Project:Router Table

ProjectInfoBox Building a Router Table
Status:	planning
Initiator:	Mitja, Lukas
Team:	who else would like to help?
Materials Used:	probably mostly plywood

We have a (simple) commercial router table now! Building our own would still be good at some point and could improve some of the other one's shortcomings :-)

A powerful router is heavy and too dangerous to be used on any boards narrower than its base. We want to build a table where the router is mounted upside down so the wood can be fed through (a similar principle as with a table saw vs. a handheld circular saw).

Planning

The table needs to be sturdy for a safe operation but also adjustable for the many use cases.

Location

Somewhere in the wood workshop - could perhaps be integrated into a large enough table saw and use the same fence!

Build

If you find promising designs online, please link them here! Lukas also has a woodworking magazine (HolzWerken) with plans for a small table which could be used as inspiration.

• OpenLift, an OpenSource Router Lift
• Selfmade Router Table based on Aluminium profiles
• router lift using a threaded rod
• awesome tilting router lift with wooden gears (won't fit our big plunge router though)
• first half of this video shows an adaptation for our router model (fence needs more thought than what's shown)
• demonstration of a very simple bench mounted one with general tips & tricks for working with a router table
• Steve Ramsey's router table and router lift
• Frästisch von "Holzwerken" mit Bauanleitung im Heft [1]
  • Alternative: Horizontal-Frästisch

Safety

Only push cuts should be done on a router table, otherwise workpieces will start flying...

We need to make various guidance jigs and push sticks/blocks once the table takes shape, and include clear direction markers to reduce the chance of accidental climb cuts happening. However, the proper direction can be less clear when the cut is inside the workpiece instead of along its edge! ^[2]