Dad’s Router Table in 1951…
March 17, 2010 by admin
Filed under Router Tips
Well we have been doing some spring cleaning and I come across Dad’s first router table built in 1951. The only router at the time was a Stanley 1/3 hp and high speed router bits with a solid pilot that run at the speed of the router. He had a round over bit, a cove bit and a 1/2″ straight bit.
The reason he made the table was because on a job outside in a small town was to trim out the local post office. The whole town was upset with him because he got the job over the local talent. Hey. he couldn’t even get a cup of coffee.
He brought all that he needed to finish the job but was short a 4 foot piece of 1/4 round. The local lumber yard was like the rest of the town and wouldn’t supply the needed molding so he made this router table out of some scraps and made the needed molding. That was in 1951, just thought you might be interested in how far we have come with the uses of the router. This is where the relationship between the most versatile power tool and Dad started.
“Dad’s router table shows just how inovative a guy he is. Bet that table of his still works fine. His real genious is in how he eliminated needless measuring with his fencing guages and jigs all accomplished by his special insights into how best to operate routers accurately and get them to do things no one else ever thought about. What a guy–keep it up…..
Thanks for the kind words and your right his insight is nothing less than genius…Rick
I use your dads style of routing in all of my projects. I cant understand why some woodworkers spend hundreds of dollars on fancy router tables and gagets when they are not needed if they just follow you a your dads style of woodworking using the router.
It looks a lot like my first router table. I built my first in 1975, powered by a craftsman 3/4 hp router…..
I AM SURE GLAD SOME ONE STARTED MAKING A ROUTER TABLE. I HAVE A BIG RESPECT FOR A WOOD WORKER TO COME UP WITH AN IDEA . GOOD WORK.
That was pretty fancy for the year I was born. Looks like a great invention.
great pic of router table.great innovation for that time and now.
That looks very much like my first effort following plans from Popular Mechanics magazine in the 70s. I have since upgrade to your dads table from the TV show. I have watched most of your shows and have several DVDs in my collection. Great referances. Your Dad is a genious and proves wth a little thought simple jigs and fixtures can make make many things and still keep fun in woodworking. The table and fixture designs your Dad has will do most of the things other tell us you need to have a very elaborate table with sexy fences and high prices will only work. Your Dad and you prove simple will work and one spends more time cutting wood than making fancy set ups or laying out huge dollors, etc. I bought the your table top with several assecories for less than $150 US and built my simple but fully functional table using the plans that came with the top. One can’t get anything better for that price. Keep up the good work.