Quick and Easy Router Table

Online Extra

Woodsmith No. 195 Online Extras Page 1 of 5 2011 August Home Publishing. All rights reserved.

quick & easy

Router TableThis simple table is easy to build, transport, and stow away at the end of the day. This router table is packed with some impres-sive features. But what I really like about it is that it takes only one 5' x 5' sheet of 1/2" Baltic birch plywood (see the cutting diagram on the next page) and a weekend to build.

Large Top. Fast, inexpensive construction isnt the only thing going for this router table. For starters, the top measures a full 20" x 32". But theres more to it than size. For exam-ple, the top tilts up for easy router access to change bits and make height adjustments. And the heavy-duty fence makes accurate

cuts a snap. It takes no effort at all to adjust it quickly and lock it securely to the tabletop.

SimpLe Joinery. The case is built with simple, no-frills joinery. You can make all the parts with nothing more than a table saw and drill press. Rabbets, dadoes, and butt joints create a strong cabinet that stands up to hard use.

porTabLe convenience. On the job site or in your shop, this router table can be quickly clamped to a workbench or even sawhorses. And theres a drawer at the bottom for stor-ing bits, wrenches, and other items.


60"x 60"- !/2" plywood

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KL

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OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 20"L x 32"W x 14!/4"H

Tabletop lifts open for easy

access to router

Arm pivots to securely support top

Top tilts on piano

hinge

Fence is easy to adjust

Fence brace

Sturdytwo-layer top

Pivoting arm

Pinch block

Routermounts directly

to tabletop

Router table and fence are built from one sheet of

!/2" plywoodMaterials, Supplies & Cutting DiagramCASE A Sides (2) 12 ply - 1312 x 1514B Bottom/Divider (2) 12 ply - 1534 x 24C Back (1) 12 ply - 1312 x 2412D Front Stiles (2) 12 ply - 3 x 1312E Drawer Guides (2) 12 ply - 1514 x 212F Corner Blocks (4) 12 ply - 212 x 212DRAWER G Front/Back (2) 12 ply - 11516 x 18716H Sides (2) 12 ply - 11516 x 1514I Bottom (1) 12 ply - 1412 x 17716TOP J Top (1) 12 ply - 20 x 32K Front Brace (1) 12 ply - 2 x 32L Back Brace (1) 12 ply - 1 x 32M Side Braces (2) 12 ply - 34 x 17N Side Fillers (2) 12 ply - 2 x 17O Arm (1) 12 ply - 3 x 13FENCE P Inner Faces (2) 12 ply - 3 x 16Q Outer Face (1) 12 ply - 3 x 32R Base (1) 12 ply - 312 x 32S Braces (4) 12 ply - 212 x 212T Pinch Blocks (2) 12 ply - 1 x 2

(1)Nickel-platedPianoHingew/Screws (1)14" Flat Washer (1)14"LockNut (2)516"x2"CarriageBolts (2)516" Flat Washers (2)516" T-knobs

One of the goals I had when build-ing the case of the router table was to make sure it could be built quickly. But it still needed to be strong enough for every day use.

STraighTforward Joinery. As I men-tioned earlier, the router table case uses sturdy plywood construc-tion with dadoes and rabbets. The whole table is built from 12" ply-wood. (I used Baltic birch.)

SideS firST. I began by constructing the case sides. In detail d, you can see that theres a dado and a rabbet cut in each side piece. This joinery locks a divider and the case bottom in place for a super strong, wiggle-free assembly. The divider also creates a pocket for the drawer that will be added later.

Before assembling the divider and bottom to the sides, I cut a 23/4"-wide notch at the front corners of each

piece, as you can see in Figure 1a. These notches hold a pair of narrow stiles that keep the front of the case rigid while still providing a large opening for access to the router.

The back is a simple plywood panel thats sized to overlap the sides. With these main parts cut, you can glue and clamp the case together.

corner bLockS. The divider and case bottom make the lower por-tion of the case plenty strong. But since the tabletop isnt screwed to the case, the upper part of the case needs some reinforcement.

The solution I used here was to make four, angled corner blocks, as illustrated in detail b. You can see in the main drawing that I positioned them 3/4" from the top edge of the case. The reason for this is simple. The hinged tabletop is designed to nestle down over the top of the case,

so lowering the corner blocks ensures that they wont interfere with the fit.

There are just two parts left to add to the case before moving on to the drawer. And those are a pair of drawer guides. Theyre cut to fit behind the front stiles to keep the drawer from binding in the opening, as shown in detail d.

SimpLe drawer. The drawer in the router table provides a place to store wrenches, bits, and other sup-plies. And like the rest of the router table, its straightforward to build.

In the drawing above, you can see that a rabbeted frame simply wraps around the drawer bottom. The rela-tively thick bottom provides plenty of glue surface for a strong bond.

Large, fLaT Top. With the case com-plete, I set it aside and turned my attention to the top, shown in the drawing on the next page.

#/4

CORNERBLOCK

F

SIDEDIVIDER

SIDE

FRONTSTILE

A BACKF

24!/2

13!/2

A

(15#/4 x 24)

B

D24!/2

15!/4

14!/215!/4

17&/16

18&/16

DRAWERGUIDE

E

DRAWERBOTTOM

I

BOTTOMB

DRAWERBACK

G

DRAWERSIDEH

DRAWERFRONT

G

1!%/16

NOTE: Both bottomand divider

are notched

NEWEND

GRAIN

#/4"-Ply.

27#/8

26!/2

17!/4

#/8

!/16 !/8 !/4 #/4

!/2 %/8 &/8

#8 x 1!/2" Fh woodscrew#8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew

#8 x 1#/4" Fh woodscrew#8 x 2" Fh woodscrew#8 x 3" Fh woodscrew

CROSS SECTION

END VIEW

TOP VIEWSIDE VIEW

PART NAMES

OVERALL DIMENSIONS: NOTE: ThisFIRST: This is

SECOND: This

THIRD: This

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3

FRONT SECTION VIEW

!/2

SIDE BACK

SHELF

BOTTOM

DRAWERSIDE

DRAWERBACK

DRAWERGUIDE

DRAWER BOTTOM

!/2

!/4

2!/2

15!/4

DRAWERGUIDE

NEWEND

GRAIN

#/4"-Ply.

27#/8

26!/2

17!/4

#/8

!/16 !/8 !/4 #/4

!/2 %/8 &/8



CROSS SECTION

END VIEW

TOP VIEWSIDE VIEW

PART NAMES


SECOND: This

THIRD: This

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AA B B

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2!/2

2!/2

TOP VIEW

CORNERBLOCK

SIDE BOTTOM

FRONTSTILE

DRAWERGUIDE

CORNERBLOCK

BACK

NEWEND

GRAIN

#/4"-Ply.

27#/8

26!/2

17!/4

#/8

!/16 !/8 !/4 #/4

!/2 %/8 &/8



CROSS SECTION

END VIEW

TOP VIEWSIDE VIEW

PART NAMES


SECOND: This

THIRD: This

ZYXWVUTSRQPON

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HH II LL

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DRAWERGUIDE

SIDE

BOTTOM

NOTCHDETAIL2#/4

!/2

TOPVIEW

DRAWERSIDE

DRAWERBOTTOM

DRAWERFRONT!/8

!/2

build the Case & Top


a.

b.

c. d.

Since this is where all the work will take place after the table is complete, the goal here is to make the top as flat and rigid as possible.

Making a large top from plywood isnt a challenge just cut it to size. But with 1/2" plywood, you want to make sure it wont flex under the load of large, heavy pieces. So, to make this tabletop stay flat, its rein-forced around the bottom edge.

The top has a few openings cut into it. In the center is a hole that serves as the opening for router bits. At 2" in

diameter, its plenty big enough to handle most common bit sizes. To attach the router to the table, I sim-ply screwed it to the top.

The other two openings are a pair of slots that will be used to connect and adjust the fence that will be added later, as in drawing below.

fiLLerS and braceS. As I mentioned, the top is strengthened by attach-ing cleats to the underside. Besides keeping the top from flexing, the cleats also serve another purpose. They are positioned so that the top

fits over the case like a lid. You can see this in Figures 2a and 2b.

TiLT-Top deSign. Rather than screw-ing the top to the case, I attached it with a piano hinge along the back edge. This allows me to tilt up the tabletop and get at the router to change the bit height without having to stoop over.

Then, to hold the top open so I can use both hands, I bolted a prop arm to the inside of the case with a carriage bolt, nut, and washer, as shown in the drawing and arm detail below.

27#/8

26!/2

17!/4

#/8

!/16 !/8 !/4 #/4

!/2 %/8 &/8



CROSS SECTION

END VIEW

TOP VIEWSIDE VIEW

PART NAMES


SECOND: This

THIRD: This

ZYXWVUTSRQPON

MLKJIHGFEDCBA

AA B B

HH II LL

UTR UTR

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GGF FEEDDCC

20

32

2"-dia. hole

7!/2

1#/41!/4

SIDE FILLER(2 x 17)

N

SIDE BRACE(#/4 x 17)

M

FRONT BRACE(2 x 32)

K

24" Piano hinge

w/screws

TOPJ

BACK BRACE(1 x 32)

L

#/8 Dia. hole

NOTE: All partsare !/2" plywood

2!/2

6

1!/2

ARM(3 x 12!/2)

O

27#/8

26!/2

17!/4

#/8

!/16 !/8 !/4 #/4

!/2 %/8 &/8



CROSS SECTION

END VIEW

TOP VIEWSIDE VIEW

PART NAMES


SECOND: This

THIRD: This

ZYXWVUTSRQPON

MLKJIHGFEDCBA

AA B B

HH II LL

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FRONT SECTION

Sidefiller

Sidebrace

Top

1

SIDE SECTION

Frontbrace

Backbrace

Top

Cornerblock

24" Piano hingew/screws

27#/8

26!/2

17!/4

#/8

!/16 !/8 !/4 #/4

!/2 %/8 &/8



CROSS SECTION

END VIEW

TOP VIEWSIDE VIEW

PART NAMES


SECOND: This

THIRD: This

ZYXWVUTSRQPON

MLKJIHGFEDCBA

AA B B

HH II LL

UTR UTR

NN

ZZYYXXWWVV

SSQQPPOO

MMKKJJ

GGF FEEDDCC27#/8

26!/2

17!/4

#/8

!/16 !/8 !/4 #/4

!/2 %/8 &/8



CROSS SECTION

END VIEW

TOP VIEWSIDE VIEW

PART NAMES


SECOND: This

THIRD: This

ZYXWVUTSRQPON

MLKJIHGFEDCBA

AA B B

HH II LL

UTR UTR

NN

ZZYYXXWWVV

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ARMDETAIL

Arm

!/4" x 2"Carriage

bolt

!/4"Hex nut


> Tilt-Up Top. The top is attached with a piano hinge. This allows easy access to the router without having to bend over.

a.

b.

heavy-duTy face. The first step in building the fence is to make the faces. Here, I used a double-layer fence assembly. The added layer of 12" plywood makes it less likely to flex or warp over time. A centered cutout in each layer is large enough to accommodate most router bits.

Youll notice the inside face of the fence is made from two pieces. I did this in order to get all the parts from a single sheet of plywood.

STabLe baSe. This assembly is then glued to the front of a base that has a matching cutout. To help

dust and chips clear this opening, I routed a chamfer on the cutout in the base (Figure 3a). To reinforce the joint between the fence and the base, I glued braces to the base and the backside of the fence face.

aTTaching The fence. The fence is con-nected to the table with carriage bolts, washers, and knobs. A pair of pinch blocks slide in the channel created by the brace and filler on the bottom side of the table.

Once the fence is attached to the table, all you have to do is plug in your router and get to work. W

The last assembly to build to com-plete the router table is the fence, as shown in the drawing above. And its really what transforms the router table into a precision tool youll come to rely on.

For the fence to work its best, it needs to do three things. First, the fence needs to be rigid so it wont deflect as a workpiece slides across it. Second, the fence face has to be square to the tabletop. This way, you can be sure your cuts are accu-rate every time. Finally, it has to lock securely to the tabletop.

1!/4

INNERFENCE FACE

P

FENCEBRACE

S

BASER

Rout a#/8"chamferon cutout

in basen

%/16"washer

3!/2

27#/8

26!/2

17!/4

#/8

!/16 !/8 !/4 #/4

!/2 %/8 &/8



CROSS SECTION

END VIEW

TOP VIEWSIDE VIEW

PART NAMES


SECOND: This

THIRD: This

ZYXWVUTSRQPON

MLKJIHGFEDCBA

AA B B

HH II LL

UTR UTR

NN

ZZYYXXWWVV

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GGF FEEDDCC

PINCH BLOCK(1 x 2)

T

%/16"x 2"Carriage

boltn

OUTERFENCE FACE

Q

8!/2

3

1#/8

1#/8

32

16

1#/8

END VIEW(Cross Section)

Q P

Brace

2!/2

2!/2 1"-Rad.cut out

n

%/16"T-knob

n

BasePinch block

#/8

!/16 !/8 !/4 #/4

!/2 %/8 &/8



CROSS SECTION

END VIEW

BACK VIEW(Cross Section)

SIDE VIEW

PART NAMES


SECOND: This

THIRD: This

ZYXWVUTSRQPON

MLKJIHGFEDCBA

AA B B

HH II LL

UTR UTR

NN

ZZYYXXWWVV

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GGF FEEDDCC

Fence brace

Innerfenceface


a. b.

{ Router Fence. Grooves in the top allow you to easily position the fence and lock it.

a precision FenCe

Quick and Easy Router Table

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