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ROUTER TABLE
74
WORKBENCH AUGUST 2006
ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE
ROUTER TABLE
Open up a new world of woodworking possibilities by
learning how to set up and use a table-mounted router.
T
he router undeniably ranks
as one of the most versatile
woodworking tools. But a
router becomes even more
capable when its turned upside down
and mounted in a router table.
Table-mounting gives you a level
of control over the router you just
cant get when using it handheld.
Think of it like ripping a board with
a handheld circular saw versus ripping
it on a table saw. Rather than having
to secure the workpiece somehow
and then move the cutter over it, you
secure the tool and then move the
workpiece over the cutter. This lets
you guide the workpiece with con-
dence and means you dont have to
ght the weight, torque, and vibration
of the tool.
A router table also offers large
surfaces, namely the table and fence,
that support and guide your work-
piece. Plus, the table and fence accept
accessories like a miter gauge, guards,
featherboards, and others that make
routing safer and easier.
TABLE
ANATOMY
To use a router table successfully, you
need to get familiar with its compo-
nents and their functions. The Illustration
below provides an overview.
Table
The table is, of course,
the key component in a router table.
It provides a at, smooth surface for
your workpiece to ride on. Obviously,
the large surface simplies routing
large pieces, but it offers better control
when working with small stock, too.
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FIVE RULES FOR

TABLE ROUTING
Tables are made from many ma-
terials, but one of the most common
is melamine-coated MDF. Its dense,
stable, and stays at.
Insert Plate
On most router
tables, the router mounts to a remov-
able plate that ts into an opening in the
table. This setup lets you easily remove
the router for changing bits, servicing
the router, or even using it handheld.
Miter-Gauge Slot
Most tables
also have a slot that accepts a miter gauge.
That means you can support workpieces
when routing across the grain. On some
tables, the miter slot is paired with a

T-slot for mounting accessories.
Fence
The next critical compo-
nent is the fence. Its mission is simple:
to hold your workpiece in a constant
position relative to the bit as you rout.
That makes the router-table fence a
lot like a table saw rip fence, but the
router-table fence is more complex.
When routing along the edge of a
workpiece, you only expose a portion
of the bit. The rest tucks into an
opening in the fence face. On most
fences, the faces slide, so you can make
the opening around the bit as small as
possible to help prevent tearout.
To adjust the position of a router-table
fence, you slide it backward or forward
and then lock it down. And because the
router bit is essentially a single point,
it doesnt matter during most routing

operations whether the fence is parallel
to the edge of the table or whether it sits
at an angle (Illustration, below).
ALL THE ANGLES.
The fence can sit at
any angle on the table without affecting
how far the bit protrudes from the face.
FEED STOCK FROM RIGHT TO LEFT.
Looking down on the router bit, it
spins counterclockwise, so pushing the workpiece from right to left moves it
against the rotation of the bit and forces the workpiece against the fence.
1] Always feed from right to left.


A workpiece should always be moved
against the rotation of the bit. When
routing handheld, that means you
move the router from left to right.
Flip the router upside down in a
router table, though, and you need
to reverse the feed direction: Feed
from right to left (Illustration, above).
This prevents the bit from grabbing
and throwing the workpiece.
2] Use a guide.
When routing, you al-
ways have to use something to guide
the workpiece. On a router table, use
the fence or a pilot bearing on the bit
to guide the workpiece.
3] Dont stress the router or bit.

On a router table, its easy to force
the router to bite off more than it can
chew by feeding too fast, taking an
oversize cut, or pushing too hard. This
puts a tremendous side load on the bit
that can tear up a workpiece, stress
the router bearings, or even break a
bit. So make sure to take light cuts.
4] Get a grip on small pieces.
When
working with pieces that are narrow
or less than about 6" long, the torque
of the spinning bit can yank the work-
piece out of your hands and throw it,
or draw your hands into the bit. So
always use a small-piece handler, a
clamp, a push block, or a miter gauge
to hold the piece (Photo, above).
5] Use featherboards when routing
with the fence.
Featherboards apply
steady pressure to keep a workpiece
tight against the table or fence. This
helps ensure accuracy by maintaining a
consistent depth and width of cut, and
it prevents you from having to get your
hands close to the spinning bit.
SECURE SMALL PIECES.
When
routing a small piece, use a strong
clamp to hold the workpiece securely. 76
WORKBENCH AUGUST 2006
You can perform a lot of different

operations on a router table, but they
all boil down to the same simple goal:
Making a cut of a specied depth and
width in a workpiece. To do that, you
need to guide the workpiece against
the router tables control surfaces.

The rst of those is the table itself.
This is ground zero, so the height of
the bit above the table determines the
depth of cut.
The second control surface deter-
mines the width of cut. In most cases, this
is the fence. Use it any time a workpiece
has a straight edge that can ride along
the fence face. Sometimes, however, like
when youre routing irregular-shaped
pieces, a guide bearing on the bit plays
a role in width of cut (see the Box, below).
This is true whether you are routing the
edge, end, or face of a workpiece.
ROUTING
EDGES
One of the most common uses of a router
table is shaping the edge of a workpiece.
This may be to add a decorative prole,
such as an ogee or chamfer, or it may be
for creating rabbets, tongues, or other
kinds of joinery.
To machine an edge, you position
the fence so that only a portion of the
bit is exposed in front of the fence face
(Photo, above). As you rout, your hand
pressure keeps the workpiece against the
table, while the bits rotation pulls the

workpiece tightly against the fence. To
get the most consistent cutting results
possible, position feather-
boards on the infeed (right)
side of the bit. These help
maintain steady pressure
on the workpiece.
When routing edges,
you should only rout the
edge that rides against
the fence. In other words,
dont move the fence
back and trap the work-
piece between the fence
and bit. Routing that
way is almost guaranteed
to result in a kickback,
where the bit grabs and
throws the workpiece.
The fence, by the way,
can still be useful when
using bearing-guided bits,
particularly when routing
long pieces (Photo, below). In these cases,
you position the fence so the guide
bearing is ush with the fence face
or sits just slightly proud of the face

(Illustration, below). The bearing controls
the width of cut, while the fence provides
support as you feed the workpiece.
ON THE EDGE.
By changing the position of the router-table fence, you control
how much of the bit is exposed and, in turn, how wide of a cut the bit makes.
Piloted Bits.
The fence can enhance
control with piloted bits. Set the fence so
the bearing just clears the face (below).
FENCE-GUIDED
ROUTING
TWO TYPES
OF BITS
Some bits have an auto-pilot.

Some router bits
have pilot bearings (left) that limit their width of
cut. Bits without bearings (right) require a control
surface (usually the fence) to limit cutting width.
NON-PILOTED BIT
Requires fence to
limit width of cut
PILOTED BIT
Bearing limits
width of cut
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ROUTING
ENDS
Using the fence also allows you to rout
the ends of a workpiece. This is espe-
cially useful for joinery, such as cutting
tenons on the ends of door rails.
Routing the end of a wide work-
piece is no different than routing the
edge: pass it over the bit with the end
riding against the fence. But if a piece
is narrower than about 3", it doesnt
have a large enough bearing surface
against the fence to resist the force of
the spinning bit. So narrow pieces have
to be handled differently to prevent
the bit from grabbing the workpiece
and pulling it out of your hand.
The solution for successfully routing
the end of a narrow piece is to place
support behind the long edg