Inexpensive Router Table (safe & accurate) DIY
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- Опубликовано: 2 ноя 2024
- Build your own DIY router table that is very safe and very accurate. I purchased a large router bit for a piece of furniture I'm building and needed a way to use it safely and accurately. Rather than buy an expensive router table, I purchased the Kreg Router Plate and built the table myself... on the cheap! I show you how!
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Warnings:
Woodworking tools are dangerous.
Routers are probably the most dangerous tool... they have hair triggers and are extremely powerful. Keep in mind, when the router is on, nothing, and I mean nothing, will stop the bit from spinning.
Always unplug the router when installing it into the table, when changing the bit, and/or when doing any other operation other than edge routing a board. Seriously, unplug it 100% of the time.
Always wear eye protection. Ideally, a full face shield. The material you're cutting, or even pieces of the router bit itself, can break off and be thrown at high speeds in unpredictable directions.
Always use a commercial router plate. Never use a thin piece of plywood or a thin board in place of a commercial router plate. The router plate must be durable and router table surface must be thick. This ensures the router will never break away from the table in the unlikely event something jams and both the router fence and material refuse to give.
Great! And I love the fact that finally! a wood working instructional video includes someone not just talking about safety, but actually doing the things they tell you "you really should do this even though I didn't". Yay for push sticks and masks!
Yeah... I follow the lead-by-example model while at the same time believing that everyone must make their own decisions around how comfortable they are with their tools and the risks they choose to take. What you saw in this video wasn't done just for the camera. I always wear a full face shield for every tool except drills and the scroll saw... but again, that's just how I do it.
Fun fact, I had my full face shield on while using the table saw and the blade loosened a hard knot in the board. The back of the blade caught it and fired it at my cheek like a bullet. If I was only wearing eye protection I'm convinced I would have a scar on my face.
6@@AwesomeWoodThings
That magnet idea is GENIUS!!!!
Thanks for letting me know. Yeah.... that technique has served me well. I'm glad you like it.
I love the simple approach you took here.
Very good step by step instructions to build the router table.
Thanks, Peter!
Proof that you dont have to spend thousands and sometimes simple can do the job just as well as the all singing all dancing tables!! Good job!
Thanks! :-)
Weeping Angel's, Dalek's and the Tardis LOVE IT.... Cool instructional video BTW
Thank you! Yeah… Doctor Who… for the win!!
Can’t wait to make this for my old, spare router. 👍🏻
Have fun!
Simple and concise talk. No bulshit. Good demonstration. Thanks.
I'm glad you like this and my no-bs commentary! It's a great tool and I use it often!
I'm planning on adding a router table to the extension wing of my table saw and I've been looking at all kinds of videos on making router tables (whether as stand-alone or extension wing insert) and this technique for making the table is at the top of my list. Sometimes RUclips's algorithm is a positive. New subscriber, here.
I'm glad this video has information that is valuable to you. Good luck with your extension wing build! I'm sure you'll love it!
that magnet trick on the table saw is super smart! definitely will steal the idea !
Thanks! Yeah... those magnets come in handy. Hey... I love your channel icon. I just posted a Mario-themed video. Check it out if you wish.
nice, i'm cheking it out ! thank you !
thanks for the idea about the contact cement. I picked up a sheet of 1/4" pvc at home depot, and adhered it to a piece of 3/4" mdf, to use as a router table top.
That is great! Good luck with the rest of your build!
Nice job mate...... nothing better than making your own equipment, as the saying goes in the car world when you do all your work yourself, and it applies here "BUILT NOT BROUGHT" thanks for the inspiration......
Glad you liked this! Building your own tools definitely has its advantages!
Dear Matt, thanks for sharing this build 👍
I'm actually going to build a router table that's inspired of this one for a project before 2022 ends... but before that, do you mind telling me some evaluation of this table? Like what would you do better the next time you'll build a router table? Thanks before! 😊
It's great you're going to build this. I'm sure it will turn out great! I wouldn't do anything different based on what you see in this video. The fence (or lack thereof) might be your biggest obstical. It may be worth buying a third-party fence and adding it to this table. A fence can do quite a lot of operations, including jointing boards... and some fences are a complicated piece of equipment (moving parts, etc.) That's why buying a fence may be ideal. Other than that, I love this router table and I've been using it for years. In my case, mostly for pattern routing.
@@AwesomeWoodThings that's great! I'll also mostly be doing pattern routing with this, so hopefully it does turn out exceptional.
About the fence, I think my budget wouldn't allow for a third-party one so I'll think of something... Last one, I especially like the leg assembly of this table, it just clicks with me.
Thank you very much Matt! 👍
Good job with a simple yet fully funcational design.
Thank you! Simple and functional are an awesome combination!
great video. Just what I needed to get a router table insert. I'll be making this on Saturday
That’s awesome! Good luck with the build!!!
Excellent. One of the best designs around for a table. I’m going to to use this design to mount my Bosch heavy duty router. Thanks a mill.
Awesome! Good luck with your build! Not surprisingly... I love mine!
You're going to make some man very happy one of these days !
I hope so!
Well produced video of a very neat design. Nice work. Thanks.
Glad you like it!
Excellent presentation & design.
Thanks! I do like it very much! It also works great!
Excellent job! Thank you so much for sharing the construction plan.
Thank you! I'm glad this was helpful!
Thanks for clear explanation. Not everyone does it
You’re welcome.
I love solid shop projects on the cheap. Nicely done Matt!
Thanks Paul! If I have to make other shop tools, this "solid/cheap" process will be used for sure!
Very nice job. Question, what did you use for the fence on the router table?
I just use a straight pice of wood that I clamp to the table.
Love the simple design
Thank you, Trent! Yep... simple = good! :-)
Nice job. I'm embarrassed to say that I'm most impressed with the magnet you used as a guide! Cool idea.
No need to be embrassassed. Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching!
Rare earth magnets are very strong. I saw you using them so I got a small square of scrap and used a Forstner bit to insert four half-inch magnets flush with the bottom and glued them with epoxy. It makes a quick stop block or spacer.
That's awesome! What a great improvement to this idea!
Thanks for sharing this video you have a blessed day
Tim Halcomb You’re so welcome. You have a blessed day too.
A nice easy build. Good work.
Thank you! I'm glad you like it! :-)
How is the router table holding up now
Great question. Thanks for asking. It's holding up great.
where can you buy the T TRACK and I think you said feather board? Thanks for the video
Here's the t-track (affiliate link) amzn.to/3sxkCUQ
Feature board (I own these... they're great) affiliate link: amzn.to/35D6NLy
👍 the big blue for you! God bless Ken thanks for sharing looking forward to your future videos thanks for getting back to me Kim
Nice job Matt! Love the magnet trick on the table saw.
Cool! That was my first time trying that and I was surprised how well it worked! As long as you don't forcibly jam the workpiece into the magnets, they'll stay-put just fine.
What a good idea for the router and at the end is a table router, it hurts that it does not have the measurements and the second video for how it is well finished.
Glad you liked the video. No plans exist... my goal was for people to make the size that fits their needs and understand the build process. Some of my other videos have plans... it's something I'm starting to include more often. Thanks for watching!
ok thank you pure life
Nicely done!! But you’ll want to get some more laminate and veneer the bottom side of the top as well as it will now and say over time. Melamine on both sides will balance the top, and strengthen it as well. Even if you remove the router and have no weight on it, it’ll still sag.
I didn't know that. Thanks for the tip Richard... and thanks for commenting on my question earlier today. As always, I appreciate your feedback!
Thanks for the video. I love the simplicity of your table. I wish you had discussed choosing the router plate a little more. I'm new to owning a router so I'm not very familiar with the accessories. Do I need to ensure a plate is compatible with my brand of router? Do I need to remove the plate that came with it order to install it onto a table like yours? Is it easy to attach and detach a router from your table? Thanks again!
I’m glad you like the video. Router plates are sold two different ways. 1) compatible with a specific brand of router or 2) drill your own to make it work with any brand of router. Pick what works best for you.
Good luck.
Exactly the video I needed! Sweater was pretty great too. Thanks.
Awesome! I'm glad this video was helpful. Yeah... that's a great sweater. :-)
Thanks! Looks do able even without a table saw.
Agreed. It’s a pretty easy build.
Well this is just a great tutorial! Excellent work Matt!
Awesome project Matt. Great trick with the magnets.
Thanks Ryan! I’ll be using that technique again for sure. :-)
How do you raise and lower the router with this router plate? Your build is very nice, but it would be great if you had included a couple clips of how you use the result in practice. Thanks!
There is no riser-kit with my build so I would use the routers own method for moving it up/down. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll do that. Thanks again!
Looks great, Matt. I just printed the instructions and I am going to build one. I just purchased a new router and a router bit set yesterday. Thanks for sharing this simple and effective table.
Awesome! Best of luck with the build Trevor! I'm sure you will love what you create!
Good job Matt. Love the magnet trick!
Oh my... I do too! I’ll be using that technique in the future for sure! Thanks Franc!
What's the purpose for the five degree angle on your legs, and does that go up towards the table or down towards the floor.
The angle is to ensure the table isn't top-heavy. Although that really comes into play with the longer cross members that bolt onto the table because the table is more likely to tip forward/backward rather than left/right. I wanted to avoid a complicated compound angle which would have been needed if the legs were 5 degrees in two directions. Does that make sense? Bottom line: I didn't want the table to be top-heavy. The last thing you want is this falling over with a router bit spinning at 40,000 rpm.
This is the most helpful, right to the point basic router table I can find anywhere on RUclips, it has many great tips too, it’s excellent, thanks for sharing, ps I’ve subscribed to your channel ! 👏👍😀 Happy new year from the UK.👍
I’m glad you found this router table build video helpful! Happy New Year to you too!!
Thanks for this great video. If you get a chance I'd love to get a link for the awesome metal fence you have on your drill press. I could definitely use one of those. :O)
Thanks for asking! It's a Woodpeckers brand fence and this system dramatically increases accuracy and repeatability. I simply love it! I'm sure you will too. Here's an affiliate link: amzn.to/3DSnsbt
Nicely done, Matt! I liked how you added reinforcement all around. 👌
Thanks! My hope is to never worry about losing accuracy over time. Thanks again!
Great video. Perfect level of instruction and engagement, so thank you for taking the time to make and share it. When the router is mounted, how easy is it to adjust the height? It looks like your table would give you plenty of access to make the adjustments, though I guess it would depend on the model of router. If you have any comments there I would appreciate it, as I was going to follow this plan.
You're correct... how easy router height adjustments are depends on the router model you have. Some are super simple because you can make adjustments from above the table, like the Triton 3 1/4 HP model. I have an easy way to see and purchase some of the tools I use including this router. Check it out my affiliate page: www.amazon.com/shop/awesomewoodthings?listId=1KHYKIOR7A2A2
If you run into questions during your build, just reach out. If I can help, I will.
Great build Matt. Simple and effective.
Thank you Javi! I like simple. I like effective. :-)
I've been watching woodworking how to vids since the spring. I just finished a huge project last night (king size bed). In the process I had to use my router that had been on a shelf for 10+ years. After watching about 15 or so vids I wound up jury rigging a system that really did a crappy job. I wish I had seen THIS video ten days ago! Excellent vid! I'll be making this up this week and let you know how it worked out. Thanks for the tip about MDF being super flat; I never knew that. You oughtta have a L O T more subs, man.
I’m glad this video was helpful. Yeah... I wish you saw it earlier. It’s great you’re going to build this yourself! I’m sure you’ll love what you create.
Nice fast simple build.
Nice build and very informative video! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! I’m glad you liked the video! I’m always happy to share stuff like this.
Dr Who jumper! (we call em Jumpers in England, great video by the way
Thanks! I’m glad you like the video (and Doctor Who).
Hey Matt thank you for the inspiration. What size flush router bit did you use to match the corners of the kreg router plate?
Thanks for asking! Mine wasn’t an exact match. I used a half-inch wide router bit and that wasn’t wide enough. I think I recall the instructions mentioning the corner radius but I don’t have them anymore. 3/4” would be my guess.
Good luck!
Doctor Who jumper is great😁, so is the table of course...
Thank you! I'm glad you like both! Doctor Who... for the win! :-D
Really nice work Matt
Thanks Kenneth!
Those Kreg plates & the usual y/t ????? where from ? how much . Thanks for showing u/t your build that has to be my next project
Thanks for asking this question. I'm happy to answer. First, I'm not exactly sure what you are asking but the Kreg plates can be purchased at KregTool dot com. They come with tapped mounting holes or without mounting holes. If your router has the same pattern of mounting holes, you should get that version of the Kreg Router Plate. Otherwise, you can drill your own holes in the plate that doesn't have holes.
I hope this answers your question. If these comments don't answer your question, please let me know. Again, my goal is to help.
nice simple and solid build I like it! Thanks for sharing 👍
Thanks for letting me know. I’m glad you like it and I’m thrilled people are getting value from this video.
I have a Foot PedalSwitch that I use for my Jigsaw Table. I like your idea..take a look at Izzy Swan’s DIY Router Table with a swinging guide bar on it..its pretty cool.
I'll check it out!
Came out nice! Man were those 2x3s out of whack.
They were way out of whack real bad... but I slapped them into shape really quick... haha. As bad as they were, they now look and function great!
Amazing work
Thanks!!
Fantastic job! Thank you!!!!!
Nice channel Bud. Great info. 👍🏾👊🏾
Nice one Matt!
Thank you! Glad you like it!
bonus you can draw on the top with a dry erase marker like a reminder in big red print while your routing alot of pieces for a project.
Oh my goodness! You're so right! Why didn't I think of that? You're a genius! Thank you for passing along this comment!
Great and simple Router Table. I search ideas to do my own, and i found here! Thank You so Much!
i'm subscribe with pleasure! Best regards from Brasil!
I’m glad you’re here and that you like the router table. I use it all the time. It’s pretty amazing.
Matt this looks excellent - great job and by the way thanks for the info on the "pen tool"
Thanks Al! My pleasure! Thanks for your continued support!
Nice job Matt. Very well done. I like the design. Very well thought out.
Thanks Chad. The design is all about safety and accuracy. You can't do things half-way with this specific tool because poor construction can be very dangerous. I don't like danger in my shop! :-)
Dinosaur battle
I been meaning to upgrade my router table jiggy thingy... not sure if I can Kreg router insert in NZ or not ... I think I can but they pretty expensive here as well ... anyway well done.
Oh and dr who sweater... cool
I support upgraded jiggy thingies. Haha. If a different brand of router plate is more common (and less expensive) then by all means use the other brand. I believe all router plates have similar features/accuracy. Just please don’t use wood as a substitute for a commercial router plate. Wood is far too dangerous because it isn’t rigid enough.
NZ here call Mulfords or PSP, and ask for a piece of 6mm Acrylic or polycarbonate 300ish by 400ish, Drill big hole in the middle, small holes where you can screw into your base plate, remember to countersink them, ive done it heaps, use them and after it gets too scrated up, replace it. You can always leave it attached permantly to your router as an extended baseplate.
You have great ideas and tips!!
Thank you! I'm glad you found this helpful. :-)
@@AwesomeWoodThings i find something useful in all your videos!!
@@poultonprojects Right back at you... I'm new to your stuff but it's good stuff. It's awesome.
@@AwesomeWoodThings trying to find my groove!!
Forever!!!!! lol had to come back and say that.
Forever!!! Wooo! :-)
Really good!! I need to do something like this. Thanks!
Awesome! If you decide to do it and you have questions send me a private message. I'll help if I can!
Awesome Wood Things that's super generous, thanks
np!
Nice design, good job👍
Thank you! I'm really happy with this tool! I'm glad you like it.
Pretty good video.
Thank you, I'm Simon!
I would have made the legs foldable for storage.
But, great video. Nice job.
Barry
That's a great idea! Things for passing that along!
Where do you get the router plate from ?
Thanks for asking. I got it at Amazon.
Jeez, man, why didn't you cut the square hole in the laminate first? Looks like it would have saved you a lot of work, especially if both the laminate and the router plate you bought are is 1/4" . Excellent video. This is exactly the inexpensive thing I was looking for.
Pablo Ramos Great question. Thanks for asking. I suppose I didn’t give it much thought at the time. I’m glad you liked this build. It’s a great tool and it’s inexpensive too... which is awesome.
That thing is awesome! Well done dude!
Thanks! I think so too! :-) Your stuff is awesome too!!
That's so cool Matt!
Thanks Robin! It's good to be posting build-videos again. I have more in the works... so, please stay tuned.
Good man I'm like your video ......I'm from Iraq, 👍
Hello from Pennsylvania, USA. I'm glad you're here and that you like the video. This is a great tool... I love it.
@@AwesomeWoodThings 🤝💓
does it matter what brand of router I have to use this idea?
Great question. No. Any brand router will work.
How do I get my flush trim bit to 2.5mm so I can make the edge for my router plate to sit on? I have flush bit from 1/4” to 1” long but no idea how I can get them to only remove 2.5mm of material.
Been searching everywhere for days. No tutorial on it.
Plunge the router to the distance you want and lock it in place.
Solid instructions and what a great table!! This was perfect dude!!
Thanks brother! I’m really happy with it. I’m super excited to try it out for the first time this weekend! Woooo!
Great Vid Matt! Like #1 on your vid!
Thanks BrendaG! Wooo... you got the very first LIKE on this video. You win a pat on the back... that you'll have to administer to yourself. Haha. Seriously though... glad you like it. :-)
What router bit did you use on the template part?
Half inch bit with the bearing next to the collet. Warning, I really should have used a bit that was wider. 3/4 is ideal.
very cool Matt
Thanks Jamie! It’s great to be posting projects to RUclips again. Keep an eye out for more awesomeness.
It's good that you are always wearing the dust mask and safety googles :)
Thanks! I'm at the point where I feel odd if I'm not wearing them.
Awesome Wood Things Me too! If I’m not wearing the mask, I can feel the dust in my nose. People just don’t understand they are killing themselves
Right on! Agree 100%
Hey... I see you entered the x-carve content. I did too. That's cool. Small world, huh? Rock on!
Awesome Wood Things Right, it’s a small world 😊
came for the router table build...stayed for the Christmas sweater.
YES! So much Yes!
NIce structure and technic !
Thank you! I appreciate your feedback. :-)
so cool - I need one -
Consider making one for yourself! Even though I plan on purchasing a commercial tool in the future, this table will always be used.
Great idea for not much money too!
“Not much money” is exactly my budget right now. Haha. Glad you like it Jim.
Amazing!!
Eduardo D'Antonio Thank you!
Blue and screw you can't go wrong that's always the best way
Yep... you can't go wrong with that because you can keep working and you don't need to wait for the glue to dry. :-)
hmm just another Christmas sweater *takes second closer look* OMG doctor who!!!!
I know... right?! Glad you like it!
awesome build, was looking for exactly something like this!!
I as going to make a table similar to that but I wanted it also to sit on my workbench but that would make it just about equal to just below my chest and to lower it I would not be able to get the router in and out...so the easiest thing since my workbench is around 34" high I am just going to bolt it to that. Yeah I know laugh all you want but that's the way I am going to go. Reason no floor model???? I'm getting everything of the floor. I enjoy these vids
Sounds like a good plan. Good luck. I’m glad you like my build/vid.
Couple of questions ...
1. dust collection .... big issue with routers ....
2. why go to all the trouble of building/gluing/routing top and not just buy melamine shelf and use?
Thanks for asking these questions. I'm happy to answer. Dust collection... yeah, that's a big issue. I haven't figured that out yet... other than placing a shop vac hose below the table surface. My Triton router has a shop vac port and I use that... but again, that's just below the table... so, it's only getting about half of the sawdust. Melamine... good suggestion. Maybe I should have used that.
I hope this answers your questions. Thanks again for watching and for your support!
attach a flexible hose to a hole in your fencewhere it sits by the bit, sort out a clamp like a hose pipe clamp to vaccum and done :-)
Nice, simple and inexpensive design that looks plenty solid. I've never worked with mdf before, that looks really bad when getting routed. Dust city, cough cough..
Breathing protection is a must! That stuff is nasty... but, it’s super flat which is important.
Nicely done I could totally make one of these if my full size router didn't scare the beejesus out of me.
One of the reasons I made this was because routers can be scary. If you'd like, give it a shot and try to make it. If you do, you'll be glad you did.
Awesome Wood Things
The only tool that concerns me is a jointer. Probably because I'm an installer finish carpenter and we don't use jointers in the field. Anyway, I know a highly skilled old timer shop guy who was jointing boards late on a Friday afternoon. Apparently he was thinking about the weekend that was about an hour away. He's now missing his index finger and middle finger. I was an apprentice at the time and I naively asked if they were able to reattach them. I was told there was nothing left to attach. It turned his fingers to hamburger.
Nice job but mdf loses its uniformity after a while you should have uses regular plywood at lease, moisture is harder to get to it than that fiber board
Perfect no need for factory router table. Period.
Yep. 100% true! I love what I created. It's used all the time.
Great design Matt looks very functional and safe just like you said! I do take offense to the 1 inch roundover bit comment we all know Jimmy Diresta could use it freehand in a trim router hahaha!
Haha... more power to him if that’s the case. I support each maker’s choice in choosing the precautions they take (or not take). All I can do is share my opinions. :-)