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Choosing Fantastic Router Tables |
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Written by Jack Blacksmith
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Tuesday, 26 August 2008 01:34 |
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Router tables are very useful tools which are found in many woodworking shops. It can be extremely difficult to shape wood without using a router table. If you plan on continuing wood working then you should consider buying yourself a router table. It?s possible to but ones which are already made, or even to make one yourself. Building your own table is definitely the cheapest option. You can find plans for router tables on the internet.
by JackBlacksmith
Router tables are very useful tools which are found in many woodworking shops. It can be extremely difficult to shape wood without using a router table. If you plan on continuing wood working then you should consider buying yourself a router table. It?s possible to but ones which are already made, or even to make one yourself. Building your own table is definitely the cheapest option. You can find plans for router tables on the internet.
Building your own Router Table
You can select permanent tables or ones that fold up. Folding ones are great for rooms which are short of space. These can be folded up and stored against a wall. Permanent tables will always take up the same amount of room, but will almost always be more stable. If you use the router very often then you should consider using a permanent table.
When you are building your own table it is important to take time deciding which wood you want to use to build your table. It?s important to select a strong and durable wood which is high quality. If you use good quality materials then the end result will be much more stable.
You will find many plans on the internet, and they?re all slightly different. Normally the base is constructed first. It?s important to make sure the legs are cut to exactly the same length and that all of the cuts are square. This will ensure that the table will be stable and won?t wobble. When the pieces are cut to size you should sand all of the surfaces down, to do this use a belt sander or planer.
After the base you should construct the supports, and then the top of the table. The table top is normally constructed out of plywood or hardwood which should then be covered by using a laminate. If you want to use plywood then you need to make sure you choose a heavy duty piece of plywood rather than the cheaper particleboard.
To simplify the building process it?s possible to buy a premade table top which is already designed for a router table. These are made out of high quality materials and have guides for accuracy. If you?re tempted with these make sure you get a large table which is around 24 x 32?.
You can also get a kit containing everything you need which then just needs assembling.
A top of the range system has dust extraction facilities which means your workshop will stay cleaner for longer. This also prolongs the life of the motor as it prevents it from overheating.
You should think about any of the additional features and accessories which you may require when you are constructing your table. You can install a fence with a vacuum attachment if you wish. This will collect any dust and are a great way to keep your workshop clean.
Plans for Router Tables
You can find many different router table plans on the internet. You can find quite a few for free, and there are also other sites which charge a small fee for them. You should be careful when choosing a table plan as you don?t want to spend ages making a table only to find out it doesn?t do what you want it to.
Another very important attribute when choosing which plan to use is the size of the table. You need to make sure that the size is large enough so that you get enough working area. Also consider the possibility of installing cabinets under the units.
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