I love Cast Iron as a table surface! Bench Dog ProMax RT

[nickao]

Unlike many Festoolians and the a Festool theory of the lighter the better, I value heavy, large mass tools with a cast iron top. Obviously they are not for taking out of the shop as many Festools are designed for(MFT).

Bench Dog now makes a router top made of cast iron called the ProMax RT.  I have the cast iron router table extension for the table saw Bench Dog sells and if the full table is anything like it, the full version will be a winner. It weighs 100 lbs and can be purchased at Rockler.

The top will require maintenance yes, but with little care you can not get a flatter, smoother or better surface for a router table top with very little vibration, than Cast Iron. IMHO.

Cast Iron Router top

It also accepts a new standard plate size. Companies are finally starting to make a universal size for router plates, I hope most companies follow suit.

 

[roadking06]

If I was so inclined and knew I never had to move it, I would just have a granite top cut from a supplier, or better yet haggle for a cut off from a large sink cutout.

An 1-3/4" or 2" thick slab of granite would be as flat and smooth as anything else, and I wouldn't have to chase rust off it.

 

[robtonya]

I wonder if that would be a direct replacement for my existing Bench Dog router station. I rarely move mine either. Thanks Nick for the post.

A granite top would look cool as hell if not anything else. Probably be a lot of fabrication to get it right though.

 

[nickao]

I actually had granite for a time.

It bows! If you do not use a great support system underneath it will not stay straight(flat) very long.

Mine bowed at least 1/2" over two feet! It was only 1 1/8 thick though. And there are tons of different Granites all with their own characteristics.

Nickao

 

[Bill Wyko]

MMMMMMM I could use magnetic feather boards. ;D ;D ;D

 

[johnrichardson]

cast Iron is a fantastic material all the best stuff the Victorians did..... printing presses , steam engines ,sewing machines ,stoves, it last for ever its heavy but its soulfull!

Also I have two Cast Iron cooking pots , they cook the best food ever really slow but  with real flavour ... I will post the recipe and some pics of a  classic woodworkers dish... Lamb shanks slow cooked with rosemary and dumplings drool..

 

[nickao]

My grandpa used to make Sunday dinner, every Sunday for 60 years. He used the cast iron pots too and I never understood why he loved them so much. Now I get it.

Now I am hungry John!

 

[Neill]

cast Iron is a fantastic material all the best stuff the Victorians did..... printing presses , steam engines ,sewing machines ,stoves, it last for ever its heavy but its soulfull!

Also I have two Cast Iron cooking pots , they cook the best food ever really slow but  with real flavour ... I will post the recipe and some pics of a  classic woodworkers dish... Lamb shanks slow cooked with rosemary and dumplings drool..

John -

Did your Granmother know that Grandpa was cooking with Rosemary?  I'll bet she would have found a new use for that cast iron skillet (maybe Grandpa's shanks).

Neill

 

[nickao]

Well my Grandpa(PaPa) cooked with Rosemary and Nana had no problems at all. Nana's name was Rosemary. 

 

[nickao]

MMMMMMM I could use magnetic feather boards. ;D ;D ;D

I use magnets as feather boards and guides on all my Cast iron stuff, Router table, Band Saws and Tables saw. Here is an infeed outfeed setup on my band saw. I have 16 of the magnets and they work great! If I have a bowed board I just double up the magnets on either side and I can really push on the board and the magnets do not move. A lot cheaper than the so called dedicated magnets they sell at the woodworking stores.

On my smaller band Saw I actually use the magnets instead of the fence. No fence at all. These are so simple to adjust for Band Saw drift in comparison with even a fence designed with a drift adjustment. I have my Kreg Band Saw fence sitting on the shelf I like the magnets so much.

Nickao

 

[hemdale]

Hi,

I'm considering their products too:

http://www.benchdog.com/ProTop-Phenolic.cfm

In the 40-202 configuration (pro-top, fence + cabinet) for my Router 0F 1010, would it be a good option ?

Thanks for your feedback guys.

 

[tvgordon]

I bought one of the Bench Dog cast iron router table extension for the tablesaw last year. That combined with the Triton router has turned out to be a great combination. The Bench Dog manual said the top was machined to higher standards than the tablesaw was probably machined to, but I still had to come up with some shim material in order for the router table to be level with the tablesaw top after the bolts were tightened down.

Tom

 

[cgmojoco]

Does anyone have any experience mounting the ProMaXRT to a Sawstop industrial tablesaw?

Does anyone have any experience mounting a Sidewinder 420 router lift into the ProMaxRT?

Kind thoughts-
Christopher

 

[zekerdale]

Stainless steal works well I have this setup but not portable at all which is barely a problem at all

 

[Paul G]

Stainless steal works well I have this setup but not portable at all which is barely a problem at all

A stainless steel slab router table? More details and picts please

 

[jacko9]

Fine Woodworking did a review of router tables in their yearly Tools issue and there was a cast iron table top from Excalibur that looked interesting.  I have an Excalibur sliding table attached to my Powermatic 66 table saw and it has been very reliable over the past 20 years.

 

[cgmojoco]

Fine Woodworking did a review of router tables in their yearly Tools issue and there was a cast iron table top from Excalibur that looked interesting.  I have an Excalibur sliding table attached to my Powermatic 66 table saw and it has been very reliable over the past 20 years.

Good looking out!

Does anyone have this table and is it designed in such a way that the rear edge has enough meat,lip,space for bolt heads so that it can be drilled by my machinest for holes to match those on my tablesaw for mounting as an extension table?:
http://www.general.ca/accessories/acc_shaper/a_40-075.html

The 32" size will fit my Sawstop industrial with an Incra TS Fence just barely (may have to shim 1/64inch).

Christopher

 

[jbasen]

I have a cast iron router table extension from peach tree woodworking mounted to my SawStop professional saw.  I bought the extension a few years ago on sale and have been very happy with it.

http://www.ptreeusa.com/routerTables.htm

I have a small shop and combining a router table into the same footprint as my table saw is a great space savings.

Jay

 

[cgmojoco]

If any one is interested.
Yes, the part from General International 40-4075 32" long iron router table top is capable of mounting to a large table saw (with some adjustments needing to be made by end user for holes).

It should fit woodpecker router lift plate.

Peachtree table is to short in length to fit properly between Sawstop industrial rails.

I will report back when I get it if I have any problems.

Christopher

 

[rljatl]

I have been toying with the idea of adapting the smaller version of the General cast iron router table (#40-070 │ Cast-iron table 16" x 27") to my MFT/3.  It was designed for the left side of a table saw instead of the right side.  

In the not too distant future I will build a cart for my MFT and would like to have the General router table mounted to one end.  Ideally, it would swing up and lock in place.  Then I would drop my Triton router mounted to a router plate into the table.  When finished, The table would swing down along one end of the MFT cart.  An Incra Positioner could also be used on the MFT as shown in other threads.

I just flat don't have room for a full size router table.  Any slick ideas about how to mount the heavy cast iron table so it is flush with the top of the MFT and still able swing up and down?

Excalibur 40-070EK Cast Iron Table
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