Woodworker's Journal 2009-33-6, страница 37

Versatile Design

Happily, this unique table isn't difficult to build, doesn't require much in the way of materials and is compact, so you can easily stow it away when it's not in use. The table has a cubical base with an oversized bottom that makes it easy to clamp the device atop a bench or work table. A pivoting router plate mounted to a crossmember on the base provides a mount for just about any standard router. Pivoting the plate adjusts the bit's cutting depth up and down (because of the horizontal orientation of the table, the router's regular bit depth adjustment changes the width of the cut). The table's top is attached to the base via a pair of plywood compasses, each with a pair of radiused slots that allow the top to tilt from flat to 45 degrees. A slot in the top accepts a standard miter gauge, which is useful for end-routing.

Kicking Off the Construction Process

To start construction, make the table's base from 3/4" MDF or particleboard. Cut out an 18" x 12" bottom, three 12" squares for the front and sides and a 12" x 3" wide strip for the bottom rear (pieces 1 through 4). On the band saw (or with a jigsaw), cut a 3" high, 3/4" deep notch at the top back corner of each of the two sides for the crossmember that supports the router plate (cut the notch slightly shallower, if your crossmember stock isn't fully 3/4" thick). Make sure the notches' edges are nice and square. Now drill a pair of 3/8"-diameter holes through each side piece, located as shown in the Drawings on page 41. These are for studded hand screws that will attach the tilt-top to the base. Install a 1/4" threaded insert in each of these holes (photo, top right), using a short 1/4" bolt, two nuts and a ratchet wrench to drive them in place. Glue and nail (or screw) the sides of the base together, with the bottom strip at the lower edge of the cube (photo right, second from top). Center the sides on the base's bottom piece and glue and nail them in place, making sure the assembly is square and that all the edges are flush.

Cut the router table's 3" x 18" crossmember (piece 5) from a piece of good quality 3/4" plywood. Band saw or jigsaw a semi-circular hole at the center of the crossmember's top edge to provide clearance for the router bit. Next, drill a pair of 7/32"-diameter holes, positioned 16'/>" apart, as shown in the Drawings. These holes are for the two 1/4" x lW-long hanger bolts that attach the router pivoting plate to the base. Hanger bolts have a wood screw thread on one half and a machine thread on the other. To install them, lock a pair of 1/4" nuts together (with a washer between them) on the bolt's machine threaded end, and drive the screw-thread end into the holes (photo right, second from bottom). Now glue and screw the crossmember into the notches on the base, centering it side-to-side (photo, bottom right).

A socket and ratchet wrench, set onto a pair of nuts, drive the hanger bolts into place. These hanger bolts attach the router plate to the crossmember on the base.

Center the crossmember on the notches cut into the base, then glue and screw it in place. The face of the crossmember must be flush with the edge of the sides.

After temporarily screwing a bolt into the threaded insert, a socket and ratchet wrench drives the insert into the hole in the side of the horizontal router table's base.

A pneumatic nail gun makes quick work of assembling the router table's MDF base, keeping the glued parts aligned and together while clamps are put into place.

Woodworker's Journal December 2009

39