building doors w/o a router table

[Riparian]

I have always used a table mounted router with rail & stile bits to build doors,
but a move-related workshop downsize may force me to leave the router table
behind. I'm wondering if my OF1400 could replace the table-based setup in my
new shop. What do others do?

Thanks for your input.

-Andy (California kid moving to the East Coast!)

 

[jonny round boy]

Andy,

It doesn't matter how small your workshop is, you can always have room for a small router table.

It is possible to make doors without one, but since you obviously already have all the required router cutters, why would you want to? If it comes to it, you could knock up a small, temporary router table from scraps of MDF in an hour or two. Then if you really don't have the space to keep it, throw it out once you've made all your doors.

Jonathan

 

[fshanno]

It depends on the doors doesn't it?  I saw something interesting recently. 

25 year old 5 piece doors, held together with pocket screws.  1/4" hardwood ply across the entire back of the door which covers the pocket holes.  3/8" x 3/8" rabbet all around the perimeter of the back.  You have to visualize this.  There is no groove, the panel is glued to the back of the rails and stiles.

They are inset 3/8" into the opening so the plywood edge is not visible when they are closed.

The particular doors I saw had an inside profile routed after the rails and stiles were assembled and before the back was attached.

They are strong and reasonably attractive and absolutely do not require a router table.

 

[sancho57]

Dont know about a 1400 but Brice did it with a 2200



Ive also built flat panel rail and stile doors with the domino put the profile on with the 1010

 

[fshanno]

On the other hand, big machines are so awesome today.  And tooling for them is even more awesome.  There's no shame in sourcing doors.  It's really impressive what they are doing now.