Dimensions for DIY router table guides. Homemade milling table

Milling table will make your work easier and help increase the accuracy of workpiece processing. You can buy a ready-made one, or you can make a milling table for hand router with your own hands using woodworking skills. We have prepared quite detailed information for you step by step instructions for making a table.

The essence of all designs of a horizontal milling table is the same, the idea is clear - you need to think it over for yourself and implement it, taking into account your capabilities. And in the end, you will get a machine that allows you to process workpieces much more accurately and perform operations that previously seemed difficult for a manual milling cutter.

Decide on the size of the working surface, based on the dimensions of the workpieces being processed and free space In workshop. Start small - build simple table top, incorporating modernization possibilities into the design. Work on it and little by little bring it to mind.

Make a table top

The simplest table for a router is a separate work plate placed on carpentry trestles or between pedestals. The device costs pennies and is manufactured in a few hours, but will allow you to perform a significant proportion of the same operations as a multifunctional machine. All you need is MDF or birch plywood with a thickness of 19-25 mm. Better fit a plastic-coated panel that provides less frictional resistance, and a plate laminated on both sides will not warp during use.

Set the exact right angle of cut on the circular saw, cut the parts according to size and sand the ends.

Cutting diagram: 1 - main plate; 2 — support base; 3 — front wall of the stop; 4 — gusset (4 pcs., dimensions for 19 mm plywood); 5 — drawer (2 pcs.); 6 — side bar; 7 — connecting strip (4 pcs.)

Advice. Measure the thickness before cutting sheet material, often different from the standard. Amend the drawings to eliminate problems when assembling the structure.

Remove the plastic cover from the router base.

Draw a line in the middle of the slab and place a mark 235 mm from the edge.

Place the pad so that later the main router controls are closer to the edge of the table. Visually align the center of the cover with the marked point and mark the locations for drilling holes for the mounting screws.

Determine the center location for the sole with equally spaced screws.

For a base with asymmetrically placed screws, measure the diameter of the pad and the distance from the outer circumference to the cut of the sole.

Mark a mark with a pencil in the middle of the beveled side, calculate the distance from it to the center:

S = D / 2 - (D - H)

Position the cut perpendicular to the midline and mark the center of the sole.

Mark the locations of the mounting screws.

Drill holes for mounting and for the cutter, countersink the recesses. Mark semicircular cutouts in the base and front wall of the stop.

Cut out the bends with an electric jig saw. Make auxiliary frequent cuts perpendicular to the edge of the part, slightly short of the marking line. Then move the file a little closer to the contour line - pieces will fall out without interfering with the movement of the blade. Sand the cutout with sandpaper wrapped around the pipe.

Attach the connecting strips to the bottom of the tabletop.

Glue all the pieces together and secure them with additional screws. Select screws that are longer than the standard ones by the thickness of the plywood and install the router from the bottom of the slab.

1 — side strip for fastening with clamps on trestles; 2 - drawer; 3 — countersunk guide holes; 4 — front wall of the stop; 5 - self-tapping screw with countersunk head 4.5x42; 6 - scarf; 7 - support base

Fasten the table to the trestles with clamps, secure the position of the stop with clamps and get to work.

Make a solid base

The worktop can be installed on a frame of low height, sufficient to accommodate the router. The portable table is stored on a rack, and for work it is fixed on a workbench. If you often mill and have free space in the workshop, add support pedestals to the tabletop and get a full-fledged machine.

Cut the cabinet elements according to the dimensions given for the 820 mm high table, or change them so that the table top is level with other equipment.

Frame details: 1 - outer side panel; 2 — inner panel; 3 - rear panel; 4 - base

Place the tabletop with the back side facing up. Install sequentially side panels and screw them with screws, pre-drilling the guide holes. Secure the base, place the frame front side down, align the right corners and install the two back panels.

Finally, attach the wheel supports to the bottom of the housing using roofing screws. Place the wheel mounting pads no closer than 20 mm from the edges.

1 — side stand; 2 — wheel support; 3 - bottom; 4 — internal stand; 5 - rear panel

Use the free space in cabinets to solve the problem of storing tools and consumables.

Embed the mounting plate

Get a longer cutter reach by placing the tool on a 4-6 mm thick plate made of duralumin, getinax or monolithic polycarbonate.

Cut a square with a side of 300 mm from the sheet and place it on the workbench. Glue the plastic sole of the router on top with double-sided tape, placing it in the middle face up. Using a drill of the same diameter as the mounting screws, drill holes in the plate, using the plastic trim as a template. Remove the sole, use a countersink or a large drill to make indentations for the caps.

Screw the plate to the disconnected router, insert an 8 mm drill into the collet. Lower the tool body until the drill touches the surface and rotate the chuck, marking the center. Unscrew the plate and use a hole saw to make a hole at the mark.

Place the plate on the tabletop and trace the outline. Draw and cut the cutout by inserting the jigsaw blade through drilled hole. Straighten the ends with a file and sand with sandpaper.

Secure thin boards around the marked outline with clamps.

Clamp the copy cutter with the bearing in the collet, set the milling depth according to the thickness of the mounting plate. Carry out the milling in several passes, then add 0.5 mm with the micrometer adjustment of the router and make the final pass.

Drill through holes for the screws and widen them from the back of the tabletop with an 11 mm drill bit for self-locking nuts. Clean the surfaces and install the nuts with epoxy glue, aligning them with the screws.

Fit the mounting plate to the cutout, place it in place, drill the mounting holes and countersink with front side. Attach the part to the router base, insert the tool into the tabletop and tighten the screws. Check that the plate is flush with the plane of the tabletop; if necessary, compensate for errors with washers.

Improve your emphasis

For faster and more convenient machine setup, upgrade the parallel side fence and add a rotary fence to help machine the ends of narrow parts. The latter can be taken from a stationary circular saw. Cut aluminum T-profile guides into the surface of the slab. To make cutouts in the tabletop, use a router or circular saw with a mortise blade.

Lightly round with sandpaper top corners grooves Cut the profile to size, drill holes according to the diameter of the screws, and countersink them. Place the parts into the grooves, make thin holes and tighten countersunk screws.

Drill 7mm holes in the base of the stop, select hex bolts and plastic handwheels with nuts.

Install a guide profile in the front stop bar to secure clamps, auxiliary pads and protective devices.

Cut a cover from plywood with a hole in the center, secure it to the gussets located near the cutout of the longitudinal stop. Connect the adapter fitting and connect the vacuum cleaner when working on the router table.

Add a safety shield made from plywood scraps and a strip of plexiglass to the stop.

To make oblong cuts, drill 7mm holes at the indicated points, connect them tangents and make cuts with a jigsaw.

Make homemade clamps and clamps necessary for milling small elements.

The comb clamp can be made from maple wood, choosing a section with a straight grain pattern. Make the gaps between the ridges on a circular saw:

Set the cutting height to 50 mm.
Set the cutting width to 2 mm.
Make a cut.
Pull the workpiece back with a hand pusher.
Turn the board 180° and saw through the other side.
Move the stop by 5 mm, repeat the operations.
Move the stop back again and make cuts throughout the entire workpiece.

Secure the clamps to the guide using bolts and wing nuts.

1 - stopper; 2 — comb clamp; 3 — protective shield; 4 - aluminum guide; 5 - pipe for vacuum cleaner

Sand the surfaces of the parts, especially in areas where the workpieces will pass during the milling process. Clean the machine from dust and coat it with oil.

1 — drawer for cutters; 2 - trapezoidal groove for stop

Let's summarize the project

Materials needed:

Plywood 19x1525x1525 mm - 2 sheets.
Plastic 4x30x30 mm.
Several dozen screws.
Aluminum guides - 2.3 m.
Wheel support with brake - 4 pcs.
Wood glue and epoxy.
M6 bolts with nuts.

The ability to take your time and think through each step, to accurately mark and cut out blanks, or the desire to learn this came in handy. The result is a high-quality milling table for little money. In the future, it is worth thinking about equipping the machine with a switch and a mechanism for adjusting the milling height.

Do-it-yourself milling table for a manual router

One of the main assistants of a carpenter is a wood router. This hand tool is indispensable when it is necessary to:

cut a groove;
make a groove;
make a tenon connection;
process edges, etc.

However, when performing some carpentry work, it is not always convenient to use this tool due to the fact that you need to simultaneously hold the workpiece and operate the router. Therefore, many craftsmen resort to tricks by making a milling table for a hand router. With a table that is a reliable addition to your milling tool, you can achieve wooden elements the quality and accuracy are in no way inferior to joinery products made in professional furniture workshops on milling machines.

A homemade table for a manual router significantly increases the productivity of the tool and facilitates processing work wooden products. It is not difficult to make such equipment, and, in addition, unlike a standard milling table produced by various manufacturers, this table will have the dimensions, design and options chosen directly by the craftsman who makes it.

To perform any engineering work, and the manufacture of equipment is precisely one of these, it is necessary to draw up a sketch of the future machine. On it you need to indicate your vision of the project indicating the actual dimensions. Based on the sketch, you can easily select materials for manufacturing future design, their quantity, determine the construction budget and stock up on the tools necessary for processing machine parts.

Option 1. Instructions for making a table for a manual router

Materials for making a milling table

To build a milling table you will need:

4 square bars;
chipboard and plywood scraps, the dimensions of which are determined when constructing the table drawing;
hardware (nuts, bolts, screws, hinges, etc.);
jack;
metallic profile;
six-millimeter steel plate;
aluminum guides;
movable carriage-support (guide from the saw);
manual frezer.

Drawing of a homemade milling table (option 1)

In any case, before you start making any such table, the drawing must be completed indicating all dimensions and determining the location of the working elements relative to each other.

Step by step assembly

Let us consider in detail each step in the manufacture and fastening of each element of a homemade milling table.

1st step.

To make a stationary base for the table, you will need bars and chipboard cuttings, from which we twist the legs and further strengthen the rigidity with the help of horizontal connecting panels made of plywood. In the right side part we cut a hole for the start button, which will be connected to the hand router.

2nd step. The table top is made of chipboard. We make it liftable together with a router, for which we install hinges and make an additional support base from 15 mm plywood.

3rd step.

To move the workpiece smoothly along the table, for example, to cut a groove in it, a moving carriage-stop is used. We cut a groove in the tabletop for the guides of the movable stop and install a metal profile into it. You can use a guide from an old saw as a stop carriage.

4th step.

We also make the longitudinal stop from chipboard and make it movable to adjust the gaps around the cutter. To ensure mobility, we cut perpendicular grooves in the upper part of the stop and fasten the stop to the tabletop with clamps. We cut a small groove in the middle to suck out chips and other milling waste.

5th step. From thin plywood we make a box with a hole for connecting a vacuum cleaner hose, which will remove dust and shavings formed during the milling process. We fasten the box behind the perpendicular stop.

6th step. We take a six-millimeter steel plate and screw it to the tabletop flush with the surface. During the fastening process, we make sure that its edges do not protrude above the tabletop, otherwise the parts being processed will cling to them. A hand router will be attached to the plate from below.

7th step.

We attach the router by the aluminum base to the bottom of the plate using bolts, but do not forget to pre-drill holes for the bolts in the base. Attaching the hand tool to a removable plate rather than directly to the table saves routing depth and allows for easy cutter changes. 8th step.. This article provides instructions on how to make a simple router table. For other first assembly options, see details below.

We check the reliability of fastening of all elements - and the milling table is ready with your own hands!

We offer several more models of wood milling machines made by yourself for your taste.

Option 2. Another milling table and other assembly features

We offer a table design for a router with a detailed analysis of its components.

Materials and tools.

In order to make a table for a manual router with your own hands, you will need the following materials:

metal corner or pipe (for frame);
aluminum guide;
axles for attaching the router;
putty, primer and paint for metal;
self-tapping screws; furniture bolts 6 x 60 mm;
Hexagonal adjusting bolts with nuts – 4 pcs. ;
Finnish moisture-resistant laminated plywood, 18 mm thick (you can use another material);
boards or plywood scraps (for making a rip fence).

The following tools are also required:

welding machine (for metal frame table);
drill and drill bits;
screwdriver;
jigsaw;
milling cutter;
spatula, brushes, rags.

Basic drawings

Design features of the milling table

An existing workbench can be adapted for a milling machine. But it is more expedient, to eliminate the influence of strong vibration during operation of the cutter, to make a separate structure that ensures the stability of the table.

The main loads during equipment operation are transferred to the base. Therefore, the frame must be reliable and stable. The bed is understood as a fixed base on which the router is located. It takes all the loads and is a structure in the form of a table with a fixed lid. It can be made from a metal pipe, angle, channel, wood, chipboard.

It is necessary to take into account that the router itself is attached to the tabletop from below, which means that there needs to be empty space there.

The router is attached to the table through a high-strength and rigid plate to perform installation work. It is preferable to make it from metal, textolite or tongue and groove board.

The base of the router has threaded mounting holes for mounting. If there are no threaded holes, threading is done independently. If the task is impossible, secure the milling device using special clamps.

Start the work by using a milling cutter to select the shape and thickness of the mounting plate. To make it easier, straight corners on the mounting plate must be rounded with a file. A recess in the table top ensures that the plate is flush with the table top.

Make a hole in the center of the plate for the tool to exit, drill holes for attaching the plate to the table. The next step is to drill holes to attach the milling device; keep in mind that the fasteners must be countersunk.

How to make a work surface and base

Making the base of the future milling table begins with the frame. For ease of work, the table cover should protrude 100-200 mm from the front part. Special attention When designing the frame of the bed, pay attention to the installation height of the working surface. This size is decisive for the convenience of working at the machine. According to ergonomic requirements, it should be 850-900 mm, depending on the person’s height. For convenient operation future milling machine You can install height adjusters at the bottom of the support. This will allow, if necessary, to change the height of the table; if the floor is uneven, it will help to align the tabletop.

It will be useful as a working surface for a future machine kitchen countertop Soviet times. Most often it is made of 36 mm chipboard sheet covered with plastic. The wood-based material will reduce the vibrations that occur during the milling process, and the plastic coating will ensure excellent movement along the surface of the workpiece. If you don't have an old countertop, use MDF boards or laminated chipboard, with a thickness of at least 16 mm.

Choose a place for the future milling machine in your workshop; the dimensions and type of future design depend on this. This may be an aggregate machine located on the side circular saw, desktop version, or maybe a free-standing stationary machine.

If the use of a milling machine is not regular, reduced to one-time work from time to time, it is enough to make a small compact table.

You can make a milling machine yourself. It is a design that fits on a standard table. For work you will need chipboard, two boards. Fasten two boards parallel to a sheet of chipboard. Attach one of them to the tabletop with bolts; it will serve as a guide and as a stop. Use the second one as a limiting stop. Cut a hole in the table top to accommodate the router. Attach the router to the table top using clamps. The compact milling machine is ready.

If you have a lot of free space in your workshop, then make a full-fledged stationary milling machine. It will be more convenient to work on it than on the desktop version

Option 3. Cheap homemade table for a router

The sketch is ready. Materials have been purchased. The tool, laid out in its place in the workshop, is waiting for the moment to serve its owner. The master is also serious and is not going to grab everything at once. He will sort everything out and do everything step by step.

Start by making the frame of the future machine. You can use the following method for making a frame. profile pipe Using a grinder, cut the 25×25 to size, then weld the blanks intended for the frame on which the working surface will be located. Weld a pipe on one side along which it will subsequently move rip fence. Weld 4 supports to the frame.

To fix the table top, frame the perimeter of the frame with a corner, then it will sit in the recess.

Use the second method of making a frame. He means additional supports for the work surface. Weld stops for milling equipment in the middle of the table. The size between them should correspond to a convenient mounting of the router.

For structural stability, connect the lower supports with jumpers at a height of 200 mm from the floor.

Paint the resulting structure. Why prepare surfaces: clean metal pipes and degrease with solvent, then prime. If there is a need to putty surfaces, apply a special putty mixture and apply primer. After complete drying, paint with PF-115 enamel.

Cut the work surface according internal size frame, install it tightly in the corners. Then drill holes in the upper frame for fastening the table cover. Mark the tabletop itself, drill and securely connect it to the frame using furniture bolts. Table dimensions 850×600×900.

Step back 200-250 mm from the edge and cut a T-shaped guide along the length of the working surface.

Trim half of the milling axes. This will make it possible to almost double the distance from the sole to the guide axis, which in turn will expand the range of capabilities of the tool.

Remove the sole from the milling equipment, mark holes in the middle of the working surface of the table for its fastening and drill them. Drill a hole in the middle of the table cover for the device. On both sides of it, drill holes for attaching the clamps of the router axes.

On bottom side tabletops, make a sample for the sole of the milling device.

On both sides of the hole drilled through the hole, make grooves for installing the router axes. The size of the groove and the axis must match.

Along the edges of the grooves, use a Faustner drill (picture above) to drill holes for the hexagon adjustment bolts.

Cut two pieces of pipe to fit the width of the large groove and drill holes in the center for the permanent bolts. They will serve as clamps for the axes of the milling device. Screw the nuts onto the bolts.

Install hexagon bolts and nuts on both sides of the axles to adjust the plane of the milling equipment.

Now make a rip fence. Take a small piece of plywood and cut a groove in it so that it can move along the pipe that was previously welded for this purpose. Using a jigsaw, cut three strips of identical size, where its length is equal to the sum of the length of the table and the width of the guide pipe and four plates for them in the form of stiffeners.

On strip No. 1, make a semicircular hole to remove wood waste. It should coincide with the slot in the working surface of the table. In strip #2, cut a square hole in the same location.

Cut strip No. 3 of plywood into equal parts. Attach one to the back of the square hole strip with bolts or guides. The plywood halves should move in opposite directions. Install an aluminum guide along the upper edge of this strip.

Fasten plates No. 1 and No. 2 together with the sides with half holes. Fasten two stiffening ribs along the edge of the resulting hole and two on the sides at a distance of 70-100 mm from the edge.

Cut a square of plywood to the size of the distance between the ribs, cut a hole in it the diameter of the vacuum cleaner hose. Attach the square to the stiffeners.

Secure the rip fence with clamps. This is done to make it easier to move the stop. If it is intended only for a milling machine, then secure it with brackets with grooves for movement.

Weld a bolt to a 6 mm thick metal strip. Make the clamps from wood with two grooves for two bolts.

Install the milling equipment: insert the cut axes into the side holes of the device, put nuts on them and secure the device with pipe clamps.

Turn the table over and use the hex key to lift up the router.

To make it easier to lift the router, it is advisable to install a lift based on a jack.

Option 4. Milling machine based on a desk

A milling machine based on a desk is considered an economical and convenient solution. The list of photo drawings contains a table with specifications of parts by size and recommended material.

Part sizes and materials

How to make a mounting plate

Due to the thickness of the table top, in order to maximize the output cutting tool, it is necessary to take a smaller thickness of the mounting plate. It follows from this that, with a small thickness, it should have sufficient strength.

The plate can be metal or textolite. These materials best meet the requirements of strength and rigidity. Optimal thickness the plates should be 6 mm. It is made in a rectangular shape, a hole is drilled in the middle of the part with a diameter corresponding to the hole on the base of the router. To increase the range of use of the tool, rings are used different diameters. There are holes in the plate for connecting to the router and attaching it to the tabletop.

The holes in the plate must match the location and size of the holes on the base of the router. To accurately mark the plate, you need to draw a sketch with dimensions or secure it on the table using clamps.

The nuances of assembling a milling table with your own hands

When assembling the milling device, secure a metal ruler at the ends of the width of the table top; this will make it possible to set the parallel fence to the correct size and strictly parallel.

On the back side of the table cover, make holes for subsequent installation of the dust collector casing and additional equipment. The drawings and photos provided will help you correctly manufacture all components.

For ease of inclusion and safe emergency shutdown using a home-made milling machine, install a start button and a stop button in the shape of a mushroom on the tabletop.

Option 5. Small benchtop router table

A small tabletop milling table and a detailed analysis of its manufacture are shown in the photo.

How to make a top clamp

For processing parts large sizes and creation safe conditions When working on the machine, the so-called top clamp is used. Its production is based on the use of a roller. Before constructing this device, develop a drawing of it.

The roller can be a ball bearing. Its installation is carried out on a special device, which makes it possible to fix the workpiece at any distance from the working surface.

Milling machine drive power

As a drive for a milling machine, it is most advisable to use an electric motor with a power of 1.1-2 kW and a speed of 3000 per minute. When using a low-power electric motor, it will not be possible to use any cutter; the machine will not have enough power. If the speed is too low, a poor-quality cut will be obtained.

You have familiarized yourself with several options for solving the issue; how to get a milling table. Which one you like is your choice. We will be glad if we were able to help you

http://o-builder.ru

I made this table from 18 mm. plywood. It is thick enough to make the structure very durable. To strengthen the structural elements, I used a metal corner with a cross section of 40X40 mm.

The tabletop has dimensions of 800X500 mm. A hole is cut in the center to the size of the router sole. The sides are attached to the tabletop at the corners using self-tapping screws. The bottom sidewalls are also connected using corners and self-tapping screws. 4 holes of 10 mm are drilled in the tabletop. and driven nuts for fastening the combs are installed. The right side has a fork and a switch for convenient starting of the router. The "Start" button on the router itself is locked.

The milling cutter base is screwed to a 2 mm thick steel plate. and size 200X200 mm. A recess is made in the tabletop and the plate is placed flush on top, attached to the tabletop with self-tapping screws. A hole with a diameter of 50 mm is cut in the center of the plate.

A car jack is used to raise and lower the router. It is attached to the base of the table with self-tapping screws. The handle has been replaced with a homemade flywheel for smoother adjustment. The jack is not attached to the router in any way.

The guide ruler is also made of plywood. Assembled with Moment Joiner glue and reinforced with self-tapping screws. In the middle part of the line there is a box with a hole for attaching the vacuum cleaner pipe. Adjustment grooves are cut out on the sides of the ruler. 10 mm bolts are inserted into the tabletop, the ruler is attached to the bolts using eye nuts.

The combs are cut from fir and serve to press the workpiece more tightly against the guide. Grooves are cut into the comb for moving along the tabletop. To secure the combs to the tabletop, bolts with bushings are used.

To prevent the workpiece from moving up and down, a special spring stop is made of plywood. It is attached to the guide ruler using wing nuts.

That's the whole structure. You can see more details about this table in my film.

The presence of a milling machine will greatly simplify the process and accuracy of product processing. It can be purchased at finished form in a specialized store, or you can save your own savings and make a table with your own hands.

With such a device you can cut not only different types of trees, but also plastic, wood boards. You can also use it to independently make profile cuts, grooves, tenons and slots.

With a DIY router table, you can equip your workshop with a practical woodworking machine. Everything you need for efficient work- this is to attach the manual router itself to the product.

Type designs, the milling table can be:

mounted. This option is quite practical and easy to use. To do this, a separate block of the unit is attached to the sawing machine with clamps on the side. This design allows you to save space. If necessary, it can be easily and quickly removed and left aside;
portable. This option is in great demand, especially if the workshop small sizes. Also, this type of design is suitable for those who often change their place of residence or take a router with them to construction sites;
stationary. This option is suitable for a spacious workshop. This is very convenient model. Since with a stationary product you can equip a well-thought-out workplace.

Material

To make a milling table, you can use various materials:

Each individual option has its own advantages. Wood is characterized by high strength, reliability and durability. But you need to know how to work with this material. It is more difficult to process manually, unlike DPP or MDF. And natural wood is much more expensive.

As for chipboard and MDF, these materials are more affordable in terms of price. They can be easily processed with hand and electric tools and have good technical characteristics.

Drawing of a homemade wood milling table

Before you start making a milling table, you need to make a drawing. It indicates the exact dimensions of each individual element and materials of manufacture. As for making the drawing, you can make it yourself, you can use special programs on the computer or, order from a furniture company. The last option is the most reliable. Since the specialists will make a competent calculation of all the details, with an accuracy of one millimeter.

Tools

For the manufacture of homemade design router table you will need the following tools:

hacksaw;
electric jigsaw;
sanding machine or sandpaper;
drill;
chisel;
screwdriver or screwdriver.

Advice: usage electric tools will significantly speed up the process of manufacturing and assembling the product.

From materials you will need:

Chipboard or MDF. To avoid sagging during work, you should choose lumber with a cross-section of 3.6 cm. For the side parts, chipboard with a thickness of 1.6 cm is suitable;
plywood, textolite, metal (production of mounting plate);
The router is purchased at a specialized store.

An easy way to make a table for a hand router

Making a countertop

First you need to prepare the parts for the table. They are cut with a jigsaw from selected lumber, according to the drawing.

Advice: detailing can be ordered from a specialized furniture company. Here they will help you immediately create a competent drawing and select lumber. The cost of the furniture company's services is fully justified by the quality and precision of the work. All you need next is to simply assemble the product according to the diagram in your workshop.

The manufacturing process of a milling table is carried out in the following sequence:

Important: whether to do it for the table design or not is everyone’s personal choice. The table top with the router installed can simply be secured between two tables.

How to make and install a plate yourself

Since the table top of a homemade milling table is quite thick, the mounting plate should have a small thickness. Then you can make maximum use of the cutting tool reach.

Attention: plate with minimum thickness must be as strong and rigid as possible.

It can be made of metal or of a material that is in no way inferior in strength, for example, PCB. The thickness of the PCB should vary between 4-8 mm.

The plate manufacturing process is as follows:

After checking the drawing, cut out a rectangular piece from a sheet of textolite.
In the center of a rectangular piece make a hole. Its dimensions must correspond to the diameter of the hole in the router sole.
We connect the plate with the router base and the table.
For fixing plates to the tabletop making clamps for the machine, which are located at the four corners. These dimensions must strictly correspond to the holes located on the tool itself.

Work area equipment

After manufacturing and assembling the milling table, it is recommended to think over a competent work area. To maintain the accuracy of milling processing, it is worth installing on the tabletop:

guides. They can be made from chipboard or from the same materials as the countertop. The guides are installed at right angles and fastened with four oblique stops.
clamps. They can be made in the form of a wooden comb or from a ball bearing of the required size and weight.

Finishing

After constructing a milling table with your own hands, to give the product an aesthetic appearance and to extend its service life, you need all the working surfaces:

polish;
polish;
bottom and sides - paint;
open with varnish.

The electrical part of the product must be covered with a metal sleeve.

Photo

The result of your work may be a table that looks like one of the following

Useful video

A detailed description of the manufacturing process can be seen in the following video:

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is worth noting that the process of manufacturing a milling table is a rather responsible process. If you are confident that you can handle this task, you can save your own savings and make the product yourself. To do this you will need: stock up on a well-designed drawing, necessary materials and tools and free time.

In contact with

Using a milling table you can perform professional processing tree. Connections, end profiling, door and window frames, baseboards, frames for photographs and paintings are placed on the table neatly and conveniently. A factory-made table can cost a pretty penny when of dubious quality. Why not make it yourself? Moreover, the design is not at all complicated; further drawings will be analyzed in detail.

Main parts of the milling table

There are many options for milling tables. As a rule, craftsmen create unique drawings to suit their needs. But the basic design is the same regardless of the size of the machine. Here is a table 90 x 48 x 30 cm, the tabletop and supports are made of plywood No. 27, the legs of the workbench are welded from angle steel.

The main elements of a table for a manual router, the quality and design of which will determine the ease of use and functionality.

Table type

First you need to decide on the type of future machine:

stationary;
portable;
aggregate.

If you plan to work on location, a drawing of a small portable structure will do. For constant work in the workshop, a reliable and powerful stationary table will be convenient. It can be installed on wheels and moved around the room. And for a small workshop, the modular option is good; it is an extension of the tabletop of the sawing machine or its rotary version.

Cover material

The most practical tabletops are made of chipboard covered with thin plastic or MDF with a melamine layer. This material is very easy to cut with a jigsaw, and it will last a long time.

Pressed countertops are not suitable for working in damp rooms or outdoors! To prevent them from swelling, all edges will have to be carefully processed and sealed.

Very good homemade countertops from plastic sheets. They are smooth, even, and easy to process. This machine can be used in any conditions.

Metal countertops are more difficult to make and are heavy. And aluminum sheets must be additionally clad - covered with a layer that prevents contamination of parts.

Groove for stop

Typically, a milling table is used for processing longitudinal edges. To be able to process the transverse ends when creating homemade machine it is necessary to provide a movable stop that moves in the groove. The built-in groove is also used for attaching clamping devices.

Fixing the router

There are two options for attaching a manual router to the table:

directly to the bottom surface of the tabletop;
to the removable mounting platform.

When doing this, they often use the first method, as it is simpler. But the mounting plate equipment has several advantages in operation:

frees up to 1 cm of the processing depth of the part;
The router is easier to remove to replace cutters.

Therefore, we recommend that you tinker a little longer and equip the mounting plate. It must be flush with the surface of the countertop, otherwise the workpiece will touch the protrusions. Even more convenience is provided by a lift for the cutter, the design of which will be discussed in detail below.

Longitudinal stop

It serves as a guide for the part, so it must be level. You can make a stop with a T-slot into which clamping devices and other devices are inserted to make work easier.

Homemade table

The most primitive drawing homemade table for a router - this is an MDF tabletop, in which a hole is made for the router to pass through and a guide ruler is attached - an evenly planed board. This tabletop can be placed between two workbenches or installed on its own legs. Its advantages are the simplest and quickly manufactured design. Perform serious woodwork similar device It's unlikely to allow it. Let's consider more functional options, including a rotary one.

Small router table

A tabletop model for a hand router, which you can make yourself in a few evenings. Lightweight construction and mobile, fits on a shelf, takes up little space, and its drawings are simple.

The working surface and side racks are made of thick laminated plywood No. 15. The size of the table top is 40 x 60 cm, the height without the corner stop is 35 cm, the height of the stop is 10 cm. Three grooves are selected in the surface of the work table for installing rails. Various are installed here auxiliary devices and move along the tabletop.
To make the structure stable, the legs are made of chipboard or MDF No. 22. The legs are placed with a slight indentation, leaving a little space for attaching templates and clamps using clamps.
To cover the mechanism, a front panel made of plywood or chipboard is installed below.
The side stop has grooves along which it moves. Locked in the right place using bolts and wing nuts. The emphasis can be dismantled and any convenient device can be installed in the free space.
A pipe is connected to the stop to remove chips that are released in abundance during operation. The chip drains of the router and the table are connected through plastic corrugations from the sewer siphons by a splitter for the water supply. A hose from the household vacuum cleaner. It turns out very efficient system removal of chips, they practically do not fly around the room.
Since the machine is designed for a manual milling machine, a special on/off switch is not required.
The stop consists of two parts, which are moved closer or further depending on the diameter of the working body. A wing nut is provided to secure the sash. The good thing about the proposed model is that the tool can be easily removed from the frame to replace the cutters.
The mounting platform for the router is made of textolite or plexiglass. Pre-dismantled plastic platform from the router kit. The recesses for the mounting area are selected with a router, and the hole is cut with a jigsaw. When the hole is ready, the plexiglass is adjusted to its size and shape. It should fit tightly and without protrusions into the window.

You can make several mounting platforms of the same size with holes for different cutter diameters.

This option is convenient for little ones hand tools. If a stationary table is being made for a large router, insert rings for different cutter diameters are attached to one mounting platform.

To ensure that the workpiece moves smoothly, motion stoppers are installed on the side stop. Clamps are also attached to the side stop, which hold the part near the cutter during operation. Additional convenience is provided by the slide, along which the workpiece moves at a right angle. And to make the work safe, pushers are manufactured.

The table is ready for use; its drawback is the lack of adjustment of the processing depth. This is done manually by pressing on the tool. It is impossible to “get” to the desired depth the first time. Therefore, we recommend equipping the table with a lift.

You need to make a hole in the frame into which an adjusting bolt with a wing nut is inserted. The depth of milling is smoothly changed by twisting the lamb.

Some craftsmen adapt them to fit old car jacks. The device is attached under the router; a hole is made in the side wall to bring the jack handle out. The jack handle can be bent at the desired angle; when rotated, the router smoothly moves up and down in 2 mm increments.

Another model of a homemade milling table for a router in the video: