Router Table for Small Shop

[MikeGE]

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.

This router table is mostly Incra components and is based off of the design by Guy Dunlap.  I started with the 24"x36" offset router table top and Incra table stand kit with wheels.  I added the LS Super 17 positioner, Mast-R-Lift II router lift, CleanSweep housing, and CleanSweep MagnaLOCK rings.  While I wanted a larger table top, the router table had to be maneuverable in my small shop and fit through the two basement doors.

There aren't too many choices for dedicated router bases that will fit in the Incra or Jessum lifts and work on 230V 50Hz power.  I chose the AUKTools V3 2.4KW (3.2HP) router motor from Wood Workers Workshop in the UK.  The version I bought has the remote power and speed control, so it can be mounted outside of the cabinet. 

Unfortunately, the power/control cable that goes to the router motor was hardwired between the motor and the control box, so I inserted some Molex quick-disconnect connectors in the 5-conductor cable (one shown in this image).  This allows me to disconnect the router motor and remove it without having to disassemble the table.  I also changed the cable with the UK plug to a cable with the Euro plug.

While I was busy voiding the warranty on the router, I changed the power/control cable to the back of the controller box so it directly enters the cabinet, which can be seen in this image.  Also in this image is one pair of the 400mm full extension slides I used for the five drawers.  The inner slides mount directly to the center panel, but the outer slides mount to vertical spacers to allow them to clear the aluminum extrusion.

I routed the 10mm flexible hose out the back of the cabinet.  I didn't care for the way Guy designed his dust extraction, so I went with a simpler design, and it works very well.  The hose connects to a bulkhead flange on the inside of the cabinet.  The other side of the cabinet has a dual port adapter I bought from Axminster.co.uk, which has a 100mm and a 62mm connection.  The 62mm port is for the router fence connection.

Guy's plan called for 1/2-inch plywood, since it slides perfectly into the aluminum extrusion.  Unfortunately, the closest size available here is 12mm, which is a bit smaller than 1/2-inch.  To compensate for the difference, I drilled 4mm holes in the exterior of the aluminum extrusion and used 4x12mm pan head screws to pull the 12mm panels tight against the outer lip of the extrusion.
The drawers are made from 12mm plywood with 6mm plywood bottoms.  I experimented with pockethole screws and glue on the first drawer, but changed my mind and used 3/4-inch brads and glue.  The assembly of the drawers was much faster.

I cut all of the panels and assembled all of the drawers before taking it apart for painting.  I made the drawer fronts and door later, but this is the table ready for the next phase.  It's difficult to tell from this image, but the face frame is cut from a single sheet of 12mm plywood.  The Festool guide rail and adapter for my PS 300 EQ jigsaw made this nearly foolproof.  You can see in the upper left corner where I misjudged where to stop, but this is covered by the door overlap and we won't speak of it.  Ever.

Here is an image of the rear of the cabinet showing the dual port adapter.  The small adapter in the upper right corner is a dummy adapter to store the fence hose when it is not needed or when I'm moving the router table around the shop.  When the hose is connected to the fence, it sticks out quite a bit, even with the 90-degree elbow fitting.

I used Kaizen foam inserts in each of the drawers to store the router tools, bits, and accessories.  I didn't make cutouts for the hex keys, as I'm going to replace those with ball-end keys.  The top layer of Kaizen foam has a white core, so it shows up nicely when a tool is missing.

This drawer is for the small collection of router bits with the 8mm shaft.  There is a similar drawer for additional bits with 12mm shafts, but it is empty now.

This is the inside the CleanSweep area showing the Jessum featherboards and an Incra fence accessory that won't fit in any of the drawers.  Because I used 12mm plywood for the build, I couldn't use normal Euro hinges for the door because the hole for the hinge mount would be deeper than my door is thick.  Instead, I used a pair of Blum 173H7100 hinges for thin panels.  They work perfectly and the installation was easy.  I should have ordered the soft close version, but these have a nice solid feel to them.

Here is the inside of the CleanSweep housing showing the router and the Wixey WR525 height gauge.  I am waiting on different cables I ordered to arrive so I can have the same disconnect capability when I remove the router lift.  I noticed the Wixey sensor wiggles on the sensor slide, so I added two shims from my plastic shim stock to effectively remove the wiggle, but not impede the movement of the sensor on the slide.  I added 0.525mm of shims to one side and tested the lift.  The settings are repeatable along the full length of travel.

Here is the left side of the cabinet showing the power control, cable management, and the Wixey WR525 folded down and out of the way.

Hers is the right side showing the Woodpeckers Router Sled stored.

A view from the top showing the Wixey WR525 folded up for use.  One of the cables I'm waiting on is a shielded Cat6 cable with a right angle connector.  This will help keep the cable close to the unit and make for a tidier installation.

Overall, I am very pleased with this table, especially with the CleanSweep and MagnaLOCK rings.  Only a speck or two of chips escaped the suction of the dust extraction.  After I finished rounding off the door faces and door, there was nothing to sweep up and the inside of the CleanSweep housing was almost spotless.  I can't explain why, but some chips accumulated in two opposite corners of the inside, but otherwise, it was spotless.  The router as you see it in the closeup with the Wixey is how it looked after finished with the drawer faces.

 

[TSO_Products]

[member=70363]MikeGE[/member] - your router table may discourage others from posting their solution - you raise the bar for project and documentation pretty high for some of us.

Your attention to detail is inspiring. The message about dust collection really resonates with me regarding routers.
I'll save this post to study it more detail later.

thanks for sharing!

Hans

 

[Jiggy Joiner]

That really is a nice router table, and it’s bespoke, and you built and designed it.
Doesn’t matter how long it took to complete, the end result must very pleasing to you.
Beautiful job  [thumbs up]

 

[BIP]

Excellent set-up and great attention to detail.  I am envious of the function, precision and repeatability you have built into it. It looks like it is definitely worth the investment..

 

[Stan Tillinghast]

We who are planning far more modest router cabinets will still likely steal a few of your neat ideas.
Well done, sir!

 

[MikeGE]

Thanks, everyone!  I was contemplating not posting this here because of the other great projects.

I won't take credit for this design, as it is derivative of Guy Dunlap's design that I saw on the Incra site.

Here is the first of two videos of Guy's build:



Here is the second of two:

 

[Rob Z]

Hey Mike,

Wow! Nicely done! I also  like Guy's videos and have gotten some good tips from him.

 

[AnthonyE]

That's the nicest router table I've seen.  I'm in desperate need of building a router table but I certainly don't think I will ever make something of this level.  Very nice build and great documentation, thanks for sharing!

 

[FestitaMakool]

Nifty!
Great build and inspiring features.

 

[Reff@218]

Well done Mike,

Appreciate your time to document and share. I've noticed a "dead spot" in my clean sweep ( hooked up to a Oneida Mini Gorilla, 10ft

of 6in. hose), plumbed similiarly yours.- fence and clean sweep to wyed at the back of the cabinet. Could I trouble you to give some

feedback on your clean sweep performance?

Thanks in advance,

Jim

 

[MikeGE]

Thank you everyone!
Jim, aside from accumulation of chips in two inside opposite corners of the CleanSweep housing, I can't fault it.  I don't know why the other two corners are clean.  The accumulation isn't much, and the next time I use it, I will take some photos.  If the bottom corners were sloped towards the bottom instead of flat, I'm confident there would not be any accumulation.

Your wye connection for the fence ducting is likely more efficient than the 90-degree bend in mine.  However, the suction of chips (and I hope dust) into the fence plenum at the start of a cut seems to work as intended. 

The only time I see any small chips fly out is when I'm starting a dado cut and all of the extraction is through the MagnaLOCK ring.  Even then, the few chips don't fly off the table, and any that are in the path of the new dado cut are immediately sucked up as the dado passes over it.

 

[Mario Turcot]

Fantastic build Mike, thanks for all the details  [thumbs up]

How do you like the wixey reader? I'm looking to add it to my table as well.

 

[MikeGE]

Fantastic build Mike, thanks for all the details  [thumbs up]

How do you like the wixey reader? I'm looking to add it to my table as well.

Thank you, Mario!

At first, I wasn't too thrilled with the Wixey. The readings I was seeing were not consistent with raising and lowering over a fixed range.  I wasn't looking for accuracy as much as I wanted repeatability.

To test this, I lowered the router to a point below the surface of the table and zeroed the Wixey and the dial indicator on the table.  Then I raised the router lift three full turns of the handle (6mm) and lowered the lift by the same three full turns.  Then back up three turns.  The reading on the Wixey didn't track with the router table dial and it was always off by a little when the dial reached the 2mm increment while raising or lowering.  I reached into the CleanSweep housing and lightly touched the sensor.  The reading on the Wixey display changed considerably (I can't remember the amount), so I thought I found the problem.

The sliding sensor fits loosely on the sensor rail and is "attached" to the moving router clamp with a magnet attached at the end of a steel bar that must be formed to fit the application.  The magnet is attached at one point off center from the moment of travel, which means the sensor can twist on the rail before it starts to move.  I think it would have been better to use two magnets, one on both sides of the sensor, to effectively lock it into place with respect to the router clamp.

The only solution I could think of, since I didn't have any magnets with threaded studs, was to shim one side of the sensor to eliminate as much of the wiggle as possible.  I did this with two thin strips cut from a 0.500mm sheet and a 0.025 sheet of shim stock.  I experimented with different thicknesses to find a combination that would reduce the gap as much as possible, but not cause the sensor to bind on the rail.

I repeated the same test as before, but the results this time were great.  The Wixey tracked as accurately as expected during the full range of travel up and down the 6mm path.  Best of all, the readings were consistent no matter how many times I repeated the raising and lowering.

I also noticed a change in the reading when I locked the lift into position.  The amount of change was very small and I could anticipate it during the raising or lowering before locking the lift.  This is an issue with the lift, and not the Wixey; however, the amount was so small that I likely won't worry about it.

I'll take pictures of the changes I made and post them here to demonstrate what I described. 

 

[Michael Kellough]

[member=70363]MikeGE[/member]  good solution and info on the digital rig! Thanks for this and posting your awesome setup.

 

[Mario Turcot]

Thank you Mike, this is great infos.

One more question. Since your setup is almost dust free do you think that the reader bar could catch any dust if your vac is not running?

I would think that dust on the reading bar may alter the reading.

 

[MikeGE]

One more question. Since your setup is almost dust free do you think that the reader bar could catch any dust if your vac is not running?

I would think that dust on the reading bar may alter the reading.

The sensor has a small brush on each end that contacts the sensor strip.  The brushes appear to effectively clean the strip as it moves up and down the sensor rail.

 

[MikeGE]

Here are more images of the Wixey WR525 showing the shims I installed.  I apologize for the poor quality of these images.  I used the same iPhone in the same shop under the same lighting conditions, so I don't know why they look washed out.

Here are two closeups showing the WR525 installed on the lift.

Here is a closeup of the sensor showing the shims I installed on one side.

I used this shim stock purchased from McMaster-Carr.  The stock comes in a booklet with 15 different thicknesses.  It is easy to cut with a razor knife or scissors, but the knife and straightedge work better on the thinner shims.

I selected the 0.500mm (yellow) and 0.025mm (orange) stock based on trial and error to see which combination would work.  Then I cut a 3mm wide strip from each sheet.  The exact width doesn't matter as long as it fills most of the width for the sensor rail and doesn't bind up on the sides.

Tape one end of the two strips together.  I used an 8mm wide piece of 3/4-inch blue painter's tape.  I suspect anything will work as long as it holds the strips together and has a little bulk.

Bend the stock 90 degrees towards the orange stock.  The thicker yellow stock will be in contact with the edge of the sensor rail and will wear better than the thinner orange stock.

Put the shim stock into the groove of the sensor and tuck the folded end between the metal tab and the plastic sensor.  Make a mark at the other end where the bend will be.

Tape the other end the same as the first end.

Trim away the excess.

Insert the shim into the sensor as before and tuck both ends in place.  I don't think it matters which side receives the shim.  This image also shows the brushes that clean the sensor film as the router is raised and lowered.

Install the sensor on the sensor rail and set the vertical alignment in the X and Y axis so the sensor rail is perpendicular to the router plate.

 

[Mario Turcot]

That's good news. Thank again Mike for the details and photos, much appreciated.