Router table (kind of)

[niki]

Good day

Don’t be shy, you can call me crazy, (and you will, after you see the pics).

So, this is my router table, it is retractable because the car has to go every night into the garage (and it’s quick and cheap to make).

The top is made of 7/8” thick plywood, covered with 5/16” thick “Floor panel”. Why? Because they are covered already with plastic laminate (Formica) from both sides and I have a guaranty for 15 years, so they must be good.

The router is connected directly to the “Floor panel” with 4 bolts (and did not sink for the last 2 years).

I did not make any “Insert”, I just took my biggest dia bit (1-1/4”), and pushed it through the “floor panel”.

This router table is 45% of my tools (the other 45% is the TS), and is for me, what you call in the adds “3 in 1”; Router table, Doweling machine and Mortising machine.

Regards
niki

[niki]

Another 4 pics

[niki]

And another 4 pics

[niki]

The last 3 pics

[Too Slow]

Seems very functional. Where did you get the folding legs?

[LarryG]

Pretty neat, niki ... and by the way, welcome to the forum.

I've seen a couple other router tables adapted onto folding workstands (usually the Black & Decker Workmate), but they were simple rigs with few features. Yours looks like it'll do it all. Nice!

[jackellis]

Very practical design. Looks like thefolding legs came from a workmate-type folding portable workbench.

[cgallery]

Very clever. Thanks for the follow-up!

[niki]

Thank you for your kind replies

It is a workmate or workbench, you can see it here

http://www.allproducts.com/manufacture10/fdc/sk-1060.html

The good thing is, that the legs are separate from the top, when you close/open the legs the top is not affected, so I can unlock the top and move the table up (for bit change) without the legs moving.

I removed the two wooden clamps, opened the clamps maximum and screwed the ply top directly (you can see it on the pics).

As I promised Phil…

niki

[John Hunter]

Very nice.

[SHADOWFOX]

Ingenious, practical, and awesome router table!! Thank you so much for sharing!

[softop41]

great ides!

Welcome to the best forum on the 'net!
Very creative.
Seems like a lot of thought went into your router table. It does the job and fits into the space you need it to fit into; what more does it need to do?
Jerry

[LinuxRandal]

No reason to be embarrased about it. I think the thing you will learn here and elsewhere, is don't blame your tools. I have seen too many people, from here and elsewhere who can and do great things with all kinds of tools. Even had a friend sell everything off, so he could upgrade when he retired. Once he retired he did less work, and said he should have kept the old shop.

Welcome, and have fun!

[niki]

Thank you for your kind comments and the warm welcome

This router table started its “life” some 10 years ago and with the time, I added the features by feature.

On the next post, I’m going to make a doweled frame “in front of the camera” (many pics).

Thanks again
niki

[jackellis]

Niki, how did you attach the laminate flooring to the plywood? Screws, glue, ?

I have a box of the stuff left over from an initial attempt to build a router table extension for the BT and the stuff did not adhere to MDF very well when glued.