Router table insert

[richie]

Hi

I'm making a very small router table with thick MDF/ply etc.

Is it worth buying a router table insert? Or should I just make one myself out of some ever so slightly crowned thick plastic chopping board or similar?

Or should I just not bother and simply lose some depth of cut buy fixing the router into a recess in the MDF?



r

 

[Bean]

Richie I have a top made from 6mm thick ali sheet, as does another on here cheap and cheerful, no sag.

Bean

 

[PaulK]

Excuse my ignorance, but why is the router plate slightly bowed?

I bought one recently and have had it clamped down to a work top for a couple of weeks trying to flatten it! I don't see the point in working so hard to get a flat surface to then put a bowed router plate in it :roll: surely that would make the wood non-square whilst passing over/past the router bit.

 

[woodbloke]

I made a very small router table some time ago for a Bosch router and just used some 15mm mdf for the top, worked a treat, didn't need an insert. Current table with a much heavier Trend router uses the insert from APTC - Rob

 

[Paul Chapman]

Another option which you might wish to consider is the Trend GB square sub-base. If you wish to use your router in and out of the table, the square (actually it's oblong measuring 290x197mm) sub-base gives you all the advantages of the Trend Unibase (ie you can fit all the Trend guide bushes and ensure that they are lined up accurately) and it gives you a nice, large, stable router base for hand-held use and you could use it as a router table insert. I've recently bought one and I'm very pleased with it for hand-held use. I've not yet tried it as a router table insert but hope to soon.

Paul

 

[Lee Brubaker]

Not that many years ago a good many routers weighed in the neighborhood of 17 lbs hence a slight bow in non-metal inserts with such a router ended up flat when in the table. Today am not all that certain that routers weigh in as heavy hence a slight bow may no longer be relevant. My router table top is made of 1" MDF with arborite on both sides. I made my own table insert out of 3/8" polycarbonate along with various bit inserts. After about 6 years a slight sag did develop however this was easily leveled out by inserting shims between the top and some crossmembers on the underside of the top. The bit inserts were rabbeted slightly off center so that when dropped in place & given a half turn tightens them in the hole. One does not want to go too expensive on a router table or top because your wants change with experience & it is a difficult decision to have to make to change out what was pretty expensive.

Lee

 

[gidon]

Richie
I have been been through many versions of router tables and plates, but now have stuck with the router just screwed into a recess - I found it annoying trying to level the router plate and could never really see the point of them since my router gets left in the table. IMO I think you're better off spending the money on a Xtreme Xtension - makes up for any loss in plunge plus makes changing bits an absolute doddle.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[richie]

Thanks to all for your replies



r