What materials have you used other than Phenolic or aluminum for router plates? What did you use for inserts/rings? Were you pleased with the results?
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Funny - I was thinking about this to. I want to make my own table but don't want to pay $100 for a aluminum plate.
I saw a link to this site which will cut the aluminum plate 3/8 think for about $26.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...PCN_BIX_Stores
The only thing I would not have would be the inserts. I know there was another guy that was going to make them out of steel.Thanks again,
Mike -
My plate is just 3/8" baltic birch plywood. It has worked fine for me. I do have a fairly small router (PC 690). It has gotten scratched up, but not enough to impact the use. I don't have insert rings, but if i had need for a different sized opening i would just make a new plate since it is cheap and quick.
Some day i'll make a real router plate, but this one was dirt cheap and it works.EricComment
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thrytis
Did you make the entire table top out of the birch or did you use it as an "insert". What size hole do you use for the bit opening? I have the same router and just can't seem to justify the cost of a plate/table/fence etc. right now.
ThanksComment
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I just built a very basic router table with a $9 piece of melamine for the top and the case out of 1/2" MDF. Roughly following the plans for a router table in ShopNotes. I have a Rousseau router plate that I got for about $40.
My insert opening certainly isn't perfect but it's close enough and the right depth that I have a smooth surface. I cut an opening first in a scrap piece of birch plywood to see how it would come out. It's a challenge to get that opening right.
The case came out fine but the drawer is a little on the ugly side....lol. First "case" type of thing I've built but a good exercise in trying to make some really accurate cuts.
I didn't want any fancy type of fence after seeing the basic function you could obtain by just clamping a fence onto the top like they do on the Router Workshop. Works well enough for my purposes. I'll try to post some pictures this weekend.
Router plate and materials comes to about $65. I just couldn't see spending $150 for one. I've spent enough money for a while !
SteveComment
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I built a regular table top - two layers of 3/4" MDF with formica on both sides. The birch plate is a regular sized insert. The bit opening is just over 1" and set up to take standard PC sized bushings. I only have a couple of bits that won't fit through that size, and so far i haven't needed to use them.
If you want to make a real cheap table, my suggestion would be use two layers of MDF and don't worry about the formica. If you take care of it (don't store it in a damp place or put wet things on it), it should last you for a while. Use baltic birch for your insert (or just attach directly to the MDF if you don't want multiple sized bit openings). A straight board with a half circle cut out of the middle of one side can work for a fence and use some clamps to hold it onto the table. If you have something like a workmate, you can use that for your base. That probably will cost you $20 to get you a quick, functional table. You can upgrade the parts in the future as you want. I would say a router table, even like this, is almost as useful as a table saw.EricComment
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My router table has a sink cutout glued to a piece of 3/4 plywood and no router plate. The hole for bits is 3 1/2 inches. Occasionally I need this to be smaller. For those times, I cut a couple of circles of similar thickness cutout scraps and put smaller holes in them. They attach with a couple screws down through the router table top into pieces of 3/4 inch wide flat stock screwed to the circles and tapped with threads for the screws. I shim to get the height right. My setup may not be quite as convenient as the router plates but the cost was much lower and it works well for me. My router is actually attached to the back of the router table in a homemade lift.
JimComment
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Jim,
Would you mind showing pics of your homemade lift? I want to make a RT lift too. Thanks.
JohanComment
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Please keep this thread going. I have built a router table with top but have not attached the top yet as I am in need of an insert. The more suggestions/pictures, the better.
thx, FrankFrank, "Still the one"Comment
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Sears has one made of steel painted black. You can drill it to fit any router. Its about 3/16 thick. I saw some on the clearance table the last time I was there. It won't fit the big routers as it is only about 8" square.
WayneWayne JComment
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