# Router mounted on left side of table saw...



## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

Do any of you have your router mounted on the left side of your table saw where the extension was originally installed?

Reason I ask is my "shop" is a one car garage which also has a large tool box and a work bench along the length of one wall and industrial style storage shelving along the other wall. So I have the table saw sitting in the garage door opening facing inward. Space to the right just isn't enough to get around the fence rails to allow installing a router wing on the right side.

Having the router on the left side would be ideal.

Note: I am seriously considering buying a table saw soon to replace my old 1977 Craftsman. It still works just fine, but my projects have outgrown it's cutting capability. I was looking at the Grizzly G1023 with the router on the right wing then I found a used Delta uni saw locally. Currently talking to the seller about the uni.

Having a TS with the router mounted underneath the left wing would really help reduce tool footprint space in the shop.

Thanks.
Your thoughts appreciated.
Mike


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## cagenuts (May 8, 2010)

Most contractor type table saws have extensions that are mountable on either side. So essentially you can position the extension with the router insert on either side of the main table saw section.

Hope this helps.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Hi, Mike; just a suggestion, which I am also looking at for myself; I'm in almost the same situation single-car-width workshop wise as you.
Most of us have some sort of TS outfeed table arrangement. how about building your router into the R.H. side of that. It shouldn't interfere overly much with normal saw functions. If you need to do a panel, just slide the router fence off and lower the router...the table shouldn't have any other obstructions.
I think to use it, it should have the operator facing the garage door.


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## Drew Eckhardt (Aug 2, 2008)

MT Stringer said:


> Do any of you have your router mounted on the left side of your table saw where the extension was originally installed?
> 
> Reason I ask is my "shop" is a one car garage which also has a large tool box and a work bench along the length of one wall and industrial style storage shelving along the other wall. So I have the table saw sitting in the garage door opening facing inward. Space to the right just isn't enough to get around the fence rails to allow installing a router wing on the right side.
> 
> Having the router on the left side would be ideal.


I don't think table-saw mounted routers are a good idea because I often use them together and in a lot of situations a router in the table is sometimes going to mean loosing setup on one of the tools if more parts are needed because one broke or was forgotten.

To accommodate my space limits (previously a single car garage, although now I have a car port and adjacent 84 square foot shed that can't be extended to more than 100 square feet under HOA rules) I put folding legs on my router table top so it probably takes up 24 x 6" of floor space against a wall when not in use with router + insert plate elsewhere on a shelf.


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

Good ideas. Thanks for the input. I will consider it over the holidays.
@Dan - I replaced my outeed table with a work bench that also serves as an outfeed/assy table. It is a heavy duty fella and doesn't move. The top is part of a 2 inch solid core door with Formica on top of that. I just recently turned it around so it would be onger than wide so I could build a kitchen table top for a lady. 36x65 - takes up the table and the table saw!  So now my wood vise is at the far end of the table, leaving room on the side to mount a router table top temporarily if needed. The right side of the saw and outfeed table is hard to get to with all sorts of stuf like boards and other cutoffs in the way.

@Drew - you are probably right about one tool being in the way when the other is needed.

I included several pictures of the work bench/assy table/outfeed table. Note: I built it upside down.

Why didn't I by a house 25 years ago with a 2 car garage? :-( This one is paid for and i don't see us moving any time soon.


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## TeamTurpin (Oct 17, 2012)

MT Stringer said:


> Do any of you have your router mounted on the left side of your table saw where the extension was originally installed?


Mike, you and I are at the same place in similar projects. I bought 3/4" MDF today and then stood there for 30 minutes staring at the TS. Left side? Right side? My little Delta has more room on the right side, but there's a tilt crank there that would be a problem. The right side has no such conflicts, but the rails are much shorter there and it would be much harder to tie into my dust port.

What to do? What to do?


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

You think that table is strong enough, Mike? 
( In case of earthquake, duck under it!)


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

DaninVan said:


> You think that table is strong enough, Mike?
> ( In case of earthquake, duck under it!)


Yes sir. I only wanted to build it once. 
Currently it has a maple kitchen table top (36x65) on it covering it and the table saw.

As you can see, there is not much room for anything else.

Mike


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