SK

"Steve Kreitler"

09/09/2003 8:33 PM

Just finished my new router table

And the best part is that most of the materials were free! The only part of
this setup that I paid for is the plastic for the insert, and the router
itself. The top is two old cabinet doors with the paint removed, and
laminated together, then covered with scrounged laminate. It's sitting on a
base that used to be a cash register stand. I'm planning on building a
self-aligning fence, and that'll be made from all scrounged materials, also.

Now, if someone would just tell me how to post pics on the binaries
group, I'll post some as soon as the fence is done. The reason I think my
table might be of interest is that I took a different approach with the
insert- instead of using the entire sheet of plastic (clear acrylic, I
think- I bought it years ago), I took the handles off of the fixed base of
my router (bosh fixed/plunge set), and made the insert and opening just
large enough to pass the router, with a 1/2" lip to support it flush. This
gave me enough plastic left over to build in
zero clearance inserts at no extra cost that automatically fit flush with
the insert.

It was also a bit of a challenge to figure out how to route a matching
opening for an irregularly shaped insert, since I only had flush trim bits
to work with.
I ended up cutting a hole in a piece of scrap 3/4 ply about 1/4" bigger
than the insert, then greasing the insert, taping it in place, and filling
the gap with Durhams' rock hard water putty. When this had cured, I had an
almost perfect match, that was easily adjusted to by slightly scraping the
dried water putty (I wisely tried it out on some scrap stock before cutting
my table). I used this to make
a 3/4" pattern to cut the actual table (I know, I went through a bunch of
scrap, but it was all trash to begin with, so I don't feel guilty :).

Anyhow, I'm happy, cause now I have a better router table, with a
better router than the one I've been using for the past year or so, and at
very little cost. Using scrap is a big ol' game to me, and whenever I get
something good out of a bunch of scrap stock, I feel like I've won the game
that day :)

Steve


This topic has 4 replies

Sk

"Swingman"

in reply to "Steve Kreitler" on 09/09/2003 8:33 PM

10/09/2003 7:04 PM

Careful now, he's going to wanna kick all our asses.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 9/08/03

"Mike in Mystic" wrote in message
> You didn't even mention his kick ass post about making kick ass dovetail
> joints with the kick ass Leigh jig.
>
> --
>
> There are no stupid questions.
> There are a LOT of inquisitive idiots.
>
>
> "David Hall" <wrote in message

(jim wilson) wrote in message
> > SNIP>
> > > Wow, what a kick ass idea. Post a picture of it when you can. Doesn't
> > > it give you a sense of satisfaction to use scrap wood for something
> > > useful? That's one reason I got a kick ass lathe. Now every scrap can
> > > be transformed into a ass kicking little project.
> >
> > Well hell Jim, between this and your biscuit cutter post you're really
> > kicking some ass today.
> >
> > Dave Hall
>
>

hD

[email protected] (David Hall)

in reply to "Steve Kreitler" on 09/09/2003 8:33 PM

10/09/2003 11:45 AM

[email protected] (jim wilson) wrote in message
SNIP>
> Wow, what a kick ass idea. Post a picture of it when you can. Doesn't
> it give you a sense of satisfaction to use scrap wood for something
> useful? That's one reason I got a kick ass lathe. Now every scrap can
> be transformed into a ass kicking little project.

Well hell Jim, between this and your biscuit cutter post you're really
kicking some ass today.

Dave Hall

Mi

"Mike in Mystic"

in reply to "Steve Kreitler" on 09/09/2003 8:33 PM

10/09/2003 6:49 PM

You didn't even mention his kick ass post about making kick ass dovetail
joints with the kick ass Leigh jig.

--

There are no stupid questions.
There are a LOT of inquisitive idiots.


"David Hall" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] (jim wilson) wrote in message
> SNIP>
> > Wow, what a kick ass idea. Post a picture of it when you can. Doesn't
> > it give you a sense of satisfaction to use scrap wood for something
> > useful? That's one reason I got a kick ass lathe. Now every scrap can
> > be transformed into a ass kicking little project.
>
> Well hell Jim, between this and your biscuit cutter post you're really
> kicking some ass today.
>
> Dave Hall

jj

[email protected] (jim wilson)

in reply to "Steve Kreitler" on 09/09/2003 8:33 PM

10/09/2003 7:20 AM

"Steve Kreitler" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> And the best part is that most of the materials were free! The only part of
> this setup that I paid for is the plastic for the insert, and the router
> itself. The top is two old cabinet doors with the paint removed, and
> laminated together, then covered with scrounged laminate. It's sitting on a
> base that used to be a cash register stand. I'm planning on building a
> self-aligning fence, and that'll be made from all scrounged materials, also.
>
> Now, if someone would just tell me how to post pics on the binaries
> group, I'll post some as soon as the fence is done. The reason I think my
> table might be of interest is that I took a different approach with the
> insert- instead of using the entire sheet of plastic (clear acrylic, I
> think- I bought it years ago), I took the handles off of the fixed base of
> my router (bosh fixed/plunge set), and made the insert and opening just
> large enough to pass the router, with a 1/2" lip to support it flush. This
> gave me enough plastic left over to build in
> zero clearance inserts at no extra cost that automatically fit flush with
> the insert.
>
> It was also a bit of a challenge to figure out how to route a matching
> opening for an irregularly shaped insert, since I only had flush trim bits
> to work with.
> I ended up cutting a hole in a piece of scrap 3/4 ply about 1/4" bigger
> than the insert, then greasing the insert, taping it in place, and filling
> the gap with Durhams' rock hard water putty. When this had cured, I had an
> almost perfect match, that was easily adjusted to by slightly scraping the
> dried water putty (I wisely tried it out on some scrap stock before cutting
> my table). I used this to make
> a 3/4" pattern to cut the actual table (I know, I went through a bunch of
> scrap, but it was all trash to begin with, so I don't feel guilty :).
>
> Anyhow, I'm happy, cause now I have a better router table, with a
> better router than the one I've been using for the past year or so, and at
> very little cost. Using scrap is a big ol' game to me, and whenever I get
> something good out of a bunch of scrap stock, I feel like I've won the game
> that day :)
>
> Steve


Wow, what a kick ass idea. Post a picture of it when you can. Doesn't
it give you a sense of satisfaction to use scrap wood for something
useful? That's one reason I got a kick ass lathe. Now every scrap can
be transformed into a ass kicking little project.


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