Project Information
I have planned a router table of some sort for quite some time. This winter I decided a table saw extension would best fit my needs. I have a 70's vintage Craftsman 12 inch floor saw with three table extensions - one left and two right. For the router extension I removed the table extension on the left side and built the router extension on that side.
The frame and top of the router extension are white oak. The top is a full inch thick and glued up from several pieces to limit movement. The frame sides are identical in height to the removed extension. The extension was 10 inch wide. The router insert is 16 inches wide.
I purchased a Rousseau 9×12 inch phenolic router table insert. From the reviews I read regarding that insert I felt it would fit my needs. I have not been disappointed. The fit and finish are very good. Height adjusters and snubbers work very well. Installation of the router is straight forward following the excellent instructions. The underside of the insert is etched with concentric rings to aid in centering the router during router fit up.
I have two hand routers. The smaller is a conventional ¼ inch, but low 5/8 horsepower. The larger is also ¼ inch, higher power, and is also a plunge router. I decided to use the larger router in the router extension as it will handle heavier cuts. I had previously added an ultra cheap router lift to this router as the router was previously fitted to a box store plastic and fiberboard bench top router table. This simple router lift provides everything a lift should accomplish and is adjustable from the top of the table with a hex key. Total cost of the lift is about $5.00 and it works flawlessly. Here is a link to a discription of the lift: http://www.instructables.com/id/Ultra-cheap-router-lift/:
The router fence was made of ½ inch plywood. Dust collection is provided on the top/rear by a 2 inch flex hose attached to a blast gate above the right side of the table saw. The dust collection works exceptionally well. The router fence is designed such that it clamps to the table saw fence. This arrangement allows quick setup and takedown, as well as easy positioning and adjustment of the router fence relative to the router bit. Sliding fence wings allow for use of larger router bits.
The table has now been used on a dozen smaller projects and I am very pleased with the performance, ease of set up, and lift adjustment capability. With the oversized extension, the table saw is approaching 6 feet in width.
Thanks for looking - comments and critiques welcome.
The frame and top of the router extension are white oak. The top is a full inch thick and glued up from several pieces to limit movement. The frame sides are identical in height to the removed extension. The extension was 10 inch wide. The router insert is 16 inches wide.
I purchased a Rousseau 9×12 inch phenolic router table insert. From the reviews I read regarding that insert I felt it would fit my needs. I have not been disappointed. The fit and finish are very good. Height adjusters and snubbers work very well. Installation of the router is straight forward following the excellent instructions. The underside of the insert is etched with concentric rings to aid in centering the router during router fit up.
I have two hand routers. The smaller is a conventional ¼ inch, but low 5/8 horsepower. The larger is also ¼ inch, higher power, and is also a plunge router. I decided to use the larger router in the router extension as it will handle heavier cuts. I had previously added an ultra cheap router lift to this router as the router was previously fitted to a box store plastic and fiberboard bench top router table. This simple router lift provides everything a lift should accomplish and is adjustable from the top of the table with a hex key. Total cost of the lift is about $5.00 and it works flawlessly. Here is a link to a discription of the lift: http://www.instructables.com/id/Ultra-cheap-router-lift/:
The router fence was made of ½ inch plywood. Dust collection is provided on the top/rear by a 2 inch flex hose attached to a blast gate above the right side of the table saw. The dust collection works exceptionally well. The router fence is designed such that it clamps to the table saw fence. This arrangement allows quick setup and takedown, as well as easy positioning and adjustment of the router fence relative to the router bit. Sliding fence wings allow for use of larger router bits.
The table has now been used on a dozen smaller projects and I am very pleased with the performance, ease of set up, and lift adjustment capability. With the oversized extension, the table saw is approaching 6 feet in width.
Thanks for looking - comments and critiques welcome.
