Interesting compact router table

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  • JonMarsh
    Mad Max Moderator
    • Aug 2000
    • 15259

    Interesting compact router table

    This is an interesting accessory I just learned about (on Valentines Day, while shopping for other things) at my local Sears....





    In case you're wondering what it is, it's a router table insert which fits 27" deep table saws. Not sure if it's quite heavy duty enough for all the things I would like to do, but at first glance it looks pretty good, and it's hard to argue with the price, at $109.99.

    It looks like a possible alternative for those (like me) who are "space challenged" when setting up a modest woodwoorking shop.

    Though router adapter plates are available so a wide range of routers could be fitted, I suspect rather than put my Cable and Porter "big guy" plunge router in something like this, buying a big Hitachi as a dedicated tool for the platform would make a lot of sense.

    Now I'd better duck and cover, 'cause sure as the sun shines first in the east, I know Hank will have some good reasons why I shouldn't even consider this, depending on the size of my work pieces! :W

    And since he knows woodworking like I know zero loop feedback analog electronics, I'd probably better listen to the big guy.... :LOL:


    BTW, feeling great this last week- legs and lower back haven't been this good in over a year. I smell springtime and the sweet scent of MDF dust in the air!

    -Jon




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  • Dennis H
    Ultra Senior Member
    • Aug 2002
    • 3791

    #2
    Hi Jon,

    Glad you're starting to feel frisky again.

    I think the term "compact router table" is sort of an oxymoron for the sort of work you're contemplating. Me, I'd just figure out a way to mount my router to a 4x8 sheet of MDF or plywood. Put it on saw horses and make an 8' wooden fence that can be clamped to the table. Use it as a work bench when you aren't routing and lean it against the wall when you want to park the car.

    Comment

    • JonMarsh
      Mad Max Moderator
      • Aug 2000
      • 15259

      #3
      Dang, Dennis,

      Do you all ways have to be so cheerfully sensible? :LOL:

      Your suggestion is quite practical, as long as I can come up with a stiffening method, and a good way to implement a controllable fence (so I can contrl the depth of cuts in both dimensions). Mostly I'm expecting to route edges on front panel assemblies with this, maybe some edges on small completed cabinets, not sure yet.

      Hmmm.

      Probabably the real problem here is that I am something of a gadget freak, and this appeals to my sense of "gadget freakness", by having a way to combine two tool sets into a single sturdy platform.

      Well, something to think about!

      Best regards,

      Jon




      Earth First!
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      Comment

      • Jack Gilvey
        Senior Member
        • Aug 2001
        • 510

        #4
        This is an interesting accessory I just learned about (on Valentines Day, while shopping for other things) at my local Sears....
        So you just happened to wander out of lingerie and into hardware?

        ...as long as I can come up with a stiffening method...
        Ahh, the years do take their toll, do they not? :LOL:

        Comment

        • Brian Bunge
          Super Senior Member
          • Nov 2001
          • 1389

          #5
          Jon,

          Check out www.rockler.com. I'd give you a better link if I could get to the site, but it seems to be down at the moment. IIRC, they have something similar to that but should be better. It uses plate that can be attached to your router but then also can be lifted out of the top to make changing bits easier. You can also use the router as a hand-held witout having to remove the plate on the bottom.

          I use one of their free-standing router tables and they work very well. It's not at fancy as what Hank has, but it's worked great so far. I am tempted to get one like Hank's though!

          Brian

          Comment

          • Brian Bunge
            Super Senior Member
            • Nov 2001
            • 1389

            #6
            OK, Rockler's website is back up. Here's the table I was talking about.




            Brian

            Comment

            • Steve Elias
              Junior Member
              • Feb 2003
              • 4

              #7
              While I don't have that exac tmdoel/type, I do have an older Sears "Industrial" router table that is VERY similar. It sits idle in a corner of the garage as it falls short in a few areas. IME, spend your money on a quality DIY router table, or check out the offerings at ROckler and similar places. THere are clearly better options for either stand alone or "table saw component" router tables. However, if you like to trade something for my Sears Industrial router table, I'm always open to offers
              -Steve

              Comment

              • Hank
                Super Senior Member
                • Jul 2002
                • 1345

                #8
                Jon, I've already posted my router table suggestion. I built it from plans from Jointech. They even have a video with a cabinet maker building the table. It's heavy duty and the table top will provide the surface area you'll need for running cabinets across it. BTW, the Jointech fence is unbeatable - it won a woodworking magazine award for best router fence. There's a pic of the table on their site:
                http://www.jointech.com
                Do you have limited floor space? If so, I understand you're wanting to consider small tables.

                Comment

                • JonMarsh
                  Mad Max Moderator
                  • Aug 2000
                  • 15259

                  #9
                  You know, I never did quite figure out how I strayed from the lingerie department into power saws and routers- but I suspect it's because the latter are on the first floor on the major exit to the only covered parking at our mall, so I almost always park their, just so I can ogle the hardware when I'm walking in (beats going through the JC Penny entrance anyday! :B

                  Yeah, Hank, I'm a slow learner at times. And I do appreciate your post, it's just that space considerations are still pretty important.





                  The Rockler doodad is pretty interesting also. Actually, probably a bit more so, just another thing to think about.... of course, that's what's great about life in this country, is a surfeit of options to choose from.

                  Regards,

                  Jon




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                  Comment

                  • David Meek
                    Moderator Emeritus
                    • Aug 2000
                    • 8938

                    #10
                    You guys are really bad for my wallet, you know that? Do the "wings" on my tablesaw have to removed to use the Rockler system? I've got a Craftsman with the cast lattice wings.




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                    Comment

                    • JonMarsh
                      Mad Max Moderator
                      • Aug 2000
                      • 15259

                      #11
                      http://www.jointech.comSince the wings in your saw don't have fittings for a router table (like say a Ryobi BT3100) you would have to mount the new table insert in place of one of your wings.

                      I'm going back and forth on this, now leaning towards a standalone router table, and looking at the options...






                      So many toys, so little time and money!


                      ~Jon




                      Earth First!
                      _______________________________
                      We'll screw up the other planets later....
                      the AudioWorx
                      Natalie P
                      M8ta
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                      Isiris
                      Wavecor Ardent

                      SMJ
                      Minerva Monitor
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                      In Development...
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                      Resistance is not futile, it is Volts divided by Amperes...
                      Just ask Mr. Ohm....

                      Comment

                      • Hank
                        Super Senior Member
                        • Jul 2002
                        • 1345

                        #12
                        So, slow-learning caterpillar, you are coming around to my suggestion
                        Jon, that Jointech fence is a sweet unit. You can adjust the infeed and outfeed sides, and the vacuum fitting on the end really sucks out the dust and keeps it out of the air. You could buy the Jointech table top and fence and mount the table top on a simple cabinet which would enclose your router. Then, there's the lure of a metal plate insert with top-accessable router lift mechanism... Here's Jointech's: http://www.jointech.com/rlp2000.html
                        I have the PlungeLift for my Freud FT200E big mama plunge router: http://www.woodpeck.com/plungelift.html $149 and it sure makes router height adjustment easy!

                        Comment

                        • JonMarsh
                          Mad Max Moderator
                          • Aug 2000
                          • 15259

                          #13
                          Hey, and it even can fit my Hitachi 12V....




                          Combine it with a Jointech phenolic tops, might be pretty sweet....




                          Did you have a particular preference for the PlungeLift over the Jointech version? Hard to tell just from the web info; both look pretty good.




                          Yup, that's me, the slow little furry catepillar, slowly nosing my way around the options, looking at this, looking at that, letting the stuff sink into my subconscious for a while until it get's burped back up at the weirdest times, sometimes I think just due to some freak association of words or images- but with suitable post processing. I know that sounds weird, but sometimes I just have to avoid "conscious" decsions and let the ole subconscious work on things a while and mull it over... this is true in a lot of areas, before I decide on a direction. Maybe that's why ThomasW calls me an idiot savant somedays...

                          ~Jon




                          Earth First!
                          _______________________________
                          We'll screw up the other planets later....
                          the AudioWorx
                          Natalie P
                          M8ta
                          Modula Neo DCC
                          Modula MT XE
                          Modula Xtreme
                          Isiris
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                          SMJ
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                          In Development...
                          Isiris Mk II updates- in final test stage!
                          Obi-Wan
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                          Modula PWB
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                          Natalie P Supreme
                          Janus BP1 Sub


                          Resistance is not futile, it is Volts divided by Amperes...
                          Just ask Mr. Ohm....

                          Comment

                          • Hank
                            Super Senior Member
                            • Jul 2002
                            • 1345

                            #14
                            Jon, my router is a plunge router, which the PlungeLift is designed for. The Jointech mechanism is for a Porter-Cable router motor only. Yes, there is a PlungeLift model for the Hitachi M12V.
                            Life is short - place your order. :LOL:

                            Comment

                            • Hank
                              Super Senior Member
                              • Jul 2002
                              • 1345

                              #15
                              double post ops:

                              Comment

                              • Brandon B
                                Super Senior Member
                                • Jun 2001
                                • 2193

                                #16
                                Woodpeck.com has the really nice Incra miter setup for table saw for sale at a real reduced price right now ($140), in the specials refub area.

                                BB

                                Comment

                                • JonMarsh
                                  Mad Max Moderator
                                  • Aug 2000
                                  • 15259

                                  #17
                                  Thanks Brandon, I'd noticed that, too. Right now, I've got so many "wanna buys" on my list my head is spinning like Rosemary's baby....

                                  Also pondering a special deal Jointech has for the Saw Train setup....

                                  The "decision" about this has to be made by the time I start my next big speaker project; that still doesn't look like it will be before August.


                                  ~Jon




                                  Earth First!
                                  _______________________________
                                  We'll screw up the other planets later....
                                  the AudioWorx
                                  Natalie P
                                  M8ta
                                  Modula Neo DCC
                                  Modula MT XE
                                  Modula Xtreme
                                  Isiris
                                  Wavecor Ardent

                                  SMJ
                                  Minerva Monitor
                                  Calliope
                                  Ardent D

                                  In Development...
                                  Isiris Mk II updates- in final test stage!
                                  Obi-Wan
                                  Saint-Saëns Symphonique/AKA SMJ-40
                                  Modula PWB
                                  Calliope CC Supreme
                                  Natalie P Ultra
                                  Natalie P Supreme
                                  Janus BP1 Sub


                                  Resistance is not futile, it is Volts divided by Amperes...
                                  Just ask Mr. Ohm....

                                  Comment

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