Are you thinking of trying your hands on woodwork but aren’t sure how to use the equipment?
Well, we are here to assist you. Wood Routers are used to cut patterns, grooves, and designs across multiple pieces of Wood. Using the appropriate equipment is one method to get some of the best woodworking projects. Working with routers and router tables is one of the most intimidating equipment for beginner woodworkers and one of the most misunderstood by more experienced woodworkers. Using a router table is easy yet technical. What is more technical? It’s DIY routing. Hence, to avoid any inconvenience, we will teach you to set up some basic woodwork equipment, including ‘how-to DIY a router table.’
A handheld router is an incredibly flexible piece of equipment in terms of itself. However, if you turn it upside down and place it under a table, the same router becomes capable of performing a whole different set of jobs. We created this DIY router table to be robust, stable, and simple to assemble and operate. It is also inexpensive. Working with routers and router wood table is not that difficult once you have a basic understanding of the gear and some of its functioning principles. A home made router table expands your router’s capabilities increasing the tool’s versatility by allowing it to be used upside down. An inverted router is mounted to the table, allowing the operator to pass Wood over the router instead of the tool.
The joinery is the epitome of simplicity. There are only butt joints and screws—no miters, no muss, no worry. This procedure is of a simple DIY router table, but the table is built to last for years of heavy use and has many characteristics seen on high-end manufactured furniture.
Materials Required for Simple Router Table
Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready ahead of time. Here’s a list.
- 1-5/8-in Screws
- 2 inches Washer-head Screws
- Contact Cement
- Nail-on Furniture Glides
- Polyurethane Finish
- Safety Power Tool Switch
- Wood Glue
Tools Required for Constructing Router Table
For router table build plans, the following tools are going to be needed.
- Tape Measure
- Chop Saw
- Table Saw
- Power Drill
- Router Bits
- Wood Router
- 1/4 Router Bit
- Nail Gun (Optional, used to nail glued pieces so as not to have to wait for them to dry)
- Router Jig
- Sand Paper
- Outlet Tester (Optional but Recommended)
Step 1: Decide Design, Materials and Tools
The first step in ‘how to make a router table’ is that there is no such thing as a bad router for a table. Routers are perfectly suited for use in tables of all sizes and shapes, including fixed-base and plunge variants. The majority of serious woodworkers I know prefer fixed-base routers in their work tables. Furthermore, everyone thinks that bigger is preferable; the majority of professionals utilize a 3-hp model. In the market for a new router? A combo kit may be the solution for you (one motor, a fixed base and a plunge base). It will be possible to put one base on the table and rapidly shift the motor to the second base for handheld routing in this manner. Also, look for a type that allows you to modify the height of the table above it.
A custom router table may be raised or lowered by introducing a shaft through the tabletop and into the router to enable the features of router lift. Extremely exact and extremely convenient. The following brands include this feature on some models: Craftsman, Milwaukee, Porter-Cable, Ridgid, and Triton. Using 3/4-inch plywood, we built the top as well as the router table fence, and the legs were constructed from 2×4 lumber.
The largest piece of plywood was used to determine the top measurements. so that you can customize it to meet your requirements. The location of the mounting holes is determined by the router’s base and can be modified to suit your needs. Change the size of the dust collection hole in the fence to accommodate your system. Router and table combo is off the hook; hence it is very important to get the steps right.
Step 2: Making the Top of Router Table
To make the top, cut it to the size you want; for us, it was the size of a piece of fabric we had lying around. Create holes for the mounting router and trace the removable plastic plate from your router base to see where the holes should be placed. The image shows how to layout slots for a movable fence. Punch all the holes and the ends of the slots in the center. All holes should be pilot drilled. Drill three 3/16 inches holes for the router’s mounting bracket.
Counter sinkholes are a common occurrence. Drill a hole for the router spindle that is 1-1/2inches in diameter. Make ¼ inches holes for the ends of the slots. Using a 1/4inches bit, cut slots along the edge of the router guide at 6inches. All the edges should be sanded. Following this process, you can build your own router tables.
Step 3: Legs of a Router Table
Legs are planned to be constructed from a single 12inches piece of 2×4 for each leg, with the crossbars being constructed from a 12inches piece of 2×4 ripped along the center. 2x4s should be cut into five 12 inches lengths. Layout and angled cut on four pieces of paper. Set up a taper jig to cut at the proper angle. Legs should be cut. To make router table, lay out the legs so that you can glue them together. Make sure you have two pairs of legs that are mirror images of each other to make up each side of the legs. Start by driving the screws into the bigger side of the piece, then applying glue to the smaller piece, flushing the top of the two pieces together, and driving the screws in. This step should be repeated for all four legs.
All of the edges should be sanded. One of the remaining 12 inches pieces of 2×4 should be ripped along the middle; these will serve as the crossbars. All the edges should be sanded. Make use of glue and pocket hole jigs to join the two mirrored legs together with the crossbar, as indicated in the pictures. This should be repeated for the other set of legs. Attach the two sets of legs to the top by attaching them 2 inches in from the top edge on all four sides of the table.
Step 4: Making Fence and Dust Collector
To build a routing table, cut a piece of plywood that is at least 7-1/8inches broad and the same length as the top (in my case, 22-1/2inches) from the same sheet of plywood. 3inches and 4inches sections should be ripped. Layout the cutout portion on both the front and bottom pieces of the DIY router table fence, as well as the holes on the bottom component of the fence, as shown. Sections should be cut out with a miter gauge and cut on a table saw, but a jigsaw or hand saw would also work. A center punch, a pilot drill, and a 1/4 inch drill bit make holes in the bottom piece with a drill. Sand the edges Glue, and fasten the front part to the bottom section using the four screws intersection with a vertical axis.
Cutout pieces for dust collecting from drawings are used in this project. Test fit all of the parts, trim as needed, then sand all of the edges. Glue and nail the angled side pieces together; otherwise, clamp and wait for them to dry. Make sure you acquire a good bead of glue on all contacting surfaces in order to form a good seal, then nail it into the angle pieces if necessary; otherwise, clamp and wait for the glue to dry completely. Center the top extension, glue it in place, and clamp it while it dries. Make a hole in the ground for the dust collection hose.
Step 5: Electrical Wiring of Router Table
This is the second last step in ‘how to make a router table.‘ For an angle piece to be cut and placed between the box and the leg, you can tilt the switch vertically; however, if you don’t mind the switch being tilted, you can skip this step. Drill a pilot hole first, then use a 3/8 inches drill to drill a hole in the top of one of the boxes. Nails are provided for attaching the switch box to the front. Screw the box to the back leg, through which a hole has been drilled in the top. Connect the wire from the switch box to the outlet box. Connections: Connect the hot (black) wire to the brass screw, the neutral (white) wire to the silver screw, and the ground wire to the green screw. Connect the outlet cord to the switch box.
Now connect the hot (Black) wire to the bottom of the switch and the hot (White) wire to the top of the switch. Use a jumper to connect the ground and the neutrals (white) together. Attach cover plates to the outlets and switches once they have been screwed into the boxes. Make use of an outlet tester to ensure that everything is properly wired and that you will not damage any equipment that is connected in or shock yourself when using it. And now you have your very own homemade router table.
Step 6: Table with Bit Storage (Optional)
Who does not want a router table with a router bit storage capacity. To achieve this over at the table, cut the components for the drawers, which are made of 12″ Baltic Birch plywood. They will be assembled later. To ensure extremely clean edges on the components, cut the pieces with their references to the factory edges of the pieces first, and then cut off the factory edge on the final cuts. Using an Arrow PT18G brad nailer, attach the drawer sides together, starting with a bead of glue around the perimeter of the drawer bottom, which was also cut from 12″ plywood for added strength. Then, attach the drawer sides together with the drawer bottom using the same method.
Follow the drawer bottom while assembling the drawer sides, and the drawer box would end up square if the drawer sides were aligned with the drawer bottom. In the end, you’ll need to flip the drawer over and add extra brad nails to keep the bottom panel in position while the glue sets. Eliminate any squeeze from within corners of a drawer box with a straw before the glue seems to have a chance to build up. Run the straw along the inside corner to remove anything squeeze that may have formed. Finally, a few screws were used to reinforce the corners of the drawer box during its construction. We utilized these 1 12″ self-drilling screws instead of glue because they were not available.
Top Features of the DIY Router Table
Following are some of the main features for a functional router table.
1: Double Dust Collection
The router table is one of the cleanest machines available because of the vacuum openings in the router cabinet and fence that produce suction above and below the router bit. If one has a router table, they can come up with various router table plans to build innovative stuff.
2: Super Storage
A large, deep drawer provides ample space for storing all of your routers and accessories in one handy location. Door-mounted bit holders, which are simply wood scraps with holes drilled in them, make it easy to identify the proper bit in seconds.
3: Control Switch
The exterior switch enables you to turn on your router without having to open the cabinet door. It is even possible to shut it off with your knee when performing halted cuts, allowing you to hold the workpiece with both hands-free. Although not required, you can utilize the switch on your router if you choose.
4: MDF for Stability
The cabinet, top, and fence are largely made of MDF, which is flat when delivered and stays flat once installed. MDF is also a substantial weight. The additional weight makes this router table top more solid and helps to dampen cnc router vibration, which is beneficial.
5: Fully Adjustable Fence
A table fence that is completely adjustable. It is possible to modify the entrance width up to 3 inches with the sliding fence faces. A set of clamps secures the fence in place—that it’s simple, that quick, and that dependable.
6: Rock-solid Table Top
MDF is sandwiched between two layers of 1/4-in. Hardboard to form the top of the table. It will not warp, slump, or flex under the weight of whatever you throw at it.
7: Difficult Work Surfaces
Wood is surprisingly abrasive, and it may wear away at finishes and other surfaces if not treated properly. The laminate top and fence face on this router table, on the other hand, will remain smooth and slick for many years to come. The lamination, on the other hand, is entirely optional. If you skip it, you’ll save roughly $30 in addition to skipping a few construction steps.
8: Removable, but not indestructible
This router table can be simply moved around the floor thanks to the hard plastic furniture glides. However, unlike casters, glides will not wobble and will not cost you a fortune.
Conclusion
There are various types of routers as well as router tables. You can end up with the wrong router table if you don’t get the right help. Nonetheless, with the appropriate guidance, you can get quickly DIY a router table that is ideal for you. Once you’ve chosen the ideal routing table, you should work hard to make the most of it. Getting the routing gear is as important as setting them up. This is only possible if you know how to properly operate the router and its table. We hope that we have made the DIY router table setup easier for you. If you don’t want to DIY router table , then check out our guide to buying the best router table for you.
