May | 2016 | Blood, Sweat, and Sawdust

May 27, 2016

Building the Perfect Router Table

I experienced a love hate-relationship with my small, bench-top router table. I regretted selling it, but it was a pain to use. I promised myself that I would build a better one as soon as I got moved into the new shop. That’s exactly what I did.

Finding inspiration in Norm Abram’s Deluxe Router Station, I designed a custom table that exceeds the capabilities of the best pre-built options. It has an integrated lift and a dedicated motor (no more pulling the motor for plunge duties). It also has a large top, sturdy fence, and excellent dust collection. Better yet, it has lots of storage and is completely mobile.

I made the base from 3/4-inch birch plywood. I constructed the case using dado joints. This makes a sturdy base that is easy to glue-up.

I made the top by laminating two sheets of MDF and covering that with a thin sheet of laminate. Then, I trimmed it with oak and cut dados for a miter slot and t-track. I finished the top by cutting the hole for the router lift.

I enclosed the motor with a small frame-and-panel door. The frame is from oak and the panel is a small piece of Lexan. The door is held in place using magnetic door stops. I love that you can see all the mechanics through the Lexan panel.

The table collects dust using a 4-inch port on the base and a 2.5-inch port on the fence. I built a small ramp inside the base with a hood below.

So far, I’m very happy with the build. The Jessem Mast-R-Lift works flawlessly and it’s nice to have a powerful, dedicate router motor.

I have included the SketchUp at the following link: Router Table

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May 12, 2016

Drill and Driver Storage

Progress on the workshop feels slow. It’s probably because I have taken on too many projects at once. Fortunately, I crossed one project off the list last night. I wanted something that would keep my drills and drivers off the ground; something that would keep them within reach. I found plenty of inspiration on the Internet. This drill and driver storage unit is what I came up with.

I can store all of my drills and drivers in one place. I store the chargers on top, and have a nice little drawer for all of my bits and accessories. The unit mounts to the wall using a french cleat. There is a small power strip secured below the top using adhesive Velcro. The power cord for the strip passes through the side, while the power cables for the chargers pass through the top.

I made the entire unit from 3/4″ birch plywood, and I spent less than $50 for the entire build. That includes plywood, drawer slide, drawer pull, and power strip. I found everything at my local Home Depot. If I hadn’t been tied up with other projects, this little drill and driver storage unit could have been built in a couple of hours. Below, I will include the Sketchup and a couple of drawings. Feel free to customize this for your own tools.

Drill-Driver Storage Sketchup

Stay safe and have fun.

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May 3, 2016

Workshop Complete

It’s done; at least as done as a shop can ever be.

I will blow insulation into the attic space and build some storage units. Aside from that (and the inescapable shop evolution) It is finished.

With the help of my awesome father, I moved everything I had in storage into the new workshop.

Now I can start building. Speaking of building, I built an awesome clamp rack. This one can hold more clamps than my old one and takes up less wall space. I got the idea from Brad at Fix This Build That.

I also installed a wood rack and fire extinguisher. I’m considering adding a second extinguisher on the other side of the shop. You can never be too careful.

I also made up a custom dust fitting for my Minimax Jointer/Planer. I used a 4″ Fernco fitting and a 5-to-6 inch reducer. The Fernco fitting fits snug over the 120mm European port. The 5″ side of the reducer fits over the Fernco fitting. I used silicon adhesive and HVAC tape to secure the Fernco to the reducer.

For my first project, I will build a custom router table complete with a Jessem Mast-R lift and dedicated motor.

Thanks to everyone who helped me with this project. I will have a few follow-up posts that relate to the shop build, so stay tuned.

For the rest of the workshop build, check out the garage workshop build index.