Replies

1. 
   mudman | Sep 21, 2004 07:12pm | #1

   If I remember the $ conversion corectly it seems a little high. It dosent offer any accurate lifting mechanism. You could easily make something better for 1/3 the price. Having said that let me also say than I seldom make any thing for my shop, I prefer to buy manufactured jigs/ tables.

   Mike

   please excuse my spelling.
2. 
   BG | Sep 21, 2004 09:02pm | #2

   Hammer,

   No personal experience with the router table your looking at.  Here is the table many of us have built in a day for under $100...

   http://www.newyankee.com/getproduct3.cgi?813
1. 
   forestgirl | Sep 23, 2004 07:32pm | #4

   "many of us have built in a day...."  BG, that was really mean.:-Dforestgirl -- 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" .... :>) 

1. 
   BG | Sep 23, 2004 10:24pm | #6

   FG,

   Okay...maybe I meant a day in the 'biblical' sense...as in 7 days to build the earth...lol.  But actually, the plans were/are so simple and specific that the building time was quite short...Norm did it in 22 minutes...me, a tad longer...

2. 
   mudman | Sep 25, 2004 06:19am | #13

   No kidding It took me 2 long days (I didn't use a plan) and it still isn't really finished. Heck I doubt I ever will finish it now. Here is a pic. The hole on the left may some day have a sliding bit storage drawer.

   Mikeplease excuse my spelling.

   
2. 
   Buzzsaw | Sep 23, 2004 09:08pm | #5

   BG,

     OK, I just looked at that router table and ordered the plans and the video but if you built it in a day you are my hero...Can you post a picture of it and could you comment on what type of router you have? I have a Ryobi that was very cheap (but works) and it came with this POS router table that sits in the corner of my shop never used...Regards,

   Buzzsaw

1. 
   BG | Sep 23, 2004 10:49pm | #7

   Buzz,

   It really is quite easy to build....just a bunch of 3/4 ply cut to size and a few dados/rabbits....drill some holes for holding bits and glue up.  The top is where you can spend a lot of time...depending on what your adding.  I don't have a digital camera so no pics...however, Tom Ferreria posted a picture of his Jan 15, 2004 (15804.3).  I think Tom added a lift system (Woodpecker)to his 3 hp router and a nice top.

   I went a bit simpler...using my Dewalt 621 router...left off the acrylic door...and tuck the 1 gallon shop vac under there...with the hose comming out the back up and around to the router.  My top is a simple melamine with 1/4" hard board glued to the underside....and I used MDF for the fense, etc.  Rather than a fancy switch I plug the router and shop vac into a power strip and turn them both on with that switch...

   Eventually, I'll replace the 621 with something larger and a better top.....not because the 621 isn't doing the job but because I miss not being able to use it in a hand held plunge position easily.

   Good luck with yours....it works really well..

1. 
   Buzzsaw | Sep 23, 2004 11:12pm | #8

   Thanks BG,

     That is a nice table (the one you directed me to).  I am currently taking a Woodworking class that has a great shop with a router table.  I've always done freehand and after using the table last night I REALLY want to build one. It is just so much easier to use. Thanks for your post.Regards,

   Buzzsaw

1. 
   BG | Sep 24, 2004 05:13am | #9

   Buzz,

   I'm not familar with your router, but with mine the issue was finding a convienent way of changing out the bits.  CMT provided the solution with a wrench that is offset and specific to the router type.  I bought my CMT wrench at the woodworkig show both to avoid shipping and get an extra discount of 10%. 

2. 
   Ole | Sep 24, 2004 02:01pm | #10

   Reading your inputs and giving it one more thought I agree that it's to expensive, maybe on the small side, and it lacks a lifting mechanism.

   A precise lifting mechanism is essential to get the maximum performance from your routertable, I think, so I decided to build my own. I have ordered the JessEm Rout-R-Lift and started looking for some good plans for a table or maybe design my own. Someone know where to find some good plans for a homemade fence ??

   Thanks for the inputs..... I Love the smell of sawdust in the morning....

3. 
   BG | Sep 24, 2004 02:59pm | #11

   Hammer,

   One of the nice things about Norm's fense is that it is his second design...the first fense was designed 10 years ago.  It is 12" tall to accomodate taller pieces..I have not seen that in other fenses and is helpful when doing sliding dovetails and the like.  Norm's has two sliding panels on the face to accomodate the size of the bit.

   I further modied the vertical and included a miter track(about 12" long) on the top of the fense to accomodate featherboards for small pieces.  I also put miter track on the back side of the top surface so the whole fense could slide backward/forward more easily....hope this helps a bit. 

   I wish Tom would respond because his is more like your anticipating.

3. 
   Midnight | Sep 21, 2004 10:45pm | #3

   I checked this and other tables out before I opted to build my own.... I figured it was just too small / expensive... well built certainly... but still...

   Mike Wallace

   Stay safe....Have fun

4. 
   RickL | Sep 24, 2004 09:14pm | #12

   Quite frankly, I'm  suspicious of anything labeled pro...it usually is geared for the hobby woodworker.  http://www.woodhaven.com and some of the other catalogs have some pretty nice odds and ends to accessorize your home-made router table.