Router table top material

[turbo6justin]

I had a very crappy table saw like thing that finally broke. I am looking for a real table saw now but figured I would use this stand as a make shift router table till I find the need for a dedicated router stand. The table top pictured is badly warped/cupped so I would like to replace it. I think I will be reusing the metal center piece though none of the holes line up with my router. That part I can figure out.

I am trying to figure out what to use to replace the top. Plywood will just warp after time. Steel is unnecessary. How about 3-4 layers of 1/4" masonite? Melamine? Certainteed Fiber Cement backer board, not the concrete board but the nice smooth stuff either layered or over plywood? Other ideas?

I appreciate any help/ideas.

 

[tcianci]

Melamine makes a great router table surface.

 

[Stuey]

The most popular router table materials are phenolic-faced plywood, melamine, solid phenolic, coated MDF, and aluminum plates. There are + and - for each, but it basically comes down to cost.

 

[djjsr]

If you have a Rockler store nearby, go visit and look at their tables. It will give you some good ideas.

 

[A_Pmech]

A new sheet of 3/4" MDF with a white formica surface. Check out a countertop place, they may have an offcut.

 

[JeremyManning]

I built one out of a piece of hardwood plywood and then had a counter top guy put a laminate finish on it, mine is 5 years old and i keep it in the garage and it looks like it did the day I built it.

 

[madstat]

Phenolic-faced plywood is a dream to work on, melamine works good as well.

 

[Pathfinder]

I'll second phenolic-faced plywood, but plastic laminate over 3/4" MDF is good too. Just make sure to laminate both the top and bottom of the MDF. That way it will stay dead flat forever.

John Minton

 

[jake00]

use birch plywood, 3/4" 7+ ply,

 

[mdbeck1]

I got a piece of leftover 3/4" plywood with formica on top. I've been using it for years...

 

[Kriilin]

I'll second phenolic-faced plywood, but plastic laminate over 3/4" MDF is good too. Just make sure to laminate both the top and bottom of the MDF. That way it will stay dead flat forever.

John Minton

+1

 

[Duker]

I will jump on the band wagon for a thumbs up on the phenolic faced mdf or plywood. I use my router table almost every weekend and decided to go the solid phenolic route with my router top. I used saw horses for years as the base until the frustration of trying to find bits, wrenches and jigs in different drawers made me build a table so I could keep everything together. Here is what I came up just in case you are looking for some ideas. I melded about 4 different versions together to come up with this design.
http://www.dukejones.com/Projects/
I am sorry the pictures are small but I don't quite have down this web site building thing yet.

 

[Stuart in MN]

A new sheet of 3/4" MDF with a white formica surface. Check out a countertop place, they may have an offcut.

The cutouts for a kitchen sink are just about perfect for a router table, and can usually be found for free or for just a few dollars.

 

[JeremyManning]

while were on the subject lee valley tools make a nice router bit holder

 

[Zeke]

Melemaine is very good especially if you double up on the thickness. Do you have a fence for the table?

 

[turbo6justin]

Great response, first I do have a Rockler about 45 min away so I may just get over there and look at what they have to get ideas from.

My plan as of now is a piece of melamine with a hole cut out of the middle as large as the router base. Then I will router out about a 1" border around the hole to recess a piece of Lexan. The lexan will attach to the router. The malamine will be glued/screwed to a piece of plywood. because of the old table design and the need to attach things to the bottom the plywood should give a better way to secure the leg brackets and such to the bottom.


There was a fence with the old table but it is not real accurate compared to a straight edge. I was thinking a basic split fence again with malamine surfaces about 3" tall. My first thoiught is to attach it to a piece of angle iron. It would have some heft and be easy to clamp down to the table. It should be close to 90 deg +/- close enough for my use at least and I can hold the melamine to it with recessed machine screws or bolts. Even with part of the angle iron cut out to clear the bits it should be pretty stable.

Pretty basic but for now it should work pretty well.

For reference the last time I needed something fairly accurate with the router was to remove a recess on the back of a piece to make a transition piece from tile to wood floor. I used a 6" piece of 1x2 clearanced by hand and attached to the router base with clamps. One hand steadied the router upright on the bench the other 'fed' the piece through. And I still have all 10 fingers. This bench idea has to work better than that.

I did take a look at the phenolic material, and boy it looks nice. A little pricey but will be in the back of my mind for version two of this, as once I have a table I am sure I will find 1000 more uses for the router.

 

[Stuey]

phenolic faced plywood isn't too costly, and you can always lay a thinner sheet on top of common plywood.

 

[Vicegrip]

I used treadmill runing deck for my shaper and table saw tables. They have a slippery delrin like surface. makes it easy to feed stock through. sounds like the phenolic is the same or close to the same thing. Rock hard and slick with even a slight amount of dust.

 

[Zeke]

The fence does not have to be accurate, just secure. You are lining up to a single point. For an offset outfeed, you can add a shim.

I like to build a nice wood fence to attach to the stock metal one with a pocket for a vac attachment. Adjusting in and out for depth of cut and different bits is a snap.

But, it has to be secure. I said that before and it's important.

 

[Daniel Dudley]

Solid surface? aka Corian.

I have one of these, from an old job. Works well if you can score a piece.

 

[srmofo]

I was looking at rocklers magazine today and most of their tops were 1.5 mdf. Laminate on top of that

 

[kerfball]

I have probably built 50 router tables. Formica laminate on all of them. A couple boys in my shop class went to the local counter top shop and got 6 cut outs from kitchen sinks. they built 6 tables, sold 4, and made enough money to buy new P-C routers for their tables. The next table I build for my shop will hold 4 separate routers. One for rails, stiles, raised panels, and one for door and drawer edges.