Woodworker's Journal 1994-18-2, страница 36

The Ultimate

Knock-Down

Router Table

Some time ago. woodworker Barney Howard, of Sisiers. Oregon, sent us a photo or a rather clever router table concept that he'd developed The table featured a huge work-surface—far larger than any other we'd seen—hut incredibly it hung up on the wall, out of the w ay, w hen not in use.

Key to Howard's system was the concept of mounting the router table in the ubiquitous Black and Decker Workmate. The Workmate sets up quickly and mounting the router table in it was a simple matter of securely clamping the

cross cleat on the table's underside in the Work mate's j aws.

So you ask, what if I don't have a Workmate? Although you could make a knockdown or even a permanent stand for the tabic surface. given the low cost of Black and Decker's Workmate (typically between S45 and S85, depending on model and features) by the time you added up your material costs for a stand, it would probably be cheaper just to purchase the Workmate. And, with the Workmate, you'll end up w ith a versatile third hand for hundreds of other around-

the-shop tasks, when you're not using your router table.

Features

We've made several significant improvements to Howard's original design. First, for durability, we've added plastic laminate (Formica) to the worksurface, laminating both the top. bottom and the edges. Second, we've incorporated a miter slot, so that a miter gauge can be used on the table. Third, for improved stability, we've added a supporting Icy. The leg eliminates the slight springiness that's inherent in the Workmate, so you gel an absolutely rock-solid worksurface. And finally, we've added the very best aftermarket router table fence we could find.

This superb fence is an important part of the router table. It combines a massive. machined aluminum back with an easy-to-use clamping system, buijl-in dust collection and an adjustable router bit guard. Perhaps best of all. the fence is reversible, and can be used on either side of the bit. The fence conies complete w ith everything you see. including the clamping blocks, plastic knobs, wood face, adjustable guard and dust collector hookup. Ordering information for the fence can be found in the Sources box. Of course, you could always substitute a straight board and a pair of C-clamps for the fence shown, if you'd like to keep

costs down.

With no many router table designs out there, why is this table superior? In a word. size. At a full eight square feet, the worksurface is truly massive. It's large enough so you can safely handle molding work on large panels or cabinet doors, without worrying about the work-piece hanging unsupported off the table. And, when advancing stock with the miter gauge, the extra table size provides a needed measure of safety, especially when working long boards. The dust collection capability of the fence -when hooked up to your shop vacuum— eliminates one of the biggest complaints about routers, the dust they generate.

One final feature of our router table is the unique drop-in mounting system for the table insert. Like the table itself, our insert is oversize. You may not need the extra insert size now. but if you bu\ one of the big new plunge routers, this insert will accommodate it. Many of the smaller inserts just won't fit the large

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t he Woodworker's Journal