New router table wanted

[Joelm]

Seems like a lot of people are asking about router tables these days so I thought I'd jump in and ask as well.

My current router table is home made and built into my miter saw station. It uses the Incra wonderfence and Incra mast-r-lift ll.

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Just before Christmas I found out that my dewalt spindle had become crossthreaded and I could not mount either of my collets to it. So I decided it was time for an upgrade. I bought the Jessem motor and then let it sit in the box as the holidays took up all of my free time. Well I just unboxed it and wow, it is huge compared to what I was using.

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I have the Incra LS positioner to go with the wonderfence but do not have the space for it. In my old house I turned my large workbench into a big router table. It was great.

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Now that I have a new beefier motor I'm thinking of upgrading to a new router table. I haven't been using my current one much since it is mounted to the wall and limited in how much area I could use.

I've contacted a local non profit tool library and they are happy to take my Incra fence, lift and cleansweep box from me. So I'll be doing that in the new year and starting fresh. As for the cabinet. I'm going to cut it in half and keep the left hand side that holds the systainers. The space that is left over will be where I'll keep my new table. I want to be able to wheel it out into the middle of the shop for use, something I couldn't do with the current set up.

I'm leaning towards the Jessem Mast-r-lift Excell ll that Lee Valley carries.https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/sho...accessories/69204-jessem-mast-r-lift-excel-ii

Other considerations are the Harvey standalone table and the sawstop standalone table.

I'm leaning towards Jessem as Lee Valley does carry it and they have excellent customer service. They also carry sawstop. Harvey has a presence in Canada but they are all the way in BC and they are more expensive than Jessem and I'd have to keep my lift that I was going to donate.

Woodpeckers is not on my list as there are no Canadian stores that carry their router tables. KJP (local) carries lots of Woodpeckers stuff but no tables unfortunately.

Anyway, I like the look of the Excell as the whole table is a lift so I wouldn't have any seams between the table and lift. Anyway see any reason not to go the Jessem route? They do have a sale on for 10% that ends in the next day or two.

Thanks for your opinions.

 

[MikeGE]

I went through an expensive journey in search of my router table before finishing with the Incra-based system described in this build thread:

Thread 'Router Table for Small Shop'

Jul 6, 2020

I finally found the time to finish a project that started three years ago and has evolved from a Triton Workcentre Router Table to this.  I don't even want to think of the money and time consumed in discarded ideas and plans, but it is done.  I started with the Triton TRA001 router, but grew tired of constantly reaching under the table to turn it off and on after raising it to change cutters.  The TRA001 definitely has the power, but this wasn't enough to offset the cumbersome controls and adjustments...

• MikeGE
• Replies: 17
• Forum: Member Projects

After over four years of use, I cannot think of anything I would change. I also have a shaper (spindle moulder on this side of the Atlantic), but would never think of getting rid of the router table.

 

[Michael Kellough]

I would just add that a cast iron table that allows the use of MagSwitch and the like is very handy.

 

[Joelm]

I went through an expensive journey in search of my router table before finishing with the Incra-based system described in this build thread:
https://www.festoolownersgroup.com/member-projects/router-table-63522/ 

After over four years of use, I cannot think of anything I would change.  I also have a shaper (spindle moulder on this side of the Atlantic), but would never think of getting rid of the router table.

That is definitely another good option. I already have most of the parts. I opted for the 25" LS positioner though. Incra recommends the 27"X43" table top if you have the longer positioner. The current router table I have is 24"X38"  so I could probably go with the larger table but I feel like it would really take up a lot of space in my small shop. I was hoping to move away from the Incra as the LS positioner needs so much space behind it to work. Yours looks great but even then the mounting plate of the LS positioner is hanging half off of your 36" long table.

I don't think any dealers in Canada sells the Incra router table parts so I'd have to buy and import from US at $1.44 exchange rate with shipping and import duties.

Hmm more thinking to be done here.

 

[MikeGE]

That is definitely another good option. I already have most of the parts. I opted for the 25" LS positioner though. Incra recommends the 27"X43" table top if you have the longer positioner. The current router table I have is 24"X38"  so I could probably go with the larger table but I feel like it would really take up a lot of space in my small shop. I was hoping to move away from the Incra as the LS positioner needs so much space behind it to work. Yours looks great but even then the mounting plate of the LS positioner is hanging half off of your 36" long table.

I don't think any dealers in Canada sells the Incra router table parts so I'd have to buy and import from US at $1.44 exchange rate with shipping and import duties.

Hmm more thinking to be done here.

 

I wanted the larger table and positioner, but one of the requirements for my shop was mobility.  The finished router table had to be able to maneuver around the fixed equipment in my basement shop and fit through the doors so I could move it out of the way when not being used. 

Despite part of the positioner base being off of the table, it is very sturdy and resists lateral forces quite well.  The overhang is part of the Incra design for the table.

 

[Joelm]

I wanted the larger table and positioner, but one of the requirements for my shop was mobility.  The finished router table had to be able to maneuver around the fixed equipment in my basement shop and fit through the doors so I could move it out of the way when not being used. 

Despite part of the positioner base being off of the table, it is very sturdy and resists lateral forces quite well.  The overhang is part of the Incra design for the table.

It was easy enough to visualize what my LS positioner would look like on an incra table. I store it above my router table.

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I would definitely need to have it mobile as you do. I still think it takes up much more space than I'm willing to give up. Not knocking the Incra at all I've had mine since 2019 and you are right it is very stable. I now have a much smaller space and want everything to be double duty. So when not in use the table top becomes a flat surface to store things during projects. Hard to do when the LS positioner is bolted onto the table top.

Michael,
Yes I have quite a few magswitches and that would be nice to use them on a cast iron top as well.

Thanks again for your comments.

 

[ReneS]

I have a Jessem. I went all out and got pretty much the top of the line package, other than the motor. I have two Bosch 1617s.

I added the dust box and the casters that flip up.

I like it very much. (I had been using a Bosch router table, which was ok but nothing more.) It is very well made and assembled without any problems at all.

The only thing is that the fence is two part to allow for jointing. I am not sure whether I would have been better off with the fence that is one step below, since I have a jointer. The thing about the fence is that adjusting it to get the two side in line was a bit fiddly.

I bought directly from Jessem.