Router table gloat

[merrill77]

I came across this on CL last night and was lucky enough to be the first caller. I picked it up today. The seller built it based on the NYW plans. It's pretty sturdy and when I eyeballed the top, it looked very flat (I haven't put the straightedge on it, yet). It's a little beat up and some of the drawers stick...hopefully the latter will fix itself in my humidity controlled shop - it was in a barn when I picked it up. I've been thinking about building something similar (I could really use the extra storage space) but didn't really want to spend the time on it. I couldn't even buy the materials for the $50 price tag. I can't wait to get my router into it...:gar-Bi

 

[Mt. Gomer]

I saw that too but you'd already called by that time. No way you could build it for anywhere near that price. Heck of a deal if there's no major flaws...

Trav

 

[richlife]

Wow! Looks really good to me also. You'd have to get very "custom built" to beat it. Rich

 

[Glennbear]

Wow Chris !!!! That is definitely gloatable :gar-La; Congratulations on a super bargain. :wsmile:

 

[jhreed]

I saw the same add, but it said spoken for but check back Sunday. I was checking today but it was gone of course. You got a great deal. No way you could buy the material for that.
congrats
James

 

[LeftyTom]

He SCORES! :icon_cheers He routes! :icon_thum

You cannot buy a top and fence system for $50, let alone the whole shebang.

 

[merrill77]

For the price, I was not optimistic about the flatness of the table surface and was prepared to replace it. But I was pleasantly surprised when I put my straightedge on it - it seems quite flat. I haven't been brave enough to put winding sticks on it yet...maybe this weekend The plate also fits very nicely - so nicely that I need a rubber mallet to tap it in and out. The holes drilled in the plate also lined up perfectly with my Triton

The fence on the other hand...not so good. It's not 90deg to the table and the two sliding faces are not co-planar...so it looks like I'll be building a new fence.

The bit drawers were sticking so bad that the original owner never drilled the drawers to hold bits. After pulling off the drawer fronts, I widened the kerf on the bottom of the drawer and they all slide freely now. The drawer fronts were held on with brads...not sure yet what I'm going to use. Since the drawer fronts are painted MDF, I might just put screws right through the front, then wood putty and re-paint.

I drilled the bit-holding holes in the drawers last night...I now have storage for 152 bits! I can't imagine ever filling that up!

 

[Ray Martin]

Terrific score Chris. Particularly at that price. Congrats.

 

[Bas]

I can't imagine ever filling that up!

:rotflm: :rotflm: :rotflm: :rotflm: :rotflm:

 

[merrill77]

:rotflm: :rotflm: :rotflm: :rotflm: :rotflm:

Ya know, I almost laughed when I wrote that, too. But really, 152? Does any one here have >152 bits? Well, anyone who isn't running a woodworking business and doesn't work for a tool company?

 

[Vetteman9956]

You will be surprized how fast you fill that up. Amazing how the mind works when open space is involved in a shop. Open space = New Tool. :icon_thum Remember we all started with one tool!!!

 

[Canuck]

Ya know, I almost laughed when I wrote that, too. But really, 152? Does any one here have >152 bits? Well, anyone who isn't running a woodworking business and doesn't work for a tool company?

Bits are like routers.................can't ever have enough!:gar-La;:gar-La;:gar-La;

Wayne

 

[merrill77]

Bits are like routers.................can't ever have enough!:gar-La;:gar-La;:gar-La;

There was a time I could not understand why you would ever need more than 2 routers - one in the table and one for free-hand work. I now have 4. Well, maybe the old craftsman shouldn't count? I haven't used it in 6 years and only keep it because selling would be more work than its worth.

 

[merrill77]

Update on the router table

As I expected, I've found that I'll need to build a new top and fence. The top is close to flat, but not quite as flat as I'd like. More importantly, the plate doesn't sit flat in the top, and the warp in the top makes it impossible to get all four corners even with the top. In addition, the circular inserts in the plate don't sit flat with the plate and the fence isn't 90deg with the top.

I started on a new top today using a part of an old desk I liberated from the trash heap. It is particle board with plastic laminate on top and bottom. It is very nearly flat - just a very slight crown in the center - maybe 1/64" above the edges over the 30" width. Like my last table, I'm going to skip the router plate completely. I've been happy with that choice since building the last table...hopefully I'll feel the same way!

Chris

 

[merrill77]

I put a new top on the router table today. It is part of a top from an old desk salvaged from my office - I still need to put some edge banding on it. It appears that the fence from my old table is a little short for the new table . I guess the next step will be a new fence!

 

[merrill77]

I got the edge banding on today. Here's an in-progress picture. The recycled desktop I used for the router table top wasn't as wide as I would have liked...so I made the edges wide enough to be able to get clamps on the edge for holding jigs, etc. I decided to go the easy route and pulled out the plate joiner. Hopefully I'll get enough strength that clamping jigs, fences, etc on that edge trim won't be a problem.

 

[merrill77]

I was fortunate to find some time in the shop yesterday, so I was able to finish the edge-trim and build a fence. I went with the same simplistic design I used on my previous router table fence, which is a pretty no-frills setup. On the upside, a 36x15" sheet of melamine/particle board is only $7 and is very straight. So the only real concern during the build was ensuring a perfect 90deg relationship to the table. This fence can also be flipped - resulting in an 8" high fence for working larger panels. I'm sticking with the screw-clamps for securing the fence for now - it's worked surprisingly well on my old table. I did, however, let the fence overhang by a bit on either side to give me the option of adding another clamping mechanism in the future.

I've started plumbing in dust collection as well. I think I'm going to end up with a 4" hose coming out the right side of the cabinet and then splitting in the router cavity to collect from both the router base, under the table, as well as a 2.5" hose connected to the fitting you can see on the fence. I'm still working on a way to optimize chip collection under the table...

 

[Mt. Gomer]

Looking Good Chris!

 

[LeeNC]

Nice save! That is goung to b one awsome router station.

 

[merrill77]

Nice save! That is goung to b one awsome router station.

My fence is pretty simplistic. I saw your fence in your pic and the more detailed pics in your gallery - very nice! I really do need to add a bit guard to mine!

How do you like your mini-mill? Do you use it mostly for WWing or do you use it for metalwork, too?