# Extend'a'Table



## OldCurmudgeon (Feb 25, 2012)

Today I finished building extensions to my router table. 

As you can see in the photos, the router table is a benchtop Bosch table. It is sturdy and convenient, but has a very small top (about 25” x 16”). I mounted it on an old nightstand, to which I added casters so it can move around my workshop (when it’s in the mood…). Although the table has a good fence, the maximum distance between the bit and the fence is only about 3”. I already modified the table by adding T-tracks for the fence bolts instead of the slots in the top it came with.

Usually, I route small pieces. I mostly make toys and models, sometime boxes. However, I have plans for some “large scale” work: building a special cabinet for my wife’s glass raw materials. She’s an artist, and is focusing now on glass mosaics. Her raw materials are glass plates, ranging in size from 8” x 8” to 14” x 14”. In order for them to be stored safely so that each plate can be visible and easily pulled out, and organized by colors, and (most important!) kept away from my 1-year old granddaughter who is able to get everywhere and climb anywhere, I designed a special cabinet. But I digress…

To build this cabinet I need to cut quite a few dados and rabbets, and I don’t have a dado blade for my table saw. Also, my table saw is a benchtop one (DeWalt DWE7490X) and its top is relatively small. Some dados and rabbets I can cut using a hand-held router and a jig, but my router is too heavy for me to handle without the risk of straying (It’s a Bosch MRC23EVSK). One may ask: considering the amount of work you put into the extensions (yes, I’ll get to them shortly…), why wouldn’t you just buy a dado blade? A fair question, to which I don’t have a good answer, except that I like challenges and I also expected the project to be simpler… (is anyone surprised?...)

Since in the past I had to struggle with routing long pieces (mostly for frames for my wife’s mosaics), I decided to also “widen” the table.

So I built one back extension, adding 16” to the back of the table and allowing a distance of 18” between the bit and the fence (which may be unsafe!), and two side extensions adding 20” on each side. The back extension has T-Tracks to match those I added to the table. All extensions are removable (fastened to the table with brackets and knobbed bolts), so I can remove them when not in use. It takes about 8 minutes to install all extensions, but I’m sure I’ll get better at it with practice… 

Here is another good question one may ask: why not just build a new table, or alternatively get a sheet of plywood, cut a hole for the router lift and bolt the plywood to the top of the table? I _do _have an answer to that: I wanted the extensions to be removable (particularly the back one) because I don’t have enough space in my shop for a large permanent table, and I only need the extensions occasionally. I can also choose to install only the side extensions or only the back one as needed.

The design focused on strength and durability. As you can see, the back extension can carry a small dog (11lbs). Don’t worry – the router was unplugged for this demonstration… My little Maggie was not particularly happy, but she was easily appeased with a treat after the photo shoot… The tops of the extensions are old leftover countertops (laminated particle board) which I chose in order to get a smoother surface. The supports are 3/4” plywood from offcuts in the shop. Even the hardware (screws, brackets, knobs) where laying around in the shop. No expense spared…

I also added the Sketchup design. I’ll gladly share the file with anyone who might be interested (although I expect measurements will need to be adjusted for specific router tables).


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## Bushwhacker (Jun 16, 2009)

The dog does not look happy.


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## OldCurmudgeon (Feb 25, 2012)

No, she wasn't... But as I said in the post she got over it quickly when she got a treat...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

That's a well executed solution...
I like it...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Bushwhacker said:


> The dog does not look happy.


looks more like suspicious to me...


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## OldCurmudgeon (Feb 25, 2012)

Stick486 said:


> looks more like suspicious to me...


How would you feel sitting on a tiny platform 10 times your height above ground with no rails?... I would ask: "How the heck did I get here and how can I get back down to earth...?"


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

OldCurmudgeon said:


> How would you feel sitting on a tiny platform 10 times your height above ground with no rails?... I would ask: "How the heck did I get here and how can I get back down to earth...?"


or... *NOW WHAT!?!?!* ....


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Stick486 said:


> or... *NOW WHAT!?!?!* ....


Don't you dare turn that thing on!!!


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Sometimes it's a challenge just to prove you can do it!!


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Very nice...!

Repurposing is a beautiful thing...!


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

sNice solution. You can do the same thing with your table saw by the way and you'll thank yourself after. 

As for being able to move the fence back that far, the only time you would likely ever do that is if you are making grooves in a panel. You have to be a bit careful doing that as the panel has to be stable enough to keep from angling away from the fence as you push on it. That means there is a correlation between the distance away from the fence and the width of the panel that has to be satisfied. The greater the distance from the fence, the wider the panel needs to be. This is even more critical on a table saw where the problem can cause the piece to bind between the blade and fence and get thrown at great speed in your general direction. If for example you were making grooves in the side panels of a tall bookcase you'd be better off to make a jig and do the job handheld. Just something to keep in mind.

What that extra width might be handy for though is to turn the fence around and work on the other side if you were doing something like raised panel cupboard doors. The extra support of the back extension makes that job much easier.


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

Well, it looks like it will work fine, but I have to ask "wouldn't it have been easier to just make a larger router table"? 

Charley


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## OldCurmudgeon (Feb 25, 2012)

CharleyL said:


> Well, it looks like it will work fine, but I have to ask "wouldn't it have been easier to just make a larger router table"?
> 
> Charley


Indeed... And I answered that question in my post... A larger table is not "modular". It takes up all the space all the time.


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## OldCurmudgeon (Feb 25, 2012)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> As for being able to move the fence back that far, the only time you would likely ever do that is if you are making grooves in a panel.


Thanks for the advice and the warning. I'm indeed a little concerned regarding the safety of a large distance between the bit and the fence, as I indicated in the post. The current plans are for cutting grooves (dados) with a maximum distance of about 7" between the edge of a panel and the bit. These are dados in the shelves, allowing vertical partitions. I agree I'll need to use a jig for cutting the dados in the side panels, and I'm _not _looking forward to it... Allowing an 18" distance was an overkill in design, but no extra work to build.

I did not consider your idea of working "on the other side". I never made raised panel doors, so I'm not aware of the challenges. But the idea of having extra support at the front is a very good one. Positive unintended consequences... I'll certainly keep this in mind if such a project comes along.

I _did _ build an outfeed cart for my table saw, which can also be used as a side extension, but it's still unwieldy. Maybe I'll revisit this after I'm done with this project. Thanks for the insight.


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