new yankee router table plans...............

bob koller

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has anyone ordered these plans and built this table....how does it work, are the plans well laid out and easy to read....how do you like it as your router table....thx................bob
 
I have the plans, but have not built it yet. They are easy to read and have a matrail list in the corner. They also have a cutlist for all stock, which will save lots of time and materail.
 
Hi Bob,

I made a near copy of the NYW improved router table and have been very happy with it. I didn't use the plans for purchase. I just looked at the measurements and made it of my own construction techniques. It reality, it's just a box with other boxes inside. I used birch 3/4" ply, dados and screws but, I did buy a 2" 3x4' sheet of Baltic Birch for the top (I wouldn't do that again, just make the top from 2 pieces of 3/4" ply).
 
I built a different one, but a word about the top. In my experience the "flat" sheet material really isn't. Close enough for most purposes, but for something like the top of a router table probably not. Make it as Chris said out of two pieces of 3/4" material, but do the glue-up on a surface that's as dead flat as you have available, making sure the clamping force is pushing everything against the flat surface. Also try to align the two pieces so that any cupping, etc, in them is opposed, to prevent any tendency to do that in their next life as siamese twins. It might take some extra time up front to do this, but you'll be happy with it for a long time. One other thing...I've had better luck using polyurethane glue (ie, Gorilla Glue) because of its long open time. It can take a few minutes to get everything lined up and poly glue lets you do that. Make it slightly oversize so you can square it up after the glue cures. Good luck.
 
I ordered the plans and generally used them. I made the table deeper based on the adjuster that I purchased 2 years earlier. I purchased a Rockler fence which mates with the adjuster.

One caution do not cut your drawers until you have the carcus assembled. That way your drawers will be EXACTLY the correct width. I had to do so shimming on my.

I also did a simpler dust collect thing which shows up in the pictures.

All in all my router table is probably one of the best tools in my shop. I had NO idea how much it would improve my woodworking.

One mistake I made was to put the mitre rail too far away from the router bit. Put it as close as you can given the router mounting.

Click here to look at my pictures
 
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Yankee Router Table

I built a new Yankee router table .Plan was from Rockler along with a video. I used a JessEm router lifter for the table top. I had some old drafting tables that I cut and used for the carcass, and internal parts .Bartee Lamar was right, build the drawers last. :thumb: I have had mine about 3 years, and it’s a real helper.
 
I made a very similar one to Norm's, except that my fence is totally different. Not any better, just different.

For the top on mine, I used ¾" ply, with ½" Corian contact cemented to it. Solid (Heavy, too!) flat, and slick.

In the drawers, I used the Lee Valley bit holders. Makes it easy to rearrange if needed.

I also added a cooling fan to the router enclosure, for those (rare) times when I don't use dust collection. I doubt it's necessary, but I'd rather err on the side of caution...

router table 1.jpg

router table drawer close-up.jpg
 
Jim, did you the corian for the fence and the table or just the fence?

The fence is formica®.

The whole table top is Corian. It's 24 X 32, edged in cherry. The Corian is glued to ¾" plywood, so it's a total ot 1¼" thick. I cut out the plywood that's directly under the router, so the table is only ½" thick there. I'm using a Hitachi M12V router, with a Router Raizer®, and it's bolted directly to the underside of the Corian - no removeable plate.

The Corian is routed out to accept insert rings of PVC plastic with various sized center holes. I made the rings out of RED PVC, to add a bit of visual awareness to the bit location - for safety purposes.

The top also has an aluminum miter gauge channel inset into it.

I've been using it for about two years now, and there are really no changes that I want to make to it, except maybe for adding some more drawers on the side(s) to allow for my ever increasing collection of bits.
 
I built a new Yankee router table .Plan was from Rockler along with a video. I used a JessEm router lifter for the table top. I had some old drafting tables that I cut and used for the carcass, and internal parts .Bartee Lamar was right, build the drawers last. :thumb: I have had mine about 3 years, and it’s a real helper.
Thanks to Jim D. I have a Photo of my router table.
My problem has been,the photo's have to large.
 

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Jim I like those bit storage drawers on either side of the router, as I wouldn't have to squat down to access bits as I do on mine. I built mine 12 years ago, and if I did it today I would do a few things different, something more similar to yours. As for table thickness, that's one thing I didn't scrimp on. I wanted mass... something that would absorb vibration as well as stay flat under all weather conditions. I came up with the configuration below. Bought some dead flat 1/2 inch pvc stock and put that over a layer of 3/4 birch ply and a layer of standard 3/4 ply and then glued a piece of standard lexan under those to help keep as little moisture as possible out of the plywood as the weather changes. The plywood and pvc is all screwed together as well as epoxied. I have a tendency to over engineer, it's often a curse. The first pic is the block I cut out for the router showing the layers.

router1.jpg

router2.jpg
 
MY top is 2 3/4" MDF. It was just a little tricky to get a very large surface glued up. Be careful to get the glue spread.

I ended up with concrete blocks sitting on the glue up. I guess you could put screws in to hold it tight while it sets up, then remove the screws.

I was very satisfied with the results.
 
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