Hi,
I feel the need to procure a router - lots of things are coming along this year that will need one or be easier with one.
[Background - skip ahead if bored]Been watching router vids on Youtube until my eyes fell out - feel more cluseful...
Many of the jobs will be handheld - like door locks and hinges, kitchen worktops - but a few will benefit from a table.
Rather than spend an awful lot on a fancy table just to find it is limited, I'd rather start with a flat bit of wood, some T-channel and build up my own, which looks straightforward enough from the vids.
But, mine must be collapsable - I have no workshop[1] and limited inside space.
So my plan is:
2 x Stanley Fatmax sawhorses - these look solid and have adjustable feet - none of my concrete standings are flat or level and I'll be doing routing outside.Some sort of heavy bench top sitting over them withe battens underneath to locate on the sawhorse top rests.
Then the router can make its own table - I'll buy ane insert, probably make a fence from ply held down with thumbknobs onto the T-channel. If it seems useful I can add more T channel, to take feather-finger thingies or anything alse that comes along.
[SKIP TO HERE]So - the worktop - what to use? I reckon it'll be about 600mm x 1.2 or 1.5m (it has to store easily). It'l going to get routed out, have various holes, probably get stuff screwed to it.
It might even get a spot of rain on it so MDF is out.
Wooden kitchen worktop (if I can get a short offcut) might be one option. another would be WBP 18mm ply. Not sure how well strip-worktop would handle abuse.
Not sure if the ply is stable enough (bendy over 1m span?) but as I'm adding battens for the sawhorse to lock into, I could glue some 4x2" underneath to stiffen it - hoping the 4x2 will not warp itself...
Anyone done anything like this before?
As to the router - it seems obvious, based on the previous advice here and the vids that if I can only afford one, it should be a lighter 1/2" - probably a Trend or maybe a DeWalt (they bought Elu didn't they?)
As to all the fancy jigs - I'll probably make my own out of ply for hinges and locks and other simple stuff but I will buy a worktop template - that looks fiddly.
Cheers
Tim