A few questions on my first router purchase, and table construction

[Michael Gramm]

As I'm planning my first router purchase, and the plans for the router table I will be building, I ended up with a couple of small questions:


1. I'll be gluing up two MDF panels, and putting laminate on both sides. Is there any reason I can't do that first, and then rout the entire assembly for the mounting plate? Or will that damage the laminate - in which case I'll rout the glued MDF panels first, and then do what with the laminate?

2. While putting together my list of router bits, I discovered that some of the straight bits have an end bore. But I can't find any information on end bores for router bits, so I don't know what purpose they serve (since to my knowledge, you can plunge with straight bits), whether or not they change the cut profile, and whether they're worth it. Can anyone clue me in?


Thanks!

[Danny Thompson]

In my experience, you should laminate, then route. This assumes you have a good mechanism for ensuring a straight cut the first time. There won't be any do-over's.

[glenn bradley]

+1 on laminate, then mill.

"Plunge" bits have a center cutting surface so you don't have to burn your way in on the initial plunge for some bits. A core box or a v-groove, for example, would not require this. A two flute 5/8" diameter straight bit may depending on the design.

[Stephen Edwards]

I would suggest that before you make the cut in your new top for the router plate that you ask for suggestions and techniques for that particular operation. There are lots of threads on here already that address that with good sound advice. Better safe than sorry.

Best Wishes!

[sean m. titmas]

On my tables I doubled up the MDF first than put the router base on the MDF top in the location i want. than I tack on a few strips of 1x4 MDF scraps around the perimeter of the lift's base with 1" staples and use some heavy card stock to offset the jig just a skosh. the scraps act as a guide for the bearing and give it a place to run the router on. after i route to the correct depth + 1/16" with a flush trim bit i remove the MDF guides and cut the rest out with a jigsaw. the final step is to apply the P-lam and trim it flush.

I recommend buying the Jessem Mast-R-Lift router base. it is large enough to hold the 3hp Porter Cable, has easy change inserts, bit change from the topside with both nuts on top of the table, built in levelers to flush up the lift with the surrounding table, and a removeable crank to raise/lower also from the topside. For 250 it was money well spent for a quality tool.

[John Lucas]

I did much the same 8 years ago ... here is story: http://www.woodshopdemos.com/sstat-4.htm

[Don Morris]

Another for laminate then mill. I did exactly as you are planning, worked fine and my router is that heavy PC beast the 7518. Only caution is when I did a second table to accomodate a new TS, the laminate was already on a commercial extension table for the new TS...a Grizzly. The laminate was really thin and chipped off when I pulled some double sided tape off (as per instruction for router lift installation). As long as you're using good laminate, and do a good job of laminating, that shouldn't happen. Make sure your MDF is thick enough. At least 3/4" from what I've heard...I used 1".

[Gerry Lopez]

I used 3/4 MDF and laminated to pieces, pretty stout 32x43. Cut out plate opening first. Then laminated the top. When I trimmed the edge of top had one little spot where the laminate was chipped. I attribute that to my lack of experience and skill, being a novice.

Hope this helps,

G.L.

[Jay Jeffery]

Not all straight bits are well suited for plunging.
When I built my router table a couple months ago, I think I drilled a hole somewhere inside the cut out to avoid having to do a full plunge.

[Stephen Edwards]

Not all straight bits are well suited for plunging.
When I built my router table a couple months ago, I think I drilled a hole somewhere inside the cut out to avoid having to do a full plunge.

Good point. In fact, if I'm understanding what Michael wants to do, I recommend drilling all four corners of the cutout, slightly inside the finished line of the cutout, and then do a rough cut out with a jig saw. Leave maybe 1/8" max to trim with the router bit, from your rough cut out to the finished line.

Again, if I'm understanding you correctly, you shouldn't have to do a "plunge" cut at all.

My two cents.

[sean m. titmas]

Good point. In fact, if I'm understanding what Michael wants to do, I recommend drilling all four corners of the cutout, slightly inside the finished line of the cutout, and then do a rough cut out with a jig saw. Leave maybe 1/8" max to trim with the router bit, from your rough cut out to the finished line.

Again, if I'm understanding you correctly, you shouldn't have to do a "plunge" cut at all.

My two cents.

your right about it being a plunge cut, however it is only about 1/4" to 3/8" deep on 3/4" stock. there needs to be a minimum of 3/4" lip for the base plate to sit on otherwise it would fall through the hole.

the best way to start the cut is to do a running plunge cut so that the side of the bit does the majority of the cutting. make one pass around the inside of the template with a 3/4" straight bit and than use a jigsaw to cut along the inside of the dado, cutting loose the inner field of mdf and leaving the 3/4" dado.

[sean m. titmas]

here is a detail

[Michael Gramm]

+1 on laminate, then mill.

"Plunge" bits have a center cutting surface so you don't have to burn your way in on the initial plunge for some bits. A core box or a v-groove, for example, would not require this. A two flute 5/8" diameter straight bit may depending on the design.

So straight bits are not plungeable unless they have that end bore?

[Michael Gramm]

I would suggest that before you make the cut in your new top for the router plate that you ask for suggestions and techniques for that particular operation. There are lots of threads on here already that address that with good sound advice. Better safe than sorry.

Best Wishes!

I was going to follow the procedure outlined by Bill Hylton, creating a template from the original plate, and then using it to rout out the workpiece. What I needed additional information on was what to do about the laminate.

[Michael Gramm]

Another for laminate then mill. I did exactly as you are planning, worked fine and my router is that heavy PC beast the 7518. Only caution is when I did a second table to accomodate a new TS, the laminate was already on a commercial extension table for the new TS...a Grizzly. The laminate was really thin and chipped off when I pulled some double sided tape off (as per instruction for router lift installation). As long as you're using good laminate, and do a good job of laminating, that shouldn't happen.

Got it. Cheap laminate is prone to chipping, good laminate is not. Unfortunately, this will be the first time I've worked with the stuff, so I'm not sure I know how to tell the difference. But I'll give it a shot!