Router Table: Buy or Build?

[johnny means]

If I was starting fresh, I'd blow my budget on a cast iron top and a nice lift. There the only RT features that really are substantially better than anything I could build with material from my dumpster.

[Ralph Butts]

That is the route I took with a Benchdog CI top and lift on a NYWS Norm cabinet. Flat with no deflection.

[David Cramer]

Thanks for all of the great responses as each one is truly appreciated.

I"m still on the fence but you've all given me lots to think about. Building the cabinet below a Kreg open stand is not a problem for me as I have lots of laminate and pb to work with that is quite durable...but it's still $499 plus tax, although I hear it's dead flat.

Thanks again!!!

David

[Ken Fitzgerald]

David,

I built "Norm's" 2nd version of his router work station, installed a Woodpecker PRLV-2 and a 3 1/4 HP PC router motor. I have used it a couple time and it's works well!

nt1.jpgnt2.jpgnt3.jpgnt4.jpgnt5.jpg

[Bob Cooper]

Are Norms plans online or do i need to purchase them in order to get a good glimpse at the plans?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

They are sold at NewYankee.com.

I made some changes to the plans. I used locking rollers on mine so it's mobile. I also used T-track instead of routing a t-slot in both the table top and the fence pieces.

[Ole Anderson]

If I were doing it again, I would look seriously at the Grizzly cast iron top with the slider. Downside is that it looks like it doesn't accept a router lift, but that seems the routine for CI tops. http://www.grizzly.com/products/Router-Table/G0528 I would, however, mount it on a custom cabinet with bit storage and under-table dust collection.

[Ralph Butts]

"Norm's" plans are for sale on his website. However there are many very similar plans available online if you search.

[Lee Reep]

I bought a Rockler table and fence about 10 years ago. I decided to use a ready-made kitchen base cabinet, and beefed it up on the bottom and added casters. This was going to get me by until I built the "ultimate router cabinet", change from plate to lift, etc. Maybe next year ...

However, you can do so much even with a basic setup. It just depends on how much effort you want to spend on doing your own, versus just spending the money and buying one of the really nice commercially available products. And for many of us, it falls somewhere in between.

[Roy Turbett]

Are Norms plans online or do i need to purchase them in order to get a good glimpse at the plans?

Norm sells his plans at newyankee.com. You can also buy the video. The plans also include a materials and cutting list.

[Jay Yoder]

Ken,
Great looking RT! Quick question, how clean does the area around the router motor stay? In other words, how well does the 2.5" connection work? I have been toying with the Norm RT design a bit and was thinking of putting a 4" connection in there, and maybe even reduce the open volume of the area around the router motor. Just curious how yours performs.

[Sam Whit]

Are Norms plans online or do i need to purchase them in order to get a good glimpse at the plans?

I am wondering the same thing.

[Todd Davidson]

Here's a link for free plans to a Norm style table: http://www.crestonwood.com/plans.php

[Dennis Nagle]

You may want to look for an old "shaper". They are router tables of old and usually case iron that won't move any more.

[Prashun Patel]

I gotta go out on a limb here:

These router tables that people build are beautiful! Beautiful pieces of furniture. Those plans look fun and rewarding to build. But 90% of the time is spent building the cabinet and handling bit storage, etc.

IMHO, the cabinet, and even the top, are incidental to the router table. The most important thing for a router table is its ability to adjust the bit height and depth easily and repeatably. That means I'd think about the fence and lifting mechanism first.

It's not critical to have a lift, but you do want the ability to change bits easily and at least adjust the height easily (preferably above the table).

A fence that allows micro adjustment (the Incra LS Positioner) has really raised the quality of my routing - and not just for joinery (in fact I don't use it for that). It allows you to dial in depth so precisely, it makes jointing and getting perfect roundovers, fillets, and quirks a snap. This is especially important if you ever need to rout a profile that requires multiple bit changes. A good fence will allow you to get back to the same point very easily.

Things like dust collection, and soft-close drawers and cup holders are nice-to-haves, but not the way I would think about a router table. Plan your fence and lift solution first and build/buy around that.