Table saw extension for router

[pingj]

Hi all. First time poster with a question. I have a Craftsman contractor series TS that I want to mount my router to. I have seen the mounting extensions sold by Sears and Rockler. Both are fine, but being a Yankee at heart I know I can build it better and cheaper. Has anybody done this that could give me some ideas, and advice?
Thanks

[Super Ry]

Hey there - WELCOME TO THE CHAT BOX :)

You most certainly can and should build it yourself. I'm getting ready to put one in myself. Marc, one of our original members here had some great pics of his set up. I'll try and wade through the forum search and see if I can't get em up for ya to see.

... Dough, still gettin some bugs worked out from the server switch. Forum Search doesn't work - I'll drop Lee a line and let em know.

Edit
Ha I am a super genious (sp?) <-HA!!! Check out http://ww2.woodworking.com/dcforum/DCForumID5/2618.html

[gritter63]

Hi there Pingj;

I am also planning to build a router table extension for my table saw, which is a Makita 2708 (8") benchtop saw on a stand. I just finished the left side and out-feed extensions. I used 3/4" MDF, 1/2" MDF, and 1/4" Masonite glued together to form the top. It's pretty solid, although I am finding that the Masonite is rather easily pitted if I stick the corner of a board into it. For my Router table extension, I plan to go with 3/4" Baltic Birch Plywood with a Phenolic cover, available from Woodpeckers.com. They also have the Inserts and Router Lift I want to use. Check out their sites for various parts for routers and tables. Hope this helps.

Gritter

[TDHofstetter]

I did ... wait.

Welcome!

I did that - first as a leftside wing on my crosscutting saw, then again as a leftside wing on my recently-completed "SuperFrankenSaw". I used MDF as my substrate, topped with plastic laminate (hard as heck) and rimmed with 3/4" oak banding. For the router plate I turned to phenolic because it's so ridig. Oops, "rigid". :)

It's late & I'm all busted up from a hard day's work... Can't speel to safe my live... :)

Thus far I've only punched mounting holes in the plate for my giant Freud router, but one of these days I'll drill it for the Porter-Cable, too. I won't bother with either of the two cheapie routers...

I HAVE custom-punched another fella's router plate for him, since I've got my own machinery with which to do that job quickly & WAAAY precisely. Even came up with a fairly decent "universal" mounting pattern that'll take more'n half the routers on the shelves today.

Your router-table extension can be heavily customized to your own specific needs. It won't be as granite-solid as the superb solid-cast-iron router tables out on the market, but it can be made to work for you very well. You can use your table saw's fence for it, you can add your own pin-router arm at a later date without much fuss (I'm still in the process of mounting mine), you can do all sorts of neat stuff... like add a swiveling horizontal-router mounting blade for routing mortises. Add a sliding table. Your imagination & ingenuity will be your biggest limiting factors. :)

-- Tim --


Be not afraid of growing slowly,
Be instead afraid of standing still.
- Chinese Proverb -

[pingj]

Thanks for all the great replies. Super RY, the pics of Marc's setup gave me some great ideas. Especially the dust collector box. His set up is very similar to what I had in mind.
There is one thing that I'm looking for that none of the posts have covered though. That is how others have tackled the "how to mount it problem"? I have the standard fence on my TS and have no need at this point to replace it with the INCRA. For the type of work I do I can't justify the expence. I would appreciate any and all ideas of how to mount the extension. I was planning on using a piece of counter top since it already has the formica on it and glueing a piece of 3/4" plywood to it to beef it up some. Do I need to put a brace from the underside of the extension to the legs of the TS, or will the tubing from the fence be enough?

[Super Ry]

Check Marcs pic again. Looks like he took off the left wing of the TS. This should allow bolts from the fence, TS top (center part) and any bracing behind the TS (possibly a rear fence rail) to secure the router table top from 3 sides. You could also attach some brackets from the side of the saw (under the top) that would angle up to the underside of the router table. This would require some holes in the side of your saw - but would prolly offer a lot of stability.