Router Table Advice

[greg sofranko]

With a new Bosch 1617 router combo, i am upgrading my router workstation. I am planning to build a new router table and have some questions about materials used for the table top.
would two peices of 3/4" MDF with a laminate top be recommended? also, i am having a hard time finding any laminate in my local home depot and lowe's stores. is there anything in those stores that i could use for the top? would a peice of hardboard work??
any help would be great.
also, i was thinking of making it two feet by 40 inches long. is there a recommended size?
thanks,
greg

[Jim Becker]

Two layers of MDF is often used for this purpose. You actually don't "need" any laminate on it, but most folks do use it. The 'borg typically hide the laminate behind the kitchen area...in my local HD, it's buried behind the blinds and shades at the back, center of the store. It's not in building products with other sheet goods.

[Chuck Lenz]

The top that I will be useing on a router table is from a office cubicle, the desktop work surface it is 1 1/4" thick MDF, laminated on both sides and has a rubber edge. I have pondered the idea of a granite top, but I'm not sure how or if it can be machined out for a router plate.

[Jim O'Dell]

I also used 2 layers of 3/4" MDF for my router table. I'm still working on the cabinet part, though it is usuable. I did find some laminate at one of my local HDs, but they only had 1 color and were closing it out. I wanted 1 more piece, but missed by 2 days! Several Lowes did have white, black and about 4 other colors behind the kitchen area. Locally I have access to the same place that the borgs get their supply from, but HD charges 22.00 for delivery. (A HD employee told me where to buy it from to save the fee, but I laready knew where they were.)
So, Chuck, are we talking about a Steel City router table?? I bet the granite counter top people could easily do the insert for you, but at what price?? But you may be able to find a cutoff piece that has already been paid for, if you know what I mean, the right size for cheap. Jim.

[Thom Sturgill]

Two pieces of MDF one 3/4" and one 1/2" or both 1/2" seems standard for pre-made tops, 1-1/8" to 1-1/4" total thickness. I think two 3/4" would be better as I have noticed my 1-1/4" top seems to sag a little and needs shimming. It's about 32"x24" which seems about average size, so yours would be plenty large.

[Chuck Lenz]

Jim, I think maybe a sink cut out might be big enough, but as you say I wonder what the fee would be to round off the edges, machine a miter slot in it, machine it out for a router plate, then drill holes for the fence to mount to. I'm afraid to ask. Granite Country router table ?.

[Bill White]

I work for a cabinet company, so we have off cuts and sink cutouts that go in the dumpster. I made my router top from two sink cutouts glued back-to-back, and edgebanded with 3/4" wood. Put the Lee Valley phenolic insert (round) in the top, and voila...
Stop by the office. I'll give you all the cutouts you will EVER need. N.E. Mississippi is 75 degrees today.
Bill

[Dave Falkenstein]

I used two 3/4" pieces of MDF, laminated both sides with Formica and trimmed the edges with 1/2" maple. That top has been dead flat for several years. If you would Word document describing exactly how I made mine, you can PM or email me through SMC.

[Paul Joynes]

Hi Greg,

When I was building my router table, I went to my local hardware store and asked if they had sections of counter top that were damaged and that they were willing to sell for cheap. I was able to purchase a 4 foot section of counter top and simply cut off the back splash and front edge. I then glued on a 3/4 inch piece of plywood underneath and used a laminate cutting bit to trim it flush with the counter top material. Band the whole thing in hardwood and you are away to the races. This was much cheaper than applying my own laminate but the downside was that you don't get to choose your preferred color.

Paul

[greg sofranko]

great advice everyone. thanks to all.
greg

[Brent Powers]

There's a guy on eBay selling broken up pieces of a bowling alley. Some sort of phenolic laminate. Really. I just built a router table out of it. It's flat, slick, hard, and smooth. Search for phenolic table*





(Images are not mine, but from eBay)

[Don Morris]

I made two tables like Dave Falkenstein did: two pieces of 3/4" MDF edge banded with 1/2" maple. Put Formica on both sides from HD and had them for years. Only changed because I put them on the right side of the TS and when I changed TS I upgraded the router table too. Each time I made "improvements" like tracks for featherboards or something else. I also like the pictures of the bowling alley table...that looks neat!

[brad kellner]

why does everyone use mdf instead of cabinet grade ply?

[Jim Becker]

why does everyone use mdf instead of cabinet grade ply?

For a router table top, MDF provides a lot more mass and density, not to mention the "perfect" substrate for applying laminate. (both sides!) But the plywood work work perfectly well...

[Craig Earls]

For a router table top, MDF provides a lot more mass and density, not to mention the "perfect" substrate for applying laminate. (both sides!) But the plywood work work perfectly well...

Really ignorant question, but why is it important to laminate both sides?