So you want to buy a router table…

I was told by my son Mark that many members were interested in comparing the router tables out in the market. He wants to know, what is needed to compare commercially built router tables? The first thing that come to my mind was, what do you need a router table for? You are a beginner and you received your grandfather’s Sears router complete with the packaging. This router has rounded over three boards and then was quickly put back in the box and left there for the next 30 years.

You found this tool and have heard that it is the most versatile tool in the workshop. Now you own one of these tools and you want to know more…so why the router table? Most of them out there can round over a board and cut a rabbet joint, that’s it. Each of the manufactures create the same style with subtle differences but for the most part they are all the same and of course they can round over the board and make a rabbet joint.

So again why do you need to spend hundreds of dollars for something as useless as that? You can have the same thing by just taking the sub-plate off your router then using this sub-plate to match and drill the holes on a piece of 1/2 Good One Side plywood approx. 24″ X 48″. I would put the router at one end of the plywood leaving it equally from the two sides and the end. The commercially built ones would have you put the router in the center of the plywood. Mount the router and screw the 1/2″ plywood on the end of your workbench and you are set…you now can round over a board and create the rabbet joint. Cost about 10 bucks…

So again you ask what router table to buy? There must be more to the router tables out there right? No there really is not much more out there, they have no idea how to make the rabbet/dado joint or the box joint to say the least. They make it virtually impossible to change router bits, remember the hole for the router is the middle of the table leaving no place to put the router while changing the router bits. They all do it this way so is that really what you want to do?

Let’s talk about changing router bits, probably the most used operation on the router table.

So first thing to look for is 1) where do I put my router to change the router bits? With the router mounted in the center there really is no place to put the router and change the router bit. Oh yes I know over on the workbench across the shop, that is real handy…

Next two questions are related to router bit storage. So question 2, where do you put the router bit after you have taken it out? and 3, where do you get the next router bit from? Is there a system used to hold your router bits built into the table? Again the answer is over at the workbench in a box full of plastic cases…

Next, let’s talk about the fence. Did you ever look closely at the router bit and really decide for your self how much fence you really need to mold the edge of a board. Using just the bearing it is about 1/4″ so why a 30 inch fence. We agree that router bit does the cutting, right? And you agree with me that you need a small amount of fence to get the board on the router bit and off the router bit, right?

Being cautious let’s say 6″ on the in-feed and 6″ on the out-feed. So then 4) why do all these router tables make the same sized fence leaving it to be 24 to 30″ is length…To be honest with more fence you have the chances of not getting your board to touch the router bit at all, it becomes a real problem. A bit of a warp in the project piece makes it difficult to mold the edge. So why such a long fence?

Now let’s look at a real gem, how they mount the fence to the table? This is suppose to be a feature…each have a T slot, a T-nut with a bolt and I think they want you to make the fence parallel with the side of the table. That is so you can use your table-saw miter gauge to do cross cuts. That’s right they want you to use a tool designed to be used with the table-saw to be used with the router.

Why is this not a good idea?

The table-saw cuts in the vertical plane and the router cuts in the horizontal plane. This is two different ways to cut, and in the horizontal plane you need the support right over the router bit. But with the miter gauge the support is at least 6″ to the right. This works fine with the cutting tool in the vertical plane and where the saw blade is cutting into the miter fence. This tool is not for the router bit cutting in the horizontal plane.

Next, let’s think about the clamping process, because the router bit cut in circular motion in the horizontal plane makes the fence always parallel to the router bit. The best process to mount a fence is to use a C-Clamp on the out-feed to first position the fence then moving the fence into position and clamping the second C-Clamp on the in-feed side. Nothing needs to be parallel. All you need is the fence to be the desired distance away from the router bit. 5) You need each of these router tables to be demonstrated. You want the salesman to show you how to set up the fence 2″ away from the router bit. Just watch how quick this can be done? Trust me this is not an easy task even with practice…Do you want to be doing this every time you need to make a set up? Not likely…

So that is just a few things to ask when looking for a router table…I think you will find that most of these commercially purchased router tables are basically the same and work as described above…So to start you should use my plywood table with a 2 X 2 fence with two C-Clamps to start…round over your boards until you get the feel of what the direction of feed is all about. Use the round over, cove, and the roman ogee bit to mold the edges of all the boards in the shop. Remember across the grain first, with the grain second then across the grain and follow up with the grain one final time.

Next, let’s talk about making some simple wood joints with your plywood table. Joints like the dado, groove, rabbet and linear dovetail. And again don’t buy a router table just yet…You need to get a few wood joints under your belt before purchasing that useless router table.