Yep more router tables

Bruce (Wood Chuck)Bruce uses two router tables. For this one he purchased a Jessem top and fence and built the cabinet underneath for storage and dust collection.

This one is a horizontal router table Bruce built for milling molding and other things that are easier to rout flat, rather than on edge. Nice having the feather boards included on the fence.

Doug in Fredericksburg, VADoug sent over these pictures. His dog seems to approve. Doug also reminded me of the Router Workshop show on PBS. These guys make some incredible stuff. He also recommends RouterForums.com for answers to just about any router questions you might have.
Doug also has a handy tip along with the description of his router table:

One of my favorite tips for the router table is never sweep away debris with your hands... always use a broom. Cutters can be quite sharp if you catch them with your hand, and that aint second hand information. (Notice the broom on the table.) 

This table top was the Oak Park design used in the Router Workshop TV series on PBS. The cabinet is built out of luan plywood in a rolling cart frame I found at a store that was going out of business. It stores EVERYTHING, and weighs a ton so the table is quite stable even without locking the casters. The shelves slide out either side, and the only drawer slide hardware is the 1/4 inch hardboard bottom in a dado in the plywood. With a little wax they work surprisingly well, but they do get a little sticky in the humid summer. The big drawer on the top is the router bit storage. I have the bottom of the box lined with a 3/4 inch piece of MDF drilled with a grid of 1/4 and 1/2 inch holes. 

The lower drawers on the bottom are perfect for extra bandsaw and tablesaw blades. 

The fence is a piece of 4 inch aluminum angle iron milled to a perfect 90 degrees.

Read More..

Vikings router tables stools and yes its Dutch

Posted by chun | 0 comments | 7:42 AM

I really need to check stuff out before I go blathering on. I thought yesterdays video was in German. I have an untrained ear. Thank you everyone who informed me that it is Dutch, or more specifically, Belgian Dutch: Flemish. Sorry!
Peter the Clown is awesome though. I like him in any language.
There seems to be a large number of Northern European Mere Mortal woodworkers. Ive really never been anywhere, but Scandinavia is one of those places that just fascinates me: I would love to visit. Vikings rule! (Hey, maybe that accounts for the hardiness of Minnesotans.)Martien de Boer, who is Dutch, sent me this joke about his southern neighbors:

How can you keep a Belgium guy busy for months? Tell him theres a bag of chips in the corner of the circle shaped room.

This is "vlaamse friet", served at a special booth called a"frietkot". According to Martien, "realBelgium chips are the most delicious chips in the world".But wait...that comes with beer??? Im there!!!

Hey you Vikings...send me pictures of your projects. Id love to see them and post them here. Like to see your shops too.
******
Mere Minutes

Read More..

Bed tables

Posted by chun | 0 comments | 3:51 PM

I wanted to give you some more ideas for making a bed table. Here is Daniel Pozzobons table that led me to build mine. Hes added some blocks on the top to give his laptop more ventilation. I was thinking that perhaps you could simply include a few holes in the top surface, too.

*****

Heres a bed table Larry Clinton built for his sons father-in-law to sit beside him on the bed when he eats. I love the inclusion of the magnets.

Larry writes:

He wanted the section for his cup and his silverware and a lip all the way around so things dont roll off. Its maple plywood with a solid maple edge and solid maple everywhere else. The legs are joined together with dowels. They came loose after about 3 weeks and I got it back and re-glued the dowels and added screws to make sure they stay.

The legs are connected to the blocks on the underside of the table with dowels that are glued in on only one side so they pivot easily. There are rare earth magnets in the top and screws in the legs to latch them in. The extra maple on the side was to make it balance on end with the handle up. I guess it could be used as a lap table, but it probably never will be.

*****
Just a reminder...send me pics of your tool collections!*****
Mere MinutesGot a new beer fridge!

Read More..

And still more router tables!

Posted by chun | 0 comments | 2:55 PM

Paul Homes tells me the router tables with the pivoting fences are quite popular in Australia. He clued me into Gifkins, a web site that not only sells specialty jigs, but has free plans for a router table you can make yourself.(PDF) Next, head over to Martin Popes blog where he describes how he built his inexpensive router table. Check out his method for raising and lowering the router:

My low tech solution was two blocks of wood with a 45ish degree angle cut between them. A long slit was cut in one block into which a long bolt was passed through into a nut at the rear. As the bolt is turned it closes the blocks together which raises the router, screwing out the bolt lowers the router.

***
Mere Minutes