DIY router table question/problem

[Matted]

hi all,

I'm working on a small project that requires a bit of trim/template routing.

I have a fairly cheap but fairly powerful router and an old table and I'm in the process of making a simple DIY router table out of.

Everything was going well - holes drilled, and router mounted.

And then I noticed a problem....the router does not have enough depth to clear the top of the table. With a router bit installed it probably only a CM above the table top. For me todo anything useful it needs to be higher.

Can anyone recommend an extender....or do I simply need a better router?

 

[Willy]

How thick is the table top?

Generally one would either use a router table insert plate (a thin rigid plate the router is mounted to, and in turn is mounted above a void in the table) or you rout a void under the table top to bring the router base closer to the table top.

The former is better but obviously costs. I've done the latter when I've made a quick router table out of a sheet of mdf.

 

[blackrodd]

As above, you're table top is too thick.
You would need to router in a alloy flat plate, the plate ending flush with you're table top.
You will need a decent fixing area all round the plate edges, say 25mm, copy any good pics you can find or better still, buy one to suit you're router. HTH Regards Rodders

 

[Matted]

Cheers guys!

The table is about 30-40cm deep...

Building a plate might be a little beyond me, I'll have to read up on what's best/most achievable.

 

[alan895]

A friend of mine used a £5 plastic chopping board bought from Tesco, mounted the router to it and then recessed the whole thing into his table.

 

[Ian down london way]

I'm thinking you meant 30-40mm?

 

[Mrwilson]

There's a selection of collet extenders on e-bay, about £30 each. Might do the trick mean time. Just watch, some kits have a collet included, some don't and obviously you'll need your original one to fit the extension to. Does that make sense?

Shug

 

[AndyT]

A quick and easy option might be to use the router to reduce the thickness of the board where the router will go. In other words draw round the router base then freehand rout out a big hole about 20mm deep.

Obviously this all depends on how rigid you need your table, how strong your table top material is, how much time and effort you want to spend etc, but it could be enough to let you get on with your project.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

You can buy extension collets if you don't want to rout a rebate to thin the top but its not really the right way to do it because those collets push the cutter further away from the mass of the machine and reduce its capacity for larger cutters etc. They're definitely not as safe as using the standard collet but might suffice as a band aid for something small and one off. I rather like that breadboard idea actually...very ingenious

 

[paulm]

As Andy said, routing out an area to reduce the thickness of the top is quite feasible and I used a small home made router table made that way quite happily for a few years before investing time and effort in a new table with plate etc.

In my current table set up I use a Trend T11 router with above table height adjustment and an Xtreme Xtension collet extender. The XX is used for the ability to easily change cutters above table due to the allen key operated cam locking on it, which avoids the fiddle of trying to use a spanner and locking the spindle under the table. It works very well indeed and I wouldn't agree with Rob's band aid view (sorry Rob :lol: ) in most real world usage, unless trying to use massive cutters and overly ambitious depths of cuts maybe, but not sure even then it would be a problem unless being particularly reckless in some fashion ?

Cheers, Paul

 

[mseries]

cut a recess under your table, that's what I did to my 38mm worktop table

 

[Peter Sefton]

John Lloyd wrote an article for British Woodworking last year with his thoughts on the topic, he has become a real advocate of both the Extreme Extension and the Router Raizer.

http://woodworkersworkshop.co.uk/WebRoo ... ension.pdf

We use them both with our without an insert plate.

Cheers Peter

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

That's interesting...would you even use those collet extensions with a panel raising bit then....a 90mm job? If so my safety concerns are out of date.

 

[Matted]

cheers for your help guys!

Im going to pick up a decent cutting board I think and give it a go!

There's a few good tutorials on the net and it looks pretty simple.

 

[blackrodd]

cheers for your help guys!

Im going to pick up a decent cutting board I think and give it a go!

There's a few good tutorials on the net and it looks pretty simple.

Please keep us informed of you're progress, it's all interesting stuff! Rodders

 

[paulm]

That's interesting...would you even use those collet extensions with a panel raising bit then....a 90mm job? If so my safety concerns are out of date.

Not sure how one of those cutters would perform normally directly in a router collet Rob as I haven't used one that size, but I would think it would be used at a suitably slow speed and with several light passes, rather than hogging material off like a spindle moulder ?

With the same sensible approach I don't see why it wouldn't be safe to use in an XX collet, but I haven't had cause to try it as yet so can't speak from experience.

Cheers, Paul

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I have on many occasions and the deal with heavy wide cutters is much as you say ie you turn down the speed and take more, lighter passes. All the safety bumph suggests that 90mm is the widest cutter that can be safely used in a heavy duty 1/2" router (like the T11) and that's with the native collet. So extending it beyond the original tool just sounds like a stretch that's all. It's funny, I've had a trend extension collet for donkeys years but never actually used it. Probably because my router table plate isn't too thick in the first place

 

[paulm]

The major advantage of the XX isn't the increased reach to cope with thick tables or inserts Rob, it's the ease of cutter changing above the table, something that the Trend item doesn't have as far as I know ?

How do you change cutters on your set-up ?

Cheers, Paul

 

[Peter Sefton]

Bob 90mm is a whopper and not something I have used. If I was doing this sort of work I would go straight to the spindle moulder.

The XX is very good but if I was using a cutter of this size I would't use any collect extension, no need the cutter doesn't need extending.

The cheaper collects will give you issues with your bearings and cutter balance even with small cutters, the quality of the XX is the best we have used but it can't change the laws of physics or engineering, a 90mm cutter is already pushing the limits of the routers capabilities.

Cheers Peter

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Interesting. I recall reading extensively on the safety limits of the T11 and it was in fact 90mm. I was making raised and fielded panel doors. It did clearly state that beyond that diameter one was entering spindle moulder territory so I take the point about the upper limit. Those wide diameter cutters have a speed restriction documented on the packaging and as Paul noted, smaller passes to keep the load down on the router. I have to report I've had no problems with the method thus far and the quality of the cuts was excellent.

Here's one such piece (unfinished)

Paul...I have a slightly cunning method for bit changing. I've got the T11EK with the above the table adjustment bolt. I access that for fine adjustment with the shipped spanner and use a 3.6v driver with appropriate socket for rapid highering or lowering for bit change time. I then reach beneath with the collet spanner to undo the nut having popped out the inserts. See below: