Where to mount!

[Dustin Crawford]

Hey guys, I finally have all the stuff to mount my router plate in my table saw. It looks just like this (but this is not mine)



Just wondering if you all mount the plate dead center in the wing area or favor the end, front or another area? My thinking is that the dead center would be most versatile but it's more than 18" away from all sides and seems like you would be begging for a sore back from reaching all the time. But if I favor one side I will have more room in one area (say the infeed side) but less in the other (outfeed).

Probably over thinking this but I just wanted to ask. I have never used a router table before. I primarily want it for light jointing, but once I have it I am sure I will use it for all sorts of things. But since its all conceptual, its hard to foresee where it would need to be.

What do you guys think?

PS I am using my saw fence and will add a miter slot parallel with the fence.

Thanks!!

[steve joly]

I mounted mine a little behind the middle of my table due to other designs built into my bench. It ended up being the biggest mistake in my work bench. It is very hard to reach. I recommend mounting in the middle or even a few inches closer. You can always attach an aux fence if you need to pass long stock through it. But for small parts and more free hand work you will be glad.

[Bruce Page]

I have a setup much like your picture and you’re right, it’s a lot of reaching & bending over that sometimes feels awkward, and gets to your back. I have a Bench Dog setup on the opposite end of the TS that puts the router much closer to the end. I like the Bench Dog location a lot better.

[Dustin Crawford]

Thanks for the reply guys! I was initially thinking to have it centered front to back but close to the end. So I could use it from the end of the table and it would be close. Then I thought I should just favor the front of the table and center left to right. Then I have lots of table to the left and you could easily build a tilt up table extension to the right if you needed it. Or you could favor the front like I just said but also favor to the left as much as possible, thereby making it close to the front but centering in the table as a whole as much as possible.

Which option would you guys go with for max versatility?

[Dustin Crawford]

Maybe this helps


TableSawRouterTable Paint1.jpgTableSawRouterTable Paint2.jpg

[Bill Space]

Hi,

Mine is shifted 1.5 inches towards the front, and it has worked fine for me.

I don't remember why I put it off center, but I do know I have had no issues with it being a bit towards the front of the table.

When you shift the center, the net result is about twice what you expect. I mean you add the amount of the shift to the distance behind the center and subtract it from the distance in front of the center. In my case the .1.5" shift resulted in 10.5" of table behind the square insert the routed is mounted to, and 7.5 inches of table in front of the insert.

Shift too much and you may not have enough table surface in front of the router bit to give adequate support. YMMV...of course.

I would not change what I ended up with.

Bill

[Tom Willoughby]

I have a similar set up with the router mounted to the right if my table saw. I mounted the center of my router table 16 inches from the front rail and it is 18 inches from the back rail so it is slightly skewed to the front. I remember reading that it should not be more than 16 inches away and I would agree that I wouldn't want it any further away for safety and to preserve your back.

Tom

[Tom Ewell]

I use a separate router table, have not really considered one on my table saw. It appears to me, although I might be very wrong, that the pictured setup has the operator standing in front of the saw and pushing stock from front to rear. If I'm reading this correctly, I don't understand the setup. To my way of thinking I'd setup the router table so that the operator is standing beside the saw feeding the router from rear to front of the table saw, the pictured table saw fence would be on the other side of the router bit. The router table would be at the end of the fence rails so no interference is had to the operator. Assuming that the table saw fence serves the router table as well, might consider an add-on fixture to the fence to accommodate a split fence and dust port for the router side.

[Tom Willoughby]

Hi Tom,


I would agree with you that router table on the far right is the way to go so that you stand to the right of the saw and push stock from the back to the front of the saw when routing. That set up can also allow a semi permanent router fence on the back of the table saw fence so it saves set up time.

Years ago, I upgraded my fence to an Incra, which doesn't allow that set up and I haven't had any trouble adjusting to working in front of the saw and pushing stock to the back of the saw when routing but I do have to switch between the router fence and table saw fence between operations.

Tom

[Tom Ewell]

Ok, Just seems like a little too much bending over the saw needs to be done with that setup. Gettin' old I guess.

[Tom Willoughby]

A separate router table is definitely the way to go but if space is at a premium, a table saw mounted router table has only minor draw backs.

I thought it would be awkward to adjust to standing in front of the saw to use the router but it isn't too much different than how you would use the table saw.

Tom

[Von Bickley]

I use a separate router table, have not really considered one on my table saw. It appears to me, although I might be very wrong, that the pictured setup has the operator standing in front of the saw and pushing stock from front to rear. If I'm reading this correctly, I don't understand the setup. To my way of thinking I'd setup the router table so that the operator is standing beside the saw feeding the router from rear to front of the table saw, the pictured table saw fence would be on the other side of the router bit. The router table would be at the end of the fence rails so no interference is had to the operator. Assuming that the table saw fence serves the router table as well, might consider an add-on fixture to the fence to accommodate a split fence and dust port for the router side.

I agree with Mr. Ewell