Hello all,

I'm about to buy a router primarily for table use, plus a table!
I don't have a lot to spend, so...

I've pretty much decided on the larger Triton (TRB001) because it looks
like the height adjustment will work reasonably well under the table and
the bits can be changed above the table - this way I can avoid any fancy
raisers or tilting table tops etc.
I know Triton went bust a while back but it looks like they're back in
business - does anyone know if they're still being msde in Oz and if the
quality is still there?

The table is a bigger problem - it seems they easily cost more than the
router. Oh dear.
My initial plan was some cobbled together birch ply thing, but at the
least I'd have to get some kind of inset plate, and I'd probably always
struggle to get the thing flat. And if it's not flat it's going to be a
total pain to use!
So I thought maybe I should buy the top, and a fence, and just build the
base. Maybe the veritas top, though it's pricey and small.
But if I'm going to do that wouldn't it make sense to just buy a large
cast iron top, because that would be, and stay, reliably flat?
Here in the UK the choices seem to be:
Record Power -
http://www.recordpower.co.uk/index.p...LIDING%20TABLE
for around £300
Charnwood -
http://www.charnwood.net/ProductDesc...&stockref=W015 for around
£280

I wonder if anyone has any experience of these, and whether they're
worth bothering with. I have the Record Power drill press and it's
pretty rubbish, and even though a flat bit of cast iron shouldn't be too
much to ask my guess is that the rest of it will probably be fairly ropey.

All opinions gratefully received.
graham.

Have a look here they have several

http://www.axminster.co.uk/category-...les-553898.htm


MeltRod

I will say that if you buy a good insert plate you should be able to
easily get it well placed in a table of your choice. Some plates
include leveling screws themselves and if not there are a few very
easy and very good was to add some set screws. It will be your least
expensive method.

Does the Triton support above the table height adjustment? Many
routers now days do and many router plates are already setup with the
appropriate access hole. I know the Freud routers have the capability
although some people will rail against them, I am happy with mine and
use it in this way sometimes with the plate that came with it in a
bundled kit.

On Mar 5, 7:08*am, graham wrote:
Hello all,

I'm about to buy a router primarily for table use, plus a table!
I don't have a lot to spend, so...

I've pretty much decided on the larger Triton (TRB001) because it looks
like the height adjustment will work reasonably well under the table and
the bits can be changed above the table - this way I can avoid any fancy
raisers or tilting table tops etc.
I know Triton went bust a while back but it looks like they're back in
business - does anyone know if they're still being msde in Oz and if the
quality is still there?

The table is a bigger problem - it seems they easily cost more than the
router. Oh dear.
My initial plan was some cobbled together birch ply thing, but at the
least I'd have to get some kind of inset plate, and I'd probably always
struggle to get the thing flat. And if it's not flat it's going to be a
total pain to use!
So I thought maybe I should buy the top, and a fence, and just build the
base. Maybe the veritas top, though it's pricey and small.
But if I'm going to do that wouldn't it make sense to just buy a large
cast iron top, because that would be, and stay, reliably flat?
Here in the UK the choices seem to be:
Record Power -http://www.recordpower.co.uk/index.php?section=product&seq=663&cat=18...
for around £300
Charnwood -http://www.charnwood.net/ProductDesc.jsp?cat=15&stockref=W015for around
£280

I wonder if anyone has any experience of these, and whether they're
worth bothering with. I have the Record Power drill press and it's
pretty rubbish, and even though a flat bit of cast iron shouldn't be too
much to ask my guess is that the rest of it will probably be fairly ropey..

All opinions gratefully received.
graham.

SonomaProducts.com wrote on 05/03/2010 17:20:
I will say that if you buy a good insert plate you should be able to
easily get it well placed in a table of your choice. Some plates
include leveling screws themselves and if not there are a few very
easy and very good was to add some set screws. It will be your least
expensive method.

When I mentioned the problem of flatness, I was thinking of the table as
a whole. The preferred method of construction seems to be a thick piece
or two of MDF with some kind of smooth surface layer laminated to it.
Especially if glueing 2 pieces I can see it being tricky to ensure they
are absolutely flat (without a suitable reference surface to glue on,
which I don't have).




Does the Triton support above the table height adjustment?

yes it does, and that's a big attraction, along with some kind of
rack-and-pinion height control which should be easy to work when it's
under the bench. When the router is cranked up the shaft lock engages
automatically.
I believe the newer model also has above table height adjustment, though
a number of people seem to have problems with it.


Many
routers now days do and many router plates are already setup with the
appropriate access hole.

The Triton was the only one I was aware of, until I happened across the
Freud 3000 just before your post!


I know the Freud routers have the capability
although some people will rail against them, I am happy with mine and
use it in this way sometimes with the plate that came with it in a
bundled kit.

The Freud looks reasonable, and the 3000 appears to have some kind of
above-table adjustment too - can anyone comment on whether it's any good?


snip

On 3/5/2010 10:08 AM, graham wrote:
Hello all,

I'm about to buy a router primarily for table use, plus a table!
I don't have a lot to spend, so...

I've pretty much decided on the larger Triton (TRB001) because it looks
like the height adjustment will work reasonably well under the table and
the bits can be changed above the table - this way I can avoid any fancy
raisers or tilting table tops etc.
I know Triton went bust a while back but it looks like they're back in
business - does anyone know if they're still being msde in Oz and if the
quality is still there?

The table is a bigger problem - it seems they easily cost more than the
router. Oh dear.
My initial plan was some cobbled together birch ply thing, but at the
least I'd have to get some kind of inset plate, and I'd probably always
struggle to get the thing flat. And if it's not flat it's going to be a
total pain to use!
So I thought maybe I should buy the top, and a fence, and just build the
base. Maybe the veritas top, though it's pricey and small.
But if I'm going to do that wouldn't it make sense to just buy a large
cast iron top, because that would be, and stay, reliably flat?
Here in the UK the choices seem to be:
Record Power -
http://www.recordpower.co.uk/index.p...LIDING%20TABLE
for around £300
Charnwood -
http://www.charnwood.net/ProductDesc...&stockref=W015 for around
£280

I wonder if anyone has any experience of these, and whether they're
worth bothering with. I have the Record Power drill press and it's
pretty rubbish, and even though a flat bit of cast iron shouldn't be too
much to ask my guess is that the rest of it will probably be fairly ropey.

All opinions gratefully received.

First, read through everything on http://www.patwarner.com. Pat's one
of the good guys and he knows his stuff with regard to routers.

That said:

Make your own top. Getting it flat enough from two pieces of 1/2 or 3/4
ply or MDF is no trick at all. You can buy an insert plate or make one
from acrylic or polycarbonate or phenolic that will work fine. It's
just not that hard to do and it's a good exercise in using the router.
A sheet of melamine on top gives you a nice smooth working surface.

New Yankee Workshop has plans and a howto video for a very nice router
table http://www.newyankee.com/getproduct.php?0301.

"Woodworking with the Router"
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Woodworking-Router-Professional-Techniques-Woodworker/dp/1565234391/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267809827&sr=8-1
has plans for a very similar design and IIRC for a couple of simpler ones.

Pat's site refers you to an issue of Fine Woodworking with a howto on
his quite excellent fence, which is a thing of beauty--that article is
available online but you have to have a subscription to Fine Woodworking
Online Edition. If you want something with more range of adjustment an
Incra or Jointech would be a good bet--you'd do better to spend there
than on a top IMO.






graham.

On Mar 5, 9:08*am, graham wrote:
Hello all,

I'm about to buy a router primarily for table use, plus a table!
I don't have a lot to spend, so...

I've pretty much decided on the larger Triton (TRB001) because it looks
like the height adjustment will work reasonably well under the table and
the bits can be changed above the table - this way I can avoid any fancy
raisers or tilting table tops etc.
I know Triton went bust a while back but it looks like they're back in
business - does anyone know if they're still being msde in Oz and if the
quality is still there?

The table is a bigger problem - it seems they easily cost more than the
router. Oh dear.
My initial plan was some cobbled together birch ply thing, but at the
least I'd have to get some kind of inset plate, and I'd probably always
struggle to get the thing flat. And if it's not flat it's going to be a
total pain to use!
So I thought maybe I should buy the top, and a fence, and just build the
base. Maybe the veritas top, though it's pricey and small.
But if I'm going to do that wouldn't it make sense to just buy a large
cast iron top, because that would be, and stay, reliably flat?
Here in the UK the choices seem to be:
Record Power -http://www.recordpower.co.uk/index.php?section=product&seq=663&cat=18...
for around £300
Charnwood -http://www.charnwood.net/ProductDesc.jsp?cat=15&stockref=W015for around
£280

I wonder if anyone has any experience of these, and whether they're
worth bothering with. I have the Record Power drill press and it's
pretty rubbish, and even though a flat bit of cast iron shouldn't be too
much to ask my guess is that the rest of it will probably be fairly ropey..

All opinions gratefully received.

I'd spend more money on a router lift and fence before a cast iron
top, but that's me.

On Mar 5, 9:39*am, graham wrote:
SonomaProducts.com wrote on 05/03/2010 17:20:

way sometimes with the plate that came with it in a
bundled kit.

The Freud looks reasonable, and the 3000 appears to have some kind of
above-table adjustment too - can anyone comment on whether it's any good?

snip

If you glue two pieces of 3/4 mdf together they can pretty much only
be flat. They are not going to warp unless you really work at it.

I think if you do a search on this newsgroup for Freud you will find
up and down comments. I have no prob with it accept for the on-off
switch which seems flakey until you figure out how to use it. But if
you are in a table and have it connected to an external switch, no
problemo.

wrote in message
...
On Mar 5, 9:08 am, graham wrote:
Hello all,

I'm about to buy a router primarily for table use, plus a table!
I don't have a lot to spend, so...

I've pretty much decided on the larger Triton (TRB001) because it looks
like the height adjustment will work reasonably well under the table and
the bits can be changed above the table - this way I can avoid any fancy
raisers or tilting table tops etc.
I know Triton went bust a while back but it looks like they're back in
business - does anyone know if they're still being msde in Oz and if the
quality is still there?

The table is a bigger problem - it seems they easily cost more than the
router. Oh dear.
My initial plan was some cobbled together birch ply thing, but at the
least I'd have to get some kind of inset plate, and I'd probably always
struggle to get the thing flat. And if it's not flat it's going to be a
total pain to use!
So I thought maybe I should buy the top, and a fence, and just build the
base. Maybe the veritas top, though it's pricey and small.
But if I'm going to do that wouldn't it make sense to just buy a large
cast iron top, because that would be, and stay, reliably flat?
Here in the UK the choices seem to be:
Record
Power -http://www.recordpower.co.uk/index.php?section=product&seq=663&cat=18...
for around £300
Charnwood -http://www.charnwood.net/ProductDesc.jsp?cat=15&stockref=W015for
around
£280

I wonder if anyone has any experience of these, and whether they're
worth bothering with. I have the Record Power drill press and it's
pretty rubbish, and even though a flat bit of cast iron shouldn't be too
much to ask my guess is that the rest of it will probably be fairly ropey.

All opinions gratefully received.

I'd spend more money on a router lift and fence before a cast iron
top, but that's me.

Actually a Triton comes with built in lifting and adjustment provisions,
there would be no place to attach an aftermarket lift.

"graham" wrote in message
...
Hello all,

I'm about to buy a router primarily for table use, plus a table!
I don't have a lot to spend, so...

I've pretty much decided on the larger Triton (TRB001) because it looks
like the height adjustment will work reasonably well under the table and
the bits can be changed above the table - this way I can avoid any fancy
raisers or tilting table tops etc.
I know Triton went bust a while back but it looks like they're back in
business - does anyone know if they're still being msde in Oz and if the
quality is still there?

I am not so sure they went bust as they have always been available in the
US. I heard about their marketing problems however I think it was a region
thing.

Anyway, I have a Triton hanging under a BenchDog table, not the cast ioron
one. Actually, BenchDog table fence and free stanging cabinet.

I want for nothing different.

www.benchdog.com

CMT markets a very similar set up.

On Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:39:58 +0000, graham wrote:

When I mentioned the problem of flatness, I was thinking of the table as
a whole. The preferred method of construction seems to be a thick piece
or two of MDF with some kind of smooth surface layer laminated to it.

MDF will sag over time, but you can avoid that if you're willing to
remove the router when not using the table. Or build a torsion box and
use that for the table.

--
Intelligence is an experiment that failed - G. B. Shaw

On 3/5/2010 4:20 PM, SonomaProducts.com wrote:

If you glue two pieces of 3/4 mdf together they can pretty much only
be flat. They are not going to warp unless you really work at it.

I think if you do a search on this newsgroup for Freud you will find
up and down comments. I have no prob with it accept for the on-off
switch which seems flakey until you figure out how to use it. But if
you are in a table and have it connected to an external switch, no
problemo.


gasp this was NOT a top post?!!




--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/22/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

On 3/5/2010 8:06 PM, Larry Blanchard wrote:
On Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:39:58 +0000, graham wrote:

When I mentioned the problem of flatness, I was thinking of the table as
a whole. The preferred method of construction seems to be a thick piece
or two of MDF with some kind of smooth surface layer laminated to it.

MDF will sag over time, but you can avoid that if you're willing to
remove the router when not using the table. Or build a torsion box and
use that for the table.

Mine has had a 3 HP Porter-Cable hanging under it for going on 10 years
now and hasn't sagged. If your inch and a half thick MDF is sagging you
got ripped off.

On 3/5/2010 7:06 PM, Larry Blanchard wrote:
On Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:39:58 +0000, graham wrote:

When I mentioned the problem of flatness, I was thinking of the table as
a whole. The preferred method of construction seems to be a thick piece
or two of MDF with some kind of smooth surface layer laminated to it.

MDF will sag over time, but you can avoid that if you're willing to
remove the router when not using the table. Or build a torsion box and
use that for the table.

In the same way that Sonoma suggested elsewhere in this thread, I made my
router table about 10 years ago by gluing two big 32" x 43" x 3/4" pieces of
MDF together (using contact cement), then covered all six surfaces (top,
bottom, and sides) with thick white phenolic laminate (i.e., "formica"; and
again, using contact cement). That sumbitch has stayed dead flat ever since,
and my big 3HP 3612C never leaves the table.

--
See Nad. See Nad go. Go Nad!
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

On 5 Mar, 15:08, graham wrote:

Here in the UK the choices seem to be:

Build it
http://www.codesmiths.com/shed/works.../router_table/

On Fri, 5 Mar 2010 16:35:15 -0600, "Leon" wrote:


wrote in message
...
On Mar 5, 9:08 am, graham wrote:
Hello all,

I'm about to buy a router primarily for table use, plus a table!
I don't have a lot to spend, so...

I've pretty much decided on the larger Triton (TRB001) because it looks
like the height adjustment will work reasonably well under the table and
the bits can be changed above the table - this way I can avoid any fancy
raisers or tilting table tops etc.
I know Triton went bust a while back but it looks like they're back in
business - does anyone know if they're still being msde in Oz and if the
quality is still there?

The table is a bigger problem - it seems they easily cost more than the
router. Oh dear.
My initial plan was some cobbled together birch ply thing, but at the
least I'd have to get some kind of inset plate, and I'd probably always
struggle to get the thing flat. And if it's not flat it's going to be a
total pain to use!
So I thought maybe I should buy the top, and a fence, and just build the
base. Maybe the veritas top, though it's pricey and small.
But if I'm going to do that wouldn't it make sense to just buy a large
cast iron top, because that would be, and stay, reliably flat?
Here in the UK the choices seem to be:
Record
Power -http://www.recordpower.co.uk/index.php?section=product&seq=663&cat=18...
for around £300
Charnwood -http://www.charnwood.net/ProductDesc.jsp?cat=15&stockref=W015for
around
£280

I wonder if anyone has any experience of these, and whether they're
worth bothering with. I have the Record Power drill press and it's
pretty rubbish, and even though a flat bit of cast iron shouldn't be too
much to ask my guess is that the rest of it will probably be fairly ropey.

All opinions gratefully received.

I'd spend more money on a router lift and fence before a cast iron
top, but that's me.

Actually a Triton comes with built in lifting and adjustment provisions,
there would be no place to attach an aftermarket lift.

My lift attaches to the base plate. But that still leaves the fence.

On 3/5/2010 9:08 AM, graham wrote:
Hello all,

I'm about to buy a router primarily for table use, plus a table!
I don't have a lot to spend, so...

I've admired this shop-built table since I first saw it:

http://www.woodcentral.com/shots/shot666.shtml

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

On Mar 6, 6:41*pm, Morris Dovey wrote:
On 3/5/2010 9:08 AM, graham wrote:

Hello all,

I'm about to buy a router primarily for table use, plus a table!
I don't have a lot to spend, so...

I've admired this shop-built table since I first saw it:

* *http://www.woodcentral.com/shots/shot666.shtml

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USAhttp://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

Keith made a beautiful job of that. All I would do differently is due
to my access to quartz. A solid black quartz top wouls be just
loverly.

r

On Sat, 6 Mar 2010 16:35:38 -0800 (PST), Robatoy
wrote:

On Mar 6, 6:41*pm, Morris Dovey wrote:
On 3/5/2010 9:08 AM, graham wrote:

Hello all,

I'm about to buy a router primarily for table use, plus a table!
I don't have a lot to spend, so...

I've admired this shop-built table since I first saw it:

* *http://www.woodcentral.com/shots/shot666.shtml

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USAhttp://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

Keith made a beautiful job of that. All I would do differently is due
to my access to quartz. A solid black quartz top wouls be just
loverly.

....and paint it Ridgid orange? ;-)

The table is a bigger problem - it seems they easily cost more than the
router. Oh dear.


Personal Opinion Follows:

I know this sounds blasphemous but how perfect of a table do you
need? One of the most gifted woodworkers I have met used a pretty
basic table to do beautiful work (CAREFULLY). It consists of a piece
of plywood with a very ugly Formica top that he got from a scrap
pile. He used a Rousseau phenolic plate. His fence was a piece of 2x
with a notch cut out for the bit and held to the table with two
clamps.

Mine is a little nicer but still cheap. It is mounted between the
wings of my table saw and consists of a double layer of 3/4" Baltic
birch P/W banded with oak. I too use the Rousseau plate. My fence is
much more elaborate; adapted from some of the commercial tables. The
framework is Baltic birch P/W and the face is MDF. The face uses
sliding lower panels (for bit clearance) and a T-rail. It also has a
dust collection port that works pretty well with my shop vac. With
the exception of the dust port fittings and some threaded lever
handles, the entire table came from my remnant bin.

The point is.....If you have that bunch of tools in your shop, a
little web-surfing, ingenuity and the scrap bin can often provide a
good solution.

RonB

Nice base - made to look like a cast iron machine.

Martin

Morris Dovey wrote:
On 3/5/2010 9:08 AM, graham wrote:
Hello all,

I'm about to buy a router primarily for table use, plus a table!
I don't have a lot to spend, so...

I've admired this shop-built table since I first saw it:

http://www.woodcentral.com/shots/shot666.shtml

Morris Dovey wrote:

On 3/5/2010 9:08 AM, graham wrote:
Hello all,

I'm about to buy a router primarily for table use, plus a table!
I don't have a lot to spend, so...

I've admired this shop-built table since I first saw it:

http://www.woodcentral.com/shots/shot666.shtml


Yep. Keith Bonn used to post here. That was an awesome table project.


--

There is never a situation where having more rounds is a disadvantage

Rob Leatham

Wow, thanks for all the responses guys, you've been a great help.

I've taken on board the points of simplicity and sufficiency and will go
the build route. I can always change it later..

My plan now is a simple benchtop table, a box made of 3/4" birch ply
(because I have some), with webs from side to side to support the top
(ie. enable me to clamp the top down to it when I fail to make it
properly flat).

For the top I'm uncertain - I could use more birch ply, or go the MDF
route. Either way I'm uncertain of the laminating - surely wide areas
like this require a great deal of force to provide enough pressure on
the glue joint?
And with all that force (presumbaly via curved battens) it seems likely
that the panels will flex and then set non-flat?
Adding the Formica (UK trade name for phenolic sheet) ditto, and that's
not cheap stuff either - though I could always (not) add this later..
For starters I think I might just go with a single sheet of thick
mdf/ply - whatever the yard has in.

Biggest issue of the moment is what insert plate to buy - I want to be
able to get the router nice and high for bit changing, so I don't want
to clamp it to the underside of a thick table.
Phenolic seems to be the material of choice - strong and more vibration
damping than aluminium.
I'm inclined to either the Kreg
(http://www.kregtool.com/products/prs...?PRODUCT_ID=95) or
Woodpecker (http://www.woodpeck.com/tlrphenolicplate.html) as both have
solid fixing reducer rings. Is there anything to choose between these?
There is also one made by Trend
(http://www.trend-uk.com/en/UK/produc...rt_plate_.html)
which interestingly has a 0.8mm crown; I'm not convinced this is a good
idea - surely a flat table with a flat plate is the best?? It also has
snap-in reducer rings which doesn't seem great if a guide bush is then
used in that.

On the subject of guide bushes, the only ones in that screw-in style
seem to be made by Trend (bottom of this page
http://www.trend-uk.com/en/UK/produc...e_Bushes.html), and
extend 6.35mm - ie. just a bit more than you'd want for a template made
of 1/4" material! What's the point in that?


I'll probably knock up a simple fence with something like this
http://www.tilgear.info/products/88/...and_dust_hood/ and use
that until I know what I really want.

thanks again,
graham.



ps - I bought the Freud FT3000 for its above table features (above table
bit changes, shaft locks when fully raised, height adjustment from above
the table - it seems like a basic but functional router). It felt more
solid and I liked the collet better than the big Triton (I especially
dislike the triton insert for the 1/4", not that I suppose I'll use many
1/4" bits).

On Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:31:18 -0700, the infamous Mark & Juanita
scrawled the following:

Morris Dovey wrote:

On 3/5/2010 9:08 AM, graham wrote:
Hello all,

I'm about to buy a router primarily for table use, plus a table!
I don't have a lot to spend, so...

I've admired this shop-built table since I first saw it:

http://www.woodcentral.com/shots/shot666.shtml


Yep. Keith Bonn used to post here. That was an awesome table project.

Hey, _I_ remember Bonn, Keef Bonn! I preferred it in blue tape. Now
it looks like a Naval deli counter. If it weren't gray, it'd be a
nice deli counter, though.

--
The blind are not good trailblazers.

-- federal judge Frank Easterbrook

On 3/7/2010 4:01 PM, graham wrote:
Wow, thanks for all the responses guys, you've been a great help.

I've taken on board the points of simplicity and sufficiency and will go
the build route. I can always change it later..

My plan now is a simple benchtop table, a box made of 3/4" birch ply
(because I have some), with webs from side to side to support the top
(ie. enable me to clamp the top down to it when I fail to make it
properly flat).

For the top I'm uncertain - I could use more birch ply, or go the MDF
route. Either way I'm uncertain of the laminating - surely wide areas
like this require a great deal of force to provide enough pressure on
the glue joint?
And with all that force (presumbaly via curved battens) it seems likely
that the panels will flex and then set non-flat?
Adding the Formica (UK trade name for phenolic sheet) ditto, and that's
not cheap stuff either - though I could always (not) add this later..
For starters I think I might just go with a single sheet of thick
mdf/ply - whatever the yard has in.

If you use 3/4" MDF that's usually pretty damn flat; if you glue two of them
together any warping will almost certainly be canceled out and the result will
be DAMN flat. Applying the laminate should be done with contact cement, and no
battens or undo force is required; just a rubber roller. Apply contact cement
to both surfaces (the MDF and the back side of the laminate) according to the
instructions on the product (usually you let it dry about 10 or 15 minutes);
the MDF will need a second coat because it's very absorbent. Lay a series of
long 1/4 dowels down on the MDF (if the cement is dry they won't stick) about
6" apart, then set the laminate down on the dowels (so the glued surfaces don't
meet; you have ONE chance to get the positioning right or you're screwed).
Once you have the laminate positioned correctly, pull out the center-most dowel
and push the laminate down towards the MDF surface with your rubber roller.
This will adhere the two together hard and fast, then you gradually work the
roller from the center towards each end, pulling another dowel out as needed;
this lets you get the laminate glued in place without trapping any air pockets
underneath. Be firm and thorough with the roller, making sure the laminate is
completely adhered before progressing further towards each end. Use the
appropriate router bit to trim the laminate flush.

The advantage of having a smooth surface such as laminate is that you can pass
the workpiece through the cut with little to no friction. Keep the laminate
clean and waxed, and you'll never have a workpiece grab or drag while you're
cutting it, which can be very frustrating and sometimes downright dangerous.

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Stuart wrote on 08/03/2010 09:32:
In ,
wrote:
which interestingly has a 0.8mm crown; I'm not convinced this is a good
idea - surely a flat table with a flat plate is the best??

The principle behind it is that when you have the weight of a heavy router
pulling down underneath it becomes flat. If you start flat you are likely
to finish up with a slightly dished effect unless you have a nicely ribbed
bit of cast iron or Al.

Yikes - that's a bit hit or miss then as it would depend on the weight
of the router; presumably there should be different amounts of crown for
different routers!
More importantly, with a 6kg router how much deflection should one
expect in a standard sized ~9"x12" insert?

thanks,
graham.

Steve Turner wrote on 07/03/2010 23:52:
On 3/7/2010 4:01 PM, graham wrote:
Wow, thanks for all the responses guys, you've been a great help.

I've taken on board the points of simplicity and sufficiency and will go
the build route. I can always change it later..

My plan now is a simple benchtop table, a box made of 3/4" birch ply
(because I have some), with webs from side to side to support the top
(ie. enable me to clamp the top down to it when I fail to make it
properly flat).

For the top I'm uncertain - I could use more birch ply, or go the MDF
route. Either way I'm uncertain of the laminating - surely wide areas
like this require a great deal of force to provide enough pressure on
the glue joint?
And with all that force (presumbaly via curved battens) it seems likely
that the panels will flex and then set non-flat?
Adding the Formica (UK trade name for phenolic sheet) ditto, and that's
not cheap stuff either - though I could always (not) add this later..
For starters I think I might just go with a single sheet of thick
mdf/ply - whatever the yard has in.

If you use 3/4" MDF that's usually pretty damn flat; if you glue two of
them together any warping will almost certainly be canceled out and the
result will be DAMN flat.

I was thinking that under the pressure of my battens I could flex both
pieces in the same direction.. Or have I misunderstood?

snip - Great tips for applying the laminate - thanks

graham.

On 3/8/10 11:40 AM, graham wrote:
Stuart wrote on 08/03/2010 09:32:
In ,
wrote:
which interestingly has a 0.8mm crown; I'm not convinced this is a good
idea - surely a flat table with a flat plate is the best??

The principle behind it is that when you have the weight of a
heavy router pulling down underneath it becomes flat. If you start
flat you are likely to finish up with a slightly dished effect
unless you have a nicely ribbed bit of cast iron or Al.

Yikes - that's a bit hit or miss then as it would depend on the weight
of the router; presumably there should be different amounts of crown for
different routers!
More importantly, with a 6kg router how much deflection should one
expect in a standard sized ~9"x12" insert?

thanks,
graham.


I was thinking the same thing. What if you don't have an 80 pound
router? :-)
Then you're stuck with this annoying crown. All things being equal and
given the choice of a crown or dip in the mounting plate, I would choose
a dip every time.

You can't adjust for a crown-- you will always have long stock rocking
on the table, as it travels over the crown.
You can easily adjust for a dip-- just raise the bit a tiny amount to
compensate, and long stock with never rock up and down on the table.

In any case.... get Phenolic and don't worry about it.


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