Custom Router Table

By Trent Kelly

When I set out to design and build my router table, stop one was fence selection.  I looked at a variety of fences available on the market and chose the Jointech Smart Fence because I think it is the best on the market.  I wanted to be able to use the full adjustment range of the fence, store the table flush against the wall without removing the fence, and have a large working surface.  I finally settled on table top dimensions of 48 inches wide by 37 inches deep.  The top overlaps the frame by 3 inches on each side for clamping feather boards and other goodies to the table.  I've never regretted these dimensions while using the table, only while trying to figure out how to get more equipment into my shop.  When I'm not using it for router functions, I often find myself using the table as a workbench for other activities.

The welded frame is made of standard 1.5 inch square tube steel with a 0.120 wall thickness.  I wanted the design to be very stable yet easy to move.  I accomplished this by mounting it on 3 inch diameter rotating casters with glides in the corners that can be adjusted to raise the whole table to suspend the casters off the floor and allow leveling.  It takes a few minutes to move the table and set it back up, but the design has served me well.

You can download the mechanical drawing in a windows metafile format for inserting into most word processing software or download the mechanical drawing in an AutoCAD 2004 format for editing and/or printing.

The interior tubes that run front to back on the top and bottom serve multiple functions.  At the top they provide plenty of support to make sure the top never warps (even when I set my spindle sander up there for extended periods of time).  At both top and bottom, they provide the structure for mounting a chest of drawers (that I still think I will build some day) in each side and the dust collection box.  The dust collection box will have a hinged door on the front for router adjustment and a bottom that slants down to a 4 inch dust collection port in the back.  The backs of the drawer chests provide the sides for the dust collection box.

The 7 inch X 1/4 inch triangles in the lower corners position the casters in far enough to miss the leveling mounts when they swing.  They should be welded in place with a heavy stitch weld.  The leg tubes in the four corners extend down past the triangles for proper position of the mount tubes which insert into the bottoms.  I suggest you purchase your casters and leveling mounts to measure the swing and height before settling on the size of the triangles and the length that the legs extend past them.  It is important to make sure the casters can swivel 360 degrees and that the mounts can extend down far enough to pick up the casters and high enough to set them down.  I used McMaster-Carr part number 60945K26 leveling mount tube end 1/2" - 13 and part number 61045K35 Nylon Base Swivel Leveling Mount 700 Lb capacity.

After welding the frame, all metal surfaces must be cleaned prior to spray painting.

The top board is 3/4 inch plywood covered with a sheet of 1/4 inch white high density polyethylene (see Mcmaster-Carr item 8619K467).  The high density polyethylene, HPDE, can be cut on a table saw or circular saw.  Extend the blade to maximum extension so that the teeth cut as close to perpendicular as possible.  I used my router and some straight edges to cut the hole in the HDPE for a pre-drilled 1/4 inch aluminum router plate.  The plastic and the plate are the same thickness to make installation easy.  The plastic can be fine tuned with sand paper and files.  Drill and countersink a hole near each corner for the screws that secure the plastic on the plywood.  Position the HDPE on the plywood and screw it into position.  Trace the router plate hole onto the plywood, remove the screws, and set the HDPE to the side.  Measure and mark lines 1/2 inch to the inside of each edge of the traced hole.  Unlike the hole in the HDPE, the hole in the plywood can have square corners if it is easier to cut them that way.  The marked hole should be 1 inch smaller in each dimension than the router plate.  Erase the lines traced from the plastic to prevent errors, and cut the hole.  Screw the plywood down to the frame and then screw the HDPE down to the top of the plywood using the 4 existing holes.  Check the match between the height of the HDPE and the height of the router plate.  Use masking tape to shim either under the edge of the plate or under the edge of the plastic until the transition is perfectly smooth on all sides.

Mount the fence.

© 2007 Trent Kelly, All Rights Reserved   

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