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(RobW) wrote in
om:

How thick is your top? I want to get an insert for my table so for
now I didn't cut the hole in the top, just used a hole saw drill and
drilled a hole for the bit to some out and drilled the holes in the
top to bolt the base on. I don't get the full height of the bit but
enough for now and the holes didn't have to be perfect since I wold
cut that section out later.

Last night I laminated 2 pieces of 3/4" MDF to use as the top. I'll
wrap it in hard maple, so it should be pretty sturdy. The MDF chunk
is 24"x36" without the maple and weighs a good amount.

You're going to wrap the edges, right?

My wife and I are moving into a house in 4 weeks,

Congratulations!

so after the move
I'll build a base with drawers for the top to sit on. I thought about
just mounting the router to the bottom of the top, but at 1.5" thick,
I'll have no bit sticking up.

If you cut part way through the MDF, say with a router, in the shape of
your router base, you would have a usable router table now, since, as
another poster mentioned, that piece will be removed when you install the
plate later. Your Ryobi should be up to this. And it doesn't have to be
all that neat. It's temporary.

On another question, if I put poly over shellac over this MDF, will it
make it nice and slick? If I use paste wax, will that rub off on
whatever wood I'm routing?

You can use shellac, then poly, then a furniture wax, without an anti-slip
agent. Or you could use shellac & wax, and skip the poly. Or skip the
shellac. If it were my choice, and it isn't, I'd pass on the poly. But if
not, I'd use water-based.

It's my first router table (hell, the Ryobi that I bought this
December was my first router), so I'm trying to do it right.

Google the posts Unisaw A100 made recently on "An Ultimate Router Table",
and the posts he made on "A GoToHell Router table". Both designs work. In
fact, the simple on is required, in order to make the fancy one properly.

Sort of 1) Cut a piece of 3/4" cabinet plywood to 24" square. 2) Mark the
base of your plunge router in the middle, and drill two mounting holes, as
well as a 7/8" hole for the bit. 3) Screw several tubafors under the front
and back edges, for stiffness. 4) Clamp a straight piece of hardwood on
for a fence. 5) Clamp or screw these to a couple of sawhorses. 6) Make
noise, chips, and furniture. 7) Adjust as needed.

You may find, as I have, that the fancy one is no longer nearly as urgent
as once thought.

Rob

Have fun with the new place. Beware of wife storing her stuff in your
shop. DAMHIKT

Patriarch