Post your router table plans/pics

I know as a newbie one of the first things I plan on building is a router table. While I know it is a simple straight forward process, I am consistantly amazed by the design ideas of some on the forum, and invite all to share their thoughts in this post.

I made a pretty simple and very functional table a while back.


A piece of plywood with several coats of acrylic poly on it. I put a frame around the perimeter of the underside for stability.
http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/boneyguy2/ROUTERTABLEPLYWOOD009.jpg

I bought a piece of aluminum from the scrap yard for a couple of bucks to make the mounting plate.
http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/boneyguy2/ROUTERTABLEPLYWOOD014.jpg

Four large bolts, washers and wingnuts fasten it to my Workmate. I'm using a car jack to raise and lower the router. It works flawlessly.
http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/boneyguy2/ROUTERLIFT018.jpg

http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/boneyguy2/ROUTERTABLEPLYWOOD032.jpg


The table is very solid and it works very nicely.

The car jack is a brilliant idea, Boneyguy! I'm stealing that one.

My setup is a simpler variation. Just a sheet of MDF that attatches to the top of my Workmate. I didn't even bother with a mouting plate, just sunk some bolts flush with the top.

JWells393's bench top table is a good, straightforward design and the ability to sit it on top of a workbench can really save your back.
There are some pictures here. (http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/showgallery.php/cat/583)

Here in Holland there is a guy that gives workshop's in "routertablemakin'. This is the design he developed:
http://www.tureluurs.nl/workshops/freestafel/bovenfreestafel%20(Small).jpg
The cool thing about it is the use of the "guider rods '' to fix the router the tabletop slides away an you can attach the router very quickly to the table:
http://www.beqwaam.nl/workshops/freestafel/freestafelMKII/freestafelMKII%20(7)%20(Small).JPG

When you first use a routertable start with small routerbits and get the feel for it. Keep focused and concentrated IT CAN SERIOUSLY BITE!

This home-built table is pretty simple but is all you need for building electric guitar bodies and necks. It's based on a table once sold by Rockler. I don't think the Rockler table is currently available. The table is clamped to a work table with the two orange handled gripper clamps seen in the front. The Porter Cable router base is permanently attached to the table. The table legs are high enough to allow removal of the motor for bit changes without unclamping the router table.

Porter Cable routers work great in a router table because the depth of cut is adjusted by simply loosening the motor clamp and rotating the motor.

......http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/jwells393/NewAlbum2/RTBC.jpg

Excellent thread idea. I need to build or buy a router table. Aslo been looking at the router plates and some of the plates are pricy for a small piece with holes in it. Please include what kind of router plate is used in the table plans.

Here are a few different plans.
http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2007/03/03/toolcribcoms-ultimate-guide-to-free-router-table-plans/


I like this one that is similar to Jwells
http://www.jeffgreefwoodworking.com/pnc/ShopProj/benchrout/index.html

The car jack is a brilliant idea, Boneyguy! I'm stealing that one.

No problem. I stole the idea from someone else myself. :lol:

I'd say build. . . those you buy are too light and flimsy to do anything worth mentioning.... unless you spend a small fortune....


as for the insert . . . getcha a piece of 3/8" lexan offa ebay.... easy to work and doubles as a bullet shield....

Ron Kirn

This site here has some info on making your own base plate.
http://www.wood-worker.com/plans/router/phenolic.htm

Hey Ron thatks for the suggestion on lexan. I have a sheet of the stuff I have been trying to figure out what to do with... maybe I will make a router plate out of some of it.

1/2" PVC sheet stock is not strong enough to make a stable router plate, don't ask me how I know that....

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk155/bobv_photo/a48b34bf.jpg
The high fence is good for vertical panel raising bits and some edge profiling for making mouldings, but none of it is necessary for pattern work on a guitar. The fence has a box behind it that opens into a hole in the top behind the router so there's a place for sawdust to get sucked down into the main chamber. The 4" outlet is for a dust collector.

Peeking out from the bottom of the front door is the switch that turns the router and the dust collector on and off together. it's awfully nice to have a switch you can hit to turn things off in a hurry.

The mobile base has long since been transferred to a few other things in the shop.

I'd say build. . . those you buy are too light and flimsy to do anything worth mentioning.... unless you spend a small fortune....


as for the insert . . . getcha a piece of 3/8" lexan offa ebay.... easy to work and doubles as a bullet shield....

Ron Kirn

"Too light" you say?

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb138/jaydawg76/Strat%20Body/DSCF0001-4.jpg

First of all, Welcome!!!

I repurposed the tables on my Shopsmith Mark V. It sets up in minutes, the entire rig is height adjustable, on hide-away casters and the router itself gives me plenty of height adjustment for the bit.

http://www.crenshawweb.com/texastele/rt09.jpg

http://www.crenshawweb.com/texastele/rt08.jpg

http://www.crenshawweb.com/texastele/rt06.jpg

The 3/8" aluminum plate also serves as the table for my resaw setup.

http://www.crenshawweb.com/texastele/rs-table11.jpg

Peace,
Mark

"Too light" you say?

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb138/jaydawg76/Strat%20Body/DSCF0001-4.jpg

You really need a dust collector... :grin:

I build a lot of kitchen doors. I quickly grew tired of that weak insert in my router table. I was limited to thickness because of bit height issues. Not that it matters with guitars but I kept getting flex in the plates I was using. It bend and cause me grief when assembling the doors.

Makita routers that have a cam lock will let you avoid that jack arrangement posted earlier.

I bought the smaller version of what Jaydawg has

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a365/shoretyus/guitar%20build/IMG_3250.jpg

Here's my home built pinrouter router table combo, 1 sheet of 2'x4' melamine did the job.
http://www.tdpri.com/forum/attachments/tele-tech/4720d1186970147-making-routing-template-lacquered-body-remountedpin-jpg

Here's my home built pinrouter router table combo....

How's that work?

Is it that if the pin is exactly the same diameter as the router bit (and squarely positioned) - and the pattern is on top of the piece getting routed, it would work a lot like a bearing to guide the routing work in 360 degrees?

That would be pretty cool since really nice spiral and 1/2" collar bits are much easier to find if you don't need a bearing...

Yup, the pin and router bit are concentric. I've revamped it a bit to allow for easier set up and added carriage bolts to connect the arm with the base. I have used it for bodies but mostly for templates. I did exactly as you said with a 1/2 shank twist bit but haven'tused it yet. Here's a shot making a template.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/attachments/tele-tech/4721d1186970181-making-routing-template-lacquered-body-beginneckpickup-jpg

Yup, the pin and router bit are concentric. I've revamped it a bit to allow for easier set up and added carriage bolts to connect the arm with the base. I have used it for bodies but mostly for templates. I did exactly as you said with a 1/2 shank twist bit but haven'tused it yet. Here's a shot making a template.
...

WOW - I'm learning something new all the time on this forum. That's the coolest thing I seen in a while - I'm going to have to make me one!

Thanks!

Yup, the pin and router bit are concentric. I've revamped it a bit to allow for easier set up and added carriage bolts to connect the arm with the base. I have used it for bodies but mostly for templates. I did exactly as you said with a 1/2 shank twist bit but haven'tused it yet. Here's a shot making a template.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/attachments/tele-tech/4721d1186970181-making-routing-template-lacquered-body-beginneckpickup-jpg
That's the one I've been waiting for! I don't have a router table yet so if you guys don't mind I'm gonna sit back and watch. Function speedy setup and accuracy is the target.

Yup, the pin and router bit are concentric. I've revamped it a bit to allow for easier set up and added carriage bolts to connect the arm with the base. I have used it for bodies but mostly for templates. I did exactly as you said with a 1/2 shank twist bit but haven'tused it yet. Here's a shot making a template.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/attachments/tele-tech/4721d1186970181-making-routing-template-lacquered-body-beginneckpickup-jpg

That looks pretty slick. :grin:

Do you raise the cutter into the wood or do you plunge the wood onto the cutter?

Thanks for all the positive feedback. This came about after a pic I saw posted by JWells a long time ago, and a conversation with a friend at work who used to have a business making chairs. I mentioned the pic and he said "Oh yeah a pin router, I made one once..."

For the interior cuts I set the cutter just enough above the table for a pattern bit bearing to ride on and plunge. You can see a slight gap towards the horn, that's the template resting on the bit. Then I removed the original, drilled a 5/8 hole through, and used a pattern cutting bit from there as I was not into tempting fate and ruining the original when cutting blind. It is a bit fussy to set up but gets the job done in the end. I've used it to make tele and mustang templates, unfortunately the mustang I used was beyond renovated under the pickgaurd and even the trem plate so I just got the overall shape and the neck pocket.

Here is a couple of shots of my router table. There are lots of new houses being built near where I am so I scavenged a kitchen sink cutout (from a 2 inch thick chipboard laminex benchtop ) out of the builders rubbish and mounted my router into it. It provides a nice big table top. The frame underneath is made from roofing timber offcuts sourced from builders rubbish bins as well.

..........

Makita routers that have a cam lock will let you avoid that jack arrangement posted earlier.
..

My router will lock as well but the jack is much more convenient and precise as you can adjust on the fly without having to crawl under the table to reach the router. The jack allows me to make very smooth and very small incremental adjustments that would be very difficult to do using the stop on the router. Also, it allows me to keep my eyes above the table while adjusting the height using only one hand so I can see exactly what is going on in relation to the piece I'm routing. I'm guessing that would be difficult to do if I had to be using both hands on the router to both raise it and then lock it.

Here is a couple of shots of my router table. There are lots of new houses being built near where I am so I scavenged a kitchen sink cutout (from a 2 inch thick chipboard laminex benchtop ) out of the builders rubbish and mounted my router into it. It provides a nice big table top. The frame underneath is made from roofing timber offcuts sourced from builders rubbish bins as well.
Go green router table from construction Free salvage, 1+++++

Here's the table I build last month - it works great.
http://mojotronics.com/images/Guitar_builds/Table1.jpg

From the bottom you can see that I used a 2x4 for the most part, with an MDF top and pine sides. Really simple, but very square and solid.
http://mojotronics.com/images/Guitar_builds/Table2.jpg

For a fence, I sent a 4x4 through my planer a few times to get it nice and square, then I cut off 1/2 of one side so that I can clamp it down... it's really solid and does a good job.
http://mojotronics.com/images/Guitar_builds/table3.jpg

Here are some plans for a pin router.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journ...op/1274466.html?page=1