Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | Oct 31, 2003 06:56pm | #1

   The Benchdog definitely gets good reviews (on the forums, from people who use them).  You'll get plenty of members here voting for making your own router table, so head's up on that one. 

   With regard to space:  What potential misalignment are you concerned about?  I'm assuming you're meaning the fence to the blade.  I have other reasons for not wanting to use my tablesaw fence as a fence for a built-in RT.  However, you can save space with an RT installed in your saw without using the saw's fence.  I use the Veritas steel RT top installed on hinges to the left of my Jet contractor's saw.  A home-made fence clamps to the RT top, and the whole thing can be folded down and out of the way when I need to.  The advantage, besides saving space, is that the fence can be easily removed and the RT top provides additional stock support on the left side of the saw wing.

   Click here for pics of the set-up.  Page 3 has links to Veritas web site.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

   
   

   ---

   Edited 10/31/2003 12:01:02 PM ET by forestgirl

1. 
   wgsdvm | Oct 31, 2003 07:40pm | #2

   Thanks, Forestgirl

   Time for me is a premium, so I often end up buying things like a router table.  I rather spend my time building a piece of furniture than making an object to help me make that piece of furniture.  It costs me more money but, family, work, and chores eats up all my time.  farmin' is great but it eats up all your time.

1. 
   forestgirl | Oct 31, 2003 07:43pm | #3

   My sentiments exactly.  I can see building a cabinet, someday, down the road, for the RT top, but no urge to make the table.  Making the little fence you saw was a matter of necessity -- I plan to add the Veritas fence ASAP.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

2. 
   BG | Oct 31, 2003 08:13pm | #4

   Spitfire,

   I'm one of those that suggest you build your own...because they are better as well as cheaper.  If you get Norm's plans from NYW you get a great table and great storage...centralizes all your stuff.  You can build the carcass with two sheets of 3/4" ply in less than one day....very straight forward and easy with a TS.  The top takes another day...and different material...if time is precious buy the top.  However, the tall fense in the plans is really great for featherboards...and i use my Incra 1000se in the miter slot on the router table top....
1. 
   Dan019 | Oct 31, 2003 11:14pm | #6

   I’m with BG on this.

   It’s really easy to make and it can be as simple or elaborate as you like. I started out with an old cabinet cast-off from a cabinet shop and built my own top and fence, which I wound up selling to someone who really liked it. Then a made a simple trestle-table setup out of 4 2x4’s and again built my own top and fence. I wound up having to build another for my brother because he really liked it. (that’s another story) I used that one for years until a carpenter friend of mine wanted to build Norm’s and got me interested enough to build one also. I didn’t really need it, it was just cool.

   The trestle table one was really easy to make and didn’t even take a weekend to make. For the top you can get by with a pieced of one inch melamine or doubled up ¾ “ plywood with or without a piece of Formica (with is better). The fence is just two pieces of ply or hardwood  joined with a butt joint and screws with a U shaped cutout for the dust (with or without dust collection) that’s clamped down to the table with whatever clamps you have on hand. Or you can make your own clamping system with wooden wing nuts (with a T-nut )

   If you want pic’s let me know. A picture really is worth a thousand words.

    

   Dan

3. 
   scooter1 | Oct 31, 2003 09:34pm | #5

   I have the Benchdog setup on my table saw. It replaces a stamped extension wing and screws right into the cast iron table. It is so sweet.

   A couple of comments:

   Get a couple different plastic (or better yet alumininum) inserts for various sizes of cutters. You'll need 2 or 3.

   Get their fence.

   Get 4 of their feather boards, 2 for holddowns and 2 for mounting on the table.

   My particular router, a PC 3 hp, when mounted on the table can not go up or down, because the top when pivoting hits the bevel wheel on the saw, so I have to move the bevel to about 80 degrees then it will move clear. This is a pai, albeit a minor one. You might try out your router first.

   Regards,

   Boris

   "Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934

4. 
   beck4000 | Nov 02, 2003 04:56pm | #7

   Try this site for a router table...

   http://woodworking.org/WC/GArchive98/7_10johnsrtab1.html

   and the http://www.routerworkshop.com/

   both have plans for making your own...I got my Phenolic Plate from here..http://www.routerworkshop.com/

   hope this helps you...

   Beck

5. 
   alanplanesaw | Nov 04, 2003 06:42am | #8

   Spitfire,

   Know what you mean!  Been there!  Done that!

   Time is precious for me.  I went to my local Woodcraft a few weeks ago with my mind made up to buy a Benchdog router table.  Told Dan (they have professional, excellent staff there) I didn't have time to build, needed to buy a table.

   An hour later I walked out with a JessEm Mast-R-Lift, JessEm Mast-R-Fence, and a bigboy PC router.  Went home and started to build a table.

   Two points.  I spent the money where it counted.  On the machinery.

   I built the table for about $35.  I took my time on the top.  But the box that holds it up is not pretty.  It is solid, but not pretty.   I'll make it pretty later.

   In fact, since then I have order Norm's plans and will one of these days build one.  It will be both pretty and functional.

   I know what you mean about time, but unless you have way too much money to blow, build the table.  Put your money in the lift, then fence, and router.

   Alan - planesaw