I've searched the Rockler and a couple of other places and cannot find
small sheets of plexiglass for sale.

One place online has what I need in eight foot sheets. All I need is
enough to make a table insert to fasten the router to.

On the other hand, how important is transparency anyway? What problem
would I run into if the whole table top were opaque?

"KIMOSABE" wrote in message
...
I've searched the Rockler and a couple of other places and cannot find
small sheets of plexiglass for sale.

One place online has what I need in eight foot sheets. All I need is
enough to make a table insert to fasten the router to.

On the other hand, how important is transparency anyway? What problem
would I run into if the whole table top were opaque?

Unless you are deep in the boondocks, there should be a plastics store in
your area. Try looking in the phonebook. Typically, they'll cut any size
piece you want (and tell you the best material to use.) Another option
would be a glass company.

Ed

On Apr 2, 8:09*am, KIMOSABE wrote:
I've searched the Rockler and a couple of other places and cannot find
small sheets of plexiglass for sale.

One place online has what I need in eight foot sheets. *All I need is
enough to make a table insert to fasten the router to.

On the other hand, how important is transparency anyway? *What problem
would I run into if the whole table top were opaque?

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=1410

http://www.routertabledepot.com/acinwiprho.html

KIMOSABE wrote:
I've searched the Rockler and a couple of other places and cannot find
small sheets of plexiglass for sale.

One place online has what I need in eight foot sheets. All I need is
enough to make a table insert to fasten the router to.

On the other hand, how important is transparency anyway? What problem
would I run into if the whole table top were opaque?

Transparency is unimportant. What *is* important is having a thin, stiff
material for the plate.

Stiff for obvious reasons.

Thin because the router is hanging under it and a thick plate may limit how
close you can get the router to the table surface of the plate.

"Plexiglass" is sort of a generic term for a "transparent, thermoplastic"
material (used to be a brand name IIRC). There are various plastics fitting
that description: acrylic is one, I wouldn't suggest it as it breaks rather
easily; poly carbonate (brand name, Lexan) is another and does NOT break
easily. In fact, it is what is used for bullet proof glass. It works well,
my plate is 3/8" polycarbonate.

Other possibilities include aluminum, steel and phenolic plastic. Any of
those would be OK 1/4" thick.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

On Apr 2, 8:09*am, KIMOSABE wrote:
I've searched the Rockler and a couple of other places and cannot find
small sheets of plexiglass for sale.

One place online has what I need in eight foot sheets. *All I need is
enough to make a table insert to fasten the router to.

On the other hand, how important is transparency anyway? *What problem
would I run into if the whole table top were opaque?

eBay. Search string: router table insert
You'll find blanks and factory-made inserts. The mfg. inserts are
nice as they have pop-out rings to accommodate larger bits, and
they're cheap enough.
You don't need to see through the insert.

R

KIMOSABE wrote:
I've searched the Rockler and a couple of other places and cannot find
small sheets of plexiglass for sale.

One place online has what I need in eight foot sheets. All I need is
enough to make a table insert to fasten the router to.

On the other hand, how important is transparency anyway? What problem
would I run into if the whole table top were opaque?

Transparency is a non-issue.

As for a source, if all else fails try McMaster http://www.mcmaster.com.
They've got all sorts of plastics in many thicknesses and in small sheets.
Grade XX Garolite (phenolic laminate) would probably be a good choice from
what they carry.

On Apr 2, 8:09*am, KIMOSABE wrote:
I've searched the Rockler and a couple of other places and cannot find
small sheets of plexiglass for sale.

One place online has what I need in eight foot sheets. *All I need is
enough to make a table insert to fasten the router to.

On the other hand, how important is transparency anyway? *What problem
would I run into if the whole table top were opaque?

Kimosabe, IF that's your real name..G... go to a local solid surface
countertop fabricator and ask for a sink cut-out. Just make sure it is
acrylic, such as Corian, Staron, Meganite and such. 1/2" thick.
You can work that stuff easily with carbide tools, drill with HSS
bits.
A Much better choice than plexiglass IMHO.. A piece of phenolic would
be nice too, but much harder to come by.

In article , KIMOSABE wrote:
I've searched the Rockler and a couple of other places and cannot find
small sheets of plexiglass for sale.

Checked any local plastics dealers? Some, but not all, will cut to size for
you, and charge you only for what you take.

Sign companies use a *lot* of plexiglas, and frequently have small pieces left
over. In my experience, they don't charge very much at all, and occasionally
will simply give you small pieces just for the asking.

One place online has what I need in eight foot sheets. All I need is
enough to make a table insert to fasten the router to.

On the other hand, how important is transparency anyway? What problem
would I run into if the whole table top were opaque?

Put it differently: what problems do you think you might be avoiding by making
it transparent?

Transparency is irrelevant. A router table needs to be flat and stiff.
Melamine particle-core board, MDF with a Formica laminate, or Baltic birch
plywood in 3/4" thickness, or 1/4" aluminum plate, would do the job just fine.
You'd need to use at least 1/2" plexiglas, I think, to get sufficient
stiffness for it to remain flat when you hang a router from it.

On Apr 2, 8:09*am, KIMOSABE wrote:
I've searched the Rockler and a couple of other places and cannot find
small sheets of plexiglass for sale.

One place online has what I need in eight foot sheets. *All I need is
enough to make a table insert to fasten the router to.

On the other hand, how important is transparency anyway? *What problem
would I run into if the whole table top were opaque?

I went the plastic route and the results were dissapointing. You can
buy it cheap enough at the Borg or most HW stores. IIRC I used 1/4"
and it sagged. Also if you need more than a 1" hole for a bigger bit
you either need another plate or make the existing hole bigger.

Keep an I on Rockler I think they are the ones clearing out their
inventory of one model of Aluminum plate.

Go he http://www.ptreeusa.com/routerPlates.htm


KIMOSABE wrote:
I've searched the Rockler and a couple of other places and cannot find
small sheets of plexiglass for sale.

One place online has what I need in eight foot sheets. All I need is
enough to make a table insert to fasten the router to.

On the other hand, how important is transparency anyway? What problem
would I run into if the whole table top were opaque?

dadiOH wrote:
KIMOSABE wrote:
I've searched the Rockler and a couple of other places and cannot find
small sheets of plexiglass for sale.

One place online has what I need in eight foot sheets. All I need is
enough to make a table insert to fasten the router to.

On the other hand, how important is transparency anyway? What problem
would I run into if the whole table top were opaque?

Transparency is unimportant. What *is* important is having a thin, stiff
material for the plate.

Stiff for obvious reasons.

Yes.

Thin because the router is hanging under it and a thick plate may limit how
close you can get the router to the table surface of the plate.

Yes. You don't want to limit the travel of the bit by having an
unnecessarily thick plate.

I'd save myself the trouble and just spend a few extra bucks and get one
of the 1/4" aluminum plates from Rockler.

--
Free bad advice available here.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...

I'd save myself the trouble and just spend a few extra bucks and get one
of the 1/4" aluminum plates from Rockler.


I have the Rockler plate. If I were to buy another one, it would be a
different brand. The corners of the plate have a 1/2" radius. Try to find a
1" pattern bit (specially a short one). Rather hard to come by. Cant use a
bushing as there is not one big enough to to pass a 1" bit. The tempate that
they sell for this thing takes care of the radius problem but the hole comes
out to big. I checked a couple of router tables in the Rockler store. They
had a fair bit of shake too.
The plastic inserts in the plate are held in by three tiny screws. Real easy
to loose and the insert needs shiming to sit flush.

CW wrote:
"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...
I'd save myself the trouble and just spend a few extra bucks and get one
of the 1/4" aluminum plates from Rockler.


I have the Rockler plate. If I were to buy another one, it would be a
different brand. The corners of the plate have a 1/2" radius. Try to find a
1" pattern bit (specially a short one). Rather hard to come by. Cant use a
bushing as there is not one big enough to to pass a 1" bit. The tempate that
they sell for this thing takes care of the radius problem but the hole comes
out to big. I checked a couple of router tables in the Rockler store. They
had a fair bit of shake too.
The plastic inserts in the plate are held in by three tiny screws. Real easy
to loose and the insert needs shiming to sit flush.

Ok, fair enough. I bought a Rockler plate 8 or 10 years ago and it was
fine (except that the opening wasn't big enough to run some of my bigger
panel raisers, so I wound up making my own plate from 1/4 aluminum); I
don't remember running into the 1/2" radius problem that you described...

There are plenty of other 1/4" aluminum plates out there though; in my
experience that would be a better solution than the thicker plastic or
phenolic plates simply because of the bit travel problem.

--
Any given amount of traffic flow, no matter how
sparse, will expand to fill all available lanes.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

Keep in mind that any flexing of the plexiglass will translate into
vibration and wash boarding on the piece of wood your routing. You need
something stiff and solid for a base. Especially if you're using a big
router motor. Auto glass shops and picture framing stores usually sell
plexiglass in small sizes and different thicknesses..

"KIMOSABE" wrote in message
...
I've searched the Rockler and a couple of other places and cannot find
small sheets of plexiglass for sale.

One place online has what I need in eight foot sheets. All I need is
enough to make a table insert to fasten the router to.

On the other hand, how important is transparency anyway? What problem
would I run into if the whole table top were opaque?

dadiOH wrote:
Other possibilities include aluminum, steel and phenolic plastic. Any of
those would be OK 1/4" thick.


You can get the best of both worlds by using transparent aluminum,
if you can wait until it's invented, sometime in the 2140's.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

Steve Turner wrote:
CW wrote:
"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...
I'd save myself the trouble and just spend a few extra bucks and
get one of the 1/4" aluminum plates from Rockler.


I have the Rockler plate. If I were to buy another one, it would be a
different brand. The corners of the plate have a 1/2" radius. Try to
find a 1" pattern bit (specially a short one). Rather hard to come
by. Cant use a bushing as there is not one big enough to to pass a
1" bit. The tempate that they sell for this thing takes care of the
radius problem but the hole comes out to big. I checked a couple of
router tables in the Rockler store. They had a fair bit of shake too.
The plastic inserts in the plate are held in by three tiny screws.
Real easy to loose and the insert needs shiming to sit flush.

Ok, fair enough. I bought a Rockler plate 8 or 10 years ago and it
was fine (except that the opening wasn't big enough to run some of my
bigger panel raisers, so I wound up making my own plate from 1/4
aluminum); I don't remember running into the 1/2" radius problem that
you described...
There are plenty of other 1/4" aluminum plates out there though; in my
experience that would be a better solution than the thicker plastic or
phenolic plates simply because of the bit travel problem.

FWIW, Woodcraft has the Jessem is about 3 bucks more than the Rockler, it's
drilled to fit just about any rotuer made, and has a nice adjustment system
to get it flush. They sell a template for 25 bucks but making one to fit
out of a piece of scrap plywood isn't that hard--at least I managed it.

Nice thing about the Jessem is that if you decide later that you want a
lift, pop out the plate and drop in one of their lifts and you're done.

-MIKE- wrote:
dadiOH wrote:
Other possibilities include aluminum, steel and phenolic plastic. Any of
those would be OK 1/4" thick.


You can get the best of both worlds by using transparent aluminum,
if you can wait until it's invented, sometime in the 2140's.

http://www.surmet.com/alon.html

What the heck, send 'em a drawing, ask for quantity 1/10/100/1000 pricing,
see what they say.

On Thu, 2 Apr 2009 05:09:03 -0700 (PDT), KIMOSABE
wrote:

I've searched the Rockler and a couple of other places and cannot find
small sheets of plexiglass for sale.

One place online has what I need in eight foot sheets. All I need is
enough to make a table insert to fasten the router to.

On the other hand, how important is transparency anyway? What problem
would I run into if the whole table top were opaque?


I would be concerned about the plexi flexing under the load of my
3.25HP router. I installed a Rousseau table insert (RM 3509) but
remove the rounter after use. It has two inserts and stabilizing pin.
The table plate is concaved to compensate for the weight of the
router. Installation involved making a rectangular jig to cut the
router table top, using a hand held router.

dadiOH skreiv:


Other possibilities include aluminum, steel and phenolic plastic. Any of
those would be OK 1/4" thick.


This is a good one made of steel:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...,43053&p=50264

on 4/2/2009 8:09 AM (ET) KIMOSABE wrote the following:
I've searched the Rockler and a couple of other places and cannot find
small sheets of plexiglass for sale.

One place online has what I need in eight foot sheets. All I need is
enough to make a table insert to fasten the router to.

On the other hand, how important is transparency anyway? What problem
would I run into if the whole table top were opaque?

HD or Lowes has sheets of 1/8" and 1/4" thick. They are about 2'x4' or
2'x3'.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

I have been buying 3/8" cutting boards at Bed Bath and Beyond and making all
my inserts from the plastic material.

It is fairly tru as far as the surface goes, flexs a bit and is easy to work
with.

I make router, table saw and any number of other inserts and some fixtures
from them.


"willshak" wrote in message
m...
on 4/2/2009 8:09 AM (ET) KIMOSABE wrote the following:
I've searched the Rockler and a couple of other places and cannot find
small sheets of plexiglass for sale.

One place online has what I need in eight foot sheets. All I need is
enough to make a table insert to fasten the router to.

On the other hand, how important is transparency anyway? What problem
would I run into if the whole table top were opaque?

HD or Lowes has sheets of 1/8" and 1/4" thick. They are about 2'x4' or
2'x3'.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

"KIMOSABE" wrote in message
...
I've searched the Rockler and a couple of other places and cannot find
small sheets of plexiglass for sale.

One place online has what I need in eight foot sheets. All I need is
enough to make a table insert to fasten the router to.

On the other hand, how important is transparency anyway? What problem
would I run into if the whole table top were opaque?


MSC mscdirect.com

On 4/2/09 8:09 AM, "KIMOSABE" wrote:

I've searched the Rockler and a couple of other places and cannot find
small sheets of plexiglass for sale.

Do you really mean Plexiglas or a generic clear "plastic" sheeting? I would
recommend that you look for Lexan (or polycarbonate) sheeting instead of the
acrylic that is Plexiglas.

One place online has what I need in eight foot sheets. All I need is
enough to make a table insert to fasten the router to.


Rockler lists it in their on-line store -
http://www.rockler.com/findit.cfm?page=5295

On the other hand, how important is transparency anyway? What problem
would I run into if the whole table top were opaque?

Transparency can be handy but rigidity and impact resistance are more
important.

CW wrote:
"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...
I'd save myself the trouble and just spend a few extra bucks and get one
of the 1/4" aluminum plates from Rockler.


I have the Rockler plate. If I were to buy another one, it would be a
different brand. The corners of the plate have a 1/2" radius. Try to find a
1" pattern bit (specially a short one). Rather hard to come by. Cant use a
bushing as there is not one big enough to to pass a 1" bit. The tempate that
they sell for this thing takes care of the radius problem but the hole comes
out to big. I checked a couple of router tables in the Rockler store. They
had a fair bit of shake too.
The plastic inserts in the plate are held in by three tiny screws. Real easy
to loose and the insert needs shiming to sit flush.



Use a 1/2" Fostner bit to do the corners...

"David G. Nagel" wrote in message
news
CW wrote:
"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...
I'd save myself the trouble and just spend a few extra bucks and get one
of the 1/4" aluminum plates from Rockler.


I have the Rockler plate. If I were to buy another one, it would be a
different brand. The corners of the plate have a 1/2" radius. Try to find
a 1" pattern bit (specially a short one). Rather hard to come by. Cant
use a bushing as there is not one big enough to to pass a 1" bit. The
tempate that they sell for this thing takes care of the radius problem
but the hole comes out to big. I checked a couple of router tables in the
Rockler store. They had a fair bit of shake too.
The plastic inserts in the plate are held in by three tiny screws. Real
easy to loose and the insert needs shiming to sit flush.

Use a 1/2" Fostner bit to do the corners..


That would give me a 1/4" radius.

CW wrote:
"David G. Nagel" wrote in message
news
CW wrote:
"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...
I'd save myself the trouble and just spend a few extra bucks and get one
of the 1/4" aluminum plates from Rockler.

I have the Rockler plate. If I were to buy another one, it would be a
different brand. The corners of the plate have a 1/2" radius. Try to find
a 1" pattern bit (specially a short one). Rather hard to come by. Cant
use a bushing as there is not one big enough to to pass a 1" bit. The
tempate that they sell for this thing takes care of the radius problem
but the hole comes out to big. I checked a couple of router tables in the
Rockler store. They had a fair bit of shake too.
The plastic inserts in the plate are held in by three tiny screws. Real
easy to loose and the insert needs shiming to sit flush.
Use a 1/2" Fostner bit to do the corners..


That would give me a 1/4" radius.


Alright, then use a 1" fostner bit.