Router Table Help: Build or Buy?

[Steven Wilson]

Horizontal or vertical router table? I don't have a horizontal router table but have thought of building or making one. In either case I would go with a light weight router (say PC690 class) on a horizontal table - you're not going to spin big bits on a horizontal table. For my regular old router table I bought the table top, fence, and lift from Bench Dog (for a PC7518) and built a cabinet based on Norms; it has worked flawlessly over the years and the dust collection is great.

[Art Mann]

The way I read the original post, the guy is looking to buy or build a normal vertical router table. The information on the horizontal router table was just incidental. I have plans that I am confident will support a heavy 15A router horizontally, but have never seen the necessity of building them.

[Bob Feeser]

Get both. I have the Bench Dog table saw extension router table, as well as a Jessem Rout R Slide, and have built a couple of side double extension router tables as well. Having at least 3 stations, however you achieve that is very handy in conserving bit registration set up time. Although I have heard from someone who uses a high end router lift, that he claims he can recapture a setting on accurately in only a minute. Myself, I do as the router book claims, and have at least 3 tables. Since floor space conservation is a key ingredient, creating a double, or 3 station table saw set up conserves space, and leaves your options open. It also creates a very stable platform when you are routing larger, or should I say longer stock. My Jessem table, can be a little touchy with extra long heavy stock, if I am not careful. It's very light weight, so controlling a work piece, especially when you are pushing it through, then when you get to the tail end of the run, you are realizing that the super light weight of the table is something to consider. It never really got close to tipping over, but you do have to consider a long board, hanging out one end.

[Dick Scott]

I also just bought the Triton router last week and Norms router table plans arrived today in the mail.

[Ray Newman]

I agree w/ building your own: you'll have the size you need &/or want.

A few years ago, I built my own touter table & the best things I did were:

-- Install hinges on the back of table to lift it up if needed.
-- Dual action DC --on the fence & from of the cabinet.
-- In the cabinet base, full extension ball bearing slides on the two large storage drawers for a hand-held router & other accessories.

I found it easier to have one router dedicated for router table use only.

Also regular blowing out of the router w/ a compressed air is a very cheap prevenative maintenance.

[Dave MacArthur]

ooooooooold thread, resurrected twice now... HOW do you guys find these things? Always love reading about saw extension router tables.

[Stephen Edwards]

One gentleman mentioned that router lifts will one day be history. I agree to a point. However, hopefully, within the next year or so a motorized electronic router lift will be on the market that will replace the current generation of manually operated lifts.

This new lift is so simple and so accurate that we'll all wonder why it wasn't offered years ago! It will have a toggle switch for reversing the travel, variable speed control on the lift mechanism, over 4 inches of vertical travel for above the table bit changes and can be operated either with a front mounted height adjustment switch or a foot pedal switch. It will also have a digital read out on the lift itself and a remote readout above the table accurate to .0001 thousandths of an inch.

I'm excited about this new motorized router lift! I'm itiching to get mine as soon as it becomes available.

[Brent Ring]

I am in on the build you own group. However, it is good to finish it. I have mine about 3/4's finished and keep finding other things that need to be done. Its gonna happen soon though!

[Peter M. Spirito]

Way back in post #7 I was working on a router table. Well it is finished and I am very pleased with the results. There is an extensive write up and many photos on my web site. Take a look. http://www.peterspirito.com/routertable.htm

[Kevin Mishler]

I love my Woodpecker router lift, table top and fence. Their quality is incredible. It's such a pleasure to use.

Kevin

[Ian Trehearne]

Hi. I am not familiar with forums, so I don't know if this is the correct protocol for asking questions. I'm not even sure I could find any answers that were given to my question. I am wondering if I could mount a Black & Decker 7616 router to a router table? The screws on the base plate look too small to handle the torque, and they only go in a few turns, so I'm worried they will come loose, or strip the threads.Any ideas?
Maybe I should wait untill I can afford a newer unit. I've been considering a RONA router kit that comes with both fixed and plunge bases.
Thanks for any help.
Ian Trehearne

[Jerome Hanby]

I think it depends on your luck. I took advantage of a combo deal at Woodcraft to get Freud's monster sized router and their top of the line table and fence for about $400. I had never considered buying a router table, but for that price it was a no brainer. Turns out to be a decent table with a super fence and the above table height adjustment and bit changing is a huge savings over buying a lift.

I'll still build a router table one of these days (actually a wing for my table saw complete with dust collection and digital height adjustment) just to get double duty out of my Incra fence and joinery system.