# Step by step My router table



## locoboy (Sep 7, 2008)

Guys and Gals,

I am going to do a step by step (well if i remember to cature all the steps) diary of building my router table.

Its not going to be anything flash just a basic table made with materials that dont cost the earth.

It will be updated as and when i get time to progress the project so dont sit here expecting to see it completed in a couple of evenings!

This may provide inspiration to other newbies to the routing world as i have no prior routing experiance and very limited woodworking experience.

If nothing else it will give you pros plenty of opertortunities to point out better ways of having done things!

I will update with as many photos as i remember to take just for Harry 

First picture is of the 6mm ally plate i sourced for free.

I then scribed the diameter of the hole in the base plate in the centre of the ally plate.

Then chain drilled all round the insire and then filed it smooth and polished the cut edge up with emery paper.

Then 19mm radiuses were filed on the outside corners of the plate to match the radius of the cutter i will use to rout out the sunken bit in the table top to i dont need to cut the corners out to 90 degrees with the chisel.

Then the holes were measured on the base plate on the router and accurately transcribed onto the ally plate.

Pilot drilled with a 1.5mm dit then drilled out to 4.5mm to suit the M4 thread on the base plate securing screws.

Finally the holes were countersunk with a 90 degree bit and the plate given a bit of a polish.

(i do have pictures of the chain drilling and marking stage but they are on my phone and i cant find the lead for the computer


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi locoboy

Nice plate  it looks like a 11" x 11" plate...

But I would recommend you only use the plate for your plunge router jobs..

You want the hole to be 3 3/4" in diam.and some snap in rings so you can plug the big hole up ( choke it up ) when you use the small bits, you don't want the stock to drop into the big hole  but you want it big for the bigger bits.. 

I should note ,,,I did rework one of the router plates from OP that come with a 3 1/4" ID and it works great ,it's a easy rework and you don't need to buy two router mounting plates to get the job done safe.

JUst ask and I will post the rework job..


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locoboy said:


> Guys and Gals,
> 
> I am going to do a step by step (well if i remember to cature all the steps) diary of building my router table.
> 
> ...


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## locoboy (Sep 7, 2008)

I appreciate thcomments Bob as always, but i am trying to do this all myself and i dont have the facility to mahcine a 'step in the plate to allow me to use drop in's of different diameters.

How will the stock 'drop' into the hole? I cant see myself doing anthing smaller than the diameter of the hole.


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

locoboy said:


> How will the stock 'drop' into the hole? I cant see myself doing anthing smaller than the diameter of the hole.


Murphy's law comes to my mind for some reason. 

The plate looks good. Can't wait to see the entire finished product.


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## locoboy (Sep 7, 2008)

The stock will span the hole and thus be supported on both sides of the cutter.

Unless that is that i decide to route somthing smaller in both width and length than the diameter of the hole.
Or am i missing something?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI ocoboy

You would not do small parts without the help of a jig the norm, but when you run the stock by the bit and the hole is to big the stock can just dip just a little and drop and jam in the hole.

That's why they make and sell the brass guides below..

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=51153&cat=1,43000,51208&ap=1
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=51152&cat=1,43000,51208&ap=1
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=51208&cat=1,43000

It only takes one time and then you will install a TP holder on your router table 

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locoboy said:


> I appreciate thcomments Bob as always, but i am trying to do this all myself and i dont have the facility to mahcine a 'step in the plate to allow me to use drop in's of different diameters.
> 
> How will the stock 'drop' into the hole? I cant see myself doing anthing smaller than the diameter of the hole.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi locoboy

Lets take one for just some kicks, run a board by the bit on it's edge that's 3/4" wide or less  now you can see what I mean I'm sure, you are pushing the board down and to the fence at the same time with just a little to much down force the board will dip into the big hole and jam...then it's TP time...

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locoboy said:


> The stock will span the hole and thus be supported on both sides of the cutter.
> 
> Unless that is that i decide to route somthing smaller in both width and length than the diameter of the hole.
> Or am i missing something?


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## locoboy (Sep 7, 2008)

TP time?

What's that?


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## curiousgeorge (Nov 6, 2006)

Toilet paper time


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## locoboy (Sep 7, 2008)

Ah I see!


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Colin, a good start but I agree with Bj, the hole needs to be large enough for the biggest bits available, then all that's necessary is to attach another, thinner plate underneath, leaving a ledge for dropping in zero clearance discs. which I rout out of Perspex or whatever you call clear acrylic sheet, the thickness of your plate. The two plates can be bolted together with countersunk screws.

"I will update with as many photos as i remember to take just for Harry "

Whilst I appreciate the compliment Colin, please believe me when I tell you that MOST, if not all members appreciate photo-shoots, they present an unambiguous description of how we each perform the various tasks.

Just in case I didn't adequately describe my idea, here are a couple of shots.


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## Timeman (Oct 3, 2008)

I'm reading this with every post 

Doing the same as you I am, tho I'm going to take my plate to a machine mill here and have them do the center for me ( recess ) then just get my rings.

Yours is looking nice I will post mine in the next few days 

cheers from Noel


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## locoboy (Sep 7, 2008)

Good idea Harry,

I had thought about starting again with a 10mm thick bit od perspec / acrylic bacause i can make the right profile etc using my router which i obviously cant do in the ally.

But you have just provided a solutionthat allows me to carry on from where i am already. Thanks.

Do i need to hold the plates in with anything or do they just drop in and stay in, do they not vibrate about with the resonance of the machine itself?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

JUst some snapshots

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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Colin, I lost sight of this thread so here is the answer to your question that Bj forgot to answer, I guess that he was preoccupied with showing his vast range of template guides. I don't know about Bj, but in spite of template routing being my forte, I doubt that I would normally use more than half a dozen The discs just drop into the recess, it's a good idea to file a very slight chamfer around the edge so that there is no chance of the workpiece catching the edge of the disc.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Colin

If you look real hard at the brass guides you will see many are NOT guides, they just have a hole in them, to choke the hole down so the wood can't fall into the hole of the router plate also you will see two sizes the norm 1 3/16" and the 1 1/2" ID size , my base plates can take one or the other, the 1 3/16" and the 1 1/2" ,the router table and the plunge router..

" I don't know about " Harry but I like to play it safe, I want the TP roll to last a long time 
Also most of the guides are just below the plate so you done need to chamfer around the edge, most are made on a high speed lathe and they took care of that job, but Harry doesn't use the brass ones he user of the funky steel/tin sheet metal ones."guides" 
Harry posted a snapshot of putting in a spline on a corner of a frame that's one I would not try without a choke brass guide in place it's just so easy to let it drop in the big hole, now it's not to bad to do that on the table saw because you have the insert supporting the stock all the way over the blade but on the router table well it's time for a choke disk in place to make it safe..
The one I use a lot of the time is the 1/4" ID one when I use the 1/8" router bit. 

I do use the router table most of the time unlike Harry he like to use the plunge router more than I...many,many jobs can be done on the router table because the table is holding the router for me  and all I need to do is to control the wood over or by the bit..


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## locoboy (Sep 7, 2008)

Guys i have decided not to use Harry's method of supportinb the inserts but i have got some 10mm thick acrylic and some 3mm thick acrylic and i am going to try to make a hole in the 10mm thick bit with a 3mm step in it and make some inserts from the 2mm thick peice so they frop in flush.

Just need to figure out how to hand cut the circles accuratley now!


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