Router table top and fence
Really happy with the way this fence turned out. It’s got a lot of weight to it, is square, and moves pretty smoothly. I found the clamping system in a great book called Woodworking With The Router
Next week I plan on making a router lift. Not sure how that will go. I have all the parts and can start this weekend!
March 16, 2012 @ 6:12 pm
Why do a lift, when the whole insert comes up with the router attached? I find it easier to adjust the router as normal rather than deal with a lift.
March 16, 2012 @ 7:36 pm
You are probably right. Mostly, my Porter Cable router doesn’t handle fine depth adjustments very well. Plus the lift looks like a challenge.
March 16, 2012 @ 10:21 pm
Life before lift ): life after lift(:
March 17, 2012 @ 5:26 am
Great site! “Wood” you consider a link swap? My site is http://WWW.CarvingByHand.blogspot.com, it is parked on http://WWW.CarvingByHand.com, but it has not taken hold yet. Please let me know if you wish to swap links!
March 17, 2012 @ 8:24 am
I really like the design of you’re table Its put together real well. My table is a lot like you’rs in design. I think you will prefer changing bits and making small adjustments above the table. Its a lot less hassel . The only problem you,ll run into is loosing you’re set up every time you need to lift the router out………..Dr.Rock
March 17, 2012 @ 10:30 am
Dr.Rock, the solution to that is simple. Get a second router for freehand work.
March 17, 2012 @ 8:59 pm
How does a second router adjust the one in your table?
March 17, 2012 @ 5:10 pm
nice table you’ll like have the extra storage drawers for storage made mine a while back and the draws are about full.a good fence too i don’t use a miter much but the t- tracks come in handy for feather boards .your getting good at these videos always learn a bit thanks Steve
March 17, 2012 @ 7:25 pm
Steve,
Very nice job on your router table and fence system.
.
You did a very good job on the design, as well as the asthetic details on the drawers and front of your table.
Overall a very well thought out design and build.
March 17, 2012 @ 9:19 pm
very nice table steve I love your table so much I would love to build it myself do you happen to have a pdf or blueprint that I can follow along with so I can build it myself including all the details
March 18, 2012 @ 4:30 am
Wonderful work Steve and always interesting to see how you do the various jobs. If I may make an observation, the edge of that melamine top and its chipwood base would get pretty dinged up in my shop. I’d line the edge with hardwood trim, aesthetically more pleasing too. Just sayin’.
March 18, 2012 @ 2:22 pm
Gareth: yeah, I’m thinking about adding some sort of edging. My main concern was adding it with the miter track. I may just add some edging and notch out that part.
March 18, 2012 @ 8:56 pm
Love the router table setup , nice job ! I do have one though on down draft dust collection , some cuts will not allow the top port to collect the dust and although the chips will fall the fine dust will float to your lungs
March 19, 2012 @ 3:06 pm
Have you considered rounding the edges of your table? I bruised myself pretty good on the edge of my drill press table. After that I rounded the corners of the table and made sure I rounded the corners of my router table when I made it. Maybe you can incorporate it into the edging you’re thinking about adding.
March 19, 2012 @ 4:17 pm
Steve,
Two things:
1:It seems when you loosen those (ingenious) clamps that they will turn and you’ll have to turn them back straight each time you tighten them…. maybe a block on each side of both clamps (on the underside of the fence) that loosely holds them straight?
2:To get super accurate holes with a drill press, get a set of brad point bits and a punch. Just center punch and the brad point will guide itself exactly there.
Looks beautiful! Maaaaaajor jealousy happening on this end! :O
~Alex
March 27, 2012 @ 4:11 pm
WITH THE ADDITION OF JUST 2 HOLES,TAKE 1/2 HALF THE DISTANCE OF THE SHORT SIDE FROM THE CENTER OF FENCE ADD THE SAME DISTANCE YOU ADDED TO THE LONG SIDE TO DRILL FOR YOUR BOLTS TO START WITH AND YOU WILL HAVE A DOUBLE DUTY FENCE TO USE ON THE X OR Y AXIS. JUST A THOUGHT IN CASE YOU NEED MORE ROOM TO ROUTER A DADO OR WHAT EVER. LOOOOOKS SOOOOO GOOOOOOOD STEVE!!!!!
TOMMYJOE HALLMAN BILOXI MS 39532
April 2, 2012 @ 5:49 pm
I just installed my old router plate in my new table saw’s extension wing using the Kreg levelers. I’m really glad you talked about them in your video–I had not heard of them before that. I previously had the plate in a rabbet cut, and it’s like night and day having the fine tuned plate perfectly level with the rest of the table.
I ended up cutting the aluminum plate to the same size as most manufactured plates so the hole will accept something like the Kreg plate you used if I get tired of my aluminum slab.
New plate:
http://www.jcxmc.com/mike/photoshare/ts/router.jpg
http://www.jcxmc.com/mike/photoshare/ts/flush.jpg
Old plate:
http://www.jcxmc.com/mike/photoshare/ts/throatplate.JPG
May 31, 2012 @ 1:24 pm
Steve, nice table. I have the same insert in my table and the levelers did come with the screws. I also used the kreg idea of the levelers to make levelers for the whole table and have 12 levelers for it. They came in very handy when mounting the table. My fence has a channel that slides over a dust collection hole in the table behind the insert so that I have dust collection at both the fence and under the table. This way I have some air flowing over or past the router all the time to help in keeping it cooler. And I also made the “ShopNotes” lift with some modifications for additional adjustments. If you would like to take a look at these please go to http://lumberjocks.com/projects/66727#comment-1273939 .
Thanks for the cool videos, Steve in Oregon
December 10, 2012 @ 7:48 am
Do you offer a blueprint of your router table plans?
January 4, 2013 @ 10:22 pm
Steve, do you happen to have a SketchUp or pdf plan for the router table and fence?
I’d love to make one for myself.
June 20, 2013 @ 10:59 am
Love all your videos Steve!
But instead of making those clamping blocks for your fence, I would have used the same concept you did on your drill press table fence with kind of T-slots (large grooves in the plywood substrate, narrow grooves in the melamine).
The only inconvenient with this would be that you need to adjust the fence to be parallel with the miter fence slot when you need to use the miter fence…
January 1, 2014 @ 2:25 pm
Here is a question I can’t seem to find an answer for. All of my tools are on casters as once all tools are put into the garage there is no room to move around them so I have to wheel them out to use them. I am building my 3rd gen table saw now and want to incorporate a router table onto it. Kind of like the wing attachments for a table saw. Is there any reason I can’t/shouldn’t put the router to the left side of the blade? I always see them on the right and never on the left. Am I crazy for even thinking of putting it to the left?
January 26, 2014 @ 12:50 pm
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March 4, 2014 @ 9:48 am
steve how tall did you make you fence. look to 6” to 8 ” maybe
April 11, 2014 @ 4:01 am
Steve, great job on this and very helpful. Same question, trying to decide how tall to make my fence, what is the height of yours? Thanks!
July 1, 2014 @ 8:43 am
Allo Steve! Love the videos. I have been watching your channel for about four years now ever since building your original saw horses. Things have progressed since then and i am now looking at replacing my “hole in a board” router table. Question is are there any sketch up plans for your router FENCE? Cheers and thanks for the great videos and inspiration. -David M
January 15, 2015 @ 8:36 pm
How tall is your fence? Would love more details on measurements all and all great table
May 17, 2015 @ 10:12 am
Steve you have a great sense of humor. Noticed your Porter Cable router. I upgraded to larger Porter Cable router and a router table.a few years The table had over 300 part with all the hardware. Assembly was a bit overwhelming.I gave the table to a friend whose an engineer. Enjoy watching your videos. Thank You
May 21, 2017 @ 3:08 pm
Steve, I as well love the design of the table , fence and lift. I am in the process of roughly copying your designs. They are well though out ,and inexpensive. Two of my favorite things! I am curious to know what the fence height is . The lift is already finished with some personal tweaks. including a lock to guarantee no depth drift. AWESOME videos please keep them coming. If possible , could you give us all the fence dimensions. Thanx , you rock!