C18Q1 - Randella’s Router Table

randella

I know it’s not strictly guitar-related, but @TTony has graciously agreed to my entry.  I really wanted a proper router table for Christmas but couldn’t find anything that fitted what I need.  

I’m in the middle of making a guitar - pretty sure everyone’s seen someone make a Strat before, but here it is anyway:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/arl1qrrbn34g317/Body%20Template.jpeg?raw=1

I made the body using a very cheap router - it’s going to be painted so I can fill where the router cutter has pulled the grain out.  I’m going to make a neck next, so any grain pullout will render the wood useless.  Any inaccuracy in the cutting of the neck will also render the wood useless.  Using the cheap router on its own, handheld is not an option.

The other problem is this - my ‘workshop’ is really one half of the utility room so I’m limited on space.  I’ve got a couple of workbenches in there, but I’d really rather not use the space on top of those, so the mini-legged table top jobs are out of the question.  I’ve been getting by using a ghetto lash-up with a Workmate and a sheet of MDF topped with acrylic.  It’s not desperately dangerous, but I’d like something safer.  Primarily, it’s also not accurate.  I’d dearly love something with a true surface that was able to, as a basic requirement, cut an accurate 90-degree angle.

So, with that in mind, I’m going to turn this little lot into a router table:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/l3vofj3fuktblcy/Wood%20Pile.jpeg?raw=1

It’s going to be solid, true, and able to be stored away when not in use.  When it is in use, it’s not going to get in my way.

The aforememntioned cheap router has a base that’s not true, but there’s no runout in the collet so I think I can permanently install it in a table with a bit of adjustment.  The saw was a Christmas present from my lovely wife and is going to come in ever so handy, as you can probably see.

I’ve got it all planned out in my mind, so if anyone’s interested I’m going to document it all here.

WezV

yeah.  I keep thinking about making one, but haven't got around to it in the last 15 years

Sporky

I have a spare insert plate somewhere if you want it. Aluminium, two insert rings I think.

WezV

If @randella doesn't i might.... but let him have first dibs

randella

@Sporky - a very kind offer.  With apologies to @WezV that would be an amazing help.  

Let me know what you want for it, and it’ll go to a good home

Sporky

Okey doke. I think it's in the old workshop, will look at the weekend.

randella

First job I had to do was to have a cup of tea and think.  I’d been meaning to make something to sit on, as like all hobbyists I like to do a lot of tea drinking and thinking.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/48w966pst08t1u9/Stool.jpg?raw=1

randella

That done, I went outside to saw some wood.  My new saw is brilliant, I don’t know why I’d not got one before.  The other thing that can be seen in the pic is a Trend ‘Varijig’ which is a lovely bit of kit - it clamps on the wood and gives you a straight edge to saw along.  It holds tight, and has a low-enough profile for the saw to clear; not always the case when you jerry something up with a bit of scrap and clamps.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5y79p6oprp7jv9w/Workmate.jpg?raw=1

Speaking of clamps, this is where we’re up to.  I’ve had all this scrap wood cluttering up the place for months so I’m gluing it all together in the hope that it’ll give me a thick and stable enough table top.  If it all goes tits (which it well might) I’ve not wasted anything apart from some glue and a bit of time.  Worst comes to worst I can just go to my friendly local timber merchant who sells sheet materials at half the price of Wickes.  There’s that Varijig again, it works very well as a light-duty sash cramp.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wqk34l41yayjhql/Clamps.jpg?raw=1

randella

I’ve had a bit of spare time - thankfully - after a pretty full-on first week back at work!  Ugh. I never learn, they’re always ghastly

Anyway, if anyone’s reading this, they might be wondering why I didn’t just use a sheet of 3/4” ply and the answer is that I like messing around with wood.  I’m teaching myself some fundamental techniques - and the first of these is how to use a plane.  Good job I got a couple for Christmas.

The table top is now glued and consists of a pine board made from three nasty old shelves which I took down from the utility room (see above) onto which I’ve glued the scrap 1/2” ply to make a sandwich.

I’m pretty pleased with the result - it’s rock-solid just on its own.  That done, I attacked it with planes to try and level it out a bit:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6jmb2nvl8w66rd1/IMG_20Jan2018at183224.jpg?raw=1

Not perfect, but it’ll do for now:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/c1qaqf1i5t5bviu/IMG_20Jan2018at183336.jpg?raw=1

randella

Finished with planing it, I gave it a going over with the sander and cut it square to about 800x600:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/c9m341s025oazou/IMG_20Jan2018at183311.jpg?raw=1

randella

I’ve discovered a great thing - Wickes sell PAR (Planed All Round) timber designed for making stud walls.  It’s 38mm by 63mm (1.5” by 2.5” in old money) and it’s less than three quid for an eight-foot length.  The downside is you have to spend about an hour trying to find a straight bit, to much amusement from the staff, but when you do it’s very usable:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/26y6seh1f3hp5yz/IMG_20Jan2018at183140.jpg?raw=1

My next woodworking discovery thanks to me dad - the marking gauge.  Simple and singularly effective, in this case for marking a line 19mm from the edge of the work to give me an indication of where to drill for screws:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1ee7wcnpbyp52i6/IMG_20Jan2018at183116.jpg?raw=1

randella

Screws and Titebond:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/095povl4y74pcme/IMG_20Jan2018at183042.jpg?raw=1

If it was solid before, it ain’t ever going to move now:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5ihuxyklocjx7sc/IMG_20Jan2018at182952.jpg?raw=1

Right.  The hour of liquid reward is upon us.  I’m out of here

randella

Added a couple more bits of timber as cross-members at each end. Was going to use two more at even centres, but I put the whole assembly on the floor and stood on it. If it doesn’t flex with 75kg of randella hopping up and down, I think it’ll be fine without. Slapped on some filler to hide the screws too:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ifvb7ux3xa1etix/IMG_21Jan2018at150433.jpg?raw=1

I’m itching to carry on, but I need to saw some wood and it’s lagging it down outside so that’s it ragged off for today - that fire won’t sit in front of itself