Shopsmith Forums

For those with a router mounted in a cabinet, what would you consider the ideal top size?

Most store bought ones seem to be in the 32x24" range, but you loose alot of that 24" for material support because the position on the router plate. If planing making cabinet doors, I would give that a consideration.

Mine is 36 X 50 and doubles as an edge jointer.
Paul

I made mine to 36" x 36" with hinged wings on each side that can be raised to make a 84" long flat surface. When routing cope and stick for long raised panel doors the wings come in handy but I use them a lot less than I thought I would when I built it. I use it as an assembly table and work area as much as I do a router table. In a small shop everything has to be multifunctional.

I always smile when I see a new "ultimate router table". There is no such thing. It really depends on what you are doing and how you are doing it as to all aspects of router tables. I have had as many as 13 ultimate router tables set up at one time in my shop. And no, none of them were the same!

Times change, needs change and projects come and go. Unless you know you will be doing a lot of large projects having a large router table is a waste of space and if you are like me the table becomes a storage area. I know sad but true.

If you are doing "normal" routing a table like the guys on the router workshop used it is 16" x 30" and has an off set mounting. I have one of those (OK I have two of those) and find it a nice general size.

If I happen to have the shopsmith out and want to do some routing I have a table that is the same size as the 510/520 main table and that is pretty handy as well due to the rails, it can be used with the fully array of shopsmth add-on carrier deck tables...... and with two 520's that can be pretty big.

Even with smaller tables you can add stands and expand them as well. I don't think I would go smaller then say 14" x 24" which is what my traveling table size is.

Again, what is good today may not be tomorrow, I'd not spend a lot of time making that ultimate table, been there and done that several times and it is just not worth it in my opinion.

Ed

I have an early Bench Dog cast iron top on my shop built router table. it is 20" X 27". As Ed said large is not necessarily better or needed. I have never thought I needed a bigger one.