Dewald Swanepoel Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 I would like to make a basic router table without forking out too much cash. I realise that with cheap comes poor quality but I'd like to see if I could save some costs by making a few prudent decisions. One of the main things that I could save costs on is the material for the table top. The better option would probably be a thick slab of MDF with a laminated melamine or plastic surface. However, that is a bit pricey and I can get a slab of Formica post-form kitchen countertop that's just about the right size and would work perfectly, I imagine. Perfectly that is, with one possible problem that I can foresee. Obviously I'd have to router a recess into the centre of the top for the router's base plate to sit snugly in. I also want to router some dados into the top for T-tracks in which the fence and cross-cut guide can run. This is where I have my doubts about the pressed wood (particle board). I'm worried that you wouldn't get a neat surface and that, as a result, the T-tracks and the router base plate might not sit perfectly flush with the top. I'm less worried about the T-tracks as I will epoxy them in anyway so I could probably router the channel just a little too deep and then have the epoxy fill up the space making sure that the top of the track is flush with the top of the table. The router base plate is my bigger concern. Do you think one would be able to router a neat enough recess for the base plate to sit flush or should I perhaps also consider routering the recess a bit deeper than is necessary and give it some kind of epoxy layer on which the base plate can rest? This latter idea seems like a good way of protecting the exposed pressed wood but I'm not quite sure if I'd be able to pull it off neatly. Any suggestions welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Suggest setting up a jig and testing it on a test piece first. I don't think you need to route deep for any of it. Your test piece will let you know when you have the right settings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Most router plates inserts have set screws to level the plate in your table top. Check the plate you're going to use and see if that has set screws or a mechanism for leveling and adjusting the height so it's flush with your table top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Most router plates either come with or can be installed with small grub screws at each corner. These enable the plate to be levelled and brought flush with the table top. You rout the recess for the plate slightly deeper than the plate. Then drill some holes for small rare earth magnets in position underneath where the grub screws are. The magnets then act as a securing mechanism for the plate as they attract the grub screws. They also act as a bearing surface for the screws and prevent them sinking in to the particleboard. You can also have a further fastening down method so that the plate does not move at all when doing operations such as panel raising. The grub screws or set screws can be prevented from further rotation by applying a drop of loctite threadlok to the threads. The Tee track can also be slightly below the table surface no need for it to be flush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dewald Swanepoel Posted January 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Thanks guys, those are great suggestions. I don't think my base plate has grub screws in the corners. No wait, I know that it doesn't because I made it myself It's just a 300mm x 220mm piece of 10mm thick perspex which I've cut a hole in the middle and drilled some screw holes to mount it to the router. I'll see if I can find some grub screws that I can fit in the base plate. I imagine I'd have to tap a thread into the perspex. Hopefully I can borrow a thread cutter somewhere for that as the costs of that would negate any savings I've made so far. Either way, I'm sure I'll find some way to shim the base plate to sit nicely flush. Thanks for the pointers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodbutcher74 Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 I used threaded inserts. I drilled the appropriate size holes in the corners of the ledge that the router plate sits in and screwed the inserts in. The set screws adjust from underneath so leveling the plate is pretty easy. With particle board you might want to add a dab of epoxy when screwing in the inserts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mzdadoc Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Another option for leveling is four dabs of hot glue. If your plate sits too low put the glue in the corners and while still hot lay on you base plate and press it flat forming perfect spacers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dewald Swanepoel Posted January 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Another option for leveling is four dabs of hot glue. If your plate sits too low put the glue in the corners and while still hot lay on you base plate and press it flat forming perfect spacers. Great idea. I think this is what I'll do for phase 1. I can always do the threaded inserts at a later stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 That's a good tip doc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mzdadoc Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Can't take credit..... Saw it in a magazine. LOL Just glad I can help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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