Build a router table cabinet from scratch or start with a shop stand?

[Phil Gaudio]

Mike: Very impressive. Might want to sell your design to Felder Phil

I built something similar to ChrisA, but used the Incra stand, LS-17 positioner, Mast-R-Lift II, and a AUKTools router motor. I took the design from Guy Dunlap's build videos, but made changes to suit me. The router table is stored in another room when not being used and had to fit through my shop door. If I built another table, I would use the LS-25 positioner and make the table longer, but with the same door-friendly width.

[Jim Becker]

My starting point was an old parts washer station , adapted and customized into a router table w/ lots of storage . Table , lift , fence all purchased new .

My first router table was a repurposed, cheap kitchen trolley. It was pathetic looking but did the job. The second one was similar to Norm Abram's NYW project. Current is a construction that adds it to myh slider as a "poor man's shaper" in a similar position that a saw/shaper combo would look like. Sorta. It's likely to gain its independence in the recent future as my shop situation may change and require the slider to be in storage for a bit. I'll just add a box under it with double-locking casters to simply convert it to mobile use. These things can and do evolve over time in the shop!

[Phil Gaudio]

Another reason to roll your own router table is that it gives you a chance to try out some techniques and approaches for a future project. My router table was actually a prototype for my kitchen cabinets. It gave me a chance to experiment with the cabinet joinery, materials, and hardware that I would be using for my then upcoming kitchen remodel (over 20 years ago).
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[Marty Gulseth]

Any in-obvious advantages to building a router table cabinet myself over purchasing a rolling tool stand and adding storage to it (or vice versa) other than cost?

I’ve been making due with one of those little trim router clamp-on tables for a while (which has worked remarkably well, btw) but I really need to graduate to a full sized one. I have enough mdf & laminate scrap for the table and plan on purchasing a lift. On the fence (pardon the pun) on whether to build or buy a fence.

The ultimate goal is to have a dust collection box for the router/lift and storage under the table. I’m leaning towards buying a tool stand just to get up & running quicker as work, other projects and a tendency for analysis-paralysis might stall a ground-up build.

Thanks, in advance!

At the risk of being banned outright, or at the least, laughed out of the country - as soon as I find 'em in my archives, I'll post some pics of my WURT (World's Ugliest Router Table!) Point being - several years ago, I NEEDED a router table for a project. Like you, I wanted dust collection and some storage. But the project requiring use of a RT was the priority at the time. I found a "blemished" Woodpeckers table top on sale, and a used Woodpeckers "Sidewinder" lift (to my knowledge, no longer manufactured but I like mine) and cobbled together a cabinet, and a fence, from various scrap. My intent was to build a nice cabinet, but somehow, life and other priorities got in the way. A "nice" cabinet is still on my to-do list, but it somehow keeps getting bumped toward the bottom of the list. One day...

[Tom Bender]

Wow, those are some impressive setups.

[Edward Morimoto]

Thanks everyone and "d*mn you" for failing to provide the validation for my lazy man's approach :-)

But seriously, thanks for all the generosity with your thoughts and for sharing your impressive/ingenious router table approaches. I'm starting to break down some ply for the case and will likely look to this forum for advice along the way (for example, I'm really intrigued about the cooling air risk with a chip collection enclosure -- wondering if I should entertain the snorkel idea I saw somewhere to allow the router to pull air from the top of the motor).

Cheers!