Recommendation points
- Make a countertop
- Make a solid base
- Embed the mounting plate
- Improve the emphasis
- Let’s summarize the project
A milling table will make your work easier and help to increase the precision of workpieces You can buy a ready-made one, or you can make a milling table for a hand router with your own hands, applying the skills of working with wood. We have prepared for you a fairly detailed step-by-step instructions for making a table.
The essence of all designs of a horizontal milling table is the same, the idea is clear – you need to think it over for yourself and execute it, taking into account your capabilities. And in the end, get a machine that allows you to process workpieces much more accurately and perform operations that previously seemed difficult for a hand mill.
Decide on the size of the work surface, starting from the dimensions of the workpieces to be processed and the free space in the workshop. Start small – build a simple countertop with upgrade options. Work on it and gradually bring to mind.
Make a countertop
The simplest table for a router is a separate work plate, placed on the joinery gantries or between the pedestals. The device costs a penny and is manufactured in a few hours, but it will allow you to perform a significant proportion of the same operations as a multifunctional machine. You only need MDF or birch plywood 19–25 mm thick. A plastic-covered panel is better suited, which provides less frictional resistance, and a plate laminated on both sides will not warp during operation.
Set the exact right angle of the cut on the circular saw, cut the parts according to dimensions and grind the ends.
Cutting scheme: 1 – base plate; 2 – stop base; 3 – front wall of the stop; 4 – kerchief (4 pieces, dimensions for 19 mm plywood); 5 – tsar (2 pcs.); 6 – side bar; 7 – connecting strip (4 pcs.)
Advice.Before cutting, measure the thickness of the sheet material, which is often different from the standard. Correct the drawings, eliminating assembly problems.
Remove the plastic pad from the sole of the router.
Draw a line in the middle of the slab and place a mark 235 mm back from the edge.
Position the overlay so that the router’s main adjusters are then closer to the edge of the table. Visually align the center of the lining with the marked point and mark the drilling locations for the mounting screws.
Determine the center location for the outsole with equidistant screws.
For a base with asymmetrically positioned screws, measure the diameter of the pad and the distance from the outer circumference to the edge of the sole.
Draw a line with a pencil in the middle of the beveled side, calculate the distance from it to the center:
- S = D / 2 – (D – H)
Position the cut perpendicular to the midline and mark the center of the sole.
Mark the locations of the mounting screws.
Drill the mounting holes and for the cutter, countersink the recesses. Mark semicircular cutouts in the base and front wall of the stop.
Saw the bends with a jigsaw. Make frequent auxiliary cuts perpendicular to the edge of the part, just below the scribe line. Then move the file a little closer to the contour line – the pieces will fall out without interfering with the movement of the canvas. Sand the cutout with sandpaper wrapped around the pipe.
Attach the connecting strips to the bottom of the worktop.
Glue all the blanks and fasten them with additional screws. Select screws longer than the standard ones by the thickness of the plywood and install the router from the bottom of the plate.
1 – side plate for fastening with clamps on the gantry; 2 – king; 3 – countersunk guide holes; 4 – front wall of the stop; 5 – self-tapping screw with a countersunk head 4.5×42; 6 – kerchief; 7 – stop base
Fix the table on the trestle with clamps, fix the position of the stop with clamps and get to work.
Make a solid base
The worktop can be installed on a frame that is low enough to accommodate the router. The portable table is stored on a rack and fixed on a workbench for work. If you milling a lot and there is free space in the workshop, add pedestals to the tabletop and get a complete machine.
Saw out the body elements according to the dimensions given for a table height of 820 mm, or modify them so that the table top is level with other equipment.
Frame details: 1 – outer side panel; 2 – inner panel; 3 – back panel; 4 – base
Place the countertop with the back side up. Install the side panels in sequence and fasten them with screws, pre-drilling the pilot holes. Secure the base, fold the frame front side down, line up the square corners and install the two rear panels.
Finally, attach the wheel supports to the bottom of the body using roofing screws. Place the wheel mounting pads at least 20 mm from the edges.
1 – side stand; 2 – wheel support; 3 – bottom; 4 – inner rack; 5 – back panel
Use free space in drawers to solve the problem of storing tools and supplies.
Embed the mounting plate
Get more overhang of the cutter by placing the tool on a 4-6 mm plate made of duralumin, getinax or monolithic polycarbonate.
Cut a square with a side of 300 mm from a sheet, put it on a workbench. Glue the plastic sole of the router on top with double-sided tape, placing it face up in the middle. Using a drill of the same diameter as the mounting screws, drill holes in the plate using the plastic pad as a template. Remove the sole, make a countersink or a large drill indentation for the caps.
Screw the plate onto the disconnected router, insert an 8mm drill into the collet. Lower the tool body until the drill touches the surface and rotate the chuck, marking the center. Unscrew the plate and make a hole at the mark with a hole saw.
Place the plate on the countertop and outline the outline. Draw and cut a cutout by inserting the jigsaw blade through the drilled hole. File the ends with a file and sandpaper.
Fix the thin planks around the marked contour with clamps.
Clamp a copy cutter with a bearing in the collet, set the milling depth according to the thickness of the mounting plate. Mill in several passes, then add 0.5 mm with the mill micrometer and complete the final run.
Drill the through holes for the screws and expand them on the back of the tabletop with an 11 mm drill for the self-locking nuts. Clean the surfaces and install the nuts on the epoxy, aligning with the screwed in bolts.
Fit the mounting plate to the cutout, place it in place, drill the mounting holes and countersink from the front. Attach the part to the base of the router, insert the tool into the table top and tighten the screws. Check that the plate is flush with the plane of the table top, if necessary, compensate for errors with washers.
Improve the emphasis
For a faster and more convenient machine set-up, modify the parallel side stop and complement the machine with a pivot stop to help machine the ends of narrow parts. The latter can be taken from a stationary circular saw. Cut aluminum T-rails into the surface of the plate. Use a router or a circular saw with a slotted disc to make cutouts in the worktop..
Slightly round off the top corners of the grooves with sandpaper. Cut the profile to size, drill holes according to the diameter of the screws, process them with a countersink. Insert parts into grooves, make thin holes and tighten countersunk screws.
Drill 7mm holes in the base of the stop, pick up hex head bolts and plastic handwheels with nuts.
Install the guide profile in the front plate of the stop to secure the clamps, auxiliary pads and protective devices.
Cut a cover out of plywood with a hole in the center, fasten it to the gussets located near the cutout of the longitudinal stop. Connect the adapter nipple and connect the vacuum cleaner when working on the milling table.
Add a safety guard made of plywood trim and a strip of plexiglass to the stop.
To make oblong cuts, drill 7mm holes at the indicated points, connect them with tangents and make cuts with a jigsaw.
Make homemade clamps and clamps needed for milling small items.
The clamping comb can be made from maple wood by selecting a straight grain section. Perform the slots between the ridges on a circular machine:
- Set the cutting height to 50 mm.
- Set the cutting width to 2mm.
- Make a cut.
- Push the workpiece back with the hand pusher.
- Flip the board 180 °, cut on the other side.
- Move the stop by 5 mm, repeat the operations.
- Move the stop again and make cuts throughout the workpiece.
Secure the clips to the rail with bolts and wing nuts.
1 – stopper; 2 – clamp-comb; 3 – protective shield; 4 – aluminum guide; 5 – a branch pipe for a vacuum cleaner
Sand the surfaces of the parts, especially where the workpieces will pass during the milling process. Clean the machine from dust and coat with oil.
1 – a drawer for cutters; 2 – trapezoidal groove for the stop
Let’s summarize the project
Materials needed:
- Plywood: 1600x900x19 and 2100x1410x19 mm.
- Plastic 4x30x30 mm.
- Several dozen screws.
- Aluminum rails – 2.3 m.
- Wheel support with brake – 4 pcs.
- Carpentry and epoxy glue.
- M6 bolts with nuts.
The ability to take your time and think over each step came in handy, to accurately mark and cut out the blanks, or the desire to learn this. The result is a solid milling table for little money. In the future, you should think about equipping the machine with a switch and a mechanism for adjusting the milling height.
This sounds like an interesting project! However, I’m wondering if you could provide more details on the difficulty level and the materials required for this DIY milling table. Additionally, are there any specific safety precautions that need to be taken into consideration while working with a manual router? Thank you!