Build your own. (warning - this gets long- sorry) I didn't get nearly as fancy as Norm's NYW kit - I started with a chunk of used countertop, plenty of gorilla glue, MDF and hardboard leftovers for the fence, and
2x4s for the legs. The only things I actually bought were aluminum miter track, cam levers, a dust port, and a few screws and bolts. Total cost maybe $20? And it's solid - definitely not the professional quality you'd get if you paid $250 or more, but it's square and doesn't vibrate at all. Far better than the little $50 cast aluminum things from Sears or whatever. My attempt at ASCII art is below (not to scale), as well as an attempt at written instructions. Hard to explain in words, but not very complicated - google homemade router table and you'll get plenty of pictures. I started by cutting a roughly 20x30" piece of countertop, flipped it over and routed a round 6" diameter, .25-.5" deep hole for the router base to sit in, and drilled a 1.5" hole in the middle for the bit to protrude through. If you want to save some work and have a stiffer surface, you can get a thick rectangular aluminum or phenolic plate to set into your own tabletop. Flipped it back over, and drilled countersunk holes for the screws to attach the router base to the table top. (In effect, the chunk of counter became a huge sub-base). Then I routed a "horizontal" groove for a miter slot in front of the hole. For the fence, I used leftover hardboard and MDF, with triangle supports, being carefully to glue and clamp them square. I routed parallel "vertical" slots behind the hole so bolts could go through the fence base through the countertop, and got cam levers from Rockler so fence adjustments are easier. Cut a hole in the fence and attached the dust port behind it - works like a charm with my shop vac. For the legs, I used 2x4s with diagonal supports, and more 2x4 chunks such that it clamps into my Workmate. I waxed the top of the table and front of the fence. I also added removable face pieces to the fence, with the left-hand piece about
1/32" thicker than the right, so I can use it as a jointer for thin stock with a straight bit. Hope this helps, and have fun routing, Andy
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