thickness of the router table top ?

[Resoplayer]

Hi there forum members

I´m a newbie here, and the first thing I like to ask you about is:

How thick do my router table top has to be ?
I´m going to build my own router table, and I have not get the woods yet.
Give me some hints here before I start please.

Kristian / Sweden

[Pappy]

First...Welcome to the Asylum, Kristian!

If you do a search for router tables, there have been several discussions on tops. Most of the tops on shop built tables are 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" thick. The thickness is reached by laminating either two 3/4" MDF layers, or a 3/4" and a 1/2" piece.

[bigstick509]

Laminating MDF like Pappy said is what most folks do.

[gsmittle]

Welcome, Kristian!

Assuming you think in metrics like most of the civilized world, the top would be 3-4 cm thick.

That's according to my handy little English to Metric converter.

Have fun building your router table. We expect to see pictures of the process!

g.

[JimD]

I do not know what common kitchen counter tops are in Sweden but in the U. S., high density particle board covered with laminate is a popular, lower priced option. When the opening is made for the sink, it generates a nice scrap that is ideal for a router table top. Mine is a sink cut-out with another layer of 3/4 (really 19mm) plywood and maple edging. I also have a router table capability in the extension table of my BT3100. That table is 3/4 melamine covered particle board with 3/4 plywood stiffeners (i.e. on edge, not flat parallel to the melamine) every foot or so.

For the BT3100 setup, I thinned the melamine to about 3/8 thickness in the shape of my router base (PC 690) and screw the base directly to the melamine. For my main router table, the motor is on a homemade lift which is attached to the back of the cabinet. The top hinges up for bit changing - which I find very handy. The idea for the lift came from the spring 2004 router issue of American Woodworker. I adapted a plan they published using 1 inch machined rod and Oilite bearings for the slide.

Jim

[RayintheUK]

My simple solution is to be found here. HTH

Ray.

[Tom Clark]

Welcome Kristian,

My top on this router table I built 20 years ago is 3/4 plywood, with doublers here and there for support. It has remained very flat for all these years. The photo is self-explanatory.

Since I lift the top all the time, it needed to be made of a lighter material than MDF. A dust collector hose in the back of the router compartment keeps the mess to almost nothing.

Tom

[rjwaldren]

That's nice Tom, I have some questions but don't want to hijack the thread, I'll ask in a PM.

[themachine]

Another alternative to the formica top is to use some grades of interior paneling. They come in 4 X 8 foot sheets and some have a very slick surface. They are also about the same thickness as router insert plates marketed by many, so it makes it easier to create a recess in the paneling that is an exact complement to the plate, and a smaller hole in the underlying plywood or MDF to allow the router motor to fall through. The paneling can easily be attached to a plywood or MDF substrate using glue, screws, or a combination. Likewise, prefinished laminate flooring has been used by some for the surface to get wear resistance and low friction.

[LinuxRandal]

Supporting structure makes all the difference in the world. You can make a top out of 1/2 or 3/4" material, if it is on a frame so it stays flat. Others double up 3/4" material, and some even place metal bars in it (Mr. Sawdust style table). Some of the commercial manufacturers, use 1" or better mdf.

Then tops can be polyed and waxed, laminated, etc....

A good book to check for in your library, is Woodworking with the router, by Pat Warner. He also has a good website to check out:

http://patwarner.com/

[Resoplayer]

Supporting structure makes all the difference in the world. You can make a top out of 1/2 or 3/4" material, if it is on a frame so it stays flat. Others double up 3/4" material, and some even place metal bars in it (Mr. Sawdust style table). Some of the commercial manufacturers, use 1" or better mdf.

Then tops can be polyed and waxed, laminated, etc....

A good book to check for in your library, is Woodworking with the router, by Pat Warner. He also has a good website to check out:

http://patwarner.com/

--------------------------------------------
Hi LinuxRandal

Can you tell me where to find some pictures from Mr. Sawdust style table
That sounds great to have a metal bar in the top.

Kristian

[George Cole]

Hi there forum members

I´m a newbie here, and the first thing I like to ask you about is:

How thick do my router table top has to be ?
I´m going to build my own router table, and I have not get the woods yet.
Give me some hints here before I start please.

Kristian / Sweden

Kristen, welcome.

For a righteous looking router table have a look at www.ShopNotes.com
There latest magazine gives a "how to". The MDF is very popular use and I topped mine with masinoite to give it some slide.Good luck.
Best Regards,
George