Router table fate after CNC purchase

[twodeuce]

Just curious what others experiences are. I am going to purchase a CNC soon. I have a router table now and was thinking I might sell it to recover shop space when I get it delivered. Most jobs seem redundant except routing dovetails and box joints - which I could get a Leigh jig or similar that takes up less space. Am I missing something?

So, anyone still use their router table after they purchased their CNC?

thanks!

[Mark J]

Would you have a dedicated router for the table?  If so I gotta believe it would be a lot faster to setup a router table for a straight forward operation like a quick round over than it would be to create those instructions for a CNC.  

[twodeuce]

Good point. It is a dedicated router.

[gee-dub]

Apples and oranges comparison to me.  So much depends on what you do,  Just as there are so many cuts that I would just walk up to the bandsaw and do, a router table would be used differently than a CNC.  Your setup time has to pay returns through your result, yes?  In general, no wrong answers.  You can use a router, circ-saw or even a CNC to joint the edge of a board but I would rather just run it across the jointer or take a No 7 to it.

[Chestnut]

I don't use a router table a ton but what i use it for i'm not sure i see a CNC being efficient at replicating. I cut a lot of groves which is easy on a cnc but when you have 25 different sized parts and you are grooving the edge not the face. Sounds like a programing nightmare but a 5 second setup with the table. Think it's going to depend on how you use your router table.

[Mick S]

It's like comparing a snow shovel to a snowplow, a circular saw to a tablesaw. For some jobs it just doesn't make sense to use a CNC. I would never give up my router table for the quick roundovers, chamfers, etc. I had lots of customers over the years ask me if they could do 5 piece doors on a CNC router. Of course you can, but you'd only do it once!

I made a solid cherry rocking horse entirely on a CNC router because, at the time, I didn't have a shop set up for woodworking. It was a pain in the keester!

[Chestnut]

Wouldn't it be easier to do a 1 piece door than a 5 piece door?

[Isaac]

I'm with the others on this. I use my router table a fair amount for things like stopped dadoes. The set up is lightning fast, and by routing boards, flipping them end of end and routing again with the opposite face against the face, you can get perfectly centered stopped dadoes in very short order. Personally, that is probably one of the more precise power tool operations I'm able to do In my woodshop. 

My limited exposure to CNC suggests doing the same would be a slower process, especially if you plan to do the same with pieces of various lengths.  

[Mick S]

4 hours ago, Chestnut said:

Wouldn't it be easier to do a 1 piece door than a 5 piece door?

Yep. One piece raised panel MDF doors were the rage 15 - 20 years ago and CNC routers were game changers for making them. 5 piece doors - not so much. Too much fixturing and material handling, size changes....