Table saw router extension - advice needed

[treimers]

Hi everyone -

I'm building a router extension table for my Craftsman saw.

I have a couple of questions about what people would do when building
the extension.

One question is, how thick would you make the main surface that the router
is to hang under?
I have some nice cabinet grade 3/4 plywood that would look nice and is very smooth on top.
I also have a shelf covered with melamine, although it's not as wide, at only 12"

Should I go with 3/4 in. thick material or go with something thinner and reinforce the edges?

To mount the router, I plan to just drill three countersunk holes matching the router base holes, and a 2" hole in the center of them, and hang
the router with flat bolts.

The router does have a home-made plate on it, but I'm not sure
how I'd incorporate that plate into a larger surface, so I was planning no removing it.

 

[PRH44]

I would invest in a router plate if it is in the budget. You can make your own out of Aluminum plate or Lexan
Make your table out of 3/4" route a recess for the plate to sit in. This way you can pull the plate out with the router for easy access.
There a lot of different methods.
Kreg makes a really cool leveler.http://www.amazon.com/Kreg-PRS3040-Precision-Router-Levelers/dp/B000VRML54/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_0_2/178-3639007-9147945
Steve Ramsey made a nice top and lift using a Kreg.

Allen little has very detailed videos and a great site.
http://www.youtube.com/user/askwoodman/search?query=router+insert
Matthias Wandel is a Genius check out some of his work

Also Check out Matthias Wandel at http://woodgears.ca/

This should keep you busy

 

[treimers]

So, yeah..

I checked out videos 18-21 in the DIY rail series from AskWoodMan

As I thought -- it's a pretty intense and non-trivial process to
ensure that your router plate is adjustable up and down in the routed out
hole for it...

Of course, it does also appear that the video creator in AskWoodMan
doesn't exactly leave things to chance if he can find a precision way to do it


Hmm...

This one looks a lot more workable for me

 

[PRH44]

Your link is as good as any. Yeah Allen "askthewoodman" records the entire process in detail. Great info though. Post some photos as you go!
You can find an affordable router insert if you shop around. Rockler had one for 30 bucks had been 60. SOLD out of course.

 

[treimers]

well, I have the home-made one that's on the router now.

Looking at the videos, it seems like some folks simply have it
resting down in the hole.

Allan screwed his in, seven ways from Sunday,
but do you think it's necessary to screw the plate in?

The leveling screws make sense, and should work OK.

I guess I can always try it and if it seems that the router plate is vibrating
off true when it's working a piece of wood, I can add screwdown points.

Thanks

 

[bullnerd]

Built this about 20 yrs ago.

Seems like a good idea and works great, BUT you cant have both set up at the same time.

I will be moving the router to a seperate table when I move into my new building.

 

[treimers]

Nice Craftsman cabinet saw!

That's just about exactly what I'm going to do, except that my table saw
already has extensions, so I'm going to just add a piece of plywood on one
side the dimensions of the table extension next to it, or maybe wider and the same depth (27")

How did you attach your table insert? Is it screwed in or just resting in the cutout?

 

[bullnerd]

I got that saw for free form a friend who bought a house and found it in the basement. He had no idea what it was. I built the base and table all before I had any idea what I was doing.

The insert is just sitting in the hole,it is snug though. It has leveling screws to set it flush with the table. Also most of the time the fence is across it so it cant lift anyway.

Its really easy to make the cutout.

 

[treimers]

I am thinking I'll start that way -- just add the extension done in plywood,
then route out a hole to fit snugly, add some leveling screws.

Then I'll add something to hold the router plate down if it's needed.

SWEET table saw for someone to leave behind!
I am amazed at what you can still find out there, that some widow
and uneducated children 'don't know what is' ...

Even with Ebay, it's strange how many times there will be something around
in a house going on the market that no one cares about.

I think a lot of times, it's when kids live far away and make some money in life themselves, and they simply don't care what's in Dad's old workshop
that they never went in anyway because they were too used to video games
growing up.

That's how I got my Craftsman saw - the son-in-law couldn't have cared less
about it, and just paid big $$$ to have someone do everything around his house back in Texas.

 

[bullnerd]

Do you have the insert that holds the router? Use that as a guide.