Peter Elliot Selected to Beta Test the Ultimate Router Table

[Keith Outten]

Chris Brown of Quality Grinding and Machine has designed and built the Ultimate Router Table. Their design includes ideas that came from Members of this Community and they are still listening to what you have to say.

This ain't cast iron boys and girls its a one piece machined steel table top with a custom cabinet and a router raiser!

Chris is looking for someone to beta test his new router table, this is a golden opportunity for one of our Contributors to get involved in the pre-manufacturing stage of one of the best router tables in the business. Once it is launched I predict there won't be any router table in its class.

Quality Grinding and Machine will pay all shipping costs to deliver a brand spanking new router table to your door. All you have to do is use the machine for a few weeks and let them know what you think by writing a detailed review and share it with us here at The Creek. QG&M is looking for an experienced woodworker to provide an honest evaluation of this machine before it goes on the market and the lucky guy or gal that is selected gets to keep the machine.

How Do You Volunteer?

It's easy, just post in this thread and provide us with some information about yourself, hopefully enough info that Chris can determine who would be the best candidate. If you have been a woodworker for 20 years and have extensive experience using router tables it might be something you may want to share

So have at it folks, start typing and make those of us who aren't selected envious of the brand new machine you will be using in your workshop for years to come. Oh, if you have any questions lets have em, right here and now!

Below is some eye candy to get you to start typing

You must be a SawMill Creek Contributor to be a candidate to beta test this machine.
Registered Members can get in on this offer by making a donation to SawMill Creek and become a Contributor. It's painless, click on the DONOR link on the blue menu bar.
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[Keith Outten]

Here are a couple more pictures, it will look better in your workshop!
Lets get this done, I already placed an order for one of these router tables and I can't get it delivered until the beta test is finished, so help me out
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[Ken Massingale]

I've been woodworking for about 9 years, only did decks and home improvement before that.
I am now retired and am doing woodworking daily. I am finishing the cabinets and worktables in our new shop and have several projects for the house lined up.
I use my tablesaw extension mounted router daily. I would certainly make use of the Ultimate Router Table daily doing all sorts of routing, dados, edge routing, raised panels, etc.
Thanks for the opportunity. That RT is a beauy.
Ken

[Gene E Miller]

Greetings & Salutations,

I am a retired truck driver that has been doing wood working off and on for almost 50 yrs. I have done extensive remodeling work as well as building a number of furniture pieces such as solid cherry cedar chest, clocks, cutting boards, beds and entertainment centers.

I am about to embark on a project that will rebuild all my own kitchen cabinets which would include over 25 feet of lower as well as upper cabinets.

I have been limited in my router table to a bench top table that I got from Rockler and the use of my routers as hand held units. I have been holding off on the construction of a stand alone table in anticipation of the one from Quality Grinding and hope that maybe I might be selected as one of you lucky beta testers.

I appreciate the opportunity to submit my name as a possible selection.

Gene Miller

[Rick Moyer]

I'm going to be realistic here and say that of the large membership at Sawmill Creek it is going to be a hard choice to find the right person for this offer, and I'm not him. However, I hope this works out for Chris and the lucky person. It certainly looks to be an awesome table. I hope whoever gets this will do a terrifc job in aiding the design and overall function of the router table. Good luck to all.

[Myk Rian]

I'm not interested in testing it, but if I may, I would like to add a little critique. If you think this is wrong, please delete this post.

Drop the "Ultimate" tag. Everybody and their brother/father/mother claims to have the Ultimate RT. It really is tiring hearing all that. I see nothing to warrant that claim.

It is big and heavy. A small shop would not have room for it (such as mine).

There is no storage space. The stand takes up a lot of room, and offers nothing to make up for it. I like storing my bits and push blocks, etc. in my cabinet. Keeps it all close to where the work is.

There is no router access underneath. You can remove a router from the top with finger holes in the insert, but what if it's a 3 1/2 hp monster in there?

Just a few points I noticed.

[Chuck Saunders]

Let me in my most reserved tone say ME! ME! Me!. I have been a woodworker for the past 30 years. I have recently acquired my wood to participate in the Morris Chair project (better late than never). I have the cast iron extension wing router table for my table saw but I do find it lacking in accessibility.

I am glad to do anything I can to speed Keith's order along.

Thanks
Chuck

[Rob Russell]

I'm not interested in testing it, but if I may, I would like to add a little critique. If you think this is wrong, please delete this post.

Drop the "Ultimate" tag. Everybody and their brother/father/mother claims to have the Ultimate RT. It really is tiring hearing all that. I see nothing to warrant that claim.

It is big and heavy. A small shop would not have room for it (such as mine).

There is no storage space. The stand takes up a lot of room, and offers nothing to make up for it. I like storing my bits and push blocks, etc. in my cabinet. Keeps it all close to where the work is.

There is no router access underneath. You can remove a router from the top with finger holes in the insert, but what if it's a 3 1/2 hp monster in there?

Just a few points I noticed.

Interesting comments. It looks to me as if there is an access door on the size. Look at the first pic in Keith's second post.

I would agree with the storage space. It would make sense that there are drawers in the cabinet for storage.

[Rob Cunningham]

I would also be interested in giving this RT a test run. I have been woodworking for 25 years and have a part time business making custom furniture. My work ranges from small tables to bedroom sets to large built-in cabinetry.
I use my homemade router table at some point on every project, mostly for raised panel doors, but also for decorative moldings and table edges.
It would be nice if the base the router table had some storage drawers or cabinet incorporated into the design.

[Craig Coney]

I would like to offer my services to evaluate the "Ultimate" Router Table.

I have done professional woodworking and millwork for over 15 years and am primarily a hobbiest at this point. I have built my own router tables and plates, as well as purchased some of the so called "top of the line" tables.

I have also worked with manufacuters, engineers, and designers refining products to take to market.

[Myk Rian]

Interesting comments. It looks to me as if there is an access door on the size. Look at the first pic in Keith's second post.

A door in the front would make it accessible. A side door would be very difficult to access with that huge top.

[Paul Greathouse]

Thank You for this Beta test opportunity,

I have been in woodworking for 20 years. I have always been a shift worker at my regular job which allowed me to work for a housing contractor on my days off. After working for the contractor I got out on my own doing small additions and remodeling jobs. Those type jobs usually involved alot of finish work. Eventually my work progressed to mostly cabinets and trim work.

I started out routing hand-held for simple edge profiles then purchased a little cheap Sears router table when I wanted to start making cabinet doors. Next I built my own New Yankee Workshop style router table and equipped it with a Benchdog Lift & Porter Cable 7518 router. I do everything from simple edge profiles & dado's to panel raising & jointing on it. It works good but I have been wanting something that is easier and quicker to set up because I use such a variety of bits.

I am presently doing a major remodel on my own home which involves alot of built-up moulding. I am making all my own moulding about half of which is profiled on my router table and the other half on my Shop Fox Planer/Moulder. My next project will be a new set of kitchen cabinets, so I will need to make raised panel doors and do a good bit of dados for drawer parts along with more built-up moulding for trim out.

I would appreciate the chance to beta test your new table, it looks like a really slick setup. I enjoy doing reviews on tools. I have done several on the Eurekazone and Grizzly tools I have purchased since being here on the creek for the last 3 years. Right now I'm in the process of shopping for a Delta Versa Feeder for my router table but it would just as easily mount on your table.

[Paul Fitzgerald]

Wow! That's just fantastic. Whomever gets chosen will be one lucky Creeker!

...

My father has been a cabinet maker for over 30 years, so the woodworking bug naturally rubbed off on me. When I was a kid, I'd hang out at his cabinet shop and watch while they made custom kitchen cabinets. And I'd get up early on Saturday mornings to watch Norm, the guys and gals with This Old House and Hometime.

Fast forward 15 years or so to when I bought my house. With the available space and never ending home projects, I started procuring my own tools. First there were the small power tools like Drills, Circular and Reciprocating Saws, and Sanders. Then there was the tiny Table Saw and the cheap Compound Miter Saw.

Eventually, those baby tools grew up a bit and I began making things like Patio Planters made from Western Red Cedar, Candle Centerpieces, and Gift Boxes. I still consider myself a bit of a newbie simply because I haven't yet tackled the creation of a full sized piece of furniture, but my next project should kick me in the right direction.

My wife and I are in the process of remodeling our kitchen. And before you ask... no, I'm not building all new cabinets. Because my wife wants painted cabinets, I'm simply going to build all new doors and drawers to attach to the existing cabinets.

We have a relatively small kitchen, so there's going to be 20 frame and panel doors and 8 drawers. Every door will be machined with a Rail & Stile Bit Set from Infinity Tools. Once that's done, we'll be doing the same to 6 more doors and 7 more drawers in the bathrooms. So my router table will get quite a workout, considering my status as a "hobby wood shop".

I'm sure there are others here with much more experience, a bigger shop, or who deal with a far greater volume of projects... but I figured I'd volunteer nonetheless. Hey, if you go read some of my posts, you'll probably think to yourself "man, this guy sure has an attention to detail one may label as perfectionistic or maybe even anal retentive." Could be just what you're looking for in a reviewer.

Anyways...

Thanks for listening. And good luck everyone! This sure is a great opportunity!

Paul

[Douglas Brummett]

Holy smokes, what a cool opportunity for a lucky creeker!!!!

Toss my name in the hat. Some tough competition here already and we are only a few hours in.

About me:
I have been woodworking since Jr. High. School projects were mostly small scale and gift items. Once out in the real world I got into saltwater reef keeping. This necessitated learning a thing or two about cabinetry and of course adoption of my first router/ router table. It was a Ryobi and in all it's glory it allowed me to see just how useful a router could be.

Fast forward to last summer. We had just purchased our first home. Having a general distaste for cheap furniture at inflated prices my wife and I decided it was time to step up to fine woodworking and furniture building. I upgraded to a more powerful router and a cast iron extension wing. Once again my routing experience was improved. The table was flat and solid, a far cry from the Ryobi.

Okay, so I am not an experienced fine woodworker. Why should you pick me to evaluate your machine?
1) I am an engineer by profession with experience in technical writing and reviews.
2) I spend several hours a day online discussing tools, processes, and woodworking (google my name and you will find me )
3) I have several projects in the direct future, 1 in process currently, that could really put this tool through its paces (drawers, raised panel doors, face frame, and trim work)
4) I would really appreciate the tool. It would be going to a good home where it would see years of service and care.

thank you for your consideration

[Wes Billups]

A little about myself first. I started woodworking when I was 13. My dad had the common homeowner/farm tools. By 14 I’d convince my parents I was mature enough to get a table saw. As money would allow I kept adding tools to my collection. My first router table was ½” MDF with a Craftsman router screwed to it. I clamped this to a workmate. Once I had enough money I bought a Craftsman router table as this was the only thing which fit my lone router. After using this for 8 years I decided I needed something better. I actually liked the MDF board more than that Craftsman. In 2000 I built a free standing router table based on others I’d seen on the web. Unfortunately it’s the type with a ton of table surface behind the plate for mounting an Incra fence. Needless to say I didn’t use an Incra fence so the table doesn’t work the best. In hindsight I should have built one similar to Norm’s design.

I actually saw this table at the Woodwerks show in Columbus, OH in January. I looked it over quite a bit and was very impressed. I've been wanting to build a second router table as I'm starting the largest project I've ever done this spring. My wife and I are going to replace our kitchen cabinets. I've been getting tooled up over the last couple of months and the only items left to get are the second table (optional) and an edge sander as we're going to be using recessed doors.

I've purchased a power feeder in January that I plan on setting up on the new router table which will be used for raised panels as well as stick cuts. The current router table will be used for cope cuts only as the particle board top would never handle a power feeder without significant modifications.

One of the things I really liked about this table was the fence. I just upgraded my current router table fence from a homemade version to the Jessem last year and have been very happy. Chris' table uses the Jessem fence which I have zero complaints. Plus I'd just bought the power feeder and my wife wouldn't have been too happy as she knows I already have a router table. She just doesn’t understand you need a table for every router.

Thanks,
Wes