Renzo Posted September 2, 2010 Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 Is it just me or are router tables really really pricey for what they are. And i'm not even talking about lift systems etc, just the table itself and fence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMarcel Posted September 2, 2010 Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 Yup, the tables are crazy expensive for 2 pieces of MCP glued together with maybe a miter slot. Make your own table. A router table+fence was one of my first purchases before I got into woodworking and I've kicked myself ever since for paying that amount for 2 pieces of MCP glued together with maybe a miter slot. I will say, though, that some fences are very nice. The WonderFence looks nice with the end-mounted dust collection plus all the T-tracks, etc. I think manufacturers know that beginners want a router table and think they need to buy it so they charge what they want knowing people will pay for it. A lot of jigs fall into that category, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iSawitFirst Posted September 2, 2010 Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 I bought a JessEm router table on sale and LOVE it! Dead flat top, great fence and the lift is micro-adjustable. The metal frame is surprisingly heavy which makes for an even more sturdy platform. Yea, i could have made a base and work surface but the price was low enough to justify the purchase. In fact, full price would have still been a good value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keggers Posted September 2, 2010 Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 They are pricey, but are worth every penny. I too, bought a Jessem system. I bought the Mast-R-Lift Excel with all the options. I couldn't be happier with the product. Mine has the black solid phenolic top which is slick and dead flat. The router lift system is absolutely wonderful. So yes, I'd say they were worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minorhero Posted September 2, 2010 Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 I made my own table from scratch. To do it again I would still make the stand but I would buy rockler's table top. By the time you put in cost of whatever material you are using for the top plus the miter slots you are almost at what rockler charges for their table shipped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renzo Posted September 2, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 I made my own table from scratch. To do it again I would still make the stand but I would buy rockler's table top. By the time you put in cost of whatever material you are using for the top plus the miter slots you are almost at what rockler charges for their table shipped. Yeah unfortunately not when you live in Canada I am looking at the Jessum though. Seems a pain to not have a router lift though. Anyone here raise and lower manually? how do you find it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renzo Posted September 2, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 I made my own table from scratch. To do it again I would still make the stand but I would buy rockler's table top. By the time you put in cost of whatever material you are using for the top plus the miter slots you are almost at what rockler charges for their table shipped. Yeah unfortunately not when you live in Canada I am looking at the Jessem though. Seems a pain to not have a router lift though. Anyone here raise and lower manually? how do you find it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todd Posted September 3, 2010 Report Share Posted September 3, 2010 I built my own table and installed a Jessem Mast-R-Lift and love it. Jessem has now came out with a lift that will lift the router right up out of the base for easy bit chances instead of having the lower nut just below the top of the base. I also added a General International power feeder which makes for a nice steady feed rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuilderBill Posted September 11, 2010 Report Share Posted September 11, 2010 Is it just me or are router tables really really pricey for what they are. And i'm not even talking about lift systems etc, just the table itself and fence. Yep, you nailed it. Build your own, it ain't exactly rocket science. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanJackson Posted September 13, 2010 Report Share Posted September 13, 2010 Is it just me or are router tables really really pricey for what they are. And i'm not even talking about lift systems etc, just the table itself and fence. I built a table which lasted me two years without a single complaint. At one point I "upgraded" my fence to have two adjustable pieces, so I could control the size of the split in the middle. Eventually, I paid some loot for an Incra fence, which is wonderful for extremely precise work. For work that doesn't require ridiculous precision, it's no different than my old table at $50. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jab73180 Posted September 13, 2010 Report Share Posted September 13, 2010 i bought the bosch RA1171 router table and thought that was a pretty good deal. you can mount it in a larger bench or leave it as a stand alone unit. i think i payed $180 for it and thought that the thick aluminum plate, fence system, power switch and feather boards were worth that even if the mdf structure died in the first year. it has nice storage and the thick aluminum top has a hole for above the table depth changes. the switch has a spot for 2 plugs in the back so you can plug the shop vac into it and they turn on at the same time. the fence has a adjustable opening to hook your shop vac up to and shims for jointing if you so wish. i didn modify mine a lil bit. the way the fence mounted to the top was sub par. 2 carriage head bolts tried to lock into slots in the mdf top but with a small amount of use the bolts turned through the mdf. my fix was to cut dados in the mdf top to accept some incra t track, a couple bolts, the factory knobs and presto, an accurate fence system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmykx250 Posted September 14, 2010 Report Share Posted September 14, 2010 I have a craftsman table which I have to manually adjust. Sure it would be nice to have a lift but im cheap and Im saving my money for more essential stuff that i dont have right now. So i guess it all boils down to where does it fall on the priority list? I will say one thing having an enclosed stand sure seems like a good idea from a noise and vibration standpoint. My craftsman table is a cheap bolt together and it vibrates something fierce. I think when the time comes I would build my own. But that's your choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmykx250 Posted September 14, 2010 Report Share Posted September 14, 2010 i bought the bosch RA1171 router table and thought that was a pretty good deal. you can mount it in a larger bench or leave it as a stand alone unit. i think i payed $180 for it and thought that the thick aluminum plate, fence system, power switch and feather boards were worth that even if the mdf structure died in the first year. it has nice storage and the thick aluminum top has a hole for above the table depth changes. the switch has a spot for 2 plugs in the back so you can plug the shop vac into it and they turn on at the same time. the fence has a adjustable opening to hook your shop vac up to and shims for jointing if you so wish. i didn modify mine a lil bit. the way the fence mounted to the top was sub par. 2 carriage head bolts tried to lock into slots in the mdf top but with a small amount of use the bolts turned through the mdf. my fix was to cut dados in the mdf top to accept some incra t track, a couple bolts, the factory knobs and presto, an accurate fence system. You can drop this thing into another table? That loos like a decent set up for the money. Like you said lookat what all that hardware will cost u! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jab73180 Posted September 14, 2010 Report Share Posted September 14, 2010 You can drop this thing into another table? That loos like a decent set up for the money. Like you said lookat what all that hardware will cost u! yah just cut out a spot in your bench and slide her in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greygoose01984 Posted September 20, 2010 Report Share Posted September 20, 2010 i built my own top by laminating 3 sheets of mdf then i used Formica on the top and bottom and trimmed the edge in maple and it is one of the best tops i have ever used Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon003 Posted September 24, 2010 Report Share Posted September 24, 2010 Build it! Even one as non-elaborate than a norm table still can be a heck of a useful thing to have. The important part is dust collection, and some kind of bit and router storage. Beyond that, even the most primitive lift makes life easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.