Router table - love it or lose it?

[pike]

Now that I finally have a workshed I'm looking at what tools I have and figuring out what I might want to add or get rid of.

I imagine I will end up with a 1/2" router eventually. Currently have a Dewalt 621k 1/4". The question is, I somehow ended up with a Triton RTA300 Router table but no stand. Can't decide if I should buy the stand, or sell the table? Anyone owned or own it and use it with a non Triton router have an opinion to share?

Thanks,
Carl.

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

I don't own one of these tables (the Triton routers are great though) but looking at them online, I would say sell and make your own. There is nothing special enough about it that would make me keep it, but something better could be custom made. Space will be a big issue in your shed, so big work stands are out, I should think. My table also acts as an out feed table to my TS and has drawers for storage. Things have to be multi purpose in a shed! I suppose you could make a stand for it, but the cross slide setup on this table is not great IMO. Better make your own with a mite track to avoid the void in the Triton table.

Hope this helps,

Mike.

 

[pike]

Cheers Mike. Hadn't even brought size into the equation, good point.

Carl.

 

[mouppe]

I couldn't make do without a table. Some router operations are risky handheld, and sometimes it's easier to bring the wood to the router than vice versa. Especially if it's a repeatable process.

 

[pike]

Mouppe yeah I want a table but I'm not sure if the Triton I have but have barely used is worth hanging on to. I think I might do without until I build one myself, as using this would mean investing in the stand for it.

 

[Mcluma]

I had the table, and lost it, and went for an extension on the table saw,

 

[Steve Maskery]

If you want a really good RT design, I think it's difficult to beat the one I have. Mine was built from Norm's plans, but there is a very similar design in one of Bill Hylton's books as well. Being American, all the dims are in inches, but if you can cope with that then the end result is really excellent.

I wish I'd designed it.

 

[Eric The Viking]

+1 for Steve's comments above. I've seen his: I'm jealous!

I've had two bought ones (B+Q and a discontinued Axminster one), and made one out of a scrap wardrobe shelf andthe frame of a folding workbench. That one was pretty good, and still gets occasional use. The other two...

... the Axminster one is solid and sturdy and has a 1/2" Trend in it. It's the one that gets the most use, but the fence is truly dreadful (they're better now, apparently). The B+Q one was complete garbage.

You need:

- flatness
- a good-and-square, tall, simple fence
- a reasonable area, so you can line up big and awkward pieces of stock.
- a lip around the edge you can clamp to.
- a lead-on pin for freehand work (a bolt through the top will do, probably)
- a strong light overhead that doesn't cause a shadow when you work.

And that's about it. All else is optional (including the tracks!). Dust extraction is nice, but unless you're going down Steve's route of clever stuff (and his is really good), I find a large terry clip screwed in a strategic spot to get the hose in the right place works wonders.

One caveat: if you're going to machine MDF or similar, even small jobs, DO pay attention to dust extraction. I have a strong light over my table, and you can see the dust hanging in the air after only seconds of use on MDF. It's dangerous stuff. Never mind the risk your lungs, there's a significant fire/explosion risk if the stuff builds up. Not worth the risk, IMHO.

E.

 

[sploo]

One caveat: if you're going to machine MDF or similar, even small jobs, DO pay attention to dust extraction. I have a strong light over my table, and you can see the dust hanging in the air after only seconds of use on MDF. It's dangerous stuff. Never mind the risk your lungs, there's a significant fire/explosion risk if the stuff builds up. Not worth the risk, IMHO.

E.

At risk of hijacking the thread: if you're going to machine MDF I'd highly recommend something like the Trend Airshield. Good extraction is very much advised, but you'll never get it all, and MDF dust is pretty nasty.

 

[pike]

Thanks all. I think I'll sell on and look into building my own eventually. I only have a 1/4 router right now anyway.

 

[Eric The Viking]

1/4" is enough for small work. It's all I had for many years.

Get a board of melamine-faced chipboard (MFC). Bolt the router to it in the middle, with a wide-ish plunging cutter fitted. Turn on; plunge through, turn off again.

Sink the bolt heads so they're not proud of the top surface. Invert it, fit it as a worktop on a small kitchen cupboard carcase (floor standing variety) and you have a router table. If you spend thirty quid you're being extravagant.

I used the legs off one of those cheap folding workmate-style benches, but a kitchen cupboard is just as good. You might need to brace it at the back for rigidity. If you need a bigger hole, fit the appropriate cutter and plunge it through. This even works for roundover and chamfer bits, as long as you're careful - as long as the bearing can go through, the cutter will make its own hole (but be gentle and cut slowly!).

OK there's a lot missing and stuff it won't do, but the basics are there. People use car jacks (the ones that come in the car 'toolkit') to lift and lower routers gently. If yours is like my small 1/4" ones you can simply remove the plunge springs, which helps a lot.

Use a bit of planed 3x2 and two clamps for a fence, and a hoover for dust extraction.

Go on, try it! You'll be indecently proud of the results, I promise!

E.

PS: ALL machinery is dangerous. If you do this carefully it's no worse than any other router table, but it is a router table, with spinning cutters, etc.! It's well worth getting a book or two on router basics...

 

[Steve Maskery]

If you use a car jack as the lifting mechanism, just make sure you don't block the air vents to the motor. A cheap router raiser make cost you your router altogether.

 

[DiscoStu]

I have the triton table (and stand) and I don't see why you couldn't easily use the table with your own made stand. That would be cheaper than building a new table from scratch. I have the Triton TRA001 router in it and it's great. No need to worry about making a lift etc. If you've got the table then why not use it?

 

[pike]

Well I'm in no rush so will mull this over. I have a custom MFT slab which is 5x3' and am wondering if it would be a good use of space putting something in that like the following?

I hardly ever used the Triton table but will give it another go to remind myself of what I like and dont.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Well I'm in no rush so will mull this over. I have a custom MFT slab which is 5x3' and am wondering if it would be a good use of space putting something in that like the following?

I'd say you could do a lot worse! Sounds like a very good plan.

Only one slight reservation, and it is slight: My router table is about right - higher than I'd ideally like a worktable. That's good because I can more easily get to eye-level with the cutter, for setup, etc. Before cutting a big hole in your nice MFT, I'd check the height is right for you. If not, it's not an impossible problem - spacers under the bottom of the legs, or a plinth with a big lip around it, or something like that, but it's worth checking.

I should say that I have several almost-fused vertebrae now, so my spine refuses to bend when I want it to, and height is more of an issue. In my twenties, I probably wouldn't have even considered it. You may well not need to

E.