I am sure this has been covered before, but I want to buy a router and
a table top table (if that makes sense) I am relatively new to wood
working. I don't mind spending a little extra money for a tool if it is
one I am going to use a lot, or for a tool that I want accuracy. The
router will be be only used on the stand. Any help or past experiences
would be appreciated. Mind you I don't want to spend a lot of money, I
am thinking in the $300 range.
Thank you,
Jerry

"Wood shredder" wrote in message
oups.com...
I am sure this has been covered before, but I want to buy a router and
a table top table (if that makes sense) I am relatively new to wood
working. I don't mind spending a little extra money for a tool if it is
one I am going to use a lot, or for a tool that I want accuracy. The
router will be be only used on the stand. Any help or past experiences
would be appreciated. Mind you I don't want to spend a lot of money, I
am thinking in the $300 range.
Thank you,
Jerry


I would spend the entire $300 range budget on the router and make my own
router table.

My routermore than enough power to spin the large bits)
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=2069

If you have a table saw you can usually build an extension on one side to
support your router table.

See mine he

http://www.garagewoodworks.com/router_page.htm

--
Stoutman
www.garagewoodworks.com

Others on here will probably tell you to build your own. When first starting
out, it is difficult to build something as good as what you can buy,
specially now that manufacturers are putting out better tables. One I have
seen that I rather liked was the new Bosch. Go he
http://www.toolbarn.com/product/bosch/RA1171/
Be aware though that this is a closed design meant to be used with a shop
vac or dust collector. If not used with one, the router will overheat. If
you don't want to use a shop vac (I would, it makes it so much nicer) you
could probably take the door off. For a router, put a Porter Cable 690 in
it. It will do most anything you want to do though, due to limited power,
you may have to take more cuts to get there. In the event that you want more
power in the future, the 690 is a very good router for hand held use.
$170.00 for the table, $140.00 for the router. Just slightly over your
budget for a quality set up. You may find, as I have, that putting the
router table on a bench places it to high for comfortable use. Useable but
better a bit lower. Some plywood and a few screws will make a good stand.
Get fancier if you want.

"Wood shredder" wrote in message
oups.com...
I am sure this has been covered before, but I want to buy a router and
a table top table (if that makes sense) I am relatively new to wood
working. I don't mind spending a little extra money for a tool if it is
one I am going to use a lot, or for a tool that I want accuracy. The
router will be be only used on the stand. Any help or past experiences
would be appreciated. Mind you I don't want to spend a lot of money, I
am thinking in the $300 range.
Thank you,
Jerry

Hey, Stoutman, when I "have a peek underneath" on your website, it says
your 7518 only has 2.25 HP. You just being modest? I'm just
noticing... Tom
Stoutman wrote:
"Wood shredder" wrote in message
oups.com...
I am sure this has been covered before, but I want to buy a router and
a table top table (if that makes sense) I am relatively new to wood
working. I don't mind spending a little extra money for a tool if it is
one I am going to use a lot, or for a tool that I want accuracy. The
router will be be only used on the stand. Any help or past experiences
would be appreciated. Mind you I don't want to spend a lot of money, I
am thinking in the $300 range.
Thank you,
Jerry


I would spend the entire $300 range budget on the router and make my own
router table.

My routermore than enough power to spin the large bits)
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=2069

If you have a table saw you can usually build an extension on one side to
support your router table.

See mine he

http://www.garagewoodworks.com/router_page.htm

--
Stoutman
www.garagewoodworks.com

That's about right.

"tom" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hey, Stoutman, when I "have a peek underneath" on your website, it says
your 7518 only has 2.25 HP. You just being modest? I'm just
noticing... Tom

CW wrote:
Others on here will probably tell you to build your own. When first
starting
out, it is difficult to build something as good as what you can buy,
specially now that manufacturers are putting out better tables.
snip

SFWIW:

I built the NYW router table outside in SoCal with only a couple of
saw horses, a jig saw, a router, an aluminum angle with a couple of
C-Clamps, a 1/4 sheet sander, and a drill press.

Had to buy a couple of router and a couple of drill bits along with
the hardware Norm spec'd.

That was 6-8 years ago, and it is still in service.

Biggest part of the job was to remember not to rush.

Lew

CW wrote:
Others on here will probably tell you to build your own.

I built my own from a chunk of old countertop and ideas from plans
online, and it works well enough. I'm on my second fence, though -
somehow the particleboard on the first one warped pretty badly.

seen that I rather liked was the new Bosch. Go he
http://www.toolbarn.com/product/bosch/RA1171/

That looks like a pretty good deal. If you want a larger table,
Rockler has one (without a base) for about the same price:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?O...Select=Details
I definitely wouldn't want a table any smaller than the one on the
Bosch.

For a router, put a Porter Cable 690 in
it. It will do most anything you want to do though, due to limited power,
you may have to take more cuts to get there.

I have a Dewalt DW618 (only slightly higher claimed hp than the PC) and
I haven't found it to be underpowered for anything yet. The best deal
I've seen on a router recently is at Woodcraft - they have the PC 690
on sale for $110, or $99 with their 10% off deal this Saturday.
http://www.woodcraft.com//family.asp...ePageDeal=True

Have fun and stay safe,
Andy

CW wrote:
Others on here will probably tell you to build your own. When first starting
out, it is difficult to build something as good as what you can buy,
specially now that manufacturers are putting out better tables. One I have
seen that I rather liked was the new Bosch. Go he
http://www.toolbarn.com/product/bosch/RA1171/
Be aware though that this is a closed design meant to be used with a shop
vac or dust collector. If not used with one, the router will overheat. If
you don't want to use a shop vac (I would, it makes it so much nicer) you
could probably take the door off. For a router, put a Porter Cable 690 in
it. It will do most anything you want to do though, due to limited power,
you may have to take more cuts to get there. In the event that you want more
power in the future, the 690 is a very good router for hand held use.
$170.00 for the table, $140.00 for the router. Just slightly over your
budget for a quality set up. You may find, as I have, that putting the
router table on a bench places it to high for comfortable use. Useable but
better a bit lower. Some plywood and a few screws will make a good stand.
Get fancier if you want.


I think a relative newbie can build a table like Stoutman's. I had
never used a router in my life and built a very similar version in
about three hours, including a routed mitre slot and semi-sacrifiial
T-slotted split fence (mounted to the TS fence). One difference, I did
not use a plate but mounted the router directly in the table. That's
the only real flaw. Since I have so little time invested in it, I won't
mind tossing it and spending another three hours to make one with
melamine and the router plate.

You are correct that it won't be quite as nice as a purchased unit, but
I really enjoyed the learning experience and the cost was negligible
since I used scraps for almost everything.

Tom

if it is too much trouble to make, and you buy, it might not be evident in
looking at a table that it is cheese. It isn't hard to make one. Its the
solidity of the final product.

If you bought a flat piece of anything, say a 2'x2' 3/4" mdf, and put of
these things on it, and clamped it, and mounted a router solid that didn't
budge under it with screws, you're done for that type of setup. Its the
fidgety, weebledy, woobledy of cheaper units. For this example it is easy
to cut some triangles of wood on a crosscut table to attach to a L fence
inside like L\. This is actually a large part. Cheap out and its over,
too late. Added time and aggrevation.

http://busybeetools.ca/cgi-bin/produ...31207061258117

you don't need these for this, but for o/ things also



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I use Birch (3/4" eguiv) glued/tacked plywood versions of these things,
narrower and longer, with a single centered L\ brace. For gluing up drawers
using clamps. They also allow checking 90 degree angles for picture frames
etc. The accuracy in use is astonishing.



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Get this Porter Cable router set:

http://www.porter-cable.com/index.asp?e=547&p=4858 ($200)

and make the cabinet for under $100 worth of plywood(birch)

http://www.twistedknotwoodshop.com/rtdrawings.htm

You can't really set up a router and table for $300 in my
opinion but you can be really close.

or

http://www.amazon.com/Porter-Cable-6...3?ie=UTF8&s=hi

with this router:

http://www.amazon.com/Porter-Cable-F...3?ie=UTF8&s=hi







Wood shredder wrote:
I am sure this has been covered before, but I want to buy a router and
a table top table (if that makes sense) I am relatively new to wood
working. I don't mind spending a little extra money for a tool if it is
one I am going to use a lot, or for a tool that I want accuracy. The
router will be be only used on the stand. Any help or past experiences
would be appreciated. Mind you I don't want to spend a lot of money, I
am thinking in the $300 range.
Thank you,
Jerry