router table

[t-bone]

i am thinking about buying a router table, the table is a bosh ra1181 it's on home depot i don't trust reviews under the product. Any help would be appreciated.

[Vic]

Unless you're buying very highly engineered table, I think you're better off just building one. A very basic table won't cost much in money or time.

[JaysClassicwoods]

Unless you're buying very highly engineered table, I think you're better off just building one. A very basic table won't cost much in money or time.

I agree about building your own. It would give you another project in the shop and you can customize it all the way. I built mine with 6 drawers and built it out of red oak left over from another project. I wrapped the table top in red oak, laminated the top, and then took the router and cut a design in the red oak and laminate at the joint. It turned out great and I was pleased to have another project to fine tune my skills.

J

[t-bone]

Unless you're buying very highly engineered table, I think you're better off just building one. A very basic table won't cost much in money or time.

i think your right, only thing is that iam new to woodworking but will try to build one and yes it wood be a newproject. thanks guys

[t-bone]

I agree about building your own. It would give you another project in the shop and you can customize it all the way. I built mine with 6 drawers and built it out of red oak left over from another project. I wrapped the table top in red oak, laminated the top, and then took the router and cut a design in the red oak and laminate at the joint. It turned out great and I was pleased to have another project to fine tune my skills.

J

i am new to woodworking but will try to build one. thanks

[Vic]

i think your right, only thing is that iam new to woodworking but will try to build one and yes it wood be a newproject. thanks guys

t-bone, I've been working off two pieces of sheetgoods, sawhorses, a simple fence when needed, and a nice router lift (BenchDog)for at least 8 years. It's fine and has more surface area than anything you're gonna find in a commercial unit.

[Sac]

Hey t-bone, just think of it as a skill builder.. You will learn form shop projects such as these. I know that I did.

[Beechwood Chip]

You don't have to build the ultimate router table from the beginning. As Vic said, you can put your table on saw horses for now and build a fancy cabinet for it later.

[jHop]

You don't have to build the ultimate router table from the beginning. As Vic said, you can put your table on saw horses for now and build a fancy cabinet for it later.

Beechwood has a very good point. Learn to use the table before you waste/ invest in a table with features you don't need or use.

As for plans or pre-existing tables, Kreg has a router table that is bare bones. It's basically an adjustable steel frame with a laminate top, and mounting brackets. You can enclose or wrap it as you wish. Rockler has a (much) smaller version of this you can set on top of your pickup truck or workbench. You could use the Festool MFT as a router table, and also as whatever flat space you might need. New Yankee Workshop has plans on a router table that most people seem to build at one time or another, but I haven't spoken with people as to what they have liked or disliked about them once they have built them. My father in law (who graciously granted me the use of it) has a Craftsman steel and injection-molded router table that has turned into more of a storage shelf than functional router table. (my big complaint about this table is the lack of surface width - it has less than 12" width, including the fence mounting brackets. So if I was to do any panel or door work, I'd need the hand-held and a larger work table. See why I like Vic and Beechwood's advice?)

[jHop]

You don't have to build the ultimate router table from the beginning. As Vic said, you can put your table on saw horses for now and build a fancy cabinet for it later.

Beechwood has a very good point. Learn to use the table before you waste/ invest in a table with features you don't need or use.

As for plans or pre-existing tables, Kreg has a router table that is bare bones. It's basically an adjustable steel frame with a laminate top, and mounting brackets. You can enclose or wrap it as you wish. Rockler has a (much) smaller version of this you can set on top of your pickup truck or workbench. You could use the Festool MFT as a router table, and also as whatever flat space you might need. New Yankee Workshop has plans on a router table that most people seem to build at one time or another, but I haven't spoken with people as to what they have liked or disliked about them once they have built them. My father in law (who graciously granted me the use of it) has a Craftsman steel and injection-molded router table that has turned into more of a storage shelf than functional router table. (my big complaint about this table is the lack of surface width - it has less than 12" width, including the fence mounting brackets. So if I was to do any panel or door work, I'd need the hand-held and a larger work table. See why I like Vic and Beechwood's advice?)