What To Look For In A Router Table Insert?

Make you're own! They try to make rocket science out of it, but it's easy.

Check out the one I made.

Phenolic sheets work great and are fairly cheap. But you can also just use any 3/4" ply. Laminate the top with any smooth surface, like a counter-top veneer. Or not. Spray lacquer is enough to make it smooth and slick.

Use plastic shims or card stock under the insert to make it perfectly flush.

Your table saw fence is fine if you add some simple attachments to it. You can make sacrificial fence clamps that will work for the router as well.

I have limited space in my shop and I am the only person who ever works in the shop.

What I have done is mount all of those items like the router table, vice, bench grinder, and miter box on a piece of wood. I have a rack that I store the unused equipment.

When I need the Router table I set it on my workbench clamp it down for use. Like wise with the bench grinder, vice and miter box.

I have found that I rarely need two items, so it works well. If I need two items, I have a piece of plywood on my table saw and clamp them the item I am using to that.

I'm thinking about building a router table extension for my table saw. I don't have room for a free-standing table and I'm tired of pulling out and setting up my bench top router table every time I need it.

There are all sorts of inserts available, everything from $25 for undrilled aluminum on eBay to $350 for a Bench Dog Cast Iron complete kit. $350 ain't happening! ;-)

What should I be looking for in an insert and maybe a fence? I'm certainly open to recommendations for a specific insert that someone is happy with.

Thanks!

The cheapest cast iron ones are not perfectly flat. Including mine. I have a mill so mine is flat now. I think if I ever needed another one I'd just make it. Read the reviews. I forget which brand mine was/is.