Router Table -- securing drop in plate/router assembly?

[John L. Poole]

I'm building a router table, have my aluminum plate that will attach to my 3 HP router and then rest in the tabletop on a ledge. (I'm building Pat Warner's fence featured in Fine Woodworking Magazine and at his site:

-- by the way the cost of the materials other than wood or MDF was approximately $130)

I'm wondering if other tables have a design element where the plate is secured from moving upwards. From the various designs I have reviewed and the tables for sale I've seen in catalogs/online, I do not recall seeing anything that secures the router plate/route assembly to the table top.

For those who have router tables, is your plate assembly secured somehow to the table it is resting in to prevent the entire assembly from moving in an upward direction?

Seems to me an aggressive cut could cause the assembly to climb. Pat Warner's table design has his router bolted. Maybe I've missed something on these table inserts?

John

[Jim]

I haven't seen such a problem on my Rockler table. The table relies on the weight of thr router (more than the plate) and the weight of the plate to keep everything in place. Jim

[BB]

I have a PC 7518 with an Incra lift in the table - it must weigh 15 pounds or more. . . also the Incra Jig fence is on top of the plate - it will not lift. Unless you are doing some major door making or the like ( and then you should be using a shaper. . .) it should not be a problem. BB

[DJ Delorie]

The woodpecker's PRL has spring-loaded pistons that press against the sides of the opening to help keep it in place, but mostly it's just HEAVY. Plus, the wood is on top of the plate, also holding it down.

[Leon]

Snip

No, It should not climb and aggressive cuts should actually pull the wood down on to the plate. For years I just dropped the plate on the table and was good to go.

That said, I did finally start using the screws to fasten the drop in plate into the table top. The secure connection of the plate to the table greatly lessens vibration noise.

[CW]

The plate itself is large enough that, when taking a cut, the part is on the plate, holding it down. In any case, my table is in the Warner style. No plate, router bolted directly. If you want a plate and would like to restrain it, ball detents on the side would work.

[J T]

Thu, Jul 13, 2006, 1:56am (EDT+4) [e-mail] (John=A0L.=A0Poole) doth query: I'm building a router table, cost of the materials other than wood or MDF was approximately $130) I'm wondering if other tables have a design element where the plate is secured from moving upwards.

A bit back I posted on modifying my old homebuilt router table to take a drop in router base. Bases are 1/2" plywood, fastened to the router with screws, drop right in. Stay in place by the router weight, don't even threaten to rise up. Figure I've got less then $5 9five dollars) in the table including multiple bases - no prob. One day I'll remember to take pictures, and post a link.

JOAT Politician \Pol`i*ti"cian\, n. Latin for career criminal

[JeffB]

As others have mentioned, the weight of the router will keep the plate and router down. However, I still used the threaded holes in my Rockler plate to bolt my plate to the table, just to be sure it won't shift side to side or front to back under the loads produced by cutting. There's a picture of the underside mounting at

[Upscale]

Along the same lines, has anyone every noticed the plate jump when a 3+ hp router has started up? (For those with older routers not having a soft start?)

[Leon]

I had a Bosch 1611 IIRC hanging in one. It is large and does not have a soft start. No problem with the plate jumping. The only problem as mentioned earlier was the vibration noise if not fastened down.

[Upscale]

Perhaps a little bit of thin felt or flocking on the underside to prevent that vibration?

[Leon]

I use a Bench Dog router table and it uses about 10 or 12 blunt tipped screws to level the insert. If they are not all perfectly in contact with the plate vibration can be quite loud. Felt or flocking would probably simply wear through in a short time as the collective area that the plate rests on is about 3/8 to 1/2 square inches, divided by the number of screws. The 2 diagonally opposed hold down screws work well to stop most of the vibration noise.

[no(SPAM)vasys]

I'm trying to think of an instance where I wasn't putting downward pressure on the router plate while I was routing a piece of wood. I'm coming up blank.

[J T]

Thu, Jul 13, 2006, 1:54pm (EDT+4) [e-mail] (Leon) doth sayeth: I use a Bench Dog router table and it uses about 10 or 12 blunt tipped screws to level the insert.

Interesting. I used 1/2" plywood to make the new top on my old table. With the bases being 1/2" plywood also, they are perfectly flat and level in the table, no vibration, right from the start.

JOAT Politician \Pol`i*ti"cian\, n. Latin for career criminal

[Leon]

Wellllllll... you really don't feel the vibration so to speak. I just noticed that things got considerably quieter when I fasten the top down. Getting the 12 adjustment screws adjusted to the same height is tricky. They all screw from the bottom up.

[J T]

Thu, Jul 13, 2006, 9:27pm (EDT+4) [e-mail] (Leon) doth sayeth: Wellllllll... you really don't feel the vibration so to speak. I just noticed that things got considerably quieter when I fasten the top down. Getting the 12 adjustment screws adjusted to the same height is tricky. They all screw from the bottom up.

I just did a quick google on the Bench Dog. You'ee talking metal to metal. I'm not surprised it'd be quieter fastened down. Pricey too. I'd think they could come up with something better than using 12 screws for adjustment. I can go along with fastening it down, metal to metal it makes sense, but the 12 screws are hokey. I'll just stick with my setup.

JOAT Politician \Pol`i*ti"cian\, n. Latin for career criminal

[Leon]

Yeah I do believe they have the metal to metal however mine is that phonelic? stuff, still darn rigid.

[bridgerfafc]

mine has an acrylic plate set flush in a particle board/melamine top. the fit varies with temperature. part of the year it's pretty tight, part of the year it's just a little loose. even when it's at it's loosest I've never seen it move around at startup- the big freud, early version, no soft start, single speed, about as much startup kick as any router ever made.