Interesting. All the router tables I have seen always have the bit close to the guide so unlike a table saw, the workpiece is never trapped in between the guide and the bit. I wonder if it's got to do with the potential for major kickback or I have just not seen enough router tables.
That was my first thought when I saw the video. Sorry, Scott. You have a major problem with your table. Fix it, for your own safety. Router tables could be as dangerous as a table saw.
Agreed Arash... Unlike a table saw, a work piece should never be between the router but and a fence. Especially if a climb cut is required... Scott, you need to revisit your fence design bro...
My plan is to build a proper router fence with a hole in the middle (much like Ron Paulk's). I ran out of time on this episode so I used the offcut of timber. Good point about using it between the bit and the fence! Won't do that again 😃
I'm used to larger, corded routers ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxfQ5_mgwq6PcudJvAH25t-I4D-3cTPz4z so this was a different experience for me. Basically, this is an incredibly sweet machine, fits well in the hand, etc. It has slightly less power than I'm used to, but that's understandable. Maneuvering freehand takes some practice. These days, it's especially nice to be able to avoid power cords. This is above the level of a hobbyist but below a pro level.
They make a nice plunge base for those too. I have had one for ages. Anything that needs a 1/2" bit, I use my router table. Which is a corded beefy one in a router lift built into my table saw wing.
Kia ora, I’m a kiwi on holiday in Iceland. We mentioned that we’re from New Zealand, and instead of commenting about the All Blacks, or how far away we are, they asked if we watch Scott Brown haha 😂 Keep up the great world famous videos!
as an acrylic fabricator, yep if you cut acrylic on the table saw you do end up looking you were just in a snow storm ! just a note_ drill in reverse, or use a blunt bit as that way you are scraping NOT drilling the hole, stops the shattering you get. And the easiest way to get the hole in the center for your router bits is to use the router bit by using it like a mill once you have your plate attached to your table, think of it as a zero clearance blade hole.
It’s great! My shed has been completed and it turned out nice looking and sturdy and it is way better than the sheds that many of my neighbors had put up. Of course, I'm pleased with the outcome and this Ryan’s ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxGZedDTcDfgD7fG_uU4esfx_EgxzlY2_1 Plans was extremely useful to me as a guide.
If you ever need an apprentice i will come from Australia for free. Love your work, attention to detail, patience and overall aura. Scott Brown you rock!
Hey Scott, just wanted to add me to the people who tell you to please change the positioning of your fence. If you got a router bit that has some curves or corners, the work piece is going to get trapped between the router and the fence. Even more dangerous than a table saw in my opinion, because its not necessarily flying straight back. The fence normally is right around the routerbit (so a little cutout at the bottom is necessary) and can be adjusted a few millimeters back and forth the width of the bit so you can adjust the depth of the cut. Also this fence you built is limiting the size of your work pieces. what if the work piece is wider than the space the fence gives? You won't have that problem with a changed fence either. If my description is a bit blurry (sorry) maybe just look the big industrial woodworking routers up, they all got the fence I was trying to describe. Hope your renovations keep on going well! Greetings from Germany
+1 on not using the fence like Scott did in this video, with the piece in between the spinning bit and the fence, and not feeding the piece in the same direction on both sides of the spinning bit.
So much work.. I’ve worked in several workshops 15 years exp... the best router table I’v ever used is mine at home.. it’s a 5’x3’ 25mm mdf of beaten up mdf with a hole cut in it which I bolt my festool to as and when needed, throw it on top of a pair of folding wooden legs I made about 12 years ago.. My fence is just what ever is lying around with a half decent straight edge I just measure off the cutter and screw it down- job done. Got a nice plastic extractor hood with my festool router I screw down behind the cutter - get perfect results with this set up... takes up no space and can be set up and broken down in mins... keep it simple less things to go wrong 👍🏻
NEVER ROUT IN BETWEEN THE FENCE AND THE ROUTERBIT!!! WHEN YOU LET GO IT LAUNCHES THE WOOD. Make a U shaped cutout from the edge of the fence facing the routerbit. Then you can slide the fence forward so the edge that touches the workpiece is past the router bit. Now you can rout on the other side of the routerbit that is closest to you. Feed from right to left standing in front of it.
Bit o advice: use the power cord adapter with your router so you can instal a safety cut off switch. As others noted, the fence positioned opposite the bit side will create a pinch point. Since the router has a drop in base that is rectangular, it is possible a kickback can have equal opposite force popping the router insert from the inset… and like that time when we still had square sewer manhole covers, this could rotate and drop thru to the floor. You’ll also note that the bit must be on the right as you feed. Pushing the piece you’ll want pressure toward the bit- impractical if your fence isn’t in the same direction. Relying on bearings- you’ll soon burn them out and send them flying. Position the fence over the bit and over the pop in and it can’t pop out. It’s also convenient for dust- I have dust extraction in my fence as well as below the table top. Also consider an auto pusher- kind of like motorized roller skate wheels- that adds another layer of protection from the potential of life shattering bits. But also keeps your work exactly level with the bit. You can secure a pusher to the fence. Table saws typically have enough room for an undermount jigsaw or router. The tablesaw has much sturdier metal base to reduce flex and chatter. That Metabo Hitachi Koki table saw with 35 inch capacity seems like a great candidate for a portable cabinetry base mod. You probably don’t want to muck up a good saw though. I have an ancient mini skillsaw table with attachable wings I am planning to mod for ripping and shaping trim. All in one. But why. I already have a router table. Tools.
Agree with others to change your fence location - simple U shaped notch in the board you are using for your fence to house the majority of the bit will make it that much safer, plus gaining the ability to put a dust hood and hose over the bit. An item that probably won't matter for now, but may cause you to build another in the future, the router plate is very close to the edge. If it were turned 90 degrees and set back at least 150 mm or so, you could route in another groove perpendicular to the fence t tracks for a miter slot and third t track to be able to put feather boards on. The miter slot would allow you to do joinery on the ends of a board safer and not just long edge work. Beautiful work with the plate cutout.
For what it’s worth, I use the side extension on my table saw with a bit of plywood inserted so it’s flush with the table and fit my router to it. I found that my work bench had started bow over time and wasn’t accurate enough as a router table
As well as having the fence closer to the bit as others have suggested you need to be able to have the 2 halves of the fence (the before the bit and after the bit) offset slightly if you want to do trim cuts - that way the work has a fence to slide along after it has been cut (ie trim off 1mm then fence offset by 1mm). You can archive this by having the fence in 2 parts - the main fence goes all the way through but this is faced by 2 more fences attached to the main fence (the before and after bit part) and just add a spacer of the required thickness to the 'after' part. I find the Formica samples to be great for this.
I made a router table using some ideas off of YT and other web sites. Put it on some folding hinges attached to my workbench so it can drop out of the way and also provides a lot of support.
Piece of advice for the Gnat problem, I've tried most things as well, the thing I've found most effective is cinnamon. Take the plant outside, cover the earth with cinnamon, a good layer will suffice, now water over cinnamon and watch them fly off. Take them back in after most are gone, the cinnamon is not bad for the plant or earth and the process can be repeated infinitely. GL
Usually I rout a channel or any straight line with the round base. A square based even a tiny angle off the guide will move the channel. A round base you can rotate the router 360 and it stays the same distance from the guide.
You know you're more of a carpenter than a builder..... when you are complaining about moving a single sheet of 17mm plywood.. Love your work bro. Kiwi chippie here since 2002.....And e0very now and then you teach me something.
I usually use a triple chip blade to cut plexiglass or lexan. They are designed to remove stock less aggressively and create a cleaner safer cut. My understanding is that it is the heat created in the cut with acrylic and lexan that leads to shattering. Also have had some luck attaching my router table extension using mating 20 mm holes and a couple tso powerlock dogs.
Two words: step bit. If you can get them even cheap ones your life will be forever altered. I destroyed a couple drill bits machining acrylic at Purdue; parts shop guy schooled me when i came back for my third bit, life changed! Fun video as always!
Hey Scott, that garage has come a long way! From dark and dingy to bright and uplifting! Ps, don’t let the comments bully you ! If you want to free hand rout than have at it ! Lol really enjoy the channel ~
Hi Scott. Yes great start and many mistakes as others have mentioned but starting is always the first hurdle. You can correct your mistakes on your prototype and will be onto a winner shortly. Also it's great to see as was about to start new router table build/ purchase but after watching this stepped back and now know how I am going to re use the old jet router table I was about to discard. Going to use the top, make additions and get rid of stand as have Ron paulk table. Space saved. UA-cam at its best for giving ideas or reminding us what we learnt years ago and forgot. As you are well aware being on tools all the time we sometimes overcomplicate a project and need to go back to basics. Thanks for video.
Another thing to point out is because you have mounted the router plate underneath the Perspex you have lost about 6mm of depth capacity from your router bit. When I made my homemade router table I routed out the plate on-top so it was flush with the top surface of the table. The extra depth allows the router bits to have more of their shank inside the collet which results in a safer, more stable bit. Also makes it easier when routing out deeper cuts for tongues and groove or other similar joints.
Hi Scott, the drilling in acrylics pulls itself in. Solution if you’re doing a bit is to grind a flat inside the flute so the cutting edge is scraping a bit more. Love your work.
We ran into exactly the same plastic clogging issue with those drill bits at the Costco Photo Center Inkjet Refill stations, back when Costco still loved their members enough to have Photo centers.
Having worked with plastic when I was teaching and since instead of using perspex but to have used polycarbonate as all wood and metalwork machinery can be used. Stronger and no fear of breakage. Polycarbonate left in the sun doesn't become brittle like perspex. Led light covers for on trailers offer excellent protection from stone damage. Recently used milling machine to make some covers. Don't drop the perspex.
I made a router table yrs ago, you're going to want some kinda dust collection. It makes a big mess routering all day. The other thing I did, was purchased a router housing & just removed the motor part so I could still use my router by itself. Great project
Concerning the router, I built a router table with that small trim makita router you have too, it has already a built in dust extraction and I find the small routers much safer then the big ones, that particular router has a speed setting too what is fabulous forwider router bits that require a lower speed:) I would definitely built a higher fence with an adjustment system, this way you have the option to place your boards vertical.
Hi Scott, I’ve just had another thought on the bench router table.if you want to have fine adjustment of the router bit you may need a sub base to put some form of adjustment. My router as a small hydraulic jack.
Hi Scott. Check out a Festool CT CYCLONE CT-VA-20, it is $419.00 in the USA. It will attach to the top of your vacuum collecting all the large pieces and only minor dust goes in the vacuum collection bag. The bag will last a long time saving you money in the long run. Great videos.
I'd recommend taking your aero press off the scale when pressing. Pressing it on the scale can damage/warp the scale and cause inconsistent measurements in the future 👍🏻
Can I suggest when you do your own floor boards , make sure you do like a production line style , like routee your tongues on all the boards at the same configuration , and then routee the grooves all in same thing as well , that way all your boards should come out the same and hopefully “perfectly” match up , can’t wait to see the house Reno underway
You should also recess the router plate cavity an extra 1-2mm and use grub screws as leveling guides so you can adjust the level of the router plate to the wood.
For your router table: HIGHLY recommend making accommodations for both horizontal and vertical featherboards. One on the table to hold the work to the fence, and one on the fence to hold the work to the table. These do a fantastic and repeatable job of making sure the work is both tight against the reference surfaces (even when a spinning bit or weight of the stock cantilevered off the table might be trying to push/pull it away) AND preventing kickback. I got the kind that have long slots for the tightening knobs to pass though, and was able to get away with a couple of threaded inserts per featherboard (one pair in the table, one pair in a plywood one-piece fence)...but people like to use T-track for that too.
@@ScottBrownCarpentry when there's a miter slot, I like the Milescraft ones because of the aluminum miter bar spreader (every plastic one I've had has cracked) - great for that table saw (I have the same one). But if you want to just drop threaded inserts in your new router table, you'll want the kind with parallel knob slots, like Kreg's or FeatherPRO (which i've not used but people seem to like them) - just look for those aluminum spreaders. I have gotten by with one featherboard on each side (table, fence) just ahead of the bit, and thus haven't needed the adjustability of a slot along the feed direction
Great one, Scott. For height adjustment you might consider an old car jack. You would obviously need something to support it from underneath, but I’m sure you could figure out a solution. /Jesper from Denmark😊
Love the Dewalt tablesaw i use a simple vacuum cleaner for dust extraction takes up no space . Attach a piece of the scrap Perspex to your fence so you don’t get binding between the wood and the wooden edge of your work please
I have used a cardboard box duct taped to the underside of similar setup with shop vac hose zip tied to the router inside of the box and it worked well for what it was. Same with home build tablesaw.
Instead of using a hole saw for the center hole you can use a router bit and plunge through the new base plate. This is great when you a tight fitting bit vs bottom base plate. Also when cutting acrylic use an air compressor to blow the chips away. When they accumulate, they gain heat and melt and clog up bits, saw blades what have you. You want to clear those chips away, also speed of feed and or bit is important. Sometime you need to slow your tools down.
I happen to be at precisely the same stage of having a neo-Paulk/SB carpentry bench (only 1200x600mm) and needing a router table. However, I have had a old-timey cast iron table b4. Hopeless for tool changing and height adjustment. Also... I find that simplest isn't always best, cos once you start using a table more the more useful I found the 'fancy' features of bought tables. So..... I bought a router that has height adjustment and tool change from the table top, plus dust extraction fittings. And... bought an insert plate. This gives me quick adjustments and stability. I will build a fence that has a split lower section to 'hide' most of the bit. A fixed upper section that takes feather board(s). All with dust extraction. The table will be flush with the benchtop, hinged braces to stiffen the routing surface and all with captive nuts and so no-tools assembly. I am agnostic about using tee track but note Ron Paulk's preference to build the tracks into the fences and tables.
Apart from the fence and extraction stuff that everyone's already mentioned I'd concerned that the perspex plate will start to sag after a while. Half inch routers are heavy buggers I'd say by the end of summer you'll probably find you've got a sag in the middle of the plate. Been down that road myself, built several different tables over the years. Best router plate material I've found is aluminium and you should be able to find a ready made plate on eBay for example that's already got the correct holes in it for your router.
For my router table, I just made a jig for my table saw. I'll extend the rails out, attach my jig, and clamp it down to the rails. To prevent deflection, i attached two L shaped backets to each side of the jig.
NIce work Scott. Id always try and cut perspex/acrylic on a table saw if possible, with a track saw the material has difficulty clearing as its heavier more dense than mdf/plywood so it tends to heat up and almost weld the two pieces back together like you found. In terms of drilling perspex/acrylic you'll be fine so long as you have a board underneath and take it steady otherwise you may chip the hole on the underside when you break through. I'd also round off that last corner if possible as if you catch off something it will likely chip or fracture that corner. Much better chance with a slight radius on the corners. Id try and get hold of some Polycarbonate next time due it being more robust and more suited to the job than perspex/arylic as that is more like a glass substitute. Trespa is always a good base plate material but isnt clear.
Fortunately, a router bit is round.. so it does matter if your tracks are perfect since as long as the fence you stick on it is straight, the cut will always be true. Glad you built the table. It's actually pretty dangerous to use such a large bit hand held.
Simple and elegant, I like it :) I spent too much time making my own router table and I didn't need all the extra fancy bits and bobs that I added. Sadly you didn't add enough space for it, but a mitre track is pretty handy to have, it makes it easy to do finger joints and other "cross cut" type stuff on it.
*think he saw the comments about the material feeding between the fence and router ;) Love the videos Scott, you inspired me to make my own channel filming the build of an off grid cottage here in Canada Thanks for the content!
Agree with comments not to run timber between fence and router, not safe at all. Easy to adapt your fence and you will also find it useful to have a taller fence for running timber on its edge.
Great Video, Scott. My quick suggestion, make your work benches at least 1050mm high as yours seem to low and you will always be bending over the workspace. Iam 1840 and 1050 seems to work well for me.
Scott, since you have the Paulk inspired table, you should look Into his router table extension wing which works with the table. Great content as always and greetings from Southern California.
Don't need a slidey fence like a table saw - easier for a homebrew table like this to just bolt one end of the fence to the table as a pivot, then adjust the cut depth by swinging the other end and clamping it. Added benefit is the mechanical advantage gives you micro-adjustment at the bit.
You could put those drawer slides on the side of it that pull out and rise (that way it's flush with the table top) then mount it under the table. When not in use, push it in (and down) and it slides under the table top.
The Makita router and Bosch Router has a plastic cover to connect a dust extractor, I wonder if Hikoki router has the same. Just connect the dust extractor straight to the router for underneath of router table and all the dust going trough the hole of router bit. It will help a bit. Cheers
Just got my first router would like one of those tables and will but first now the workshop is too small so putting house on market and going to look for a lifestyle block with big shed for workshop then workbench and router table followed by next project which is 16 ft skiff :)
I had good luck with Jay Bates router table design. I know that doesn't totally apply to your particular design - not 1 to 1 at least - but you might take a gander at that. I have had really good luck with dust collection with that particular build. Though, I have found that the fence construction makes a huge difference. Maybe a slightly more designed fence for your table that hangs on the wall with it?
have you considered making the router table portable with feet and french cleats so it can hook onto a tool wall and you can also take it to job sizes? kind of like uncle knackers router table a few months back but adding french cleats to the legs which is what I plan on doing when my 3x3 custom router plate arrives from the states.
I mean it’s a good effort. I’ve made one in the past to use hopping that would be a great and easy, but unfortunately I ended up buying a a router table to use professionally. Anyway yours looks much better than the I made. Keep up the good work bud.
This unplanned build highlights your skill. However, my hat is off to Jess in this video. She had the right answer,”what am I supposed to say? Oh okay, it’s cool.” Right answer. Now. I do not use a router, but nice work.
Interesting. All the router tables I have seen always have the bit close to the guide so unlike a table saw, the workpiece is never trapped in between the guide and the bit. I wonder if it's got to do with the potential for major kickback or I have just not seen enough router tables.
That was my first thought when I saw the video. Sorry, Scott. You have a major problem with your table. Fix it, for your own safety. Router tables could be as dangerous as a table saw.
Agreed Arash... Unlike a table saw, a work piece should never be between the router but and a fence. Especially if a climb cut is required... Scott, you need to revisit your fence design bro...
same thought .. could end dangerous, but only the Kickback, also that in can shoot through
My plan is to build a proper router fence with a hole in the middle (much like Ron Paulk's). I ran out of time on this episode so I used the offcut of timber. Good point about using it between the bit and the fence! Won't do that again 😃
Phew....as soon as I saw you pushing that off cut the wrong side ( climb cutting), I was like nooooo.
Glad your gonna fix it.
I'm used to larger, corded routers ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxfQ5_mgwq6PcudJvAH25t-I4D-3cTPz4z so this was a different experience for me. Basically, this is an incredibly sweet machine, fits well in the hand, etc. It has slightly less power than I'm used to, but that's understandable. Maneuvering freehand takes some practice. These days, it's especially nice to be able to avoid power cords. This is above the level of a hobbyist but below a pro level.
They make a nice plunge base for those too. I have had one for ages. Anything that needs a 1/2" bit, I use my router table. Which is a corded beefy one in a router lift built into my table saw wing.
Kia ora, I’m a kiwi on holiday in Iceland. We mentioned that we’re from New Zealand, and instead of commenting about the All Blacks, or how far away we are, they asked if we watch Scott Brown haha 😂 Keep up the great world famous videos!
as an acrylic fabricator, yep if you cut acrylic on the table saw you do end up looking you were just in a snow storm ! just a note_ drill in reverse, or use a blunt bit as that way you are scraping NOT drilling the hole, stops the shattering you get. And the easiest way to get the hole in the center for your router bits is to use the router bit by using it like a mill once you have your plate attached to your table, think of it as a zero clearance blade hole.
It’s great! My shed has been completed and it turned out nice looking and sturdy and it is way better than the sheds that many of my neighbors had put up. Of course, I'm pleased with the outcome and this Ryan’s ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxGZedDTcDfgD7fG_uU4esfx_EgxzlY2_1 Plans was extremely useful to me as a guide.
If you ever need an apprentice i will come from Australia for free. Love your work, attention to detail, patience and overall aura. Scott Brown you rock!
Best part of the video:
Jess: What is it???
LOL my wife says the same thing about my stuff sometimes!
“I had to go forward just to get down.” Put that on the T-shirt Scott. 👍
I’ve never seen a Scott Brown video with so little dust collection!
Inside of the garage looks so much better with the white building paper/roof underlay. Hopefully it is more waterproof too.
It's amazing to see how fresh your garage looks now that the ceiling is white
If Jess had a channel I’d watch it, great sense of humor:)
Nice video. Wow, the background shots when you were working outside are amazing. You live in a beautiful area.
Hey Scott, just wanted to add me to the people who tell you to please change the positioning of your fence. If you got a router bit that has some curves or corners, the work piece is going to get trapped between the router and the fence. Even more dangerous than a table saw in my opinion, because its not necessarily flying straight back. The fence normally is right around the routerbit (so a little cutout at the bottom is necessary) and can be adjusted a few millimeters back and forth the width of the bit so you can adjust the depth of the cut.
Also this fence you built is limiting the size of your work pieces. what if the work piece is wider than the space the fence gives? You won't have that problem with a changed fence either.
If my description is a bit blurry (sorry) maybe just look the big industrial woodworking routers up, they all got the fence I was trying to describe.
Hope your renovations keep on going well! Greetings from Germany
+1 on not using the fence like Scott did in this video, with the piece in between the spinning bit and the fence, and not feeding the piece in the same direction on both sides of the spinning bit.
Scott probably thought that the fence in a router table works the same way as a fence in a table saw. Wrong.
@@xdanielgs 100% correct, fence and bit are to be as close to each other as possible so that the work piece dosent get stuck in between
So much work.. I’ve worked in several workshops 15 years exp... the best router table I’v ever used is mine at home.. it’s a 5’x3’ 25mm mdf of beaten up mdf with a hole cut in it which I bolt my festool to as and when needed, throw it on top of a pair of folding wooden legs I made about 12 years ago.. My fence is just what ever is lying around with a half decent straight edge I just measure off the cutter and screw it down- job done. Got a nice plastic extractor hood with my festool router I screw down behind the cutter - get perfect results with this set up... takes up no space and can be set up and broken down in mins... keep it simple less things to go wrong 👍🏻
NEVER ROUT IN BETWEEN THE FENCE AND THE ROUTERBIT!!!
WHEN YOU LET GO IT LAUNCHES THE WOOD.
Make a U shaped cutout from the edge of the fence facing the routerbit.
Then you can slide the fence forward so the edge that touches the workpiece is past the router bit.
Now you can rout on the other side of the routerbit that is closest to you.
Feed from right to left standing in front of it.
Instead of merely stating what is done incorrectly, could you please complete your comment with how to do it correctly.
@@BigLeBowski4456 Sorry, your right I added a solution.
It's a lower hemisphere thing kind of like how toilets flush in reverse direction
@@3dmazter His right?
@@sw6188 yes when you stand in front facing the fence
Feed from right to left
Bit o advice: use the power cord adapter with your router so you can instal a safety cut off switch. As others noted, the fence positioned opposite the bit side will create a pinch point. Since the router has a drop in base that is rectangular, it is possible a kickback can have equal opposite force popping the router insert from the inset… and like that time when we still had square sewer manhole covers, this could rotate and drop thru to the floor. You’ll also note that the bit must be on the right as you feed. Pushing the piece you’ll want pressure toward the bit- impractical if your fence isn’t in the same direction. Relying on bearings- you’ll soon burn them out and send them flying. Position the fence over the bit and over the pop in and it can’t pop out. It’s also convenient for dust- I have dust extraction in my fence as well as below the table top. Also consider an auto pusher- kind of like motorized roller skate wheels- that adds another layer of protection from the potential of life shattering bits. But also keeps your work exactly level with the bit. You can secure a pusher to the fence.
Table saws typically have enough room for an undermount jigsaw or router. The tablesaw has much sturdier metal base to reduce flex and chatter. That Metabo Hitachi Koki table saw with 35 inch capacity seems like a great candidate for a portable cabinetry base mod. You probably don’t want to muck up a good saw though. I have an ancient mini skillsaw table with attachable wings I am planning to mod for ripping and shaping trim. All in one. But why. I already have a router table.
Tools.
Agree with others to change your fence location - simple U shaped notch in the board you are using for your fence to house the majority of the bit will make it that much safer, plus gaining the ability to put a dust hood and hose over the bit.
An item that probably won't matter for now, but may cause you to build another in the future, the router plate is very close to the edge. If it were turned 90 degrees and set back at least 150 mm or so, you could route in another groove perpendicular to the fence t tracks for a miter slot and third t track to be able to put feather boards on. The miter slot would allow you to do joinery on the ends of a board safer and not just long edge work.
Beautiful work with the plate cutout.
totally agree, you cant use it like a table saw fence, bit needs to be part of the fence so to speak, way safer !
good use of the track saw for cutting out the plywood for the mount. i probably wouldnt have thought of that and did a plunge cut haha!
Appreciating Jess - her refreshingly REAL (uncontrived) nature. Love y'all's content. Go well 💯🖖
For what it’s worth, I use the side extension on my table saw with a bit of plywood inserted so it’s flush with the table and fit my router to it. I found that my work bench had started bow over time and wasn’t accurate enough as a router table
As well as having the fence closer to the bit as others have suggested you need to be able to have the 2 halves of the fence (the before the bit and after the bit) offset slightly if you want to do trim cuts - that way the work has a fence to slide along after it has been cut (ie trim off 1mm then fence offset by 1mm). You can archive this by having the fence in 2 parts - the main fence goes all the way through but this is faced by 2 more fences attached to the main fence (the before and after bit part) and just add a spacer of the required thickness to the 'after' part. I find the Formica samples to be great for this.
I made a router table using some ideas off of YT and other web sites. Put it on some folding hinges attached to my workbench so it can drop out of the way and also provides a lot of support.
Step bit works really well on plastics and acrylics.
Piece of advice for the Gnat problem, I've tried most things as well, the thing I've found most effective is cinnamon.
Take the plant outside, cover the earth with cinnamon, a good layer will suffice, now water over cinnamon and watch them fly off.
Take them back in after most are gone, the cinnamon is not bad for the plant or earth and the process can be repeated infinitely.
GL
Scott, don’t forget that water bottle there.
Usually I rout a channel or any straight line with the round base. A square based even a tiny angle off the guide will move the channel. A round base you can rotate the router 360 and it stays the same distance from the guide.
This video made me want to get in my shop and build! Thanks for sharing!
You know you're more of a carpenter than a builder..... when you are complaining about moving a single sheet of 17mm plywood..
Love your work bro.
Kiwi chippie here since 2002.....And e0very now and then you teach me something.
at 13:06 you see where the track gets nudged ever so slightly out of alignment. Turned out great regardless!!
I usually use a triple chip blade to cut plexiglass or lexan. They are designed to remove stock less aggressively and create a cleaner safer cut. My understanding is that it is the heat created in the cut with acrylic and lexan that leads to shattering. Also have had some luck attaching my router table extension using mating 20 mm holes and a couple tso powerlock dogs.
Two words: step bit. If you can get them even cheap ones your life will be forever altered. I destroyed a couple drill bits machining acrylic at Purdue; parts shop guy schooled me when i came back for my third bit, life changed!
Fun video as always!
Hey Scott, that garage has come a long way! From dark and dingy to bright and uplifting!
Ps, don’t let the comments bully you ! If you want to free hand rout than have at it ! Lol really enjoy the channel ~
Man you need to get a push stick for that table saw 👍
Hi Scott. Yes great start and many mistakes as others have mentioned but starting is always the first hurdle. You can correct your mistakes on your prototype and will be onto a winner shortly. Also it's great to see as was about to start new router table build/ purchase but after watching this stepped back and now know how I am going to re use the old jet router table I was about to discard. Going to use the top, make additions and get rid of stand as have Ron paulk table. Space saved. UA-cam at its best for giving ideas or reminding us what we learnt years ago and forgot. As you are well aware being on tools all the time we sometimes overcomplicate a project and need to go back to basics. Thanks for video.
Think you will be well pleased with your new router table. Dust extraction definitely.
Another thing to point out is because you have mounted the router plate underneath the Perspex you have lost about 6mm of depth capacity from your router bit. When I made my homemade router table I routed out the plate on-top so it was flush with the top surface of the table. The extra depth allows the router bits to have more of their shank inside the collet which results in a safer, more stable bit. Also makes it easier when routing out deeper cuts for tongues and groove or other similar joints.
Next up, Scott shows us how to build a table saw using an upside down circular saw. Bonus points if he can keep all his fingers intact!
Thank you Scott, I know how to make a router table now. Stay safe
Hi Scott, the drilling in acrylics pulls itself in. Solution if you’re doing a bit is to grind a flat inside the flute so the cutting edge is scraping a bit more. Love your work.
Or to use a brad point bit.
@@alexrains1893 haven’t tried that but I’m sure it’d work.
Liked and subscribed, The router is my favourite tool in the shed, and I pick up some tips from any of you videos that I have watched.. Thanks.
We ran into exactly the same plastic clogging issue with those drill bits at the Costco Photo Center Inkjet Refill stations, back when Costco still loved their members enough to have Photo centers.
Add dust extraction below and if you’re super keen you make a clear guard/dust extraction from top as well.
Try polycarbonate. You can drill and cut and won't break it.
Brilliant idea. I'll make one similar, instead of a box
Having worked with plastic when I was teaching and since instead of using perspex but to have used polycarbonate as all wood and metalwork machinery can be used. Stronger and no fear of breakage. Polycarbonate left in the sun doesn't become brittle like perspex. Led light covers for on trailers offer excellent protection from stone damage. Recently used milling machine to make some covers. Don't drop the perspex.
I made a router table yrs ago, you're going to want some kinda dust collection. It makes a big mess routering all day. The other thing I did, was purchased a router housing & just removed the motor part so I could still use my router by itself. Great project
Concerning the router, I built a router table with that small trim makita router you have too, it has already a built in dust extraction and I find the small routers much safer then the big ones, that particular router has a speed setting too what is fabulous forwider router bits that require a lower speed:) I would definitely built a higher fence with an adjustment system, this way you have the option to place your boards vertical.
great camera work your getting better and better.
Hi Scott, I’ve just had another thought on the bench router table.if you want to have fine adjustment of the router bit you may need a sub base to put some form of adjustment. My router as a small hydraulic jack.
Hi Scott. Check out a Festool CT CYCLONE CT-VA-20, it is $419.00 in the USA. It will attach to the top of your vacuum collecting all the large pieces and only minor dust goes in the vacuum collection bag. The bag will last a long time saving you money in the long run. Great videos.
Luv my full size Hikoki/Metabo HPT plunge router
Changed many ways to use this tools that I wouldn't have with the corded versions
Use blunt drill bits for acrylic/perspex
Hey Scott Kreg do a plywood lifting doohickey that looks great at for moving those heavy sheets of plywood around on your own. Might be worth a squiz?
I'd recommend taking your aero press off the scale when pressing. Pressing it on the scale can damage/warp the scale and cause inconsistent measurements in the future 👍🏻
This! Ruined a scale like that. Has he switched to beans instead of ground coffee yet? 😊
@@brianantnssn5177 Has he started home roasting yet ??
Can I suggest when you do your own floor boards , make sure you do like a production line style , like routee your tongues on all the boards at the same configuration , and then routee the grooves all in same thing as well , that way all your boards should come out the same and hopefully “perfectly” match up , can’t wait to see the house Reno underway
You should also recess the router plate cavity an extra 1-2mm and use grub screws as leveling guides so you can adjust the level of the router plate to the wood.
For your router table: HIGHLY recommend making accommodations for both horizontal and vertical featherboards. One on the table to hold the work to the fence, and one on the fence to hold the work to the table. These do a fantastic and repeatable job of making sure the work is both tight against the reference surfaces (even when a spinning bit or weight of the stock cantilevered off the table might be trying to push/pull it away) AND preventing kickback. I got the kind that have long slots for the tightening knobs to pass though, and was able to get away with a couple of threaded inserts per featherboard (one pair in the table, one pair in a plywood one-piece fence)...but people like to use T-track for that too.
Interesting, sounds like a good idea. Any brand recommendation?
@@ScottBrownCarpentry when there's a miter slot, I like the Milescraft ones because of the aluminum miter bar spreader (every plastic one I've had has cracked) - great for that table saw (I have the same one). But if you want to just drop threaded inserts in your new router table, you'll want the kind with parallel knob slots, like Kreg's or FeatherPRO (which i've not used but people seem to like them) - just look for those aluminum spreaders. I have gotten by with one featherboard on each side (table, fence) just ahead of the bit, and thus haven't needed the adjustability of a slot along the feed direction
Great one, Scott. For height adjustment you might consider an old car jack. You would obviously need something to support it from underneath, but I’m sure you could figure out a solution.
/Jesper from Denmark😊
Love the Dewalt tablesaw i use a simple vacuum cleaner for dust extraction takes up no space .
Attach a piece of the scrap Perspex to your fence so you don’t get binding between the wood and the wooden edge of your work please
I have used a cardboard box duct taped to the underside of similar setup with shop vac hose zip tied to the router inside of the box and it worked well for what it was. Same with home build tablesaw.
Instead of using a hole saw for the center hole you can use a router bit and plunge through the new base plate. This is great when you a tight fitting bit vs bottom base plate. Also when cutting acrylic use an air compressor to blow the chips away. When they accumulate, they gain heat and melt and clog up bits, saw blades what have you. You want to clear those chips away, also speed of feed and or bit is important. Sometime you need to slow your tools down.
A squirt of dry PTFE on the cutter or drill helps prevent weld back too👍
I happen to be at precisely the same stage of having a neo-Paulk/SB carpentry bench (only 1200x600mm) and needing a router table. However, I have had a old-timey cast iron table b4. Hopeless for tool changing and height adjustment. Also...
I find that simplest isn't always best, cos once you start using a table more the more useful I found the 'fancy' features of bought tables.
So..... I bought a router that has height adjustment and tool change from the table top, plus dust extraction fittings. And... bought an insert plate.
This gives me quick adjustments and stability.
I will build a fence that has a split lower section to 'hide' most of the bit. A fixed upper section that takes feather board(s). All with dust extraction.
The table will be flush with the benchtop, hinged braces to stiffen the routing surface and all with captive nuts and so no-tools assembly.
I am agnostic about using tee track but note Ron Paulk's preference to build the tracks into the fences and tables.
Apart from the fence and extraction stuff that everyone's already mentioned I'd concerned that the perspex plate will start to sag after a while. Half inch routers are heavy buggers I'd say by the end of summer you'll probably find you've got a sag in the middle of the plate. Been down that road myself, built several different tables over the years.
Best router plate material I've found is aluminium and you should be able to find a ready made plate on eBay for example that's already got the correct holes in it for your router.
For my router table, I just made a jig for my table saw. I'll extend the rails out, attach my jig, and clamp it down to the rails. To prevent deflection, i attached two L shaped backets to each side of the jig.
It's nothing fancy, but it works for my use.
Thanks for another video SB Carpentry team.
NIce work Scott.
Id always try and cut perspex/acrylic on a table saw if possible, with a track saw the material has difficulty clearing as its heavier more dense than mdf/plywood so it tends to heat up and almost weld the two pieces back together like you found.
In terms of drilling perspex/acrylic you'll be fine so long as you have a board underneath and take it steady otherwise you may chip the hole on the underside when you break through. I'd also round off that last corner if possible as if you catch off something it will likely chip or fracture that corner. Much better chance with a slight radius on the corners.
Id try and get hold of some Polycarbonate next time due it being more robust and more suited to the job than perspex/arylic as that is more like a glass substitute.
Trespa is always a good base plate material but isnt clear.
Fortunately, a router bit is round.. so it does matter if your tracks are perfect since as long as the fence you stick on it is straight, the cut will always be true.
Glad you built the table.
It's actually pretty dangerous to use such a large bit hand held.
Yep. My router table has a pivoting fence that clamps to the overhanging top on the other side.
It is easy to make fine adjustments.
Simple and elegant, I like it :)
I spent too much time making my own router table and I didn't need all the extra fancy bits and bobs that I added.
Sadly you didn't add enough space for it, but a mitre track is pretty handy to have, it makes it easy to do finger joints and other "cross cut" type stuff on it.
You should attach the vacuum to the table saw. It makes quite a difference.
What? You don't like using your power tools one handed while chasing them with a vacuum cleaner? ;)
Drilling into Perspex support it fully with old piece of wood below to avoid cracking.
*think he saw the comments about the material feeding between the fence and router ;)
Love the videos Scott, you inspired me to make my own channel filming the build of an off grid cottage here in Canada
Thanks for the content!
Hi Scott! I like your router table especially the not a table part! I just got my first router and I plan to use some of these ideas, Thanks!
Agree with comments not to run timber between fence and router, not safe at all. Easy to adapt your fence and you will also find it useful to have a taller fence for running timber on its edge.
Exactly the same happened to me when cutting tracks in my bench - one is nice and straight and another is like a squiggly worm 😀
Great Video, Scott. My quick suggestion, make your work benches at least 1050mm high as yours seem to low and you will always be bending over the workspace. Iam 1840 and 1050 seems to work well for me.
Scott, since you have the Paulk inspired table, you should look Into his router table extension wing which works with the table. Great content as always and greetings from Southern California.
Thank you for the latest exciting video.
For the soil, look for those dense plant feeding tablets. You can put 1-4 in a pot and leave them for a year. Water will suffice.
Very clever SBC… 🌙😎
gnat barrier works perfect as well, long as you dont mint coating your soil with it (can be a bit of a pain if you've got lots of plants)
Don't need a slidey fence like a table saw - easier for a homebrew table like this to just bolt one end of the fence to the table as a pivot, then adjust the cut depth by swinging the other end and clamping it. Added benefit is the mechanical advantage gives you micro-adjustment at the bit.
You could put those drawer slides on the side of it that pull out and rise (that way it's flush with the table top) then mount it under the table. When not in use, push it in (and down) and it slides under the table top.
2:14 holding your phone while cutting plexiglass in tracksaw one-handed! lol
The Makita router and Bosch Router has a plastic cover to connect a dust extractor, I wonder if Hikoki router has the same.
Just connect the dust extractor straight to the router for underneath of router table and all the dust going trough the hole of router bit. It will help a bit. Cheers
Yes the HiKOKI comes with one as well. But I think when he upgrades his fence, he will need dust collect on his fence to catch the bulk of it…
This is exactly what I needed right now
Just got my first router would like one of those tables and will but first now the workshop is too small so putting house on market and going to look for a lifestyle block with big shed for workshop then workbench and router table followed by next project which is 16 ft skiff :)
Notch the fence in the middle so you could slide it over the center of the router bit. Thats how factory router tables are made.
I had good luck with Jay Bates router table design. I know that doesn't totally apply to your particular design - not 1 to 1 at least - but you might take a gander at that. I have had really good luck with dust collection with that particular build. Though, I have found that the fence construction makes a huge difference. Maybe a slightly more designed fence for your table that hangs on the wall with it?
Jess’s reaction is the same as every woodworkers’ partner ever. “Hey babe, look what I made!” Babe: “What is it?”
This idea is banging mate! I will be stealing the idea haha!
have you considered making the router table portable with feet and french cleats so it can hook onto a tool wall and you can also take it to job sizes? kind of like uncle knackers router table a few months back but adding french cleats to the legs which is what I plan on doing when my 3x3 custom router plate arrives from the states.
Love the show Scotty boy
Hey Scott, you should get some gorilla grips to carry your ply sheet by your self. They work mint.
Hello, i would just have bought a good benchtop router table. Which you can adjust in every direction. And also has good dust collection!
When I grow up, I wanna be carpenter, Scott Brown.
I subscribed. I like your style, which is no style at all. You just do it like me I want to see how this router table turns out.
I mean it’s a good effort. I’ve made one in the past to use hopping that would be a great and easy, but unfortunately I ended up buying a a router table to use professionally. Anyway yours looks much better than the I made. Keep up the good work bud.
This unplanned build highlights your skill. However, my hat is off to Jess in this video. She had the right answer,”what am I supposed to say? Oh okay, it’s cool.” Right answer. Now. I do not use a router, but nice work.
Cool Aeropress
definitely gonna need to make one of them