Cheap router insert

You could use half inch birch ply, if the cutout is small enough, but it
might be too flexible if you let it get too large in either dimension.
Regular A-C (or worse) ply probably won't serve as well. You could glue two
pieces of half inch A-C together, and make a pretty stiff plate. I use that
configuration for my reloading presses, and mount them in the bench vise,
and it works very well.

Kevin
--
=====
"RobW" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have a Ryobi RE180PL router that I'd like to temporarily put in a
> router table. I'm building the table myself, with the intention of
> putting a good (ie. Hitachi M12V) router in it. In the meantime, I
> need a cheap way to attach this Ryobi without wasting a $40 insert.
>
> My plan for the future is one of the Rockler (or similar ) aluminum
> inserts for the big router, but if I cut a smaller hole for now and
> used 1/2" plywood as an insert, would it work? This Ryobi,
> unfortunately, has only 2 screw holes to attach to a plate, so the
> hole pattern in a good plate could not be used with another router.
>
> The cheaper the better for a temporary fix. Any suggestions?
>
> Rob

RobW wrote:

>>Have fun with the new place. Beware of wife storing her stuff in your
>>shop. DAMHIKT
>
>
> She's already threatened it.....AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN! (I can say that
> because she's not sitting here watching me type.) Actually, our plans
> with the house were to split the basement, each getting half. When
> she saw the basement in the model (it's a new house we're building)
> she said I need more room for a shop, why not use 3/4 of it.... what a
> woman!

And you don't think you'll end up paying for that extra 1/4 some way or
another? Either now or in the future... There's no such thing as a free
lunch. ;-)

Dave

> How thick is your top? I want to get an insert for my table so for now I
> didn't cut the hole in the top, just used a hole saw drill and drilled a
> hole for the bit to some out and drilled the holes in the top to bolt the
> base on. I don't get the full height of the bit but enough for now and the
> holes didn't have to be perfect since I wold cut that section out later.

Last night I laminated 2 pieces of 3/4" MDF to use as the top. I'll
wrap it in hard maple, so it should be pretty sturdy. The MDF chunk
is 24"x36" without the maple and weighs a good amount.

My wife and I are moving into a house in 4 weeks, so after the move
I'll build a base with drawers for the top to sit on. I thought about
just mounting the router to the bottom of the top, but at 1.5" thick,
I'll have no bit sticking up.

On another question, if I put poly over shellac over this MDF, will it
make it nice and slick? If I use paste wax, will that rub off on
whatever wood I'm routing?

It's my first router table (hell, the Ryobi that I bought this
December was my first router), so I'm trying to do it right.

Rob

>
> If you cut part way through the MDF, say with a router, in the shape of
> your router base, you would have a usable router table now, since, as
> another poster mentioned, that piece will be removed when you install the
> plate later. Your Ryobi should be up to this. And it doesn't have to be
> all that neat. It's temporary.

I was thinking about that, but then concerned that I'd have no way to
change bits without unbolting the router. I was hoping that a piece
of 1/2" ply as an insert would work, but apparently not strong enough.
This morning somebody sent me an email that they'll send me a
phenolic plate they have sitting around and not using. Can't complain
about that.....

>
> Have fun with the new place. Beware of wife storing her stuff in your
> shop. DAMHIKT

She's already threatened it.....AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN! (I can say that
because she's not sitting here watching me type.) Actually, our plans
with the house were to split the basement, each getting half. When
she saw the basement in the model (it's a new house we're building)
she said I need more room for a shop, why not use 3/4 of it.... what a
woman!

"RobW" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have a Ryobi RE180PL router that I'd like to temporarily put in a
> router table. I'm building the table myself, with the intention of
> putting a good (ie. Hitachi M12V) router in it. In the meantime, I
> need a cheap way to attach this Ryobi without wasting a $40 insert.
>

I have a penolic plate I no longer use. It came with my Benchdog table and
I've since added a lift. It has been drilled out to fit a Craftsman and
Bosch routers. It is 11 1/4 x 8 1/4. If interested, let me know. Of
course you can always buy a new Benchdog plate to fit right in when you
upgrade.
Ed
[email protected]
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

[email protected] (RobW) wrote in
news:[email protected]:

>> How thick is your top? I want to get an insert for my table so for
>> now I didn't cut the hole in the top, just used a hole saw drill and
>> drilled a hole for the bit to some out and drilled the holes in the
>> top to bolt the base on. I don't get the full height of the bit but
>> enough for now and the holes didn't have to be perfect since I wold
>> cut that section out later.
>
> Last night I laminated 2 pieces of 3/4" MDF to use as the top. I'll
> wrap it in hard maple, so it should be pretty sturdy. The MDF chunk
> is 24"x36" without the maple and weighs a good amount.

You're going to wrap the edges, right?
>
> My wife and I are moving into a house in 4 weeks,

Congratulations!

> so after the move
> I'll build a base with drawers for the top to sit on. I thought about
> just mounting the router to the bottom of the top, but at 1.5" thick,
> I'll have no bit sticking up.

If you cut part way through the MDF, say with a router, in the shape of
your router base, you would have a usable router table now, since, as
another poster mentioned, that piece will be removed when you install the
plate later. Your Ryobi should be up to this. And it doesn't have to be
all that neat. It's temporary.

>
> On another question, if I put poly over shellac over this MDF, will it
> make it nice and slick? If I use paste wax, will that rub off on
> whatever wood I'm routing?

You can use shellac, then poly, then a furniture wax, without an anti-slip
agent. Or you could use shellac & wax, and skip the poly. Or skip the
shellac. If it were my choice, and it isn't, I'd pass on the poly. But if
not, I'd use water-based.

>
> It's my first router table (hell, the Ryobi that I bought this
> December was my first router), so I'm trying to do it right.

Google the posts Unisaw A100 made recently on "An Ultimate Router Table",
and the posts he made on "A GoToHell Router table". Both designs work. In
fact, the simple on is required, in order to make the fancy one properly.

Sort of 1) Cut a piece of 3/4" cabinet plywood to 24" square. 2) Mark the
base of your plunge router in the middle, and drill two mounting holes, as
well as a 7/8" hole for the bit. 3) Screw several tubafors under the front
and back edges, for stiffness. 4) Clamp a straight piece of hardwood on
for a fence. 5) Clamp or screw these to a couple of sawhorses. 6) Make
noise, chips, and furniture. 7) Adjust as needed.

You may find, as I have, that the fancy one is no longer nearly as urgent
as once thought.

>
> Rob
>

Have fun with the new place. Beware of wife storing her stuff in your
shop. DAMHIKT

Patriarch

RobW wrote:

> I have a Ryobi RE180PL router that I'd like to temporarily put in a
> router table. I'm building the table myself, with the intention of
> putting a good (ie. Hitachi M12V) router in it. In the meantime, I
> need a cheap way to attach this Ryobi without wasting a $40 insert.
>
> My plan for the future is one of the Rockler (or similar ) aluminum
> inserts for the big router, but if I cut a smaller hole for now and
> used 1/2" plywood as an insert, would it work? This Ryobi,
> unfortunately, has only 2 screw holes to attach to a plate, so the
> hole pattern in a good plate could not be used with another router.
>
> The cheaper the better for a temporary fix. Any suggestions?
>
> Rob
How thick is your top? I want to get an insert for my table so for now I
didn't cut the hole in the top, just used a hole saw drill and drilled a
hole for the bit to some out and drilled the holes in the top to bolt the
base on. I don't get the full height of the bit but enough for now and the
holes didn't have to be perfect since I wold cut that section out later.

Umm I just took a large Bosch out of my router table and replaced it with a
Triton router. Just drill new holes to fit the new router. You do not need
to buy a new plate just because you are replacing your old router.


"RobW" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have a Ryobi RE180PL router that I'd like to temporarily put in a
> router table. I'm building the table myself, with the intention of
> putting a good (ie. Hitachi M12V) router in it. In the meantime, I
> need a cheap way to attach this Ryobi without wasting a $40 insert.
>
> My plan for the future is one of the Rockler (or similar ) aluminum
> inserts for the big router, but if I cut a smaller hole for now and
> used 1/2" plywood as an insert, would it work? This Ryobi,
> unfortunately, has only 2 screw holes to attach to a plate, so the
> hole pattern in a good plate could not be used with another router.
>
> The cheaper the better for a temporary fix. Any suggestions?
>
> Rob

Dewaxed shellac for WB poly. For OP, plan NOW for router bits
storage/identification/. I built a box that slides under the bench
above where router table is stored. Pull table from under bench, put
ON bench then slide out box and select bit. If table is on casters a
drawer(s) is ideal for storage.

On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 06:42:16 GMT, patriarch
<<patriarch>[email protected]> wrote:

>You can use shellac, then poly, then a furniture wax, without an anti-slip
>agent. Or you could use shellac & wax, and skip the poly. Or skip the
>shellac. If it were my choice, and it isn't, I'd pass on the poly. But if
>not, I'd use water-based.