Questions re building a router table

[Anna]

So I've been reorganizing my shed for the last few days, including building some sliding shelves and categorizing my junk. I can see the floor again, and I don't have to do a fancy ballet dance to get from one side of the shed to the other anymore. I still need more storage, and I think it's time I build my router table (especially since I ordered the router table top from a recent bargain alert, and I have to be able to store it somewhere before my husband gets wind of it).

I've decided to go with the router table in ShopNotes issue #85. It's simple, and I think I can do that fairly quickly since I've finally learned to build things that are (practically) square. I'm aiming to build the "upgraded" version (I already have a Rout-R-Lift and a Mast-R-Fence) with the upgraded stand.

My question is: Is it a good idea to have the router table on casters? Most of the router table plans I've seen are for fixed tables. My shed is really dinky, and it will work much better if my table is mobile. BUT, if safety is compromised, then I'll have to do a fixed table. If it's okay to put casters on it, then I'd prefer to do that instead.

Also, what is the ideal height for a router table? For a workbench, there are rules of thumb that I've read about. But I haven't seen equivalent rules for router tables.

Thanks for any help, as always.

Anna

[gwyneth]

If people successfully rout on extension wings of tablesaws with casters, it should work out even better with a cabinet (particularly with good casters, etc). Most of the commercial modular build-a-router-table lines have casters available, so presumably their customers haven't screamed about what a rotten idea it is.

I highly suggest you get Bill Hylton's "Woodworking With a Router" (the new edition, with all color photos), "Router Magic," and, if it's out already, his new book on router tables. I haven't gotten the last one yet, but the first two should be mandatory reading to get a router table license.

[LinuxRandal]

Look for dual locking casters like those at Woodcraft, or look at things like tablesaw mobile bases. On those you drop levelers to stop it from going around. On benches, you drop the wheels to make them roll around.

They can be both.

[mpc]

If a table saw can safely be equipped with a wheeled base, I don't see why a router table couldn't be moveable. Table saws typically have to deal with larger, heavier, and more awkward pieces than a router so saws would typically encounter more unstable situations if there were any issues.

A good wheeled base is the key. Something that either firmly locks the casters or one that puts rubber feet down instead of the casters. I always use the casters that lock both the wheel axle and the castering function. I have a set of 4 of that type (Woodcraft sells 'em) on the cabinet I made for my Dewalt planer; just locking any 2 of the 4 makes it rock solid. Once you build a storage cabinet underneath that router table, and fill it with "stuff" in storage, it'll have enough weight to compare to a small table saw and be just as stable.

If you ever have to use a big/awkward workpiece on the router table and are unsure of the stability... slip some 4x4 or larger wood blocks under the bottom of the cabinet - lifting the wheels off the ground - and voila - an instant "fixed cabinet."

As for the height of the work surface... I like mine a bit higher than the table saw. Being able to eyeball things is more important for router work typically. So I set mine up to be about an inch lower than my elbows when I hold my forearms out straight in front of me. My forearms end up parallel to the tabletop when gripping typical work pieces - a nice comfortable position for me. It's a comfortable height for bit changes, dealing with miniscule fence adjustments, etc. No bending over for me whenever possible - I have enough back troubles as it is leaning over car fenders all the time!

mpc

edit: by the time I finished typing this in, 2 others beat me to the punch with the same info. Oh well... dialup sucks.

[gwyneth]

edit: by the time I finished typing this in, 2 others beat me to the punch with the same info. Oh well... dialup sucks.

You provided a lot more info than either of us did. PS You're not the only person with dialup.

[Pappy]

Mine is on swivel casters with the front 2 being dual locking. Never had a problem because of the casters.

[Uncle Cracker]

Yes, casters are OK, but definitely get good ones with solid locks. You don't want the thing shifting even a little bit in the middle of an expensive piece of wood. As for height, if people were all the same height, we still couldn't agree on which was the best. It's more important that you be able to work comfortably, and from a stable stance, so use a height that you know is comfortable for you. That's the beauty of building your own.

[radhak]

Recently I lucked out and snared a dream of a bargain on a router/table/etc combo (I wish I could you all about it again, but in all decency a repeat gloat might be really abhorrent ). But one of the best features of this table has been its 'wheel set'.

If you look closely, it has two fixed casters, and two legs have adjustable levelers. Then there's a wheel with a pedal that allows you to engage/disengage the wheel. It has been a revelation to me how great this works : when engaged, the whole thing rolls beautifully, and when disengaged, it sits rock solid with zero movement. And my setup has everything (and more) on it to make it tremendously heavy .

I have the whole table/wheel set/ dust collector etc with a cabinet built in. If money was not an object , I'd say go for the whole thing and add cabinets underneath - love mine. But you could pick and choose what to buy, or, you could read the instructional PDFs at the bottom of the page to understand how it works and most probably even build it yourself with locally bought casters. (IIRC a Shopnotes even had an article on building something similar, shall try and search it out this weekend). Note their table allows height adjustments too. The prices are given at the end of the page.

Mine is higher than my TS, and I like it - close to like mpc described it.

[drumpriest]

I successfully rout in a TS extension all of the time, but the TS weighs 700 lbs. :-)

I had an extension in my BT as well, and I've had router tables on casters, I don't think you'll have troubles, just get locking casters and you'll be fine. Casters are tricky, they range from insanely crappy to really excellent.

[JR]

re: height. If you're strapped for space, it might be best to consider having the router table at the same height as your table saw.

JR

[LinuxRandal]

One more option, though it requires a little figuring for dust collection.

One of my fathers Wood magazines, (don't know issue), had something like the assembly table (that you can get a pdf from Rod Kirby), so the router table was height adjustable.

The reason I say it needs a little figuring, they enclosed the router section and mounted it to the top.

[kmk]

Benchdog has casters that are height adjustable upto 2". They use them in their router tables. I saw them at woodcrafters and they are very solid.

If you keep your router table at the same height as your table saw, then you
can use the router table as TS outfeed as well.

[LCHIEN]

you need the router table not to move as you feed larger pieces into the bit you will be hanging onto the piece, not holding the table in place.
So a 400# table saw is good, or some SOLID quality dual locking casters.

As for height, as I get older its easier to have a higher table so the work is closer to view and you don't have to bend so far to adjust things under the table. I made mine the same height as the BT3 top when the BT2 is on its mobile base, a good 38-1/2 inches.

[Mr__Bill]

I assume you only want to do this once. Casters are a good idea and Grizzly has some 2 way locking that are reasonably priced.

Assemble your table and mount it on some sawhorses. Play with the height until it is comfortable for you. Start with the table at just below elbow height. At that height your back is straight and your arms are at a comfortable angle.

Other considerations: With limited space do you need the table top for an assembly surface? Out feed table for the table saw? Does it need to fit under something for storage when not used? If routing is not your passion and the table is not a tool that you are going to be using much of the time then you may wish to compromise on the height for multi-usability (there is a marketing term if I ever heard one).

Be sure to post some photos of the finished table and tell up how you came to choose the final height of the table.

bill

[footprintsinconc]

i 2nd the dual locking casters. and i 2nd the wood craft dual locking caster aswell. i used them on my bench, infact, all four were the dual locking (i didnt have to, but just did anyways).

height wise, i'd do what most people have already suggested. table saw height so that it can be used as either an out feed table or as needed around the ts.

regards,