Router table extension for BT3

[Alex Franke]

Here's a table extension I put together last night for the $99 Freud Avanti Plunge Router that's gotten a lot of press here over the past few days. It's made with some MDF, some scrap 1/2" maple, 3/4" oak, and 1/2" plywood.

From the top, you can access the clamp, height adjustment, and spindle lock.

[John Hunter]

Very nice.

[Pappy]

Come on, Alex! That will never work.

PM me for my shipping address. I will be more than happy to fine tune it and work out the bugs. Should have it back to you in 2 years or so....

[cgallery]

I like it. You've kinda made a hybrid lift/separate router. Very practical!

Is this the first time you've used your BT3 as your router table?

[pelligrini]

Looks pretty slick.

You might want to add some cross ribs to prevent sagging. I did a router extension out of some woodcraft 3/4" phenolic coated birch ply and it sagged very slightly, but enough to cause some problems doing exact cuts.

I also put a 3/4" mdf top between a couple rails standing on two leg kits. It's not very flat anymore either. Much worse than the plywood.

[SARGE..g-47]

Very nicely done, Alex. I hate cutting MDF but I use it frequently for shop tops.. extentions.. jigs and templates. It should serve well with the re-enforcement down below you used to avoid sag.

[JimD]

Looks good to me. I have a somewhat similar arrangement on my extension table and it works well. I made a separate fence for the router table that has slots for adjustment and it held in place by knobs with studs that go into T-nuts on the underside of the extension table. Might be something to consider. You can see pictures at my old article called "Spruce and Sandeply".

Jim

[lrogers]

Very nice Alex! Clean & neat install; very professional. You are going to love the extra large table. I used the Bt's accessory table for quite awhile before I mounted a larger table, what a difference!

[dbhost]

Looks pretty slick.

You might want to add some cross ribs to prevent sagging. I did a router extension out of some woodcraft 3/4" phenolic coated birch ply and it sagged very slightly, but enough to cause some problems doing exact cuts.

I also put a 3/4" mdf top between a couple rails standing on two leg kits. It's not very flat anymore either. Much worse than the plywood.

I think he did...

[footprintsinconc]

looks nice. alex, how did you attach it to the rails? i kind of see what you did in one picture, but what went into the rail?

[Alex Franke]

Just back from vacation -- thanks for all the nice comments!

Is this the first time you've used your BT3 as your router table?

I had an underpowered Ryobi router in the accessory table before this. I've had to force the router apart a couple of times to clean it out -- it gets quite stuck and hard to adjust. So hopefully this will be a lot smoother

looks nice. alex, how did you attach it to the rails? i kind of see what you did in one picture, but what went into the rail?

I used a few of the T-Nuts that came with the BT3. That length of bolts was the only size I had whose threads fit the nuts, so I'm going to have to pick up some shorter bolts next time I go to the hwardware store.

Someone on another thread (I think) suggested ear plugs to cover the holes -- I think I'll try that...

[mantis]

Alex,
This may be a dumb question as I am pretty new to this stuff, but how do you route the very edge of a board with this setup given that the fence does not have a hole where the router bit will be?

[mantis]

Also,
Do you worry about the stress on the rails over time leaving this permanently mounted to the saw, or do youplan on taking it out when not in use?

[Alex Franke]

Okay -- As promised (and because several people have asked me now), here are a bunch of pictures that detail the extension I built. Let me know if any of then don't make sense or if you need different views or more detailed descriptions.

mantis, welcome to the forum!!! I don't expect the rails to have a problem holding up the table. The first picture here is for you

I hope you all find this helpful!

The BT3 router table accessories, for routing edges without damaging the fence. (Note that a couple knobs are missing from this photo.)


The top of the table.


The back. The sides of the table were made from a 1/2" piece of scrap maple wainscoting, cut in half (one half for each side). The hole on the far left was already there in the scrap piece, so it's not used here.


The bottom. There are a couple of scrap pieces of oak to support the 3/4" MDF top. Until I get the right length bolts, I just used a nut to tighten them down.


The other side on the bottom.


In this photo you can see the $99 router in the table from the bottom. I have a magnetic tray here that holds the adjustment know and wrench.


I never even untied the cord. It hangs nicely on the hook I use for the saw fence. When I want to plug it in, I use the table saw outlet and the table saw switch. Remember to turn the router back off if you do this!!!


The insert is 1/2" plywood.


The router removed from the table. Obviously I took the handles off, too.


I had to carve a little notch in one of the supports so the locking lever would swing freely. Oops!


Some measurements from the top.



The extension is mounted with T-nuts and slides out.


...and drops down for storage. (I guess that what this is useful for, but I pretty much have it up all the time.)


Some more measurements from the sides. The screws are countersunk and basically just fasten the sides to the table and the oak supports.




A couple measurements from the bottom



Here's the adjustment knob and wrench.

[dbhost]

Is there anything you wish you had set up differently on that? How would you attach jigs / feather boards to that setup?