A person who loves to create and make things on his own will get great pleasure from creating a router table. This is a rather difficult, but exciting task. Making a table for a router yourself means getting a structure that costs much less than one made at the factory. When producing a milling table, it is imperative to follow safety precautions.

Milling table Designed for processing materials, cutting shaped holes, making connections. A table made by yourself will be more economical and much more convenient than a purchased one.

Work in which it is necessary to perform milling is always associated with the movement of the tool along the surface of a rigidly fixed workpiece. However, when you need to mill a part with small dimensions, some difficulties arise. To solve this problem, you can make a table for the router yourself. IN in this case the tool will have a stationary mount; the workpiece itself must move. As a result, it will be possible to quickly carry out face machining and remove overhangs.

Standard milling table

The simplest way to create a table for a router is to mount the router directly to the tabletop. Fastening occurs through drilled hole. This setup has proven to work well. In this case, the router is located at an angle of 90° to the tabletop; it is rigidly fixed to the table, which dampens excessive vibration.

Such an installation is considered the best if the milling cutter has a solid base and if it has the ability to regulate the immersion of the tool. The base of the router must be fixed to the tabletop so that the router can be lowered to the required depth. This installation method has some disadvantages that need to be kept in mind.

Firstly, the thickness of the tabletop affects the working range of the tool; it allows you to work with cutters that have long shanks.

Secondly, the work is limited by the single diameter of the hole for attaching the cutter.

And lastly, if you have one router, its constant installation and removal, changing the cutter, and adjusting the height is very inconvenient.

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Bed production

The bed is understood as the main part, without which not a single router table can do. To do it, the most suitable different materials. You can use metal profiles, MDF boards, wood, etc.

Perhaps the most the best option a metal profile will be used. Existing butt joints are secured only with bolts during assembly. Welding work are excluded. The design will be highly reliable, it will be technologically advanced and easy to assemble.

The dimensions of the bed do not have fixed dimensions; they are selected by each craftsman purely individually. The main criterion will be the size of the parts that have to be processed. To accurately determine the dimensions of the bed, it is best to make a small sketch.

In order to make it convenient to work, the frame needs to be deepened into the floor by about 15 cm. The most important parameter of the table is its height. The optimal length would be 1 m. To get maximum convenience, it is worth equipping the table for the router with adjustable supports.

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Cover device

Best suited for this part kitchen countertop, made of chipboard, having a thickness of 40 mm. This material perfectly dampens vibration, it has a solid, absolutely smooth surface, along which the workpiece moves perfectly.

Modern phenolic plastic of high hardness is also suitable for the production of the lid. He has absolutely flat surface, not afraid of moisture. Plastic does not cause any difficulties in processing, which makes it possible to make grooves where they will be installed aluminum profiles and stops. The only drawback is its high cost.

To make router tables more reliable for long-term use, you can make an aluminum tabletop. This material never corrodes and is lightweight. But before manufacturing, aluminum must be clad so that there are no dirty marks left on the workpieces.

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Plates for installing the router into the table

Router tables have the plates needed to mount directly into the table. This method has several advantages.

Due to the fact that the plate is no more than 10 mm thick, it is possible to easily get the router to replace the cutter.

You can use additional insert plates to be able to use different diameters cutters Such an insert plate can become a support plate during the operation of milling surfaces on large parts. The plate gives the router increased stability; the use of plates helps to mill wide grooves of parts.

Inserting the plate is quite difficult. It is necessary to first drill a mounting hole in the table to obtain a tight fit for subsequent insertion of the plate. When there are large gaps, increased vibration occurs. If the plate does not have a reliable, tight attachment to the table, milling accuracy will not be maintained. Too much big hole drilled into the tabletop of the milling table being manufactured will cause it to weaken. Therefore, when calculating the diameter of the hole, care must be taken to create reinforcement for the tabletop. Has great value so that the tabletop and insert are made flush. Additional gaskets, washers, etc. will help cope with this problem.

Working with a hand router on a special table is more convenient and efficient. Therefore, tool owners sooner or later think about buying a table or making it themselves.

A homemade design has a number of advantages, which you will learn about below.

Purpose of the milling table

example of a homemade milling table

A router is one of the main tools for woodworking. With it you can:

• cut the tenon fastening;
• select a groove or groove;
• sharpen the edges.

Some processes are inconvenient to do hand tools, because you need to hold the workpiece and the cutter at the same time. The table provides a reliable support and fastening for hand router, on which it is possible to produce precise and high-quality products that are not inferior to factory ones. Make a stand according to ready-made drawings not difficult.

Advantages of a homemade table for a manual router

• The price-quality ratio of finished devices is usually unsatisfactory. The buyer is faced with a choice: a cheap, shaky Chinese workbench or a branded product at an incredible price.
• Dimensions homemade design will be optimal for a home workshop.
• Milling table functionality and quantity additional accessories depend only on the wishes of the master.
• The homemade design is easy to modify and improve.

Features of a homemade design

The type of table is the first thing you need to decide on before making drawings and making your own table. The choice is made between three options:

• stationary: if the work is done in a workshop and the area allows it, this is the strongest and reliable look stands. Once the settings are set, you can not change them for a long time. To move around the workshop, attach wheels;
• desktop: convenient for on-site and one-time work. Small table fits in a pantry or on a shelf;
• modular: attached to the side of a workbench or carpenter's table.

Router fastener. The most convenient way is to use a mounting plate installed in the countertop. The tool is attached to the plate on the underside and can be easily removed to replace or repair the cutter. You can make your own mounting plate from a small piece of sheet steel.

Materials. Many convenient and functional homemade products are made from scraps and waste: plywood, boards, timber, chipboard. The material for the countertop can be thick plywood or chipboard; many choose MDF. The laminated one is especially convenient - the surface is smooth, and workpieces glide over it easily. Thick plastic and aluminum sheets are good for countertops.

Whatever material the tabletop is made of, it should not sag during operation! If the table surface is large, consider additional stiffeners in the drawing.

Small table for router

If a craftsman uses a hand router infrequently, a compact table that is rigidly fixed to the workbench will suit him. It is made with a side support and an outlet for connecting a vacuum cleaner.

Materials required for work:

• plywood No. 21;
• PVA glue;
• bars 50x50;
• threaded pins - 2 pcs.;
• wing nuts - 2 pcs.;
• screws.

Tools:

• hacksaw;
• hammer;
• screwdriver;
• drill;
• chisel;
• clamps.

Work progress:

1. We make the table frame with our own hands from plywood or a block. You will have to tinker with plywood: it is glued in two layers for strength: the cut out parts are coated with PVA and held together with clamps until completely dry. You need to prepare 4 such blanks.
2. In one of the base bars we cut out grooves for fastening to the workbench. There should be two of them.
3. We cut out a square of plywood to the size of the future tabletop. We mark the places of attachment and exit of the cutter.
4. We drill holes with a drill, countersink holes for the screws so that the heads are hidden.
5. We assemble the box structure using screws with our own hands.
6. We make a fastening for the side support: these are two threaded pins onto which wing nuts will be screwed.
7. Let's make a side support: two plywood rectangles that will be held together with screws and a pair of stiffening ribs. We drill and countersink holes for screws, drill out circles for the cutter and grooves for clamping.
8. We make a small box to connect the vacuum cleaner, insert the pipe into it and attach it to the stop.
9. Now we press the stop onto the tabletop with our own hands and you can start milling.

Stationary table for router

This milling table is in no way inferior to factory models. To make it yourself, you need the following materials:

• plywood;
• chipboard scraps;
• block 5x5 cm;
• fasteners (screws, bolts, hinges);
• metal profile;
• jack;
• aluminum guides;
• steel plate 6 mm;
• saw carriage (guide).

Having selected everything you need, we begin assembling the table with our own hands. First, we make the base of the structure from scraps of boards, chipboard and plywood. The stand needs to be made rigid, so we cut out additional spacers from plywood. In the right side panel we make a hole for the power switch, it will connect to the router.

1. The table top is made of chipboard; it is installed on one side on hinges and additionally rests on two posts, between which a manual router will be attached. We cut the stands out of plywood and attach them to the tabletop with screws at the corners.
2. We make a stop-carriage to move the part along the working surface. To do this, we cut a groove for the metal guides and install them. The carriage will be a guide removed from a broken saw.
3. We collect from chipboard longitudinal stop In order to be able to set gaps around the tool, the stop must be mobile. Therefore, we cut grooves on top of the stop perpendicular to each other and attach the structure to the table surface. We make a shallow recess in the center to remove sawdust.
4. We assemble the box for connecting the vacuum cleaner and attach it behind the stop.
5. We prepare a site for placing workpieces: select top layer Chipboard equal to the thickness of a steel plate. We screw the plate onto the screws. We countersink the holes for the screws so that the heads do not protrude. The plate must lie flush with the surface of the table, otherwise it will be inconvenient to work. A router will be attached to it from below.
6. We attach the hand router to the bolts from the bottom of the steel plate.
7. We make a lift for a manual router from a (car) jack, which makes it possible to accurately change the height of the working router. We dismantle the handles of the router and replace them with aluminum guides, which we fix on the jack. The table is made and ready to use.

We offer you tabletops, plates, and ready-made kits for milling and saw tables. All of the above is produced on CNC machines, i.e. factory-made!

Minimum cost ready-made kit 16500 RUR, which consists of:
-tabletop made of laminated plywood 800x600x27 mm. with profile for working with additional tools
-aluminum parallel fence with dust extraction and sliding cheeks
-plate for any model of router (stainless steel/steel with engraved ruler)

Other configurations or self-assembly from components are possible!

Shipping to TK regions! Pickup from Klinsky district. M.O.
For pickup, get a 3% discount on all products!

Ready-made kits, tabletops, underframes, fixtures and much more (clamps, clamps, cutters, etc.) on my website: frezer-stol.

The photo shows tabletops, plates for routers, circular saws and ready-made mobile kits!
Tabletop characteristics:
Plywood - GRADE 1, furniture grade, smooth lamination on both sides.
The thickness of the coating (film) has been increased from 120/120 to 220/220 g/sq.m., which makes it more wear-resistant to abrasion and moisture-resistant.
For milling tables there is a milled platform for steel plates (size 350 x 250 mm, other plate sizes are possible) on which they are mounted different models hand cutters or circular saws!
Adjustment pins are installed in the corners to level the plate into a plane. We have plates available for Triton, Elmos, Makita, Hitachi, Bosch, etc. as well as some other models. There are also universal plates, stainless steel top/bottom, steel, without holes for mounting a router with a marking scale and ruler, for the possibility of independently marking and installing your own router. The accuracy of the metric ruler applied by laser on the plate, according to GOST..
In addition, we have blades for CIRCULAR saws, with or without mounting holes for some models (for self-installation)!
There are countertops measuring 800x600 with a stainless lining and mounting holes for a specific cutter model. There is a photo showing an example of a table top for Makita 2300 (2301).
The cost of the plate is 350x250x6 mm. for milling cutters:
stainless steel/metal/laser marking of ruler - 3500 rub.
There are also side parallel stops for them.
Full kits are available, which include:
table top,
plate for router, (circular)
- standard rip fence,
-parallel aluminum stop on the moving shaft
-metal underframe (bed) with brake wheel supports.
For those who like everything in one, there is a tabletop 800x1200 for installing a router and a circular saw in one tabletop, with one common parallel stop. I'm also attaching a photo.
In addition, there are blanks for the base of tabletops 800x600x27 mm. For self-assembly in which all the necessary milling for the profile and window for the plate have already been made. The cost of such blanks starts from 3500 rubles.

A milling cutter is the most frequently used tool of a self-respecting craftsman. Thanks to it, we can make things we know with incredible ease. There are operations in carpentry, which cannot be performed without this tool.

The milling cutter consists of a motor, a collet for attaching replaceable cutters, a speed controller, and a vertical rod. IN model range From any manufacturer there are many models with different capacities. Hand router - quite versatile electrical appliance, which has wide potential and opportunities. It becomes possible to improve the router by installing it on a horizontal surface, which will allow you to process fairly large workpieces with minimal effort.

Purpose of the milling table

Installing a router into a table or workbench allows you to achieve good results in the manufacture of many products. This is an indispensable tool in furniture production. Since this process often requires trimming the edges of the canvases, making shaped grooves and recesses.

Such tables can be found in large stores that sell tools. The cost of such equipment directly depends on the functionality and material from which they are made. But even with the most minimal set of functions, but with high-quality coating, the price for such a product is quite high. For a simple amateur, who works out for his own pleasure in the garage, the price is unaffordable. The solution is homemade table for the router.

Before you start purchasing material for your future table, you should decide on its functionality. Let's consider the main capabilities of a manual milling cutter and its machine version.

Operations with a hand router

• Figured or straight processing of the ends or edges of workpieces.
• Drilling holes various shapes for installation of furniture fittings.
• Removing a quarter of the thickness.
• Grinding and cutting of workpieces.
• Drilling.
• Finishing the cut area.
• Removing grooves for splines and grooves.

Milling table operations

A DIY router table allows you to perform operations such as:

• parallel finishing cutting;
• trimming surfaces and long edges;
• quarter sample;
• finishing edges.

From the list it becomes clear that all the same operations are performed on a milling table as with a conventional manual router, but only with greater accuracy and quality. In addition, the dimensions of the workpieces are already many times larger.

Choosing a hand router

For a tiny workshop, purchasing a separate router is an unaffordable luxury. Therefore, a router table will be required with a quick release router design. This means that it will work in two versions, both on the table and in manual mode. To do this you will need a quality power tool.

There are two types of hand router:

• submersible;
• cross-cutting

Their names speak volumes about their functionality. Since the cross-cut milling machine is highly specialized, its further consideration will not be interesting for the reader.

According to power, electric tools are classified into:

• low power- from 500 to 1100 Watt;
• average power - from 1200 to 1800 Watts;
• high power - from 1900 to 2500 watts.

Professionals advise using low-power milling cutters for processing small workpieces; this allows for maximum ease of use. In this case, you will have to make passes in several approaches, removing a small thickness, layer by layer. However, such routers cannot be installed on a special table. For these purposes, milling cutters with a power of about 2000 watts are suitable.

Also, when choosing, you should pay attention to the following capabilities of the tool:

• maximum depth of lowering the stand;
• soft start;
• availability of spindle speed adjustment;
• dynamic brake;
• maintaining the number of revolutions under load.
• chip removal system.

All these parameters determine the quality of a manual router, which will be useful both in manual mode and in machine mode.

Milling table device

Any milling table consists of the following elements:

• directly from the router itself;
• countertops;
• rip fence;
• chip removal systems;
• boxes for storing spare parts and various cutters;
• horizontal clamp.

Depending on the functional tasks of the milling table, it can be manufactured in the following options:

• side table top with router;
• stationary tabletop;
• stationary tabletop with parallel support;
• stationary tabletop with parallel stop, with vertical router lift, cross feed of the router.

Materials

How to make a table for a router? What should a person who decides to do this business have in his arsenal? First, we need a drawing of a table for a manual router. It's not difficult to find. Therefore, making a table for a manual router is quite possible. There are also plenty of detailed tutorials and videos of local craftsmen showing off their creations. There are models that are so multifunctional that they combine, in addition to a milling table, a drilling, grinding and cutting table.

Almost any material is suitable for production. Mainly used chipboard sheets, laminated plywood or regular plywood with a thickness of at least 8 millimeters. You will also need wood screws with countersunk head, aluminum corners(furniture), PVA glue.

Assembly

Let's look at how to assemble the simplest table for a router with your own hands. We will make it from laminated plywood. Let's take the tabletop size to be 400 millimeters wide and 400 millimeters long. A laminated board is perfect for the countertop. It has a number of advantages compared to plywood:

• wear-resistant surface;
• low cost;
• quick replacement.

However, we decided to make the table for the hand router from laminated plywood. Carefully cut it to the intended size. The legs will be made of the same material. Step back from the edges 20-30 centimeters and fasten the legs to the tabletop, pre-coat the joints with glue and make two or three holes for tightening the screws.

We make the following technological holes in the tabletop:

• large round for exiting the collet with the cutter;
• parallel groove for fastening the guide;
• You can make a small groove for attaching a ruler.

The rip fence can be made from the same materials as the tabletop. The stop consists of two parts, the interface runs exactly in the center of the installed cutter. They must move independently of each other. To increase milling capabilities, it is desirable that the rip fence has two degrees of freedom. That is, it could tilt relative to the tabletop and turn parallel to it. This will allow you to make products with complex shapes.

Among other things, with reverse side parallel stop, a recess is made with a cover square shape, a vacuum cleaner pipe is inserted into one end. As a rule, the chip removal system is made on two sides, one on top behind the stop, the second directly next to the router collet.

This is the simplest DIY router table. In the future, you can modify and install a lift for convenient adjustment of the height and horizontal reach of the cutter.

Additional accessories

Since a manual router installed in a table is electric tool, then for safety you can install an external switch in the table. This will allow you to conveniently and safely turn the device on and off when necessary. Here you can install additional sockets for connecting a portable lamp or hand drill.

If there is sufficient free space, milling tables measuring 1500 by 1500 millimeters and a height of one and a half meters are made. You get full-fledged workbenches. At the same time, they make pull-out shelves, in which it is convenient to store various cutters and a key for changing the spindle. Large table allows you to process large sheets plywood or other material so often used in the manufacture of furniture or doors. Such a table increases the accuracy of processed parts and reduces the percentage of defects during manufacturing.

Safety

It is worth remembering that tables for wood routers are sources of increased danger. The rotation speed of the cutter reaches 25,000 rpm. Any awkward movement will lead to irreparable consequences. Hands should be kept at the maximum safe distance from the rotating head; the cutter should be changed with the machine stopped and de-energized.

When working, you need to wear special glasses that will protect your eyes from small chips. The noise level during operation is quite high; appropriate precautions should be taken. Keep children away from the router.

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How to make a homemade table for a hand router I made this table from 18 mm. plywood. It is thick enough to make the structure very durable. To strengthen the structural elements I used metal corner cross section 40X40 mm.

The tabletop has dimensions of 800x500 mm. A hole is cut in the center to the size of the router sole. The sides are attached to the tabletop at the corners using self-tapping screws. The bottom sidewalls are also connected using corners and self-tapping screws. 4 holes of 10 mm are drilled in the tabletop. and driven nuts for fastening the combs are installed. The right side has a fork and a switch for convenient starting of the router. The "Start" button on the router itself is locked.

The milling cutter base is screwed to a 2 mm thick steel plate. and size 200X200 mm. A recess is made in the tabletop and the plate is placed flush on top, attached to the tabletop with self-tapping screws. A hole with a diameter of 50 mm is cut in the center of the plate.

A car jack is used to raise and lower the router. It is attached to the base of the table with self-tapping screws. The handle has been replaced with a homemade flywheel for smoother adjustment. The jack is not attached to the router in any way.

The guide ruler is also made of plywood. Assembled with Moment Joiner glue and reinforced with self-tapping screws. In the middle part of the line there is a box with a hole for attaching the vacuum cleaner pipe. Adjustment grooves are cut out on the sides of the ruler. 10 mm bolts are inserted into the tabletop, the ruler is attached to the bolts using eye nuts.

The combs are cut from fir and serve to press the workpiece more tightly against the guide. Grooves are cut into the comb for moving along the tabletop. To secure the combs to the tabletop, bolts with bushings are used.

To prevent the workpiece from moving up and down, a special spring stop is made of plywood. It is attached to the guide ruler using wing nuts.

That's the whole structure. You can see more details about this table in my film.