Router table: standalone or TS ext?
John_D
| Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
I’m just getting a shop set up in my double garage. I have a little space to play with but there’s never enough of course.
Right now I have a tiny terrible little $79 workbench router table (this price included a router); it’s bad because it’s underpowered, doesn’t take 1/2″ bits, the table’s not strong or large enough to free-route larger pieces, etc.
So when my Unisaw arrives this weekend, I’m thinking of orienting it so that I can mount a router table insert plate into the extension table. My thinking is that this will give me a huge, sturdy and flat router table almost without any sacrifice.
Is there any downside to this? Anyone else do this and hate it, or love it?
Thanks!
Replies
no Unisaw here but I have a Cast Iron router table on my saw..
Bench Dog ProMax..
I like it.. I like you make do with little room but gets by moving stuff all ther time.
I also have several different shop made router tables..
All in all, I think I wasted my money on the Saw mounted one.. Always seems to be something I 'just have to cut' when I have the saw mounter router set-up for something.
Stick with a home made router table.. Hell, they are even fun to build and then you get it 'YOUR WAY"...
I have one of each. The TS table is only in the way if you leave the router fence on and mine (most) just pop right off.
Joe
I bought the standalone BenchDog router table - It ain't cheap with all the accessories, but in milling over 2000 LF of Doug Fir and pine trim for our new house, it worked well. Two key features of the Benchdog setup are the fence and the aluminum track to slide their featherboards along. I use a Fein 3HP plunge for bigger bits and a Bosch 2HP for smaller bits (separate, dedicated plates make switching back and forth easy).
As far as the tablesaw setup, I like the ability to move boards back and forth w/o caring about cleanup until the end of the day - i.e. wouldn't the router on the tablesaw get in way? Everyone has slightly different preferences and work habits though.
I agree with Will shop made router tables are fun to make & you don't have the need to use the saw router in the way problem which I have experienced. But the main thing is it's not the router table it's the ROUTER invest in a good one
Heh, I blew my budget on the TS, so the router has to do... I have a Bosch 1617EVSPK.
Maybe later I'll get a 3HP and leave the Bosch out for handheld use, if I want to raise panels or something and the Bosch chokes. Meantime I'll just do more passes, and I should be able to swing most bits OK.
This is just one part of a larger problem I've got to solve: I don't have space for separate infeed/outfeed for all these machines. Jointer, planer, router table, even miter saw, they all want infeed and outfeed support for full-length sticks and I'd like to figure out a way to do it efficiently. And with pattern work, I figure that the router will need a nice big solid surface (not for molding, but for no-fence edge-trimming larger pieces etc.), and this just seemed like a good shortcut.
I think I'm going to have to look at some actual inserts / fences and see how easily they go on and off, and whether I can change the orientation of the fence easily, if I want to pursue this idea.
Or maybe I'll think about building my own router table at a height that matches my TS height. Then I could normally operate it wherever I want, but somehow dock to the TS when I need that extended work surface...
As to infeed and outfeed for the other machines, I guess maybe I should get roller tables. Then I'll have to figure out whether to try to get all the machines' height matched so a single roller table height will work infeed/outfeed for jointer, planer, router, and chop, or whether I should just resign myself to readjusting the supports whenever I move machine to machine.
As far as outfeed table goes, A friend built one that I am going to copy.
He measured the height of all of his items needing outfeed tables and then made a box where one of the 3 dimensions (height, width or length) corresponded to one of the 3 most needed heights and he also uses it for an assembly/finishing table.
He also then made a mobile cart for his planer and miter saw where the wings were at a height to use the box - says he is going to make another the same size to use as an infeed table or a larger outfeed table and a larger assembly station.
When on end it does not take up that much space and when down low also servers asa bench to sit on.1 - measure the board twice, 2 - cut it once, 3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go 4 - get a new board and go back to step 1
I just went through this for the 2nd time. Definitely mount a router table in your table saw extension. My shop is a double car garage so I know about your situation. I bought a 1/4 inch aluminum router table plate from Rocklier ($50.00) and plan to pick up a PC 890 (895 PK). I put threaded inserts in the table extension so I can use set screws to make fine adjustments. This router is the package with the base that has the above the table height adjustment. I would have bought by now, but I got side tracked with HVLP spray equipment. Let me know what you decide.
So many tools to play with, so little time.
BigHar
I have the Veritas steel router table top mounted on a hinged frame hanging off the left side of an old Jet table saw. This arrangement makes it possible to drop the table down without taking the fence off or lowering the bit. The table is flush with the left wing of the saw, so it it a big help with stock support when needed. Old pics can be seen here. Please pardon the outdated links. The last picture on the 3rd page shows the table dropped down. The saw now has cast irong wings (yes!).
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
I have mine on the end of the TS and I like it. One less thing to move around or organize, adds to the workspace and I use the TS fence as the base for my router fence which I just built. I can simply clamp it in place and it slides along and can be set up very quickly, solidly and accurately. With the Rousseau insert (which I won't reccomend) I have less than $75 invested, complete w/ an adjustable fence w/ dust port.
For the top I went to a countertop place and got a scrap piece from a sink cutout, cut it to size, built a plywood frame underneath and mounted it. Made the fence from plywood, knockdown bolts, dust port and some knobs from Woodcraft. Works great.
But, think about how either would work for your situation. TS or stand-alone is simply one of those personal choices.
The down side is that since you are sharing the table and in my case the fence between two machines you sometimes have to knock down your setup on one machine to use the other.
The benefit is that you take up less space and can use your TS fence as a base for your Router fence. I have a Veritas router fence that I have attached to my Besimeyer fence and it works great.
You just have to decide for yourself what is better for you. In my case (a two car garage) the space is much too valuable to have a dedicated router table.
Kevin
I made my router table about 3/16" lower than my tablesaw and use it as an outfeed support. It really helps in my cramped space.
I'm short on space and I don't see how I could survive without my router table built into the TS extension table. The combination rarely gets in the way, since I usually don't rout pieces that haven't been dimensioned completely.
Old pics are at http://home.comcast.net/~paulchapko/workshop.html
The router table/extension table is a torsion box made from 1/2" poplar strips sndwiched between two 1/8" plywood sheets, with another 1/8" melamine faced piece of plywood on top. The router lifts up out of the table for adjustments and bit changing, and is not hard to do.
vulcan,
It depends on what kind of router system you want. I have the system from Woodpecker, which has capabilities approaching a shaper and joint-making jig. It would not be as effective mounted on a table saw. As a matter of fact, I don't know how you could mount it to a table saw.
Here are links that show the system I have:
http://www.woodpeck.com/lsrspk3.html
http://www.woodpeck.com/lssupersystem.html
Edited 9/23/2005 8:17 am ET by MatthewSchenker
What seems to work best for me is to simply attach a router base to a piece of MDF that I then set up on horses when I need it.I try not to get too romantic about the set up,it just needs to work for me.I've, in the past ,spent too much time on building router tables that didn't work any better than my current set up.When it wears ,I toss it and make a new one .
I put a router table into the end of my table saw, and literally never use it. Except as a clamping fixture.
Routing is better at chest height. Your back will thank you, and your eyes will thank you. Not having to change the set up on the saw or the router, because of work needs of the other is priceless.
The Router Lady shows you how to make one for cheap, that you can clamp on top of your saw or your bench. You can store it in the corner, on the wall, or wherever. It is cheap, when you tear it up, you can make another. When you want another, it is still cheap.
I have a cast iron router table mounted to the right wing of my table saw. I can't recall the name of the company that made it. HTC maybe. I have the incra fence wich when in the way i simply unclamp. I have the porter cable 31/4 hp 5 speed router wich I leave mounted to the table. Works very well for me.
For the last 10+ years I have had my router table in the extension wing of my tablesaw. In a few months my shop should be out of my garage and into a small (16' x 24') building in the back yard. One of the first things I plan to do is to build a stand alone router table. I want to get the router table off my table saw because I have to much activity around the table saw and things get too congested. In my shop, I feel it would be best to have them separated.
Edited 9/25/2005 11:49 am ET by Loggerhead
Edited 9/25/2005 11:50 am ET by Loggerhead
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