so to say. Do you think there will be any issues with sagging? If so, what do you recommend as a solution?
Anything else you see that could be improved?
Thanks in advance.


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## levon (Sep 14, 2008)

hi Frank,

you did a great job on the sketchup. if this is what you want build it. no 2 of us would build the same thing and i would build it a little different than you have shown. but that is a personal preference. i personally think it would be easier to cut the laminate flush then add your edging, but thats just a personal preference.

good job!


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## dustmaker (May 18, 2009)

Thanks levon. I always say, if you get 10 engineers in a room you will get at least a dozen designs  I have thoroughly enjoyed SketchUp and plan to use it quite a bit. In my younger days I used to do this on a big table with a T-square and a lot of patience...much easier nowadays.
On the issue of the lamination I am also wondering if there isn't another benefit to the hardwood edging covering the laminate...it would protect it from lifting if the edge is "grabbed" by a tool or piece of wood or something. I just noticed more folks doing it that way, and just thought I would ask...always willing to learn, you know?


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

Looks good to me. Mine is 34" X 46" or something like that, the reason is I had a top that was 1 1/4" thick laminated both sides. I also had two wood cabinets that were 24" wide and 15" deep so I put them back to back to make up the table. I have over hang on each end of about 11" on average. I favored one end and located the router outside the cabinets. I made the top this big so I could have a run out table for my TS. It all works for me for now, but will be changed sometime in the future, after I figure out what I want to do with all this.


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## dustmaker (May 18, 2009)

Jerry, a very ingenious use of space and using what you have. I should have pointed out too, the reason I am putting casters on is that I am sharing a two car garage with my lovely wife, so I am space challenged, so to say. I can wheel the table around behind the TS for runout as well and with the casters on it should bring it up to just about the right height for this. I also plan to use the top for assembly work...one advantage to sharing a garage is that I can vacate some space in a hurry (just back the car out!); wheel the table to the open space and get to work...easy peasy.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Frank

" Anything else you see that could be improved "

I see many errors but just one or two below  ( P.B. is the the stock you want to use..)

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dustmaker said:


> I just completed my first drawing with SketchUp for my new router table design. I would appreciate any and all critiques and/or recommendations. I will be using a 24" IncraJig and that is why I am using a wider table top, plus it gives me more storage in the cabinets  Forgot to dimension the insert plate, but the bit is about 13" from the left side.
> Somethings I have wondered about:
> 1) I see a lot of table designs where the laminate is cut flush to the MDF, and then the hardwood edging applied to this. Here I am applying the hardwood first, then laying the laminate on top (so flush with and covering the hardwood). Are there issues with going this way?
> 2) I plan to put heavy duty locking casters on all four corners, so the center will not be support, so to say. Do you think there will be any issues with sagging? If so, what do you recommend as a solution?
> ...


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## dustmaker (May 18, 2009)

Hi Bob,

Thanks for going to the trouble. I've built about a half dozen cabinets or so, I should have remembered the 1x2 supports!


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

bobj3 said:


> I see many errors but just one or two below


I don't see any errors. I see differences of opinion. I'm 5'10" tall and I like my table at 36" high but then, I don't know how tall you are, how long your arms are, and the kind of work you'll be wanting to do. My tables are 24" x 48" but I'm doing kitchens, bathrooms, cabinets, doors and windows and production framing for stained glass, not to mention a workshop and, I use the Oak Park/Router Workshop philosophy so I use 26" and 52" fences. I also use skis and foots and working on building a duplicator and shiis. For those, I'll be using a 36"x48" table for each. Oh, I forgot to mention that when we've finished this house, the whole workshop has to be moved again.

I don't like closing my routers in. But then, you're maybe using a heavy vacuum to clear the router space that will effectively cool the router as well as collect dust. I don't like router lifts, fixed fences, "T" tracks and I have a hard time justifying buying stuff when I can make it. That's half the fun of working with routers. You can make most of what you need.

I have a relatively complete shop so I'm not forcing machines to do double duty. I've gone through many versions of tables and some I keep resurrecting and reusing. You might consider that over time you'll make a variety of tables and you should consider their being inventoried as opposed to replaced over time. BTW, you'll also collect routers.

I hope this helps.

Allthunbs


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## dutchman 46 (May 23, 2007)

Hello Frank!
That is a nice set-up. I like all the shelves that you have in yours. You cannot have enough storage space.


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## Vestus (Jun 8, 2009)

As I'm also short on garage space, so I sized my table height to fit under my work bench and table saw wing. It requires moving the fence, but I can at least get it out of the way. 
With your center divider, you should have no problems with sagging. 

As for laminate, I prefer mine to cover the banding and chamfer afterward. The last thing I need is any seams catching my work. I'd skip the laminate on the bottom and just give it a coat of poly.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Frank

I was poking some fun at you ,you did a great job on the drawing. 
But you know PB stock it needs a sub frame if you want it to stand up for any time at all..
It will soak up water like a sponge and will sag/bend in a heat beat..you can't take away from it you must add to it,so to say the dado's are out..It's the only building material that will snap into parts if you step on it or drive on it..I'm sure you know if you put some 3/4" stock out side and come back in a week or so it will be about 1 1/4" thick and like a bowl and arrow stock.

I would suggest plywood for the cabinet ( 1/2" or 3/4" ) to keep the cost down..plus a bit of sub frame to hold the doors and drawers, I would also suggest a face frame to hold the doors and the T & G way to keep the cabinet strong ( 1/4" deep ) with some pocket hole screws..

I would also suggest you send off for the video below.it will blow you away.

Router Tables Made Easy-Sommerfeld's Tools for Wood


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dustmaker said:


> Hi Bob,
> 
> Thanks for going to the trouble. I've built about a half dozen cabinets or so, I should have remembered the 1x2 supports!


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## dustmaker (May 18, 2009)

Thanks Bob,

I have always put a face frame on every cabinet I have made...I guess I was just trying to cut corners here, but I've been rethinking that and your post convinces me this is not something I want to skimp on. The face frame provides good support for the carcass and I will add that in.
You are right about PB soaking up water. We had our hot water heater blow out in the garage and some PB scrap soaked up the water and blew up like a balloon...6 or 8 inches above the water line even. Most of the other scrap wood was salvageable but the PB had to be thrown out. What about MDF? I know a lot of folks use this to build tool stands. Do you think it would work for the carcass?
I like being blown away...I ordered the video  I have some time...I will probably not build the cabinets for a few months, but the tabletop is something I will probably do in the next couple weeks.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI Frank

MDF,,,,is great stuff but you can't drill,screw,etc. into the edges,it will not blow up like PB but almost ..
I do like to use it with frames,that's to say with a real wood frame and the MDF panel inserts..it will take on paint well or just plane with a clear coat..
With the frame way you don't need the sub frame to keep the parts together plus it gives you a way to hang the doors and hold the drawers boxes,without adding more to the mass of the cabinet. 

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## dustmaker (May 18, 2009)

OK, I'm on my fourth design, but I think I have settled in on something that is stronger, and I think has a better look to it. The frame is constructed from 2x4 stock planed/jointed down to 1 1/4 by 3. Three such pieces will be laminated for the corner posts to a final dimension of 3 x 4. The whole lot will be joined with loose tenon joinery. I am not ready to put together the John Nixon style RT motorized mortising gizmo, but am thinking more along the lines of the mortise pal home brew jig Trap posted a couple weeks back. The panels are 1/4" hardboard. Throw in a couple shelves and some hardwood drawer slides and you have the base complete. I am still going with the MDF sandwich for the top, formica on both sides with hardwood edging. I think I will chamfer it to prevent projects from catching and pulling up the formica. I do appreciate everyone's feedback, both positive and negative, so long as it is constructive . I am prepared to go a fifth round if anyone sees a major flaw in any of this. Thanks everyone, for your help thus far.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Frank

Now you're cooking with gas 


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## curiousgeorge (Nov 6, 2006)

Frank, you should be able to rout an elephant on that table with no problems. I know it's a personal opinion, but I would suggest putting the edging on after the Formica. Then you can plane the edging to be perfectly flush with the Formica and eliminate any chance of anything ever catching and pulling it up. You might want to round over the edging to eliminate any sharp edges. That's the way I did mine and it looks good too. Just my opinion, but I'm sticking to it. :yes4:


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

Very nice design. I do have to ask, where's the dust control at in the cabinet? Or is this something I've missed in the earlier posts? Many have a DC port in the cabinet and at the fence. Looks good though.


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## dustmaker (May 18, 2009)

curiousgeorge said:


> Frank, you should be able to rout an elephant on that table with no problems. I know it's a personal opinion, but I would suggest putting the edging on after the Formica. Then you can plane the edging to be perfectly flush with the Formica and eliminate any chance of anything ever catching and pulling it up. You might want to round over the edging to eliminate any sharp edges. That's the way I did mine and it looks good too. Just my opinion, but I'm sticking to it. :yes4:


Hi George,

You know the edging is something I keep vacillating on. Any suggestions on how to plane the edging without marring up the formica?

Anyone got an elephant they need routed?


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## dustmaker (May 18, 2009)

Hamlin said:


> Very nice design. I do have to ask, where's the dust control at in the cabinet? Or is this something I've missed in the earlier posts? Many have a DC port in the cabinet and at the fence. Looks good though.



Hi Ken,

Thanks. Yeah, I had that in an earlier drawing...but left it out of these. There will be a four inch port in the back flush with the middle shelf. DC at the fence as well.


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## curiousgeorge (Nov 6, 2006)

dustmaker said:


> Hi George,
> 
> You know the edging is something I keep vacillating on. Any suggestions on how to plane the edging without marring up the formica?
> 
> Anyone got an elephant they need routed?


Sure! I just used a hand plane. Trust me, when the edging is level the plane will just slide on the Formica without cutting it. It will be so level you won't be able to feel the transition. I have included a couple of pics of mine to show how it looks... Oh Yeah! I almost forgot. If you will notice in the second picture there is a slot in the upper left hand door. This is to provide air intake to allow the dust collection to work. If you don't have air coming in, you won't have enough air going out the DC connection to allow it to work properly. You also need good air circulation to allow your router motor to stay cool in the closed up environment.


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## dustmaker (May 18, 2009)

Thanks George,

That is a nice clean look and I will surely consider giving this a try. I have seen those extra are holes on other table designs and wondered why they were necessary. Anything that makes the DC work more efficiently is goodness (I don't have any currently, hence my screen name:'()


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