Router Table, Custom, Reader’s Project

Here is another custom project router table from my friend Chip.  He originally posted it on Lumberjocks and has graceiously given us permission to reprint it.  It has some really good information and a lot of pictures.  One of the things I like about this router table is its enormous attention to detail.  It has been well thought out and its design leans more towards practicality and useability instead of upscale design and finish.  It has slide out bit drawers (one of my personal favorites and a design I use myself)  An Incra fence with a custom design for dust control and a stable cabinet stand.  Nothing against all the truely gorgeous router tables we have featured in the past, but this one screams out “please use me now”

Well, I am sure some of you have seen my old router table in my workshop pictures. It was thrown together out of necessity and time and material restrictions. Well last night I had a dream, no really, I had a dream I made a new router table out of some extra wood I had laying around in the shop. I was very specific in my dream how to make it too. So I followed my plans to a tee and holy shit, I had just the right pieces and just enough of them too to complete my task out of 3/4 inch Maple Plywood and other bits and pieces laying around.

I learned from past experience it is not good to put your router in a vacuum box and suck the waste from under the table. It works great for removing debris but it will destroy your router sooner than latter. and for those of you who have not made the switch to Ridgid Tools this can be a very expensive repair (replace) Lucky for me I have two Routers and I sent my Ridgid in and they fixed it for free. I also have a Dewalt, but it does not have the same features as my ridgid and would not work as well under a table. The Ridgid has a built in feature to adjust depth/ height from under the router with a T handle. So when you use it in a table you can adjust from the table top. It also has more horse Powers and better Speed adjustments suitable for under table mounting.

I also have an IncraJig fence with a custom Fence on it that I can hook up to my Dust Collection system, if you look you can see I can turn the section on and off at the table with a control handle that goes to the front of the table. This allows me to remove the fence, and unhook the vacuum line or rehook the vacuum line in to a dust should or other collector and have control of it from the table.

Hope you enjoy.
Chip

There was a very interesting question in the forum that really deserves to be revisited, I have posted it for your information.

Could you please explain why under the table vacuum port is bad in a router table? I thought it was pretty common. I was actually thinking of enclosing my router table from underneath for sound deadening and better vacuuming from underneath.

A router draws air from the bottom of the tool and runs it past the motor and bearings for cooling then it blows it out past the bit to clear dust and keep bit cool too. If you enclose the router in a vacuum box to suck the dust right back into the enviorment the router lives in you then recycle some of the dust through the router. PS some routers are not as noisy as others, my dewalt is LOUD! Back to dust, you can hook up an isolator to the bottom of the router to suck dust down and avoid going through the router case with it, but then you need to move more air than the router forces through its self, you need a big shop vac. Shop vac’s are noisier than routers. My Dust Collector moves more air than a shop vac but at a lower volocity so to keep particles in suspension you need to maintain airflow. My sugestion is to make the oppening for fresh air to the back of the table and have an access door on the front for ajustments to deaden the sound. I like this idea but I also like having access to the router more for speed adjustments and locking the case after making slight hight adjustments. So I opter to leave the front open and I push most of my excess dust and particles off to the rear and that could cause issues. Point is if you run your router alot you need to keep it clean and cool. Heat is the electric motors enemy

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