You always want to make sure that you choose the right tools for the job and it is no different when it comes to routers.
Whether you’re looking for a wood router, plunge router, fixed-base router, or benchtop router, such as a CNC router with variable speeds when you’re looking at the many options out there, you want to make sure you know the best price benchtop router table or stand and router.
You also need to consider the many features that go into choosing the ideal wood router from leading companies like Bosch, Dewalt, and Bench Dog. So, just what are you really looking for when it comes to getting that great router for yourself and your workshop?
Whether you’re looking for something to use for your own personal reasons or for a professional shop with highly professional router bits and total dust collection, you’ll want to read on. Here’s Our Router And Router Table Review Featuring The Router Performance Of Some Of the Best Out There:
Flat Top
The number one important feature is that your router table must have a perfectly flat top. You don’t want cracks, scratches, dents, divots, or angles on your router tabletop because that’s going to result in problems for each and every one of the projects that you make later on.
They’re all going to create a skewed or uneven edge if you aren’t careful. By checking over the top of the table for problems right off the bat you’re going to be able to keep yourself from these types of damage and this continuous problem with your router from then on.
A top that’s made with heavy cast iron is going to be great for everything you need from the flatness to the stability to a whole lot more. It will hold up over time and it’s going to be perfectly level. If you have an MDF table, which is going to be the least expensive, you’ll want it to be at least 1” thick to get a moderate level of protection and durability.
Rigid Base Plate
The base plate is going to be attached to the router, which means that it also needs to be perfectly flat and without any markings on it. You don’t want to have a great table and then the router plate makes the router cause you problems.
You want the base plate to be entirely flat while placed under the router, supporting that router, and you want to make sure it’s stiff and firm no matter what. This means it needs to be made with high-quality materials, like phenolic or machined aluminum. Either way, it needs to work perfectly with your router.
Make sure it sits level on the table as well, which may require a little bit of adjustment to the table in some instances. You shouldn’t have to do a lot of fixing for a table that you buy, however. It should come with a lot of this already done. If you’re going to keep your router as a handheld tool and for table use you also want to make sure the plate is easy to take apart from the router.
Miter Slot
You need to have a miter slot because this is going to help you with the process of guiding your material past the cutter and still keeping it pressed firmly against your fence.
Creating a dado or other cuts and grooves also will be done on your router in most cases, which means a miter slot will come in handy, helping you to attach your feather boards or any other accessories that you might need.
You can use a T-slot if your table comes with one, but at least one or the other of these is definitely going to be important for your projects.
These could be just about anywhere on your router table, so make sure that you look for them and get a table that has one or the other to improve your capabilities and make it a whole lot easier to get what you’re looking for when it comes to any project you want to accomplish during the life of your table and your router.
Accurate Fence
The fence is going to keep your pieces perfectly flat when you’re pushing them through the bit. You don’t want a fence that’s uneven or warped in any way because that’s going to result in warped accents and cuts to your pieces of wood.
Your fence needs to be as precise as it can possibly be, so always take a look and make sure that it’s flat and level. Always make sure that it’s aligned properly with the second fence (If you have one) or with the rest of the table if you don’t. You don’t want to make mistakes on your projects and have to constantly take them back apart or redo things, right?
You should be able to set up and adjust the fence quickly and easily so each project that you want to accomplish is ready to go in a short amount of time. That means making sure you try out moving the fence at the least and be careful of checking the rigidity and the overall straightness of the line it makes as well.
Stable Base
The base that you use for your table needs to be stable and durable all at the same time. If it’s not, you’ll end up with movement and rocking while you’re using the router. Keep in mind that it’s a heavy unit, it’s loud, and it’s going to want to move a little.
If your base doesn’t provide strong enough resistance, you’re going to end up with the entire system shaking and that means you’re going to have uneven cuts and problems with the project when it’s all done. You definitely don’t want that and a stable base is going to be the first step in accomplishing that.
The sturdy base can be a cabinet style or it can be a table that just stands on legs, but you definitely want to make sure that it’s done just right and that if the legs are adjustable they’re always even. That way you don’t have to worry about any of the potential rocking and other motions that happen when you’re not level.
Make sure that you look at the different options when it comes to router tables and always be sure that you’re comparing several before you just jump in and choose one. You never know what you could be getting and if you don’t do your research you’re definitely not going to get something you’ll want to use for a long time to come. You may end up with something that doesn’t even work in the short term and that’s just going to mean a waste of money for you and a waste of space in your workshop, neither of which is a good thing.