Router and Table

I would spend the entire $300 range budget on the router and make my own router table.

My router:(more than enough power to spin the large bits)

See mine here:

Others on here will probably tell you to build your own. When first starting out, it is difficult to build something as good as what you can buy, specially now that manufacturers are putting out better tables. One I have seen that I rather liked was the new Bosch. Go here:

That's about right.

CW wrote: > Others on here will probably tell you to build your own. When first starting > out, it is difficult to build something as good as what you can buy, > specially now that manufacturers are putting out better tables.

SFWIW:

I built the NYW router table outside in SoCal with only a couple of saw horses, a jig saw, a router, an aluminum angle with a couple of C-Clamps, a 1/4 sheet sander, and a drill press.

Had to buy a couple of router and a couple of drill bits along with the hardware Norm spec'd.

That was 6-8 years ago, and it is still in service.

Biggest part of the job was to remember not to rush.

Lew

I built my own from a chunk of old countertop and ideas from plans online, and it works well enough. I'm on my second fence, though - somehow the particleboard on the first one warped pretty badly.

Rockler has one (without a base) for about the same price:

I have a Dewalt DW618 (only slightly higher claimed hp than the PC) and I haven't found it to be underpowered for anything yet. The best deal I've seen on a router recently is at Woodcraft - they have the PC 690 on sale for $110, or $99 with their 10% off deal this Saturday.

I think a relative newbie can build a table like Stoutman's. I had never used a router in my life and built a very similar version in about three hours, including a routed mitre slot and semi-sacrifiial T-slotted split fence (mounted to the TS fence). One difference, I did not use a plate but mounted the router directly in the table. That's the only real flaw. Since I have so little time invested in it, I won't mind tossing it and spending another three hours to make one with melamine and the router plate.

You are correct that it won't be quite as nice as a purchased unit, but I really enjoyed the learning experience and the cost was negligible since I used scraps for almost everything.

Tom

if it is too much trouble to make, and you buy, it might not be evident in looking at a table that it is cheese. It isn't hard to make one. Its the solidity of the final product.

If you bought a flat piece of anything, say a 2'x2' 3/4" mdf, and put of these things on it, and clamped it, and mounted a router solid that didn't budge under it with screws, you're done for that type of setup. Its the fidgety, weebledy, woobledy of cheaper units. For this example it is easy to cut some triangles of wood on a crosscut table to attach to a L fence inside like L\. This is actually a large part. Cheap out and its over, too late. Added time and aggrevation.

I use Birch (3/4" eguiv) glued/tacked plywood versions of these things, narrower and longer, with a single centered L\ brace. For gluing up drawers using clamps. They also allow checking 90 degree angles for picture frames etc. The accuracy in use is astonishing.

Get this Porter Cable router set:

and make the cabinet for under $100 worth of plywood(birch)

or

Wood shredder wrote: