Router Table - Stage 3

Its always the supposedly easy bits that cause the most pain. I removed the base plate from the router so that I could use one of the attaching screws to source some screws appropriate for attaching the router to the insert plate. What I needed were some 4mm high-tensile countersunk head screws about 20mm long. My least favourite hardware store (Bunnings) was a waste of time. Yes they had 4mm screws but not CS heads and I couldn't verify the thread match because they only sell in blister packs. Our small local Mitre 10 had a closer match but still not CS heads. In desperation I went to a machinery shop (Hare & Forbes, North Parrammatta) which doesn't sell screws etc but were able to tell me where to get them - Lee Bros, Dunlop St, North Parrammatta. The guy at Lee Bros was very helpful considering I only needed 4 screws - a total sale of only $3.20.

Now with screws in hand I was able to continue with the work of attaching the router insert plate to the router. This firstly involved drilling holes in the insert plate for the screws. (The router table insert plates don't come with pre-drilled holes because there is a wide variety in placement over different makes and models of router.) I attached the router's own base plate to the insert plate with sticky tape and drilled through the holes and through the insert plate. I then took off the router base plate and countersunk the holes using the suitably angled point of a 1/2in bit. (Probably not as good as a real countersink bit but good enough.)

Attaching the router to the insert plate was then straightforward and I set up the router 'table' on top of the B&D Workmate to trial fit it. Here is a picture showing the almost final set up.


Because the base of the router is slightly wider than the maximum jaw opening of the Workmate, I had to raise the router table up a little to clear the opening and let the insert plate sit flush in its aperture in the table. This picture shows the temporary measure with a couple of pieces of 25mm MDF offcut between the router table and the Workmate top.


The next step, and probably the final one for now, will be to attach a couple of pieces of 50x50mm timber to the underside of the table top either side of the router insert to raise the table clear of the Workmate top. I'll also grab a piece of 100x50mm to clamp to the table top for use as a fence. Depending how this goes I may make an adjustable system with a couple of routed through grooves to put adjustment bolts through for the fence.

And lastly for now, if I never have to go to Bunnings again it will be too soon!

Router Table - Stage 2

After creating the inside aperture for the Router Insert Plate to sit in, the aperture needed to be rebated to a depth of about 6mm and width about 12.7mm. I did a couple of practice trenches across a piece of offcut MDF to make sure I had the depth setting correct.

To do the rebating I used a straight router bit slightly wider than the rebate width and then clamped a piece of straight stock onto the router table top to act as a guide for the router. Of course I had to move the guide four times to do all four sides of the aperture but that was simple enough - just a matter of measuring the offset correctly and clamping it in place.

This picture shows the router table top on top of the B&D Workmate with the aperture rebated.

And here (below) is a picture showing the Insert Plate in place and flush with the surface.


This is pretty much in what will be its final working position on the B&D Workmate.

The next stage will be drilling the Router Insert Plate so that the router, with its base-plate removed, can be mounted on it.

Woodworking (A digression)

Having got closer to the pointy end of my project I found that I have to use the router on the small pieces I am using to cap off the excess mortice holes. I need to round over the exposed edges to fit in with the rest of the work. It is pretty much impossible to use a hefty hand-held router to do this. Using a rasp doesn't give the same sort of edge without a lot of graft. Pretty obviously mounting the router upside down in a router table is the go but ... its a pretty expensive way to go if it won't be used that much. I had a look on Ebay and there are a number of Triton Workcentre combos up for auction but they were all going up past where I was willing to go for a second-hand deal.

I also looked at new Router Tables online, in particular the Carbatec basic model which is steel and goes for just $379. It would be nice but ... (Aside: Carbatec at Auburn and other places is a great place for man-toys of the woodworking variety. Be careful if you go in there because it would be very easy to spend way too much money.) While at Carbatec I also had a look at a Router Table insert plate. This a Phenolic plate which is designed to be let into a worktable surface with the router attached beneath it. At $55 it allows one to gerry-up their own router table using whatever is to hand. The basic requirement is some sort of suitable work surface that can be used for the purpose. Alas I didn't have such a thing as I've just been working on saw horses and an old seating bench. After deliberating over night I decided that my best plan would be:

1. Obtain a suitable work surface/platform.
2. Get the router table insert plate.
3. Make my own router table to be adequate for this job.

For 1 I have available a sheet of solid Melamine coated MDF from an old IKEA desk. Add to that a new Black and Decker Workmate and I have the surface and platform. As a bonus it can be easily taken down leaving the Workmate available as a more normal (wood) working platform.

I bought the insert plate and now what I have to do is put it together so that I can back to the real job - round over the edges on the small pieces.

First stage is to cut a suitably sized hole in the MDF to house the inner part of the insert plate. This picture shows the hole - achieved by drilling pilot holes with a 5/8in spade bit and then cutting down using a tenon saw (again - I wasn't going to buy a JigSaw for one job).

The router insert plate is sitting on the MDF at the left. The next picture shows the router insert plate sitting in the hole but standing above the table surface.

The next stage will be to route a rebate 10mm deep and 12.5 mm wide around the edge of the hole so that the plate will be seated flush with the table surface. And then we will be in business. The router will be suspended below the plate and between the jaws of the B&D Workmate. I'll probably put a couple of 50 x 50mm battens underneath the work surface to raise it up a bit and provide something for the B&D jaws to grip onto. I'll just clamp a suitable bit of timber (with recess for the router bit) along the surface for use as a fence. If needs be later I can always route a rebate for a mitre gauge and put more permanent adjustable fences on it too.

More when its up and running...