American Woodworker Router Table

Check out these great features:

The All-Important Fence

At the heart of any great router-table system lies a well-designed fence. Ours offers all the best features identified in our router table tool test (AW #92, February 2002):

• An easy-to-use, tool-free fence can be set and adjusted in an instant (Photo 1). 

• Easy-to-make sacrificial subfences can be adjusted for any size bit or used to create zero-clearance openings (Photo 2). They’re easy to make from plain old 3/4-in. MDF.

• Quick, rock-solid fence settings are made possible by T-tracks in the table (Photo 3). For fine adjustments, leave one hold-down tight to create a pivot point for the fence. 

• Fence-mounted T-track for attaching accessories (Photo 3).

• A dust port for picking up the debris that routers kick out.

The Sag-Free Top

In this article we’ll show you how to build flatness into your top and keep it there. Our top’s features include:

• A dead-flat top that will never sag because it’s supported by braces built into the cabinet (Fig. A, below).

• A versatile offset router mount puts the router near the front edge for easy access and easy stock feeding. This is where you’ll do 90 percent of your routing. The other 10 percent will be at the back of the table, which offers more table support for routing large stock, such as door panels (Photo 4). 

• Plastic laminate for a slick, durable top. We put the laminate  on both surfaces to protect and stiffen the top. 

• Our Best Buy router-mounting plate (from AW #85, February 2001, Tool Test: Router Table Plates, page 86) allows easy removal of the router for bit changes and hand-held work. 

A Large, Easy-to-Build Cabinet

Made from heavy, vibration-absorbing MDF, the cabinet goes together with butt joints and screws. There’s plenty of storage plus the following features:

• The capacity to handle the largest routers on the market for a router table that approaches the capabilities of a shaper. 

• A pair of doors on the front and back cut noise while giving you access to the router from either side of the table. 

• An external power switch (no wiring required) makes routing easier and safer. Easier because there’s no fumbling under the table to turn on your router. Safer because who wants to be opening doors and groping for the power switch in an emergency?

A Host of Great Accessories

Even if you already own a router table, you’ll want to build these accessories. They’re designed to increase safety and improve results. Here they are:

• Featherboards are like having an extra pair of hands (Photo 5). They’re easy to make (Fig. C, Detail 1, below) and probably the most used router-table accessory. 

• Stop blocks are a must for making accurate stopped cuts (Photo 6 and Fig. C, Detail 2, below). 

• The router-table sled eliminates the need for a miter track (Photo 7 and Fig. C, Detail 3, below). The sled slides along the T-track using UHMW glides. 

• A free-hand guard for safe routing when a fence won’t work (Photo 8 and Fig. C, Detail 4, below). The guard attaches to the T-track at the front of the table. Routing is done from the back of the table utilizing the large table space for support of the panel stock. The guard is adjustable to allow for stock thickness of ? to ? inches.

• A tall fence is provides extra support for vertical routing  (Photo 9 and Fig. C, Detail 5, below).

A totally tool-free fence. Forget about wrenches, screwdrivers or clamps for fence adjustments.

Easy-to-make, sacrificial subfences allow you to make a zero-clearance opening for super-clean, super-safe cuts. Simply slide the infeed fence slowly into the spinning bit. 

T-tracks provide slide-and-lock adjustments for maximum versatility. They make for super-smooth fence adjustments and convenient attachment points for accessories. 

You can work at the back of the table to take advantage of the large setback to support big stock, like this door panel. That way you’re not having to divide your attention between feeding the stock and keeping it from falling off the table. 

Build the Base and Top

You’ll need a tablesaw, router, jigsaw, belt sander, drill and drill press to build this table.

We’ll build from the bottom up, starting with the cabinet. It serves as a solid foundation for the working parts of our table. Ready? Here we go:

Build the Cabinet 

1. Start by cutting the cabinet and top parts according to the Cutting List, below.

2. Assemble the cabinet with butt joints and screws (Fig. A). Use the toe-kick (F) as a spacer for setting the bottom shelf (Photo 1). Make a similar 12-1/2-in. spacer to set the middle shelf. Check for square as you build.

3. Add the braces (E and G) to support the top. The narrow brace (G) at the front of the cabinet makes it easier to adjust the router. Cleats (R) are glued at right angles to the support beams to provide a flange for screwing the top down onto the cabinet. 

4. Hang the doors with self-closing, surface-mount hinges.

Build the Top

5. Glue together the two MDF pieces (C) that make up the top (Photo 2). Then, trim the substrate flush and square (Photo 3). Important: leave an extra 1/2 in. on the width to be trimmed after the hardwood edges are applied.

6. Glue on the two short pieces of hardwood edging (Q). Trim to finished width on the tablesaw leaving the hardwood flush with the front and back of the substrate (Photo 4).

7. Glue the long hardwood edge (P) to the front and back of the top. Trim and sand the hardwood edges flush with the MDF. Then, round the corners with the belt sander. Now you’re ready for the plastic laminate.

8. Glue the plastic laminate (S) to the top and bottom of the substrate with contact cement (Photo 5). Trim the laminate flush with the top using a flush-trim bit. File a slight bevel along the laminate edge to remove the sharp edge and prevent chipping.

9. Cut the recess for the mounting plate with a router (Photo 6). Cut the hole for the router with a jigsaw. For greater detail on cutting the opening for your mounting plate, see AW #85, February 2001, Hang a Router...Perfectly, page 90. 

10. Rout the channels for the T-tracks (Photo 7).

Build the Fence

11. Cut the MDF parts for the fence (H through K). Carefully lay out the location of the supports, cutouts and slots on the base and face pieces. 

12. Rout the slots in the fence face (Photo 8) and at the ends of the base. The slots in the face allow the subfence to slide back and forth to create the adjustable opening. The slots in the base allow the fence to skew and pivot for fine adjustments. They also facilitate attaching and removing the fence from the top. 

13. Cut out the bit opening in the face and base of the fence (Photo 9). A 45-degree bevel at the back of the cutout on the base (Fig. C) helps with dust collection.

14. Assemble the fence with screws (Photo 10). Drill your pilot holes a little deeper than the screws to prevent splitting the small support blocks.

15. Drill and countersink holes for each subfence.  

Tip: As long as you're making two subfences, you may as well make a dozen. That way you'll always have a fresh one when you need it and you won't be tempted to "make-do". 

Photo 1: Assemble the cabinet with butt joints and screws. Use the toe-kick as a spacer for locating the bottom shelf. Spring clamps are like having a third hand for supporting cabinet parts during assembly.

Photo 2: Glue together the two top pieces on a flat surface, such as your tablesaw. Sandbags (wrapped in plastic to avoid spills) provide the clamping pressure. Be sure to offset the two pieces by about 1/4 in. This will give you two clean edges to place against your tablesaw fence as you cut the top to final dimensions (see Photo 3). 

Photo 3: Trim the built-up top on the tablesaw using the two offset edges against the fence. You’ll have to make four cuts to get the whole top square with flush edges. Leave an extra 1/2 in. on the width for trimming the hardwood edges (see Photo 4). 

Photo 4: Cut the top to final width with the hardwood edging glued onto the sides. The hardwood is placed just shy of one edge on the MDF core. This leaves a clean edge to reference against the tablesaw fence for the first cut. The second cut is made to final width and leaves the hardwood perfectly flush with the edges of the MDF.

Photo 5: Apply the plastic laminate. Slip sticks prevent the plastic laminate from sticking to the top before you have it properly positioned. When the laminate evenly overlaps all four edges of the top, slip one stick out at a time and apply pressure to the laminate using a block of wood or a roller. 

Photo 6: Rout the recess for your mounting plate. Build the template to fit snugly around your mounting plate. Use a top-bearing flush-trim bit to cut an exact-size opening. Make sure the template is deep enough to accommodate the bit length. Use a jigsaw to cut a hole in the center of the recess, leaving a 1/2-in. ledge for the mounting plate (Fig. A).

Photo 7: Rout channels for the T-track with a 3/4-in. straight cutter and an edge guide. Cut the full-length dado at the front of the table first; then cut the stopped rabbets on the two edges. 

Photo 8: Rout slots in the fence parts using your newly built table and a temporary fence. Drill a 1/4-in. hole at the beginning and end of each slot. With the router turned off, set the blank against the fence so the 1/4-in. straight cutter protrudes through the first hole of the slot. Hold the blank firmly and turn on the router. Push the blank forward until the bit reaches the second hole. 

Photo 9: Cut notches in the fence parts with a jigsaw. Once the fence is assembled, the notches form an opening in the fence to accommodate the router bit.

Photo 10: Assemble the fence with screws. Check each support block for square before you use it. Perfectly square support blocks ensure a perfectly square fence.

Soup Up Your Router Table

Your router table will really sing with these great accessories. Like all good tools, our accessories will increase safety and improve results. Even though we designed them specifically for the Best Buy Router Table on page 39, they’re easily adapted to use on almost any router-table system.

Stop Blocks

A stop block is indispensable for cuts that don’t go the entire length of the board. Ours mounts on the fence T-track for quick settings that won’t budge.

Cut hardwood runners (V) wide enough to just fit into the T-track slot, but not as deep. Glue the strips on the blocks, and drill out for the 1-1/4-in.1/4-20 hex bolt. 

Featherboards

Featherboards make routing safer and better. Safer because they hold the work against the table and fence instead of your hands. Better because the constant pressure holds the piece on both sides of the bit for smooth, washboard-free profiles. 

The featherboards are made from clear, solid-wood stock like pine or poplar. There are two sizes (see Cutting List, below). The longer ones are mounted on the table and the shorter ones on the fence. Cut the 45-degree angles first. The 1/4-in. slots can be cut on the router table and the feathers are cut using a bandsaw.

Freehand Guard

A freehand guard and a starting pin are a must for routing curved profiles, such as this arch-topped door panel. Dust collection isn’t perfect, but it keeps the bit area clear. 

Assemble the base (parts B, C and D) with glue and screws. Then build the hood (parts E through H, N, P and W). Slip the hood over the base and glue the two 1/4-in. guide dowels into the base. The winged bolts allow you to adjust the height of the hood. Drill two 1/4-in. holes at the back of the base for the hold-down knobs.

Router-Table Sled

A router-table sled replaces the miter slot found on many commercial tables. It allows you to safely perform end-grain cutting, such as the cope cut on this rail, without having to set your fence perfectly parallel to a miter slot. 

The only tricky part to making this accessory is getting the holes for the bolts just right. Simply hold the completed jig up to the fence with the base on the table and mark the T-track opening. Then, drill your holes in the center of the marked opening. UHMW T-track slides guide the sled along the fence.

Tall Fence

A tall fence makes vertical routing safe and accurate. It provides plenty of support for work that must be stood on end to rout, such as drawer joints, lock-miter joints and vertical panel raising.

The tall fence fits between the two outside supports of the main fence. Build the two supports (U and T) and attach them to the main fence. Use a square to align the top (S) with the face of the main fence and secure with screws or winged bolts.