I wanted to share how I made a really simple router table. I love my Skil router and have been looking for more reasons to use it on all my projects. I started out using my Skil router to round out edges, all the while knowing that I can use it for something more. It’s like being Clark Kent and having to hide its powers from the world but when paired with a red cape, Clark Kent can use all of his powers to their full potential. The router table is the router’s red cape.
A router is a handy part of any woodworker’s arsenal of tools and not just for rounding out sharp edges. When attached to a router table, a router is able to do much more and makes the tool a lot more accurate. Having a table for your router will allow to bring the material to the spinning bit, not the other way around. This is a lot safer, for one, and the cuts will be easier to keep straight. Having a dedicated table will allow for more jigs for the future too! I might even start making box joints before fall season is over. Let get at it, hero!
The surface
Choose a good surface material. Find a medium size birch plywood or whatever you have on hand and mark one side that will be used as the surface of the table portion. Make absolutely sure that the edges are 100% square.
Mark the holes. Use the base plate as a guide template to mark where the center hole and the screws will go.
Drill the screw holes. You will have to either get a longer set of screws that matches the thread and head size or just drill down just enough to account for the thickness of the surface.
My surface happens to be 3/4″ thick so I used drill bits of different sizes. Drill the first hole and test that before creating the rest to ensure you have the correct alignment the first time. You just made a two-bit hole.
Mount the new surface to a workbench or table. Using your favorite wood screws, you can mount the plywood onto any table or workhorse to stabilize it semi-permanently. This will be the location of the router table whenever it is being used. That is my workaround to avoid having to create table legs.
Make the hole bigger. With the surface now secured, you can start mounting the router base (I’m trying so hard not to tell dirty puns to keep this a family friendly post). If you drilled a pilot hole for the router bit, you’re a step ahead.
Pick a router bit that will enlarge the original hole. I chose the largest bit I own from my kit which was a round over bit and slowly opened up the hole to 1/2 inch by gradually raising the router through. Whew, we both made it to the end, now just the fence is next.
The fence
Find a long piece to use as a fence. Hopefully, the edges are 100% squared as mentioned in previous steps, it will be crucial in this step.
Make an H. Attach shorter pieces that will keep the fence centered on the surface. I used wood glue but you can use any method you’re comfortable with that will not mess up the squareness.
I drive a small Mini Cooper. I admit, it doesn’t work well with woodworking specially when buying new material I want to work with. I discovered how easy it was to rent a van from Home Depot but I try to make sure I’m getting my money’s worth when paying for a rental van so I tend to buy extras. For my cornhole boards that I built recently for example, it was cheaper to buy a full size sheet of plywood which is 4×8′ (I can always use more plywood) and of course the problem presented itself after I’ve returned the rental van. This led me to come up with a solution to a problem that didn’t initially occur to me.
What I, as a beginner, failed to realize is that even if you have a table saw, not all of them will let you cut down a whole sheet this big.
When your saw is too small
Why make a saw guide?
This saves money because not everyone owns a table saw, time, and you end up with a nice jig that you can keep around for years if you are planning on cutting down a lot of plywood in your lifetime. Cutting down plywood seems so easy but when you have it all in front of you, the approach is not that obvious. I did what I thought made sense, I used another piece of plywood to draw my line across and then I followed that with a circular saw. It did turn out okay, but it was a fluke for sure. I was never confident about that method and I can tell the next one, I will not be as lucky. Another thing is, what I as a beginner failed to realize is, that even if you have a table saw, not all of them will let you cut down a whole sheet this big. While I don’t have the cheapest table saw, it has a max capacity of 12″ rip cuts, that means I can only safely rip cut up to 12″. Anything past that width, you are risking messing up the cut completely or worse, personal injury for obvious reasons. The next option after is just spending a ton more money for a bigger table saw and that’s just not ideal for everyone.
Why not just buy a saw guide?
Chances are, you probably are interested in saving some cash and your google search landed you to this humble site to find that solution. If you aren’t looking to save money, that’s perfectly fine too. Just to throw this at you, though: How much 8′ premium 2×4 studs can you get with $60? At current prices near me, you can get about 8 at $7.32 each at home depot (The prices are inflated right now). How long do those manufactured things last? How reliable are they really? When they break, bend, lose tension, a small piece break off, are you going to buy another one? Or is it easier to just make one?
The how to (finally)
1. Attach an aluminum channel to plywood or any material that is the correct length for your purpose.
I am using my scrap piece of plywood I had from when I made a mistake with one of my cornhole boards. You’ll see that there is a notch that looks like it’s meant to be a handle – it wasn’t. The width doesn’t matter yet because in step two, you will cut this piece to size. It does help if you make doubly sure that the aluminum channel is as square as possible and that it runs along the wood grain though.
I looked for an aluminum angle but I saw this c-channel type right next to it at my local hardware store instead and decided to try it. I figured two angles should be stronger than just one so it should stay straight and keep the plywood rigid.
You will need 3-5 short screws for this, depending on how much flex you want to eliminate. I was noticing some flex happening during my stress tests so I used 5. I also ended up finding some screws laying around the house that came from old window shades that happen to be the perfect size so I didn’t have to buy new ones. If you do, make sure they’re short enough that it doesn’t go all the way through the other side of the material.
If you’ve never done it before, pre-drill holes in the aluminum first prior to attaching it with your short screws. Any standard drill bit should do fine going through aluminum, despite its rigidity it is still a soft metal.
2. Run your circular saw through once on each side.
Once you’ve attached the aluminum fence, it’s time to run the saw while keeping a slight pressure against it. You don’t have to push too hard on it as I mentioned before, the aluminum is a soft metal and will have some flex no matter what. The point of having it as a fence is to keep the saw running true.
After you do this, you officially have a saw guide and you can stop there if you don’t need the other side for bevel cuts.
To use your new saw guide, measure and draw your cut line on a material, line up your newly cut edge right on that line, clamp it down so it won’t budge and then run the saw with the blade depth setting at the appropriate level so that it makes up for the depth of both the guide and the material below.
It helps to manually open up the blade guard and keep it up either with your free hand or a spare clip before running it to ensure a nice, clean cut.
3. Optional: Run one side at a 45º bevel and you have a bevel cross-cut / rip-cut jig combo.
I think it’s called a bevel when it’s a cross-cut and a miter when it’s a rip-cut. I’m gonna go with that. I ran my saw with an angle on the other side so I can also use it for bevel cuts.
The idea for using it is the same as a regular cut, only this time it’s just slightly offset. Line up the edge just as you would a regular edge, and it’s done!
Just look at that clean 45º bevel! Do they even make saw guides that can do that? (don’t answer it, I don’t want to know)
Safety tips:
I always use PPE (personal protective equipment, should know that in the time of covid). That means goggles, respirator, hearing protection.
I always do a dry run before the final cut. With the saw unplugged, I will go through some of the motions to see if I will get caught, snag on something, if I have to overreach or if I will get the cord cut on my corded saw. Dry runs are good indicators of any flaws in my system. It’s how I know that my clamps are too tall sometimes and will get in the way when I’m cutting.
I had enough material leftover to make a workbench and I set out to make one that is a pretty basic, no frills kind that can take a beating. The top is pretty level and I didn’t spend too much time thinking about it since this is my first workbench anyway. I used whatever material I had on hand from the patio that I took down so it doesn’t look all that pretty. It’s very utilitarian. The main thing purpose that this workbench serves is that it saves me from having to bend over when working, it keeps the garage somewhat clean and it replaces my makeshift sawhorse and bundled warped 2×4 table top.
When I made this, I didn’t follow any plans. I just watched a ton of videos of others making their workbenches. I kept a note of how others are joining their frames together with the legs and made a note on how tall I should build it. I ended up using pocket holes and wood glue for added strength. I built the frame upside down so I can take advantage of my level floors for top alignment and I took my time getting it as level as I can get it to be. I then flipped it over and used a scrap piece 2×6 to line up the bottom leg supports. As I put the frame together, it started to take shape and began to look like an actual table. I tested the strength by pushing my weight on it. This gave me the confidence that I was going the right direction and that if I wanted to, I can eventually replace the top with something more even.
I found a few videos that had wheels as an added feature and I couldn’t resist so I had to add it to mine. The benefit is that it allows my bench to be mobile and I can tuck it away at anytime. This is only a hobby after all, not my full time job so there will be times when I can have my space back for storage. Having the wheels also allows my bench to move to an area where I can direct the dust, maybe towards the door, and that can minimize clean up time. I can justify my purchase that way but really, they’re just cool to have.
The wheels that I ended up buying is the Rockler Workbench Casters. These casters come as a 4-pack and they all lift up when disengaged. These are super cool and they come with a high load rating of 400lbs – more than enough for my purpose – and they actually lift the bench up from the floor and drops when you need them to so there’s no mistaking whether or not the locks are engaged. A visual confirmation like that is nice and feels more stable when the legs are making full contact with the floor unlike other wheels. The simple design is ingenious and lessens the chances of anything breaking in my opinion.
