# Cheap 'N' Nasty Router Table



## Hrawk

Finally the weather let up long enough for me to continue building my new router table.

My last router threw a bearing and I decided to take a refund instead of waiting weeks for a replacement. Unfortunately that one included the table so that had to go back too









I'm happy with the way it turned out. Sure it's a little tall, but it brings it up to a nice work height.

Tomorrow I'm going to build a base and drawer into the bottom for storing all the bits. Probably add a double power point on the front somewhere to save reaching under to turn it on and off.

I was considering building in some T-grooves for a movable fence but I think I'll just settle for clamping a piece of timber on, should work the same.

A bit of sanding to hide my crappy joinery, a few coats of Estapol to finish and seal and done!

Cant wait to get some more board cuts happening!


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## ZDP-189

That looks great. Bear in mind that router tables are not designed for making small items like slingshots and they can remove fingertips faster than wood. I'm not a trained woodworker, but I always make sure my soft bits cannot get close to the blade. I always lock my frame down and then go over by holding and moving the router. I'd bet that almost anyone who's been injured by a router making slingshots got hurt while holding the frame.


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## Sam

ZDP-189 said:


> That looks great. Bear in mind that router tables are not designed for making small items like slingshots and they can remove fingertips faster than wood. I'm not a trained woodworker, but I always make sure my soft bits cannot get close to the blade. I always lock my frame down and then go over by holding and moving the router. I'd bet that almost anyone who's been injured by a router making slingshots got hurt while holding the frame.


Wise words, I saw a classmate get their tie trapped in a drill once, my DT teacher hadn't even noticed and thought I was trying to attack the poor guy when I ran towards him with a wood carving knife to cut him loose, fortunately no one was hurt but it did come awfully close, thankfully he'd been using it on a relatively slow RPM...


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## mxred91

Nice job.Much better than the one I made for making dowels (arrows). I made hundreds of shafts on something that was crude in comparison to yours. Ended up trashing it when I switched to bamboo arrows.

Is the stick a hold down for the board cut like Tex Shooter shows on his Youtube channel?


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## dragonmaster

Good job on the table I a old jig that turns my dermal into a drill press and a router table.


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## bunnybuster

Probably the most dangerous tool in the shop.
Freehand cutting a slingshot is most intense on a router table.
I find using a high speed and very sharp bit is key to a good cut and roundover bevel.
I will make a first cut at half the height to start, then make the final cut.
So far, no accidents.


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## Tex-Shooter

The only problem That I see with your router table is the top thickness. With that thickness, you need to extend the bit some too far and it is hard on the router bearings. Here is on that I have used for several years and it has the same problem, but not quite as bad, and I only use it to route band grooves 1/16 inch deep so it does not matter. The bit is in it in the picture protruding the distance that I use it. The table top is made with 3/4 Baltic Birch, 1/2 inch would work much better and a 1/4 aluminum plate would make a fine one. It fits in to my Black and Decker Workmate and locks up flat with the top. I just clamp a small board on it for a guide. I hang it on the wall when I am not using it.


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## Tex-Shooter

The hole in the handle of my slingshots is there to help me hold the slingshot when routing. When routing on a router table when routing on a router table I use this tool to help hold the slingshot and keep my hands away from the router blade. -- Tex-Shooter


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## Brewman

Good tip with the holder to keep your fingers clear.


Tex-Shooter said:


> The hole in the handle of my slingshots is there to help me hold the slingshot when routing. When routing on a router table when routing on a router table I use this tool to help hold the slingshot and keep my hands away from the router blade. -- Tex-Shooter
> http://www.youtube.c...h?v=WtXw9MKatE8


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## Hrawk

Tex-Shooter said:


> The only problem That I see with your router table is the top thickness.


Ahhh I can see how you think that would be a problem. I guess the photo is a bit deceiving. The top plate is in fact only 6mm, the 25mm MDF only helps to add strength to the whole thing and to help reinforce the top. I've attached another photo showing how it looks from underneath. I like your table design, very minimal yet still functional. I had considered doing the same but as I'm rather limited for work space, I decided to go for something free standing. I can sit this up on two saw horses and leave the rest of my small bench free for the drill press, belt & disc sander.... and my beer









As to all the safety warnings, thank you all, you can never be too safe. I'm comfortable using it without any danger to mi fingers. I've spent a lot of time around power tools including industrial sized band saws and I have great respect for the damage they are capable of inflicting and I am always extremely careful. Rounding a slingshot frame, I find my fingers never get closer than 80mm at minimum.

I do not cut out my frames on the router. I use a jigsaw for the rough shape, then use a drum sander on my drill press to finalise the shape and then use the router in the last step for rounding the edges and cutting the grooves for the bands.

Rummaging through my tool collection I also found 50 & 65mm hole saws which I had forgotten I had. I think I will be using these to cut the inside of the forks in future.

Mxred, no, that's not a push stick or handle for holding the work, it is a handle for a slingshot design I've been working on. Getting ready to make my first pictorial how-to for a very simple and cheap slingshot design that takes tubes, flats, solids, you name it.


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## Eddie_T

Has anyone tried a pin router using a template? 
http://www.mlcswoodw...s/daisypin.html


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## Hrawk

I have not used a pin router, but I do a lot of cutting from templates using a piloted flush cut trim bit.


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## Rapier

Sam said:


> That looks great. Bear in mind that router tables are not designed for making small items like slingshots and they can remove fingertips faster than wood. I'm not a trained woodworker, but I always make sure my soft bits cannot get close to the blade. I always lock my frame down and then go over by holding and moving the router. I'd bet that almost anyone who's been injured by a router making slingshots got hurt while holding the frame.


Wise words, I saw a classmate get their tie trapped in a drill once, my DT teacher hadn't even noticed and thought I was trying to attack the poor guy when I ran towards him with a wood carving knife to cut him loose, fortunately no one was hurt but it did come awfully close, thankfully he'd been using it on a relatively slow RPM...








[/quote]
Yep. When we where young my brother and I had very long hair. He RIPPED out a good patch when it got caught in a air powered drill! VERY NASTY...


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## Hrawk

Topic moved to Woodwork.


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## HopefulHunter

I'll get some photos of my new router table up next week, put the whole thing together using my (really cheap, £40,) router, and handtools. part of it was cut with a bandsaw also. It's lacking a drawer to keep my parts in, (Have to unscrew the base to attach it as it's a cheapo one and needs longer screws to go in, so need somewhere for the little screws)

This looks like it'll get the job done pretty guurd though









Eddie.


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## HopefulHunter

bTW Hrawk, I noticed your sides appear to be attached to the top with just butt joints, if you step them in an inch, and cut a rebate half the thickness of the tabletop, you can have them set in, then screw+glue them for a really secure joint with strength across the joint sideways. Do the same with another bit on the bottom and you'll have a fairly stable table (I'm a poet and I never suspected it!)


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## HopefulHunter

Here's the photos of my table!

Probably took about 8-12 hours in all honesty, but it's really sturdy and more or less fully functioning (Only limited by the rubbish router!)









Table & Fence










Emergency On/off (also main power supply as my router requires a button to be held down and i do that with a little plywood clip.)









My perfectly square fence, the benefit of this method rather than clamping a bit of timber on

















swinging arm for making angled cuts in wood.









My crappy little router sitting snugly in the base

















Closeup of the router base to show how it has been sunk into the ply (Did this freehand routering, was quite nerve racking!)









Features joints like this throughout, i cut a rebate with the router, then, when i had it at a nice tight fit, i screwed and glued them into place, it's completely square to the base and the tabletop









I think that's all of my photos! Sorry it was so photo intensive, but i figure that's the best way to describe it lol.

Hope you enjoy!

Eddie.


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## Hrawk

That's a really nice and well built table.

Mine was only ever meant to be temporary. When I finish of the workshop, I will be building a table into the work bench and putting a bit more effort into it, dust collection etc.


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## HopefulHunter

Thank you







And fair enough. I thought seeing as we were showing them to people I'd join in lol.

I've not really used it for anything yet though... Have to use it tomorrow with a bit of luck!

Eddie.


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## slingshooterman

Awesome!!!







I wish I could make one that good!


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## Iryman

ZDP-189 said:


> That looks great. Bear in mind that router tables are not designed for making small items like slingshots and they can remove fingertips faster than wood. I'm not a trained woodworker, but I always make sure my soft bits cannot get close to the blade. I always lock my frame down and then go over by holding and moving the router. I'd bet that almost anyone who's been injured by a router making slingshots got hurt while holding the frame.


Not made any board cuts, but I have worked with routers before, both freehand and table, and you are most definitely right, fingertips can disappear in the blink of an eye. However, they are a most fantastic woodworking tool. Paying attention and concentration on the job at hand are the order of the day when working with a router.


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## KennyCannon

ZDP-189 said:


> My DT teacher hadn't even noticed and thought I was trying to attack the poor guy when I ran towards him with a wood carving knife to cut him loose,


lol


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## Beanflip

Tex-Shooter said:


> The only problem That I see with your router table is the top thickness. With that thickness, you need to extend the bit some too far and it is hard on the router bearings. Here is on that I have used for several years and it has the same problem, but not quite as bad, and I only use it to route band grooves 1/16 inch deep so it does not matter. The bit is in it in the picture protruding the distance that I use it. The table top is made with 3/4 Baltic Birch, 1/2 inch would work much better and a 1/4 aluminum plate would make a fine one. It fits in to my Black and Decker Workmate and locks up flat with the top. I just clamp a small board on it for a guide. I hang it on the wall when I am not using it.


 Bump.
Looks like a good simple solution Tex. I think I will make one like yours.


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