Tablesaw/router workcenter ideas wanted

[Limp Arbor]

I'm getting ready to build a workcenter for my contractor saw/ router that will be similar to one that was in wood magazine a few years back.

things I plan on doing: big casters for mobility adding 20" to the length of the fence (rail) to get me to 50" completely boxing out the back of the saw for dust collection fold down outfeed table switched outlet for the router

Any other things I should consider?

[insert great ideas or links to your workcenter here]

I am intrigued by the dust collection in the latest issue of shopnotes for their router table.

you look closely at the picture you can see the vac hose connected to a channel that runs along the back of the table then up to the center (ends right behind router plate). The fence also has a channel behind it open on the bottom. A flipper door is used to either block off the hole in the table to suck from around the router or block off the end of the lower channel to suck through the fence. Seems like it would work but some of their ideas are pretty Rube Goldbergish so I'm not sure. Anyone use a similar type dust collection for the router or do you just move the hose?

[insert links to your router table here]

thanks for any help

[mac davis]

Have any other tools that you could use with this?

Probably sounds funny, but I've seen a couple of ideas, including my brother's setup..

He made his router insert larger than needed, a rectangle with rounded corners.. Then, he made a few more inserts for his belt sander and something else, can't remember what it was.. Maybe a small spindle sander.. Anyway, he's just pop whichever tool he wanted in the hole, since they each had their own insert/mounting plate..

If I had a floor mount drill press, I might consider modifying it so that when I needed a bigger table, the thing you're building could be rolled up to it..

Ok, my brain's tired now.. :~0

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

[Limp Arbor]

Well, I have condisered mounting my jigsaw in a router plate but haven't tried it. IIRC somebody even sells a plate just for jigsaws.

As for your BIL's setup; how would you mount a belt sander to a plate?

[mac davis]

All I remember is that when he had the plate inset, the sander was upside down and the belt was level with the table top.. I wasn't really into woodwork at the time, so I didn't really pay a lot of attention.. lol

Knowing what I do now, I think I'd also have some sort of fence for the sander, too..

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

[Old Guy]

I did what you are thinking about, and I was pleased with the results.

Lessons learned. I put 6-3" castors under the saw. They weren't all in the same plane, and the whole thing rocked. Take everything off and redo. BUT, the weight on the six castors is so great that the saw doesn't go anywhere of its own accord. I never had to block it in place,. I have to yank REAL HARD to move it. As a matter of fact, I put two 6" door handles on the cabinet so that I could grab them to move the saw, not the saw, cause I pulled stuff out of alignment.

I have since built a hanger for my miter gauge, and am planning another for the other fence.

I put the saw on top of some base cabinets with drawers that I had. I arranged the top drawer under the saw to receive all the sawdust and small off cuts, and exhaust the dust out of there with a shop vac. I just pull out the drawer to remove the sawdust.

I haven't mounted my router on the extension top, but I'magonna.

Have fun.

Old Guy