Router tables

[Chris Pyle]

Just a quick question to the group to see if anyone else has a nice router table set-up?

I've read Chris' post on the Jessem MastR lift Excel II with prototype aluminum table. I know he wrote those posts in 2012 and it still hasn't hit the market.

I wrote an email to Jessem asking if their prototype would be released anytime soon or if we'd be able to purchase directly from them {and I may have name dropped Chris' carpentry study group }

Anyone else in this group have a beloved router table? INCRA? Another Jess'em? Maybe even a Krieg or one of the many others? I'd like to hear anyone's take as this will likely be my next powertool purchase since it'll fit in my tiny workshop/basement.

[Chris Pyle]

Chris,

I am correct in believing that the prototype Jessem Router table you received is different from their current offerings, yes? I really want to purchase a router table but I'd rather buy the best once. I believe the current has a phenolic top?

[Chris Hall]

The run of aluminum router table tops were done for a Woodcraft store in Pennsylvania. When I got wind of it I managed to obtain one of those tops. At that point, they were unsure if they would put it into production, the main hesitation on their side relating to price point. It seems they have not gone ahead with production. I had hoped they would, as the aluminum top is better than the phenolic top.

The main thing that a router table top needs to be is flat. If not flat, then a top which was slightly convex around the cutter would be workable. What doesn't work is a top that is concave around the cuttter.

I didn't find the phenolic top that Jessem made to be flat, or at least it did not stay flat. The aluminum top has remained flat and works well.

Have you looked at Festool's router table? Have you looked at Bench dogs cast iron top? Have you considered buying a piece of aluminum tool plate and having it machined to fit a router or router lift?

Another possibility I considered was getting an old shaper and converting it somehow to work as a router table. Alas, having your own Bridgeport would be nice sometimes!

~C

[Chris Pyle]

The run of aluminum router table tops were done for a Woodcraft store in Pennsylvania. When I got wind of it I managed to obtain one of those tops. At that point, they were unsure if they would put it into production, the main hesitation on their side relating to price point. It seems they have not gone ahead with production. I had hoped they would, as the aluminum top is better than the phenolic top.

The main thing that a router table top needs to be is flat. If not flat, then a top which was slightly convex around the cutter would be workable. What doesn't work is a top that is concave around the cuttter.

I didn't find the phenolic top that Jessem made to be flat, or at least it did not stay flat. The aluminum top has remained flat and works well.

Have you looked at Festool's router table? Have you looked at Bench dogs cast iron top? Have you considered buying a piece of aluminum tool plate and having it machined to fit a router or router lift?

Another possibility I considered was getting an old shaper and converting it somehow to work as a router table. Alas, having your own Bridgeport would be nice sometimes!

~C

Ha ha at the Bridgeport. It'd be really nice but far too big for my current set-up. Since I still only have a basement until we find a home, a router table made sense. (But that was assuming there was a suitable router table to be purchased).

I've looked at Festool's table and it looks great for a contractor on site but I'm not sure it offers the sturdy/micro-adjustable nature of some of the other fences/router-lifts/etc.

Bench dog looks promising but they are out of stock everywhere I've looked. The aluminum tool plate sounds like an interesting idea but I'm afraid I'd be over my head. I looked up tool plate and it appears that even a 24x36 of 1.25" aluminum plate is running around $600 if I want it to be within .005 flatness across. Then to get the miter t-track machined and have the appropriate cutout made for a router lift would probably increase quite a bit of cost.

So... it looks like the bench dog or excalibur cast iron tables may be the best option. The excalibur has had some quality issues but apparently they are willing to make it right. The search continues...

[Paul Atzenweiler]

I have a cast iron extension from Peachtree. I think it is the same as the Bench Dog. There are several to choose from. They run from $300 - 500. I don't have a lot of space in my shop so the tablesaw extension actually adds to my work surface. For years I worked with a homemade formica counter top scrap attached to my tablesaw. It worked just fine - it just wore out. I have a router lift from Woodpeckers and like it very much. The only thing I don't like is the indicator (which is in thousandths) will sometimes not turn when I raise the router so I tend to use my digital calipers as a setup guide. I like this set up so much I think I will add another extention on the other side of my saw and have 2 router set ups. I have the largest Porter Cable router motor in my lift and it was about $300. While all this is not as expensive as the super duper delux shapers it does add up. It has been money well spent. I use the tablesaw fence most of the time and I have a Delta uni-fence. I have purchased a separate router fence which is divided and adjustable in the center to accomodate large bits. The table has been easy to set up and adjust and is my favorite set up I have tried.
I also have a Bosch portable router table. I have it because I obtained it very cheaply from a garage sale and it had never been set up. I have used it extensively and have found it to be very adequate. I find with the Bosch I clamp the fence to the table with C-clamps - not the provided clamps.
I have found through out the years that any time and money spent on a good router set up is worth it. I love cutting, grooving, edging etc, with hand tools but a router makes quick accurate work of things.
The pictures I have added are stock photos, however I will happily add photos of my actual set up.

[Paul Atzenweiler]

Another very important thing to remember when purchasing a router table is to make sure the opening is the same size as your router lift table - there are 2 sizes!!

[Chris Hall]

You don't need 1.25" thickness for the top. 0.5" would be fine, especially if you put in some stiffening ribs.

You know, the miter t-track thing is not something I use much myself. Not sure how critical it is to have really. I have one mitering jig which makes use of the t-track, but I hardly ever use it. That said, I do have Jessem's cross cut slide unit on top of my fence and that comes in handy sometimes.

Lee Valley sells a steel router top that might be worth consideration.

[Chris Pyle]

Thanks Paul, when I looked on Peachtree's website, it looked like the only cast iron option was for the table saw insert. I'm wanting a free-standing table.

I'd really like to see pics of your set-up.

Did an updated search and found

http://www.discountsteel.com/items/C250 ... nts=&qty=1

This looks like the ticket if I go this route. If you go to the page, you'll see there are flatness tolerances given for different widths. The critical width is 3/4", since at that point the flatness is guaranteed within .005"

The biggest problem with going this route is that I'm uncertain how to get a machine shop to clean-out the drop in router plate area? When asking a shop to do something like this, do I need to purchase a router lift and take it to the shop? Or find dimensions and tell them what I'm looking for?

Chris, like you said, perhaps the t-slot isn't super important if I either: purchase the Jessem fence so I can purchase the Mast'R slide sliding gauge or I could purchase a fence like the Incra and retrofit the Mast'R slide sliding gauge. I was able to find one person who has already done this and posted a tutorial on it.

Would you still suggest some type of flat steel bracing underneath?

I'm open to all suggestions since this is foreign territory for me.

[Chris Hall]

The biggest problem with going this route is that I'm uncertain how to get a machine shop to clean-out the drop in router plate area? When asking a shop to do something like this, do I need to purchase a router lift and take it to the shop? Or find dimensions and tell them what I'm looking for?

Either approach could work, but likely the most reliable would be to bring the drop in router's lift assembly in with you and explain how you need the plate cut to accommodate it.

I would still look to place bracing underneath, and after the shop machine's the opening they should recheck the plate for flatness. Metal moves when it is cut sometimes.

It's not the cheapest route but you would obtain a flat router table afterwards. I would also plan to hard-coat anodize the plate afterwards, as raw aluminum can leave a mark on wood.

Consider a Mitutoyo quill kit as well, which would be the best z-axis indicator available. The machine shop could probably adapt it onto the router lift mechanism.

[Chris Pyle]

That Mitutoyo quill kit looks nice!

Before I get too invested in this process and begin purchasing, would it be just as reasonable to purchase the ex-calibur top and have it surfaced and the quill installed at that time? I'm thinking it may save money and give the exact same result?

http://www.tools-plus.com/excalibur-40-075.html

Maybe I'm wrong and precision surfacing will cost just as much as the machining required for the router lift cutout? My biggest problem in guestimating all of this, is that I've never had anything machined. I'm sure it's variable, but what kind of prices are we looking at here?

I'm not going to cut corners but I wonder if these would produce similar results?