A Versatile

Router Table
This economical design
is capable of conventional,
overhead, or horizontal routing
B Y

K E V I N

M c L A U G H L I N

ver the years I looked at a lot of router-table

designs, but every one I came across lacked
one feature or another. Shopmade router
tables usually are limited to tabletop routing and fall
short if you want to do anything more, like mount the
router horizontally or use an overhead pin routing
guide. The same is true for most store-bought tables.
My own router-table design combines all of the features I was after. The table I arrived at is easy to build,
and it can be made with low-cost materials. Above
all, because it accommodates the router in a variety
of orientations, it can handle any cut that I could possibly think of making.
With the router mounted horizontally in an adjustable carriage, the table is set up ideally for cutting
sliding dovetails or mortise-and-tenons. And shaping

A D J U S TA B L E C A R R I AG E A D D S V E R S AT I L I T Y

An adjustable carriage holds the router in its horizontal cutting position (left) and
acts as a base to mount overhead attachments, such as a pin routing guide (right)
for template-guided cuts.

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FINE WOODWORKING

R O U T E R-TA B L E C O N S T R U C T I O N
The tabletop and back are
melamine and joined with
a miter to provide a
smooth, unobstructed
surface for routing. The
recess in the center of the
table allows the router
baseplate to sit flush with
the tabletop. Size the
opening in the top so that
the router can be lowered
in from above. The
measurements in the
drawing may need to be
modified should you use
different hardware.

Cutout for
horizontal
router bit,
4 in. wide by
3 12 in. high

Cutout for
sacrificial block,
3 34 in. wide by
5 in. long

Sacrificial block for

horizontal routing

Miter-gauge
slot, 38 in. deep
by 58 in. wide

Melamine back,
4 in. thick by
24 in. wide by
8 in. long
3

Melamine top,
24 in. wide by
18 18 in. deep

Recess for
router
baseplate,
3
8 in. deep

Opening in stop block

for sacrificial block,
2 34 in. wide by
3 in. long

Ledge,
1 in. wide,
supports
baseplate.
Left and right
upper rails,
17 12 in. long

Front and back

upper rails,
17 34 in. long

Legs, 35 14 in. long

Framing squares ensure a 90 fit. Clamp the

top and back to two Speed Squares, and then
clamp the mitered joint.

Rout the inset

in the top.
Clamp router
guides in place,
then rout a ledge
into the top. The
router baseplate
should sit flush
with the top.

Back panel,
17 34 in. wide
by 25 in. long

Bottom panel,
17 34 in. wide by
15 in. long, is
notched for the
four legs.

NO-FRILL S S TAND
To keep down costs, the stand is constructed with
2x4s milled flat on a jointer and planer. The top
part of the stand is screwed to the tabletop with
158-in. drywall screws; the legs and bottom frame
require longer screws. McLaughlin added a 25-lb.
weight housed in the lower frame to anchor the
router table.

Photos: Matt Berger; drawings: Jim Richey

Left and right

lower rails,
15 in. long

Front and back

lower rails,
20 34 in. long

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59

T H E A D J U S TA B L E C A R R I AG E
CL AMP-BLOC K DETAIL
Threaded brass
inserts, spaced
7 34 in. between
centers

Melamine panel,
3
4 in. thick by
11 34 in. wide by
23 34 in. long

Router-bit hole,
1 12 in. dia.
Frame for router
baseplate,
3
4 in. thick
by 1 in. wide

Upper rail,
1 12 in.
thick by
2 34 in.
wide

Carriage bolts and threaded knobs keep the

clamps in place. The steel dowels keep the
carriage in line.

Steel
dowels,
1
4 in. dia.
by 1 12 in.
long

Carriage bolt
Clamp block

Carriage bolts,
16 tpi by 38 in.
dia. by 3 in.
long

Hex nut, inset

in lower rail
Threaded rod, 10 tpi
by 34 in. dia.
Threaded brass
inserts, spaced
6 14 in. between
centers, vertically

Wheel, 5 12 in. dia.

with 34-in.-dia.
center hole

Hex nuts above and

below wheel
Lower rail,
1 12 in. thick by
2 12 in. wide
Lower adjustment rail,
1 12 in. thick by 3 in.
wide by 17 34 in. long

FINE WOODWORKING

Flat-bottom hole for

threaded rod, 1316 in.
dia. by 1 516 in. deep
Handle
with 14-in.
threaded
bolts

Flat washer, 34 in. dia.,

placed in bottom of hole
in lower adjustment rail

Back
panel
Back of
table

Clamp
blocks,
1 12 in.
thick by
3 12 in.
wide by
8 in. long

Through-hole,
3
4 in. dia.

60

Steel
dowel

the edge of a wide board doesnt require

balancing unwieldy material on end.
The adjustable carriage also doubles as a
base to mount several overhead attachments. A pin routing guide makes the table
useful for template-routing. A fence guard
is easy to set up for safety. Finally, a horizontal carriage attachment allows the
router to be mounted upright above the
table surface and the workpiece. In this orientation, you can reference the flat side of
the workpiece on the tabletop, which is
helpful when removing wide areas of material or when cutting irregular moldings.
With such a simple system for mounting attachments, I can build new ones to tackle
any tasks I think of down the road.
The adjustable carriage moves in a true
vertical line perpendicular to the tabletop,
so overhead attachments can rest on top
and be moved up and down while remaining parallel to the tabletop, a design thats
critical to using the overhead attachments effectively. This construction method differs
from most horizontal router tables on
which the router height is adjusted on a
single pivot point, and the router moves up
and down in an arc when its raised and
lowered.

The table is built

with inexpensive materials
The construction of the router table is relatively simple. The stand is made of 2x4s
held together with drywall screws. This is a
sturdy and inexpensive method that can be
modified easily if you want to add drawers
or make an enclosed cabinet. Allow the

A frame on the back of the adjustable carriage holds a router baseplate. The frame
supports a horizontally mounted router. The upper rail also supports overhead attachments.

Mount the adjustable carriage to the table.

Clamp the carriage in place so that it sits perpendicular to the tabletop. Drill holes for carriage bolts and steel dowels.

Clamp blocks secure the adjustable carriage. The clamp blocks fit over the carriage
bolts and steel dowels and are tightened in
place with threaded handles.

2x4s to acclimate in your shop so that they

dont move significantly after the table
has been constructed, and mill them on a
jointer and planer to help the parts fit together squarely.
For the tabletop and adjustable carriage I
used 34-in.-thick melamine. I purchased precut shelving material from a local home
center. The precut material is easier to handle, but a 4-ft. by 8-ft. sheet also will do. I
chose melamine because it has a slick finish and is extremely flat. The various attachments are constructed with melamine
and 34-in.-thick birch plywood.

Start with a flat tabletop

Begin by choosing a router-table baseplate,
and build the tabletop to accommodate it. I
chose the Bench Dog ProPlate, available
from Woodcraft for $30. It has a simple design with openings that can accommodate
several bit diameters.
The router-table top consists of a horizontal surface and a vertical back piece
that are joined with a mitered edge. Care
must be taken to ensure the top and back
join at a perfect 90.
Rough-cut the pieces 18-in. oversize, and
trim them to exact dimensions using a
router and a flush-trimming bit. This method
will leave a clean edge on the melamine,
unlike a tablesaw blade, which tends to
chip the edges. Before assembling the two
pieces, cut an opening in the back edge of
the tabletop where the bit will be exposed
when the router is mounted in its horizontal cutting position. This opening will hold
a sacrificial block that can be replaced pe-

Two ways to set the adjustable-carriage height. The position of the carriage can be finely adjusted with a wheel. Gross adjustments are made by moving the lower adjustment rail to different
positions on the table legs.

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61

U S E F U L AC C E S S O R I E S
This router table can be modified easily to accommodate various routing tasks. With the router mounted upside down in the table, you can
make use of several overhead attachments. For example, a pin guide allows for easy template-routing. McLaughlin built four attachments
for his router table, shown here. They follow only one standard requirement: They must attach to the top of the adjustable carriage with
two threaded bolts with handles that are placed 734 in. apart from center to center.
Threaded bolts
with handles

OVERHEAD ROUTER CARRIAGE

Threaded bolts
with handles,
spaced 6 14 in.
between centers
1 12-in.-dia.
hole for
router bit.

Router

Profile bit
Flat side of
workpiece is
registered off
the table.

An overhead router carriage holds the router upright above the table, allowing the flat
side of a workpiece to be referenced on the tabletop.

riodically. Once the opening has been cut,

the top and back can be glued together.
Next, make a 2x4 frame to reinforce the
tabletop. When building the frame, mill
the 2x4s on the jointer and planer to get
flat surfaces and right angles. This will prevent the top from warping when it is
mounted on the frame. Assemble the
pieces on a flat surface, and glue and
screw them together. Then mount the
tabletop to the frame with drywall screws
and attach it to the stand.
Build the tabletopWith the top of the
table assembled, make the remaining cuts
on its worksurface to accommodate the

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FINE WOODWORKING

baseplate and miter gauge. First, cut a recess

into the tabletop for the baseplate. The baseplate must sit flush with the table, so the
depth of cut is determined by the thickness
of the baseplate. Cut the opening to match
the baseplate. To do that, make a guide for
the router to follow by clamping a straightedge and two right-angle squares onto the
tabletop (see the bottom photo on p. 59).
Within the area that has been recessed,
use a jigsaw to cut the opening for the
router housing. I have a dedicated router
that I use with this table, and I find its easiest to just drop it into the table from above
with the baseplate attached. This requires
that the router opening be cut with enough

Fence

clearance to accept the machine. You

should leave at least a 1-in. ledge at the narrowest spot to support the baseplate.
Finally, cut a slot along the width of the
table surface for the miter gauge. Then attach the top and frame to the stand.

Construct the adjustable carriage

Cut the melamine back panel to size, then
attach a frame to its back side. The frame
not only holds the router in a horizontal
position, ensuring that the router does not
shift during use, but it also strengthens the
back panel. Install two threaded brass inserts inside the frame for mounting the
baseplate. Finally, drill a hole with a

PIN ROUTING GUIDE

FENCE GUARD
A clear plastic shield keeps
fingers away from the bit when
the router is mounted upside
down in the table. A flattened
2x4 clamped to the table
makes an adequate fence.

A steel dowel, positioned in-line with a non-bearing straight router bit,

is used for template-routing. The template is guided along the pin while
the router bit cuts the workpiece to match. The pin guide is attached to
the adjustable carriage. First, locate the hole for the pin by lowering the
carriage while the router is running. When the bit hits the attachment,
the dimple left behind pinpoints the location of the pin.

Adjustable
plastic
faceplate

Threaded bolts
with handles
Adjustment
knobs

VAC U U M - H O S E AT TAC H M E N T
This adjustable overhead
attachment places a shopvacuum hose right where you
need it.
Threaded bolts
with handles

Adjustment
knob

Open area to view

work from above
Hole for
vacuum hose
Steel dowel,
1
2 in. dia.

Hole for
vacuum hose

Threaded bolts
with handles

Forstner bit through the back panel where

the router bit will be exposed.
The carriage has an upper rail to support
overhead attachments. A lower rail is attached to the bottom edge of the carriage
to house one end of the system for finely
adjusting the height of the carriage.

should be snug between the pins to prevent

it from moving from side to side. The clamp
blocks fit over the dowels and are further
secured to the back with threaded bolts
with handles. Loosening the bolts allows the
carriage to slide up and down. Tightening
the bolts secures the carriage in place.

Set up the adjustable carriage to slide

verticallyThe carriage is held in place
with four steel 14-in.-dia. dowels and two
L-shaped wood clamp blocks, which secure
it to the table.
To make the sliding assembly, drill and
drive the steel dowels into the back of the
tabletop. The back panel of the carriage

Build the system for making fine

height adjustmentsFine adjustments
are made by turning a wooden wheel thats
attached to a threaded rod. The lower rail
on the adjustable carriage accepts one end
of the threaded rod. Another rail is bolted
to the legs to accept the other end of the
threaded rod.

When constructing the adjustment system,

use a 34-in.-dia. 10-tpi threaded rod. One full
turn of the wheel will move the carriage up
or down 110 in. For large adjustments, pairs
of brass inserts in three positions along the
legs allow the rail to be unbolted and repositioned manually. Set in the lowest position, the top edge of the carriage should sit
flush with the tabletop. The other positions
will raise the carriage enough to mount the
overhead attachments. The brass inserts
can be set in various positions to accommodate attachments of your own design.

Kevin McLaughlin is a mechanical designer and

machinist by trade living in Helena, Ala.
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