Building a router table

[Salty]

Planning on a router table and have a couple of questions.
I have looked at pictures of lots of router table tops and noticed that in most cases the slot for the fence extends past the center point of the router bit. Why would you need it to extend that far? I would think that to the center would be plenty. I have a good router table fence that I got as a closeout at sears so I want to build a table around that.

Also, has anyone used or considered using a setup that would accomodate the SMT from a BT3100 saw. I was thinking of some aluminum tubing extending out far enough to allow the SMT to clamp onto it the same way it clamps to the saw rails. Good idea or not?

Thanks all for the input.
Salty

[Thom2]

I have looked at pictures of lots of router table tops and noticed that in most cases the slot for the fence extends past the center point of the router bit. Why would you need it to extend that far?

With some larger bits, like panel raisers (especially ones with backcutters), you may want to set the bit height then use the fence to limit your depth of cut on each pass to avoid tearout. A 4" bit will have 2" protruding from the center, allowing your fence to move past the centerline of the bit will ensure that you'll have enough adjustment to set the bit back into the fence for those operations. While it's probably not something that you'll use very often, it's something that I would certainly take into consideration when planning a table.

HTH

[Salty]

Thank you. I hadn't considered that but it would be prudent to include that.

[LarryG]

It's best to avoid slots altogether.

Salty, don't put slots in your miter table top. I know it's a common practice, but slots will weaken the top and make it more prone to warping by giving moisture a place to enter. Instead, make the fence long enough that you can clamp it to the overhangs of the top, either with loose clamps, or pinch blocks, or vertical "ears" that attach to an edge-mounted T-track. Lot of ways to do this.

Similarly, leave out the miter slot and instead of a miter gauge use a sled that rides along the front edge of the table.

If you don't already have it, buying a copy of the Hylton/Matlack router bible, "Woodworking With The Router," would be a good first step in planning the design of your new table.

EDIT: Here's a picture showing how the fence attaches on my router table, the ex-Otter "Ryoborghini." Note that the T-tracks sit atop and are fastened to cleats that are in turn attached to the tabletop proper. As you can see, the fence can be positioned anywhere.

[JimD]

There are multiple ways of securing the fence. On my fence on the accessory table of the BT3100, I put a t-nut in the accessory table and the fence has a slot in it. On my router table, the ends of the fence have very short pipe clamps that clamp the fence to the table.

There are cuts where you need to move a short or narrow piece past the router bit and the fence is not a big help. You can do this several ways and the SMT would be one. Grizzley makes a router table that has a built in sliding table. I have slots for a miter guage on my router table for this. I works but you must have the fence parallel to the miter guage slot for this to work. That is not always where my fence is. Another, perhaps better, way to make these cuts is with a sled. If you look at a MLCS catalog (on line or otherwise), you can see examples of commercial sleds. I made my own with a base of baltic birch plywood. One of the cuts where a sled is nice is coping the ends of stiles for raised or flat panel doors. I use a stacked cutter and making the base of the sled about 1/2 inch minimizes the height changes for the cutter between raising the profile and coping the ends.

Anyway, I wouldn't mess with incorporating the SMT but it is not really a bad idea. I find a sled to be the best way to do this. It lets you incorporate a backer piece to minimize tearout and a hold-down clamp to keep the wood steady as the cut is made.

Jim

[Salty]

LarryG...thank you very much. That is a great idea of clamping the fence at the outer edge. The fence would work great on a top that is 28" wide and that should be good for most anything I would need.
That's a really nice table BTW. I am a long way from getting to that point in craftsmanship.
I'll still incorporate the SMT somehow. It just seems like it would work better than just a miter gauge in a slot. I may prove myself wrong in the end but hey...I need to start building something!
I have been away from this craft for too long. :-)

That table from Grizzly is the idea I had in mind but for a lot less than $340!
I figured I'd have all of the functionality of the SMT with the angle settings and such.

[WEG]

Jeez Larry, that's a great looking table. If I post mine I'll use another name!
"Green with envy"
WEG

[LarryG]

You need to direct that envy elsewhere.

Salty and WEG: I can take very little credit for what you see in that picture. I built the fence, and added the hold-down cleats and rails, but the table itself was built by forum member Otter. It's actually a wide table and mobile base for a BT3x00 (hence his nickname for it: "The Ryoborghini"). About the time I was setting up my shop, Otter switched to a contractor-type saw, did not need The Ryoborghini any more, and made a gift of it to me. Upon getting it home I quickly discovered that I did not have room to set it up for its intended purpose, so it became my router table and thickness planer stand.