Large router table WIP

[Farmer Giles]

I've just about got most of the bits to do this now, so thought I would start another WIP. My missus desperately wants me to make her a new kitchen but I've wangled this in first on the basis that the cabinet underneath the router table will mimic the construction method of the new kitchen so we can try them out. Plus the router table will make the kitchen building easier, at least that is my excuse. It does mean my Roubo bench gets pushed back a bit though, however I'm hoping to make a start on this on the sly soon

Overall design will be similar to the one made by member "Stuff I Made" who also has a Youtube channel but bigger, purely as a I have large piece of buffalo board that seems a shame to cut it down and I can try more cabinets and drawer types as prototypes for the kitchen and I have loads of tools that need a proper home.

Top will be 1220mm x 978mm, 22mm thick buffalo board with a smooth phenolic coating. Plate is a Kreg pre-drilled for a Triton TRA001. Fence is a Woodpecker super fence with micro adjust. Feet will be machine leveling castors. The fence is 36" long so will go across the 978mm board width nicely. I have the fence, router, NVR switch and insert plate, the woodpecker T track, micro adjuster and mitre track will be coming from woodworkers workshop soon.

The T track will be extra long so I can use it to temporarily hold my axminster radial arm drill to the bench behind the fence while I renovate my recently acquired Meddings A10 radial arm pillar drill - its huge!

I have made a few doodles of the cabinet, this will be mainly 18mm birch ply but I haven't designed it in sketchup yet, I'm waiting for the wife to decide if the kitchen will be flush face frame, overlapping face frame or no face frame. I know roughly where the various drawers and cupboards will go but haven't ordered any hardware until this has been decided upon.

In addition to cabinet hardware I need to get a 4" hose fitting for the back with a tee off for the fence and router. I wanted to get the fence and router first so I know what hose sizes I need.

I'm hoping for a flush face frame design but I'm not too fussed.

First job will be to make the router template for the kreg insert, I would have thought that router plate insert templates would be handed around the forum. I have a Jessem template if anybody needs one.

Cheers
Andy

 

[sunnybob]

I've put kreg plates in 4 separate router tables now. I had one kreg plate that warped, but they replaced it straight away.
They dont supply a template as such, just a detailed set of instructions, but if you cant get one anywhere else I can scan mine and email it to you if you want.

I now use the kreg levelling plates which require a different cut out shape, so bear that in mind before you cut.

good to see another big table, mine is 900 mm square.

 

[Farmer Giles]

Thanks Bob, I've ordered the kreg levellers too, it was cheaper to buy them in the US and get them posted so may be a few days yet before they arrive but I'm not in a hurry.

I've bought a 38mm forstner bit from axi, quite reasonably priced so will make my own template from some 10mm MDF then use a template bit in the router. I shall make it big enough so it can be clamped without interfering with the router. Also if the buffalo board isn't a success and I want to put formica on top I'll make sure I can place it exactly in the same place so I can cut the hole in the formica without enlarging the plate orifice.

Cheers
Andy

 

[Woodmonkey]

Just googled buffalo board as I've never heard of it. Seems like it is a non slip surface used for flooring etc, surely you don't want your router table to be grippy?

 

[sunnybob]

That got me looking too. Presumably youre going to flip it and use the under side?

22 mm isnt all that thick. If youre going to put T tracks and mitre tracks in it, thats 12 mm depth cut right across the board. only leaves you 10 mm max for rigidity. Better place it on a very solid and very square frame.

I used 2 x 18 mm melamine for mine. glued, and screwed every 20 cm in a grid pattern. If it wasnt too slippy to stand on I could dance on it even after the T and mitre track fitting. Then I edged it with cherry to stop the chip board flaking.

Kregs instructions are very simple,
put an edge of masking tape around the plate.
position it where you want it to be.
Clamp pieces of wood tight to all four sides.
Lift out the plate. This what the tape is for, to give you clearance for lifting out.
Drill the four corners using the wood battens for edge support for the forstner bit (clamp the wood TIGHT, the first one I did the drill moved the wood sideways and the hole went oval on me).
Router or jig saw the rest out.
If youre using levelers, then cut the whole size all the way through.

 

[Farmer Giles]

Yes, the other side is smooth

I haven't decided whether I need to add more thickness to it yet but it will be screwed to a substantial birch ply frame. Once I have the final layout I will look at the support from the frame, it won't hurt to add some 18mm ply underneath it, I'm known for over engineering so it will probably happen if it needs it or not

Cutting the hole isn't an issue, when I said template I meant an MDF template for a template router bit. I have a Jessem MDF template that anybody can borrow, I'm surprised nobody has made a kreg one. Rather than cut the top directly, I'm going to make an MDF template and route it out.

 

[Farmer Giles]

I've just realised I am now officially a settled in member, I don't feel any different or is something going to happen to me in the wee hours?

The woodpecker micro adjuster, t track and mitre track is being delivered tomorrow, so apart from the cabinet drawer and cupboard fittings and hoses I think I have all I need.

I'm very much a novice at sketchup and can't find time to tinker with it just yet however if you imagine the table is roughly 1.2 x 1 m and the long side is towards you, the plan is for this to have the router insert on the left with the fence moving right to left. On the long side facing there will be 500 deep drawers to the right and shallower drawers on the left due to the router. The access to the router will be on the short left hand side, and on the right hand side to the back will be a circa 400mm wide slide out cupboard for free standing routers and their accessories. Apart from the vacuum pipe, the rear will be home to various jigs etc.

I've also been thinking about the thickness of the top and will be going with the recommendations to add a bit more depth irrespective of the strength of the carcass.

I'm going to judge the height so it can be used as an infeed table for my RAS and add bracket to hold a roller so it can be outfeed table for the band saw.

 

[sunnybob]

think about what you are going to be doing before placing the router off to one side.
If youre running a long length of wood past the cutter you will need to be very careful the wood doesnt tilt off the end of the table and spoil the cut.

If you werent having above table adjustment, i can see why you would want as much space as possible, but I've found that central works fine, because its so easy to lower the cutter below table height i still have a large lay out table.

 

[Farmer Giles]

Hi Bob, probably my poor description but I think we concur, here's a very rough diagram to give you an idead of what I mean.

Cheers
Andy

 

[sunnybob]

Andy, assuming the front of the cabinet is to the viewer and the router is central and to the left...
You are severely restricting your options regarding a fence, especially a split fence which I find is very useful and very often.
youve got almost no outfeed table at all. Youre going to struggle to maintain a proper cut with anything over 2 foor length.

The cabinet plans are superb, but I think you will regret not putting that router a lot closer to the centre.

Its a very simple job to make your own fence.
To keep the fence clean and pipework to a minimum on mine, I drilled a large hole behind the router and made a tunnel on the back of the fence, so all the dust is sucked through the opening of the fence and down into the router chamber.

 

[Farmer Giles]

Thanks Bob, the drawing isn't to scale so it may look far too much to the left, but I will take your comments into account when finalising the plate location. I'm hoping to get some workshop time on Friday.
Cheers
Andy

 

[Farmer Giles]

The stuff from woodworkers workshop arrived a couple of days ago so while cutting the MDF template for the plate I'm thinking of optimal distance of the mitre track from the cutter hole. I'm using woodpecker combi track that takes both standard 3/4" mitres and featherboards etc. that use channel and 1/4" bolts. Will lay it all out at some point, I just realised that I have forgotten to get a mitre, having said that, I have one on the table saw and the bandsaw so not sure I need another yet.

I'm guessing others have thought about this distance too, any tips?

Cheers
Andy

 

[sunnybob]

I have the UJK precision mitre gauge and fence from axminster, maybe not as classy as incra or woodpecker, but I like it a lot because it also fits my bandsaw.

The track is about half the distance between the cutter and the front of the table, because thats where the fence can be equal on the guide but still just pass the cutter.

I just fitted another T rack across the table, about 2" closer to the cutter than the mitre track. havent actually used that one yet.

Works well for me.

 

[Farmer Giles]

That mitre gauge looks great Bob, I was looking at this one at Rutlands, I sent the link to the missus for my birthday wish list but its never in stock and then I forgot all about it.

I've just about got the template done, I've made it nice and big so I can clamp it to the edge of the table and the clamps don't interfere with the router.

 

[sunnybob]

Every single time I have looked at anything at rutlands, it has been out of stock. i have no idea how they stay open. The last thing I looked at even emailed them for delivery and was quoted 6 months!

I got my UJK from a forum member here, and am completely happy with it. I use it more on the bandsaw than the router table, but when you really need it, you really need it.

 

[Farmer Giles]

Thanks Bob, I shall take a look at the mitre on the table saw tomorrow and decide if I need a new one, it can wait a while as I'm a bit skint after podding out for the router table bits. I have gone a bit OTT on it but after making do with cheaper tools and being disappointed and spending twice I either buy good, buy old or make it myself now.

Here's the rails, plate and fence roughly placed on the buffalo board, the rails haven't been cut to length yet, basically just assembled the fence and made an MDF plate template. I usually leave things for a couple of days rather than rushing in and making a mess.

I have a few decisions to make. I've already decided to stick a bit more ply under the 22mm buffalo board.

1.) the distance from table edge to the router cutter, after that everything else follows.
2.) the rails the fence moves on are twin 1/4" T tracks. Do I put the spare tracks on the inside or outside?
3.) the mitre rail also has 1/4" T track, does this go above the mitre track, i.e. closer to the cutter or below it?
4.) Am I happy with the dark buffalo board? It's certainly nice and smooth.
5.) Do I have a piece of chocolate with my wine?

I think only the first and last questions are important

Cheers
Andy

 

[Farmer Giles]

I've answered number 4, just got a sheet of light blue formica

Here's front, right and left elevations, I shall finish the all important plan view later.

Cheers
Andy

 

[Noel]

Don't forget vent holes/slots for the router, especially if you have under table extraction.
Hope build goes well.

 

[sunnybob]

1/ from making 4 tables now, I choose dead centre left to right, and 2/3rds back from the front edge. Owners decision is final.
2/ doesnt matter, no point in having clamping tracks behind the fence.
3/ depends how big the pieces you are routing will be.Mine is between cutter and mitre track.
4/ sorted.
5/ wine is good, chocolate is good. but why dilute the taste of either with the other?

Again, from my own research, dont make too big a thing about vent slots for the router. Keep the router area as small as possible to enable the extractor to remove all the debris. The extractor will suck outside air from around the cutter, so the faster the air moves there the more dust and chips will be collected.
My router box is too big, and fills up around the edges. i put holes in the front panel to (as I thought) enable the through draught to pull it all back to the tunnel, and all that did was reduce the suction overall and make even more mess. My todo list has "reduction of air chamber" quite high on it.
Building from scratch I suggest you incorporate a tunnel of clean air to the bottom of the router as there is a fan in there sucking air through to keep the router cool. With poor extraction, that fan will suck dust up and force it into the bearings.
If you can sacrifice the drawer below the router you could put a flexible hose on the bottom of the router (to allow for height adjustment) and run it down and out the side or rear, whichever is the cleanest area.

 

[Farmer Giles]

Thanks Bob, no more workshop time this weekend however im hoping to blag some timber from the land lord of the pub near my brother's house so not a total waste of a weekend he has a smallholding with some old trees that he occasionally harvests and planks.