Online Extra quick & easy Router Table This simple table is easy to build, transport, and stow away at the end of the day. This router table is packed with some impres- cuts a snap. It takes no effort at all to adjust it sive features. But what I really like about it is quickly and lock it securely to the tabletop. 1 that it takes only one 5' x 5' sheet of /2" Baltic SIMPLE JOINERY. The case is built with simple, birch plywood (see the cutting diagram on the no-frills joinery. You can make all the parts next page) and a weekend to build. with nothing more than a table saw and drill LARGE TOP. Fast, inexpensive construction press. Rabbets, dadoes, and butt joints create isn’t the only thing going for this router table. a strong cabinet that stands up to hard use. For starters, the top measures a full 20" x 32". PORTABLE CONVENIENCE. On the job site or in But there’s more to it than size. For exam- your shop, this router table can be quickly ple, the top tilts up for easy router access to clamped to a workbench or even sawhorses. change bits and make height adjustments. And there’s a drawer at the bottom for stor- And the heavy-duty fence makes accurate ing bits, wrenches, and other items. Woodsmith No. 195 Online Extras Page 1 of 5 ©2011 August Home Publishing. All rights reserved. OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 20"L x 32"W x 14!/4"H Fence is easy Fence brace to adjust I O D D Sturdy J G two-layer top E Router mounts directly K L H to tabletop F Q R S M N T B B P P Pinch block U Pivoting arm A A C 60"x 60"- !/2" plywood Router table and fence are built from one sheet of Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram !/2" plywood CASE 1 1 1 A Sides (2) ⁄2 ply - 13 ⁄2 x 15 ⁄4 1 3 B Bottom/Divider (2) ⁄2 ply - 15 ⁄4 x 24 1 1 1 C Back (1) ⁄2 ply - 13 ⁄2 x 24 ⁄2 1 1 D Front Stiles (2) ⁄2 ply - 3 x 13 ⁄2 1 1 1 E Drawer Guides (2) ⁄2 ply - 15 ⁄4 x 2 ⁄2 1 1 1 F Corner Blocks (4) ⁄2 ply - 2 ⁄2 x 2 ⁄2 DRAWER 1 15 7 G Front/Back (2) ⁄2 ply - 1 ⁄16 x 18 ⁄16 1 15 1 H Sides (2) ⁄2 ply - 1 ⁄16 x 15 ⁄4 1 1 7 I Bottom (1) ⁄2 ply - 14 ⁄2 x 17 ⁄16 TOP Tabletop lifts 1 open for easy J Top (1) ⁄2 ply - 20 x 32 access to router 1 Top tilts K Front Brace (1) ⁄2 ply - 2 x 32 on piano 1 hinge L Back Brace (1) ⁄2 ply - 1 x 32 1 3 M Side Braces (2) ⁄2 ply - ⁄4 x 17 1 N Side Fillers (2) ⁄2 ply - 2 x 17 1 O Arm (1) ⁄2 ply - 3 x 13 FENCE 1 P Inner Faces (2) ⁄2 ply - 3 x 16 Arm pivots Q Outer Face (1) 1⁄ ply - 3 x 32 to securely 2 support top 1 1 R Base (1) ⁄2 ply - 3 ⁄2 x 32 1 1 1 S Braces (4) ⁄2 ply - 2 ⁄2 x 2 ⁄2 1 T Pinch Blocks (2) ⁄2 ply - 1 x 2 • (1) Nickel-plated Piano Hinge w/Screws 1 • (1) ⁄4" Flat Washer 1 • (1) ⁄4" Lock Nut 5 • (2) ⁄16" x 2" Carriage Bolts 5 • (2) ⁄16" Flat Washers 5 • (2) ⁄16" T-knobs Woodsmith No. 195 Online Extras Page 2 of 5 ©2011 August Home Publishing. All rights reserved. #/4"-Ply. #/4"-Ply. A B C D E F G H I J K L M NOTE: This #8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 17!/4 FIRST: This is #8 x 1!/2" Fh woodscrew N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z CROSS SECTION SECOND: This #8 x 1#/4" Fh woodscrew NEW END VIEW A E F G I J K L #8 x 2" Fh woodscrew A A B B C C D D E E F F G G B C D THIRD:H This M NOTE: This #8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew END #8 x 3OVERALL" Fh woodscrew DIMENSIONS: 17!/4 GRAIN TOP VIEW FIRST: This is #8 x 1!/2" Fh woodscrew 26!/2 H H I I J J K K L L MM N N SIDE VIEW N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z CROSS SECTION !/16 !/8 !/4 #/4 SECOND: This #8 x 1#/4" Fh woodscrew NEW END VIEW #8 x 2" Fh woodscrew END O O P P Q Q R R S S T T U U PART NAMES A A B B C C D D E E F F G G #/8 !/2 %/8 &/8 THIRD: This 27#/8 TOP VIEW #8 x 3" Fh woodscrew 26!/2 GRAIN V V WW X X Y Y Z Z H H I I J J K K L L MM N N SIDE VIEW !/16 !/8 !/4 #/4 O O P P Q Q R R S S T T U U PART NAMES #/8 !/2 %/8 &/8 27#/8 V V WW X X Y Y Z Z #/4"-Ply. A B C D E F G H I J K L M NOTE: This #8 x 1!/4" Fh woodscrew OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 17!/4 FIRST: This is #8 x 1!/2" Fh woodscrew N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z CROSS SECTION SECOND: This #8 x 1#/4" Fh woodscrew NEW END VIEW #8 x 2" Fh woodscrew A A B B C C D D E E F F G G THIRD: This END TOP VIEW #8 x 3" Fh woodscrew 26!/2 GRAIN H H I I J J K K L L MM N N SIDE VIEW !/16 !/8 !/4 #/4 O O P P Q Q R R S S T T U U PART NAMES #/8 !/2 %/8 &/8 27#/8 V V WW X X Y Y Z Z A BACK SIDE F 3 24!/2 #/4 FRONT STILE F CORNER a. D BLOCK 24!/2 SIDE DRAWER 13!/2 GUIDE BOTTOM B A DIVIDER SIDE E (15#/4 x 24) !/2 NOTCH DRAWER 2#/4 DETAIL GUIDE 15!/4 15!/4 14!/2 b. BACK 2!/2 I DRAWER BOTTOM B CORNER BOTTOM BLOCK 2!/2 17&/16 G BOTTOM DRAWER SIDE 1!%/16 BACK DRAWER GUIDE G DRAWER DRAWER DRAWER SIDE GUIDE H NOTE: FRONT Both bottom 15!/4 18&/16 and divider FRONT are notched CORNER STILE BLOCK TOP VIEW c. !/4 d. SIDE BACK DRAWER TOP SIDE VIEW DRAWER !/2 SHELF BOTTOM DRAWER DRAWER DRAWER DRAWER !/8 GUIDE SIDE BACK FRONT 2!/2 build the DRAWER BOTTOM !/2 BOTTOM !/2 CASE & TOP FRONT SECTION VIEW One of the goals I had when build- piece, as you can see in Figure 1a. so lowering the corner blocks ensures ing the case of the router table These notches hold a pair of narrow that they won’t interfere with the fit. was to make sure it could be built stiles that keep the front of the case There are just two parts left to quickly. But it still needed to be rigid while still providing a large add to the case before moving on strong enough for every day use. opening for access to the router. to the drawer. And those are a pair STRAIGHTFORWARD JOINERY. As I men- The back is a simple plywood of drawer guides. They’re cut to fit tioned earlier, the router table case panel that’s sized to overlap the sides. behind the front stiles to keep the uses sturdy plywood construc- With these main parts cut, you can drawer from binding in the opening, tion with dadoes and rabbets. The glue and clamp the case together. as shown in detail ‘d.’ 1 whole table is built from ⁄2" ply- CORNER BLOCKS. The divider and SIMPLE DRAWER. The drawer in the wood. (I used Baltic birch.) case bottom make the lower por- router table provides a place to SIDES FIRST. I began by constructing tion of the case plenty strong. But store wrenches, bits, and other sup- the case sides. In detail ‘d’, you can since the tabletop isn’t screwed to plies. And like the rest of the router see that there’s a dado and a rabbet the case, the upper part of the case table, it’s straightforward to build. cut in each side piece. This joinery needs some reinforcement. In the drawing above, you can see locks a divider and the case bottom The solution I used here was to that a rabbeted frame simply wraps in place for a super strong, wiggle- make four, angled corner blocks, as around the drawer bottom. The rela- free assembly. The divider also illustrated in detail ‘b.’ You can see tively thick bottom provides plenty creates a pocket for the drawer that in the main drawing that I positioned of glue surface for a strong bond. 3 will be added later. them /4" from the top edge of the LARGE, FLAT TOP. With the case com- Before assembling the divider and case. The reason for this is simple. plete, I set it aside and turned 3 bottom to the sides, I cut a 2 /4"-wide The hinged tabletop is designed to my attention to the top, shown notch at the front corners of each nestle down over the top of the case, in the drawing on the next page.