Router Table in Table Saw Cabinet

[ssmith1627]

How many of you guys put your router into the end of your table saw ?

I didn't go that direction when I built the cabinet for my BT3100 but now I'm wishing that I had. My garage is a decent size but is broken up by a laundry room and other shelving for household type items -- a couple of dog kennels, dog food, etc. It'd be nice to take away that large footprint of the separate router table -- I have mine mounted to my old BT3100 stand.

Norm doesn't have his set up this way.....but obviously he doesn't have any space issues either.

Steve

[cgallery]

I have mine built into my table saw, and I couldn't be happier with it. If I had more room the last thing I'd use it for is a separate router table, as what I've got already works so well.

[Uncle Cracker]

I built a router table into the left side of my BT. There resides my big honkin' M12V on it's Plungelift plate. The setup works perfectly for me.

[Ken Massingale]

'Norm doesn't have his set up this way......'

David Marks does, so I win! ;-)

I have the RT on the end of my TS3650, and for me it's perfect.

[steve-norrell]

How many of you guys put your router into the end of your table saw ?

I did. See photos.

I also have a decent garage (two car plus) but it has to go into the "winter mode" between October and April. We keep the vehicles in the garage in the winter.

Regards, Steve

[ssmith1627]

David Marks does, so I win! ;-)

I like watching that show (Woodworks) to see his techniques and to hopefully continue to soak up information. But I swear I don't like much of anything that guy builds. Just not really my style. Still very useful though, don't get me wrong.

Steve

[ssmith1627]

Steve,

Thanks for the pictures. That always helps. Love to see how others have things set up.

It looks different to me than what I had in my head. You have the router presumably between the two fences. I would've expected the router to be to the right of the router fence so that you could stand at the end of the cabinet. Is it not awkward working this way ?

Not a slam by any means -- just asking the question !

Thanks,
Steve

[ssmith1627]

Anyone here have the Grizzly saw with the cast iron router table in the end ?

Steve

[Knottscott]

This is my 2nd saw with the RT mounted on the extension wing. It's a really nice space saver, with alot less downside than most compromises.

[JimD]

I have a router table setup in the extension table of my BT3100 (which has extension rails). The extension table is melamine particle board with ribs underneith and plywood glued to the edge for mounting to the rails. I reduced the thickness to 3/8 in an area the size and shape of my PC690 router. I built a separate fence so I do have to use the BT3100 fence.

These pictures should give you some ideas. I have an enclosure which bolts to the underside of the extension table with hanger bolts that gives me pretty good dust collection.

I have a separate router table that doubles as my infeed table for the BT3100. It has a homemade router lift which is the only big advantage over the 3100 setup - which still gets used occasionally.

[gad5264]

ssmith,
My saw is currently on a temporary mobile base but as you can see I have mocked up the configuration I am going to use for the top. On the left side will be the regular router assembly table with a router and on the right side will be a Rockler table that I am modifying to fit between the rails.

[steve-norrell]

Steve, It looks different to me than what I had in my head. You have the router presumably between the two fences. I would've expected the router to be to the right of the router fence so that you could stand at the end of the cabinet. Is it not awkward working this way ?

Not a slam by any means -- just asking the question !

No slam taken! You raise a good point and I have thought, from time to time, that I might like access from the end.

However, the current set-up is such that I can control the router with the main switch on the BT3100. When I use the router I remove the saw fence and guard and lower the blade below the surface.

The router fence is attached to t-tracks and can be easily removed for free-hand routing or when using the saw (as it is most of the time). The lift is a JessEm lift so the bit / collet can be lowered out of the way when not in use. It does require plugging and unplugging as I change from the saw to the router. So far I haven't had serious inconveniences with this set-up and it has worked for me.

Regards, Steve

[cgallery]

Just a reminder that adding a lot of weight to the rails may make it difficult to keep the rails parallel to the top. My solution was a plywood truss, here:

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...ighlight=truss

But others with rolling stations seem to have accomplished the same thing with their own brace designs (some of them with extended rails which is real nice).

It is impressive how much better the saw holds its settings with the truss. I would use it even if I wasn't adding a router table. I'm lucky because I have the older style base, though. A 3100 base would certainly complicate matters.

[cgallery]

However, the current set-up is such that I can control the router with the main switch on the BT3100.

This does work well, but I accidentally activated the incorrect tool more than once (thought the TS was plugged in when in fact the router was, and vice versa). Makes your heart skip a beat (or two). So I added an aux. switch.

[MBG]

I did it three times!

BT3XXX (a little hard to see - acc. table w/ router on far right):



Craftsman 22124:




Unisaw:




Making my BT mobile with a built-in router was the best thing I did for my woodworking hobby. My garage is my shop and the tools need to be put away after use. Before being mobile many times I would decide not to make something just because of the pain of taking out the tools and putting them back. An added benefit you can see from many of the replies is the storage capabilities of a mobile base saw cabinet. My latest Uni set-up (hopefully my last) really works out great.