I may be the last guy on the planet who is still trying to turn the BT3100 accessory table into a respectable router table. Today I think I came as close as I'm going to get. As you can see in the photo, I modified an extra BT3 fence to add T-tracks so that I could mount the JessEm stock guides, along with an simple Rockler featherboard. Of course, this solution is limited by the alignment and stability of the stock fence, which I have found to be questionable from time to time.
Then, I added a simple deck made from two layers of baltic birch plywood, inserted a miter track, and attached it via large T-nuts to the rails. Now I have the hold-down and hold-in capabilities I wanted.
What you can't see is that I installed the Router Technologies Router Raizer under the table, and the Extreme Extension above. . So now, I can raise and lower the router from above, and I can change bits easily with an a single allen wrench, about an inch above the table.
Due to a lack of space for a dedicated router table in my small shop, I was determined to see if I could achieve these upgrades on the existing BT3 table top, without spending a ton of money, and without trying to build custom solutions that are above my skill level. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out and would be happy to share the process with anyone else who might be struggling to find a similar solution for their BT3.
Jeff
Then, I added a simple deck made from two layers of baltic birch plywood, inserted a miter track, and attached it via large T-nuts to the rails. Now I have the hold-down and hold-in capabilities I wanted.
What you can't see is that I installed the Router Technologies Router Raizer under the table, and the Extreme Extension above. . So now, I can raise and lower the router from above, and I can change bits easily with an a single allen wrench, about an inch above the table.
Due to a lack of space for a dedicated router table in my small shop, I was determined to see if I could achieve these upgrades on the existing BT3 table top, without spending a ton of money, and without trying to build custom solutions that are above my skill level. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out and would be happy to share the process with anyone else who might be struggling to find a similar solution for their BT3.
Jeff
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