Posted: 11/23/2011 6:36:22 PM EDT
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Has anyone built one? I've been wanting to build one for a while, but pretty soon it will become a necessity for me. I will likely start working on the table after getting the chairs, but it doesn't hurt starting research early.
All I know so far is that it will be rectangular, eight or ten seater, and the legs will be tapered. Any tips or pics you care to share? Thanks. |
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Prior planning prevents piss poor performance. Search around, either on the web or in furniture stores in your area and find something you like. You might find a number of different tables that each have something you like. Get pictures and if you are in the store, get measurements. Look for plans online as well. Rockler, Woodcraft, Lee Valley; all have plans you can purchase. Also, check out wood magazine's website for plans. (if you find a wood mag plan you like let me know, I may have the issue the plans were in and could let you borrow it instead of buying the plans). Here's a link for free woodworking plans as well:
http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/resources/index.php?cat=102 If you are going to draft your own plans, get some graph paper. Make one square = 1/4" and tape enough pieces together so you can draft the whole piece and plan your joinery. Remember, you MUST allow for wood movement of your top. Lots of different ways to do this. Tapered legs. You going to buy them (rockler and lee valley both sell them in a variety of species) or are you going to make them? Table Top. This will be the hardest part. You could buy something already made like I did with my workbench. Otherwise, you might want to check your clamp collection. Got enough for the job? Got a good belt sander? Straight edges? Still think you next project should be a router table. My next post in my jigs, fixtures, and shop storage thread will be for you. 
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My wife built our kitchen table with the help of our neighbor at our previous home. Took about 4 months including the 2.5 months of letting the rough cut timbers dry out, planning them down and letting them dry out some more. This table is well over 300lbs. Here she is stripping off the old finish so that it better matches our new kitchen colors.
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I've been wanting to build one for a while.....I have some rough cut oak in 2.5" x 10.5" planks.....and am wanting to build the base as timber-frame mortise and tenon. Send your physic powers....I've had it in my head for years.....  E=MC*MC oops....... ......if you guys don't know but one thing about me by now.....I cant spell for crap.
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My wife built our kitchen table with the help of our neighbor at our previous home. Took about 4 months including the 2.5 months of letting the rough cut timbers dry out, planning them down and letting them dry out some more. This table is well over 300lbs. Here she is stripping off the old finish so that it better matches our new kitchen colors. http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e314/bhart8911/Nicstable.jpg Something tells me you are no longer a level 21 virgin.....
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My wife built our kitchen table with the help of our neighbor at our previous home. Took about 4 months including the 2.5 months of letting the rough cut timbers dry out, planning them down and letting them dry out some more. This table is well over 300lbs. Here she is stripping off the old finish so that it better matches our new kitchen colors. http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e314/bhart8911/Nicstable.jpg Something tells me you are no longer a level 21 virgin..... Level 24 now. My willpower strength is 87
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A wife that will run a sander? You are a luck man Sir 
Oh, and the table looks like you could park a tank on it. Nicely done. +1 And post MOAR pics of wife. Oh, sorry, I forgot this isn't GD or Team.
Now back to business, OP, check out http://www.tablelegs.com/ Look at their base kits. I have built two end tables with their kits, and have a hall table kit that I haven't built yet. All of mine are cherry, which is BEAUTIFUL after several coats of linseed oil, and is fairly care-free; it gets a patina after a couple of years. I used the mortise and tenon joinery, glue them up, then put wooden pegs into the joints. They include instructions on how to set up, clamp and glue up their bases. Like others said, the top can be hard- need lots of clamps, and consider planing or jointing the boards before gluing up the table top. The two tops I've built so far were small enough that I just sanded the boards on all sides with a sanding block. Agree with advise to allow for expansion/contraction of the top, and measures to prevent warping, such as bread-board ends. |
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Thank you, all, for the advice and pics.
I prefer to build the whole thing myself, but I realize that I need more equipment. For the money that I would need to buy enough clamps to glue a ~8' table top I could buy one or two finished tables. So for the table top, I might have to have one glued to order from one of the local lumber places. Covertness, I will definitely have a router table before this, but I'm not sure if I want to build one like yours right away, or just a simple base for the table top to get some other projects out of the way before going for the Ferrari of Router Tables. 
TigerForce, I'm not sure I like the look of breadboard ends for this project, but I'm thinking I should not have problems with kiln-dried hard wood. This is the profile I like: 
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I got all my clamps by searching the Craiglist tools section...I bought them all for pennies on the $. In fact, I bought most of my tools this way....just found people who were selling a bunch of tools and accumulated what I wanted. Usually if I see clamps at a fire sale price, I snap them up...You can never have too many clamps... |
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abnk I have a Jessem template if you buy one of their standard router table bases. Be happy to mail it to you if you mail it back when you're done. Ferrari of router tables? You have that issue of Popular Woodworking? That's exactly what they called it.  Pardon my ignorance, but a template for what? I thought the Jessem table tops come precut? I don't have that issue, but I remember you had mentioned that term in the past.
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| If you buy a whole top, yes it would already be cut out for a router plate. However, you can just buy the plate and make your own top. For that you need a template to cut out the hole in your top with an edge for the plate to sit on. That's how I made my first routertable out of two layers of phenolic plywood. |
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I'm reading some more reviews and many are pointing out that Jessem tops will flex. This was allegedly confirmed by the company and they are meant to go on the Jessem steel frames or similar setups. Did you have any problems with yours?
I had planned to buy the top, but I would not expect a $200 top to flex. Right now, I am leaning toward making my own. |
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Never heard that but it depends on how you mount your top to your base. A lot ot router table kits are done with a metal frame base and the top is attached to it around the outside peremiter of the top. Mine has that plus two rows of additional support from front to back where the router motor cabinet is. So no, mine doesn't flex at all. That is also why I used two layers of 3/4" phenolic ply for my first router table top.
The template I'm talking about is for the plate that attaches to the router motor. 
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2004354/9355/Installation-Template.aspx |
| Thanks. This also seems to be a good setup for the price: Rockler High Pressure Laminate Router Table, Fence & Plate . |