4 R O U T E R TA B L E S

Router Table-Mate
by Steve Shanesy

C ommercially made router tables

are everywhere these days. Some
of them come with more gizmos and
With all these features in mind, I
hit on the idea of using my folded-up
Workmate stored under the stairs.
the top of his router table tilt up for
easy adjustments. Bingo. Now my
Workmate/router table goes right
gadgets than a ’59 Edsel. By the time Can’t I just make a top for it? Then back under the stairs and takes up
you tally up all the add-ons, the price I remembered the great idea from only another 1½" of space, the thick-
approaches a medium-duty shaper. Contributing Editor Nick Engler in ness of the router tabletop. You can
Here’s my short list of “must-have” our January 2000 issue. Nick made also use this router table without a
features for a good router table:
• A table the size of a carrier deck.
• Compact design so it can store
easily.
• A stout fence that’s long and
easy to adjust.
• Easy bit-height adjustment with
no stooping.
• Great dust collection.
• A $60 price tag.

T H E U LT I M AT E R O U T E R G U I D E 131
R O U T E R TA B L E S

Workmate. A simple pair of saw- together, it’s best to work on the plywood top. Cut a circle (assuming
horses will suffice. top plywood piece. Since you must your router has a round base) on the
rout out the underside of this top underside of the top that is approxi-
Customizing Your Table piece where the router base will be mately ¼" larger in diameter than
While the fence is generic to any mounted, do it before gluing the the router base. Place the circle jig’s
router table setup, the table needs to two sheets together. The hole in the indexing pin in the center hole you
be customized for your needs. You bottom sheet can be simply cut with just drilled. Rout the circle and the
may have a different brand router a jigsaw. remaining waste inside the circle.
than mine, so you will have to relieve First, lay out where you want your Next, turn the plywood piece
the underside of the table to accom- router base to be mounted and find over. Use your center hole and circle
modate the shape of your tool. You’ll the exact center of the base. I put the jig to cut a ⅛"-deep circular rabbet
have to locate the mounting holes for centerpoint on my table 8” in from or ledge for your plastic inserts to fit
the base to suit your router. You may the back edge and centered right to into. The insert diameter is 4¾". But
prefer a different table height. If you left. So once the point is established, before you use this insert size, check
are below average height, you’ll want drill a ⁄" hole straight through to the size of your router’s base. You
the make the angle at which the table the other side. You’ll need this loca- may need to make a smaller-diam-
props up less steeply. tion for work later on. eter insert based on the size of your
The top is made from two pieces Now set up a router with a circle- router base. The router I mounted in
of ¾" birch plywood that are glued cutting jig and a ½" straight bit. the table is a massive Porter-Cable
together and banded with ¾"-thick Set the bit so it will cut to a depth 7518. I made the insert hole size
solid birch. Before gluing anything that will leave a ⅜" thickness in the large enough to accommodate the

A larger base for the router

was the ticket for bridging the
open areas left by routing out
the plywood for the router’s
base. It was later used as a
small circle cutting jig for the
tabletop and plastic inserts.
Use the same cutter and it’s
easy to keep track of dimen-
sions for cutting inside or
outside circles.

#6-32 x ½" Brass threaded

flat head screw insert ⁄" Plexiglas insert ½" rabbet to hold insert

¼"
Make router base ¾"
recess ¼"
larger than Router base
actual base attached to ¾"
size underside of top

132 ROUTER TABLE-MATE

largest diameter router bits. Router Table and Fence
Now make the hole the router bits No. Ltr. Item Dimensions (in inches) Material
pass through. Leave a ledge about T W L
½" wide all around for the removable 2 A Table top ¾ 23 35 birch ply
inserts to rest on. 1 B Top edge banding ¾ 1½ 11' solid birch
Now take the second sheet of ply- 1 C Workmate board ¾ 4 27⁄ any hardwood
wood and jigsaw the cut to accom- 1 D Prop stick ¾ 18¾ dowel stock
modate the router base. Also, make 1 E Prop bracket ½ 11⁄2 4 Baltic birch
any cuts necessary to allow for your 1 F Fence bottom ½ 8 41 Baltic birch
router base’s handles. When done, 2 G Fence sub fronts ½ 3 2½ Baltic birch
glue the two sheets together. Keep 2 H Dust chute sides ½ 4⁄ 8 Baltic birch
the edges flush. 1 I Dust chute top ½ 4 5 Baltic birch
When the glue is dry, trim the 1 J Chute angled top ½ 5 4¾ Baltic birch
top to finished size on the table 1 K Chute back ½ 5 5 Baltic birch
saw. Now prepare some stock for 2 L End ribs ½ 2⁄ 3 Baltic birch
the solid-edge banding. Miter the 2 M Mid ribs ½ 2⁄ 2⁄ Baltic birch
corners and glue it on. Make sure it 2 N Fence adjust. front ¾ 4 16 any hardwood
is flush to the top. When dry, sand Hardware: 3, 6-32 threaded inserts and ½" 6-32 screws; 4 each ⁄" x 1½" round
everything flush, then rout a roundo- head machine screws, star washers, flat washers and wing nuts, 1 pr. medium-
ver profi le on the top edge. duty loose-pin hinges. Acrylic ⁄" sheet 12" square, 1 switched plug strip.

Tabletop Inserts
Make the round tabletop inserts just drill a hole to accommodate the Complete the Top
from ⅛" acrylic. I made three inserts circle-cutting jig’s pin or nail. To fasten the inserts to the table,
to cover most of the router bit sizes The three hole sizes I made in the install three threaded inserts in
I’d encounter. First set the circle jig inserts were 1", 1¾" and 2¾". The the rabbet. I used inserts for a 6-32
to cut a circle that is the same size smaller holes were drilled using hole flush machine screw. Once installed,
as the insert hole. Set your router saws but the larger size required the transfer their locations to the acrylic
to make an outside cut instead of circle-cutting jig. inserts, then drill and countersink
an inside cut. To rout the acrylic, the plastic.

Inside view of the dust chute from the rear

including the plastic 4" to 3" dust collec-
tion hose adapter. Rout the 3" hole for the
adapter with the circle-cutting jig or use a As you assemble the fence, make sure it is square along its length. Be sure and check it again
“fly cutter” in your drill press. after it is clamped up.

T H E U LT I M AT E R O U T E R G U I D E 133
R O U T E R TA B L E S

Next make a new piece to replace As mentioned earlier, the length six dadoes, following the layout lines
the rear board on the Work mate’s of the prop stick will depend on how already marked. When done, cut the
table. The homemade board is nar- tall you are. On the end of the stick center dado on the subfronts mak-
rower and allows the router to swing opposite the 25° angle, drill two ing sure it locates precisely where the
up unencumbered. Cut the board to holes that intersect each other to dado in the bottom falls. Next raise
the dimensions given in the materials allow the stick to pivot in two direc- the dado set to cut ⅜" deep and run
list and locate holes that match those tions, side to side so that it can be the rabbets on the ends and bottom
in your existing Workmate. The lowered when not in use and angled of the fence subfronts.
new board is slightly shorter than to allow you to tip it forward when Remove the dado and cut the
the original. Install the Workmate propping the tabletop. Use a stout fence ribs and pieces that make up
connecting hardware and place the wood screw, a #10 or #12, to con- the dust collection chute. Use the
board in the furthermost connecting nect the prop stick to the edge of the diagram for the shape. Before assem-
hole of the Workmate. new shop-made top board. bling the fence, cut the half circle
On the underside of the router Next use a pair of hinges to con- in the fence bottom for the throat
tabletop you’ll need to install a piece nect the top to the Work mate’s front opening, then use a rasp to slope
of ½" material where the stick that board. Locate them about 4" in from the back edge for more efficient dust
supports the top in the open position each end. evacuation.
locks in place. I used a ¾" dowel for
a prop stick and drilled an oversized Now Make the Fence Assemble the Fence
hole on a 25° angle in the block to Keep in mind the most important Be careful when you assemble the
nest it. factor in making the fence is that it fence to make sure it goes together
is straight and square to the table. It square. First dry-fit all the parts to
could be shimmed later, but you’ll be be sure you have a good fit. Then
fussing with it forever. glue the ribs and dust chute sides
Start by laying out the full size to the bottom, making sure all the
shape of the bottom piece on the edges are flush to the front edge. If
material you will actually use. Be you have a brad nailer, set these in
sure you have a true, straight edge for place with a couple short brads. Glue
what will be the front. the fence subfronts to the bottom
Go ahead and lay out where the and ribs. Clamp front to back until
dadoes will be cut, including where the glue dries.
the half-round throat opening for the Now cut the three remaining
router will be. It’s best to do the lay- dust chute parts: the top, angled top
out by first establishing the center of and back. Cut a half circle in the
the length of the fence and working top similar to the one in the fence
out from there. When done, cut the bottom.
back shape. It need not be pretty. After the glue in the fence assem-
Next cut out the two subfronts for bly has dried, glue the dust chute
the fence. Install your dado blade on top in place. Afterwards, install the
the table saw to cut the thickness of angled top and the back piece. The
the Baltic birch. angled top requires a steep angle cut
Once the tabletop is hinged to the Work- Now set the dado blades to make on the lower edge to seat down to the
mate’s front board, it’s easy to locate the a ⅛"-deep cut. While holding the flat top. I cut this angle on my band
positions for the prop stick and stick bracket.
Note the shop-made replacement board for front edge of the fence bottom saw. The back of the chute requires
the Workmate top. against the slot miter gauge, cut the a hole for dust collection. The chute

134 ROUTER TABLE-MATE

 J
N
CL I
4"
CL 4"
CL
1⁄" H

M
G
L
Break in your router table by milling the slots
in the fence subfront that will allow the fence F K
faces to adjust into or away from the router
bit. Lay out the stop/start lines and plunge
cut the slots.

is set up to take a 3" hose or a fitting and clamp it to the tabletop. Use
that reduces a 4" hose to a 3" hose. the fence diagram for setting the
I used a “fly cutter” in my drill press distance. Cut the 2"-long slots in the
to make the 3" hole. To complete the center of the openings between the
assembly of the dust chute, screw the ribs.
angled top, then the back in place. Make the adjustable fronts from
a tight-grained hardwood such as
Use Your New Router Table maple. Be sure the material is flat
Now use your router table to mill and straight. Cut the two pieces to
the slots in the fence’s subfronts that the lengths given. Make bevel cuts
Attach the fence faces using ⁄" roundhead allow the fence fronts to slide left to on the ends as shown in the diagram.
machine screws, a star washer, flat washer right. Carefully locate the hole locations
and wing nut. I tried using hex-head bolts Set your router in the table with where the ⅜" machine screws attach
but switched to screws because a screwdriver
can be used and makes a more secure attach- a ⅜" straight bit. Make a temporary the fronts through the slots in the
ment with less trouble. fence from a straight piece of scrap subfronts. Drill and countersink the
5" holes. For attachment, I used the
½"
screws along with star washers, flat
13" ½" x ⁄" 1" hole for washers and wing nuts.
dado wall hanging 5"
8⁄" The last detail is to cut a small
piece of acrylic as a “window” on the
3"
top of the dust chute into the router
3" radius ⁄" opening area below.
6" 5½" 5½" 4" 5½" 5½" 6" ½" x ⁄"
½" ½" rabbet leaves
41" ⁄" overhang
on fence sub
Plan fronts “G”

3" hole cut into

dust chute back "K"
8" 2⁄" 8⁄" ⁄"
2" 2⁄"
½" x ⁄" 3¼" 4⁄"
dado ½" ⁄"
25
2½" 3"
5" 4"
2½" 3"
½"
6" 5½" 5½" 4" 5½" 5½" 6"
½" ½" ½" ½"
5" 3" ⁄"
41"
8⁄"
Elevation Profile

T H E U LT I M AT E R O U T E R G U I D E 135