Folding router table & Storage

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 2:13 am

Here are a few Pix of storage (cabinet a smaller version of Shopsmith's "Workshop on a Wall") and the folding router table from "New Yankee Workshop" with the space saving expandable workbench from "Workbench Magazine" Thought these Pix would interest some. As you may notice, I haven't bothered with covering plywood edges or painting. So far these things are functional, not pretty. (yet)

The router table w/ storage beneath is the same structure as shown in NYW's "The Garage Workshop" The workbench uses floor (base) cabinets from Lowes or Home Depot (can't remember which). I wanted to get one base cabinet with four drawers, but it was not in stock when I needed it so went with 3 base cabinets with a single drawer each. Had to saw 2" off of the bottom of the base pieces in order to get the bench at 34". My desire.

The plan in the Workbench Mag. suggested using wall cabinets for the base, but I wanted my unit to be deeper. The wall cabinets would work better if space is a real issue. The base cabinets are deeper and give opportunity for a wider (deeper) bench. The pull out extension works wonderfully well and coupled with the router table will support a full sheet of plywood for breaking down.

The top of the folding table is used for gluing, storage, woodwork using a bench jack, some routing, and as a finishing table. It is sturdy enough to stand on, if I don't bump my head on one of the ceiling struts. I used the table to put a hydraulic lift cart on it and raised the library cabinet doors up to put on their piano hinges. The doors weigh about 25 lbs ea. and I figured if they were on before the cabinet was hung, I'd never be able to lift it. The top surface of the table is 1/4" masonite and is screwed to plywood. It is replaceable! The whole bench and table are covered with 5 coats of varathane. Dried glue comes off easily with a sharp chisel. Gouges are re-varathaned.

The bench itself is put together by sandwiching 3 pieces of MDF. Spaces are left in the center piece to accommodate the pull out stretchers. The outside (Bench frame) is made from three 3/4" X 3 /4" strips of poplar. Again spaces are left in the center layer to accommodate the stretchers. The bottom of the outside two stretchers are grooved 3/4" wide by 1/2" deep (a stopped groove). A plug through a hole in the bottom of the bench is a stop to keep the expansion from falling out.

The wall cabinet stores all of my saw blades, blade guard and a shelf with hanging hooks. (Spare belts too!) The outside can keep clamps, chisels, a drawer, a shelf or anything I want to hang.

The Clamp storage for most of my favorite clamps is on peg board hung on one of the double entry doors. When I get my Father's day gift tomorrow, I will be able to hang the SS tables on the other door.

scottss · Post by **scottss** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 8:17 am

Very nice:D

alancooke · Post by **alancooke** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 2:46 pm

Hey Chuck,

What's that yellow thing in the bottom of your clamp storage picture with the 'D' word on it?:)

Thanks for the pictures, I always love to see the insides of other peoples shops. I never fail to get a new idea or be reminded of one I had meant to use but forgot about.

Maybe an idea for a new thread would be; "Photo tour of SS shops". One of you photo savvy guys could get it started!

Alan

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 11:17 pm

alancooke wrote:Hey Chuck,

What's that yellow thing in the bottom of your clamp storage picture with the 'D' word on it?:)
Alan

Why that's my Universal motor surrounded by a yellow box. Actually this machine has two universal motors.

There is a separate motor to run the fan that ejects chips.

john · Post by **john** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 9:54 pm

Chuck:

Regarding the pictures of your shop, I'm not sure whether to congratulate you or pout and sign off for good. If my shop were so nicely organized I might actually find some of the tools I own before going out to buy a new one that I already have, somewhere.

Someday I must try to to copy some of your cabinets.

Have fun!

John

berry · Post by **berry** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 1:18 pm

What a nice set up. I have a question. It seems from the first picture that to the left of the table there was a cabinet although to the right you had lots of room. Can that be right?

I mount my routere table in a B&D Workmate when I'm using it and hang it, and the Workmate, on the wall when I'm not. It's convenient because sometime I take them and do routing in the garage or driveway instead of the shop and if it was hinged to the wall that would be an issue.

But the convenience of lifting up the table, letting the legs fall into place, mounting the router and going must be very cool and yet you give up almost no floor space! Well done!

If you have other space saving ideas I hope you share them and thanks for the pics too.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 7:38 pm

berry wrote:... I have a question. It seems from the first picture that to the left of the table there was a cabinet although to the right you had lots of room. Can that be right?

...the convenience of lifting up the table, letting the legs fall into place, mounting the router and going must be very cool...

If you have other space saving ideas I hope you share them and thanks for the pics too.

Berry - you asked a good question at the right time. Am just screwing around today getting vehicles a job jar things fixed, so had a chance to snap a few more pix.

It is a cabinet you saw to the left of the folding router table. It's a rolling cabinet that holds my thickness planer and, when needed, a jig saw. Here are five snaps to show what it is. It is almost an exact copy of the rolling miter saw table from Norm's "Garage Workshop" plans. Norm designed the back to fit a breadbox planer, but the one I have is wider - so had to widen that platform and shorten the drawer by a few inches. With the rolling table out on the floor - I can get to three sides of the router table. It's cool!

In fact this whole wall was inspired by that "Garage Workshop" Except I used "Workbench Magazine's "Ultimate Workshop" idea for the bench. The folding router table was Norm's idea. The Library cabinet is a cross between Norm's workshop wall cabinet (Garage Workshop) and Shopsmith's "workbench on a wall".

The bench is a couple of inches short of 7 ft. With the router part added to it giving another 39 inches for a total of 10 feet. The router table is 39" X 28". I use it only for large pieces and for frames that will fall off the edge of my usually used Sears router table.

I tried to not show my "Yellow Planer" in the pix, but had to in order that you could see the full extension drawer and the shape of the whole thing.

I think your Workmate idea is a good one. I use my extension table to support my Sears router table. The table is fastened to a piece of particle board and the board is clamped to the extension table.