Hi,

I have a problem with my new router table and thought I could get some advice - opinions. I mounted a porter cable 7518 router on it, using a Woodpeck router lift. The table top is either MDF or HDF with some kind of Formica as a surface. It has an extruded aluminum angle bracket which mounts to the table top, onto which mounts the two separate aluminum backed fence pieces. The fence has plastic on the front, which I guide the stock along.

The problem is, I can not get the fence squared up. So I removed the fence assembly from table, removed the fence pieces from the extruded aluminum angle mounting bracket to check it out. I put a square on the outside 90 degree bend of the bracket using my Starrett Precision Combination Square - accurate to .00001”. Down the length of the bracket, the 90 degree bend in the bracket is out of square. I measured the gap in a few places by placing a shim in the gap between the bracket and the square, and saw approximately a .015 inch gap (about one 1/64th of an inch) down most of the length of the bracket.

What I’d like to know is, is this normal for this kind of a router table? If it is, what would you experienced woodworkers do – just shim it out somehow to make it square? Or should I contact the manufacturer to see if they can repair or replace the fence assembly? What’s normal for a router table fence – is .015 out of square common? Or should it be within .002 or .005, something like that?

My stock is wobbly against the fence when I run it across the bit, and my tongue and groove joints I am trying to make with the Frued 99-036 tongue and groove router bit kit to make my kitchen cabinets are not square. Sometimes the stock get’s stuck in the router bit and I have to shut the router off quick.

Another problem is that the two fence pieces when attached to the angle bracket and butted up against each other are not flush – this is right where I come to the fence gap when I have the router bit at the gap either between the two fence pieces when I gap the fence, or when the
fence pieces are butted to gether. So when I run stock across one side of the fence, it catches on the other fence and won’t go across the fence unless I wiggle the stock a bit while milling. Also, when I look at the back of the fence-bracket assembly, I can see a gap between the back of one of the fences and the bracket in the area close to where the bit gap is – the bolts are not puling the fence flush against the bracket. Either the two fence sections are not the same thickness, or the bracket is causing them not to be flush. Maybe both. When I run a piece of stock across the fence, it sometimes gets caught on the high end of the other fence piece, and sometimes my stock dangerously shoots out fast off the router table. Again, is this normal for a router table and would you guys just shim this out? Or should I ask for a new fence?

The third problem which I am not sure is a problem, after checking the table top with a straightedge, the center of the table dips down about .022 inches. The person at the manufacturer told me today that this is normal – that all router tables are made that way, and that this is the way it’s supposed to be. Is this true? I’m just concerned that if I place a new fence on the table, will it cause problems with the new fence or bend it? I have the Porter Cable 7518 – could the router cause the center of the table to sag?

Thanks for any input.