The Best Router Table
There's a pretty high chance that a router has touched the majority of wooden items in your home. While this radical radial tool is most certainly a game-changer, every woodworker will tell you that your tools are only as useful as the table holding them is sturdy. Being the primary accessory for routers, a routing table is an essential weapon in every woodcutter's arsenal. It can be used to shield eyes and hands, angle timber, and, in general, make more accurate cuts. We've gathered the best of the best for your review, ranging from the compact to the all-encompassing.
Bosch Benchtop Router Table
It Better Be A Bosch
A stalwart of German engineering, Bosch has built quite a high reputation for quality and performance. It’s easy to see why. The Benchtop Router Table is constructed around a sturdy aluminum work area and features a tall fence for guiding lumber with ease and precision. In addition to a mounting plate compatible with various router designs, we’re a big fan of the two included feather boards. These accessories can be clamped to the fence or table to allow for more accurate cuts and prevent the wood from kicking back at you. While Bosch is certainly heavily endowed with useful features, it is still small enough to fit on a table and transport with relative ease, making it our best overall pick by a long shot.
Pros:
- Mounting plate height can be adjusted above the table
- Contains a large dust collection port
- Only 30 pounds
- Convenient storage pockets for accessories
Cons:
- The compact size is not ideal for very large projects
Bosch Cabinet Style Router Table
Command And Control Cabinet
For all of the crafty characters in search of something with storage space, we have the answer to your prayers. The Bosch Cabinet Style Router Table is a near carbon-copy of the previous Benchtop design, using a pre-drilled aluminum mounting plate, a generously-sized fence, and included feather boards. In addition to a versatile mounting plate, the Bosch Cabinet Router Table accepts all 2.5-inch vacuum hoses and various products that match the table or fence accessory slot, such as a miter gauge for angled cuts. Although this model is 12 pounds heavier than its tabletop cousin, this durable product will do its duty for countless years to come.
Pros:
- Includes two fence shims for micro-adjustments
- Two AC outlets for convenience
- Switch lock for unsupervised users
- The base can be screwed into a surface for added precision
Cons:
- Dust port can interfere when rearranging the fence
Bosch Portable Benchtop Router Table
Stay On The Right Route
One of the minor nuisances of woodworking is that working from home is seldom an option. And as we all know, taking the office with you is no minor task. Whether you’re lugging around table saws or power drills, the weight can add up fast in a world where lightweight plastic is indicative of shoddy craftsmanship. The Bosch Portable Benchtop Router table is designed with professionals in mind. The hollow collapsible legs allow for easy transportation and provide extra space for concealed storage. Better yet, the Portable Benchtop has a universal mounting plate, two AC outlets, and feather boards to get your project out of the box and off the drawing board immediately.
Pros:
- The table arrives already assembled
- Included starter pin and guard
- The aluminum table and fence are laminated for smooth movement
- No leveling required
Cons:
- The foldable legs can unstable while routing unless mounted
Goplus Electric Aluminum Router Table
Wood Working Wonder
Just as not everyone has attended a trade school, not everyone requires professional-grade tools for minor tasks or amateur projects. If you need a reliable routing table capable of performing accurate cuts for the occasional DIY build, we highly recommend looking at the Goplus Router Table. The aluminum work area features a polished surface for easy movement and two supplemental table extenders to bring you space to a whopping 34 inches in length. While we would highly recommend clamping down the legs to plywood to prevent the router’s vibration from interfering with your cut, this sleek product is a great first-time buy for aspiring woodcutters.
Pros:
- Weight capacity of 44 pounds
- Extremely easy to assemble
- Miter gauge included
- Rust-proof
Cons:
- The fence and parts of the table are plastic
Kobalt Fixed Corded Router with Table
The Tried-And-True Blue Tool
Assembling a stockpile of tools is an arduous, expensive journey that lasts most people a lifetime. Kobalt’s Fixed Corded Router with Table combo takes one step out of that process for those of us who don’t already come to the table with a router of our own. The included router is fairly simplistic and does not offer variable speed settings, but this shouldn’t be an issue for most projects. The actual table is made up of an aluminum top, plastic base, and a whole slew of accessories. In addition to a substantial transparent router cover, the included collet allows for the use of quarter-inch and half-inch bits, giving you the full package all in one purchase.
Pros:
- Great value for the price
- Table height is easily adjusted
- Fairly quiet
Cons:
- Tracks for miter gauge are not a standard size
Frequently Asked Questions
What projects would I use a router for?
Routers can be used for a variety of tasks, not all of them obvious. When the router was first invented, its primary use was for cutting grooves and rebates into wood. While this generally holds today, it can also be used for drilling holes, cutting screw threads, forming traditional joints, and even carving statues. Since a router is simply an electric motor with interchangeable heads, the amount of projects where the tool can be utilized is endless. Furthermore, wood routers can be used to cut through plastics, aluminum, and even marble. For harder materials, traditional heads will wear away quickly, meaning that carbide or diamond-tipped heads are essential.
What safety precautions should I take before operating a router?
When operating a router, feet, protecting your eyes, ears, and hands should be your utmost priority. For the most part, splinters are the most dangerous byproduct of a running router if all other safety precautions are followed. Thus, make sure you wear protection in the form of goggles, gloves, and hearing protection. Once you are thoroughly covered, ensure that the fence is securely tightened, as are the feather boards and any other accessories used. Lastly, make certain that you are moving your wood from right to left on the router table; this so that if you lose control of the piece of lumber, it launches away from you instead of towards you due to the counter-clockwise movement of the router.
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