Workshop Projects

 

Router Table With Lift Pages: 1 , 2 , 3

It's always good if the things that you need for the normal operation of a machine are close at hand. Router bits, wrenches, guides, jigs and the like should be within easy reach, preferably stored in the tool cabinet itself. To that end, I made this router table with what I figured to be more than enough storage.
A large pull out tray for router bits and 2 smaller drawers are on the right, with the large drawer at the bottom:

At this time though, I have more bits than will fit in the tray. What I will probably end up doing is converting the next drawer down into a tray as well.
The bottom drawer is filled - finger boards, bit sets, jigs and the fixed base for my hand-held router are kept in there.
The router compartment is closed off with a bifold door. I didn't like the pull out panel idea from The New Yankee Workshop version, knowing I'd eventually misplace that. I meant to drill some holes in the bifold door to balance airflow between the fence and the lower chamber but I haven't done so yet.

Seen here, I've put a narrow face frame on the front to cover the edges of the plywood and bridge across the top of the cabinet:

The top member houses the recessed on/off switch, above the router bit tray on the right. Having the switch this way prevents accidental starts but also makes it slightly awkward to turn on and off. The power cord enters the back of the cabinet and I also put an outlet there for convenience. The router itself is wired direct - I cut the power cord short. I used the part I cut off (with the plug on the end) on another project, my disk sander.

The top is 2 layers of 3/4" material sandwiched together:

Making it 1-1/2" thick. The top layer is maple plywood, the bottom layer is particleboard and the edge is trimmed with solid wood. The top bolts down to the cabinet underneath with 1/4" Philips drive bolts into t-nuts, to make removal possible. It has had a few coats of clear urethane sprayed on to seal it, make the surface slick and to keep it clean. This surface has held up very well and shows minimal signs of wear.

The insert is perfectly round and has a pin at the back to hold it in place:

And a magnet at the front to keep it from lifting up when the router is on:

The magnet is glued into a recess and is attracted to the large head of the steel screw. This holds the insert down against the fan exhaust from the router. This insert has a 2-1/4" hole and is good for most of the bits I use. If I need a larger hole, for example a panel raising bit, I'll make a new insert to accomadate it.

Pages: 1 , 2 , 3

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