Professional carpenters treat their router table with great respect. And not by accident. After all, a convenient and properly arranged workbench is a guarantee of high productivity and an increase in the efficiency of the workflow. On sale you can find models of tables for every taste, but often their cost is so high that not every craftsman can afford such a purchase.
However, everyone can make a suitable milling table on their own, adjusting it to their personal needs and habits. And it is not necessary to buy expensive branded products or their Chinese counterparts. Having worked a little, you will not only save a lot, but the main thing is that in the end you will get your own table, working at which you can quickly and much better produce exactly the joinery that you need.
The manufacturer cannot predict the needs of each potential buyer and puts basic features into its products. Many of them may simply never be needed for you, and some that you need may not be in the design of the table.
For the independent manufacture of a milling table, nothing supernatural and too expensive is required. All that is needed is an electric motor, a guide structure and the table itself, a stable bed on which equipment and accessories will be fixed. And, of course, your own drawing of the milling table.
What is a milling machine and what is its purpose
The principle of working with a manual milling tool is that the milling cutter moves along the surface of a securely fixed workpiece that needs to be processed in a certain way. The problem is that this is often not very convenient. Therefore, they resort to tricks: they fix the milling cutter itself, and move the part. The resulting design is called the "milling table".
With the help of milling tables, you can easily make shaped holes, cut grooves, securely connect parts, for example, drawer walls, etc., perform edge profiling and many other operations that are available only in specialized carpentry workshops that have milling machines.
Using milling tables for a manual router, you get the opportunity to process not only wooden products, but also chipboard, plastic, MDF, make joints on spikes and tongues, make grooves and slots, chamfer and decorate profiles.
In addition, milling tables can be used as woodworking machines. To do this, a tool is fixed in a drill stand or on a workbench - and the machine is ready. Therefore, many companies began to produce milling tables in a wide range with a lot of additional accessories for them. However, a well-made table for a router is in no way inferior to branded ones, and sometimes even surpasses them.
How are milling tables arranged?
To work with a manual router on the table, you can use a regular workbench or build a special table. This table features a sturdy construction with good stability. This is necessary given the strong vibrations caused by the running router. Since the tool is attached from below, there should not be anything interfering with work under the tabletop. Only the router itself for the milling table and, if necessary, an elevator device that provides precise and smooth adjustment of the rise of the cutter.
The router is attached to the table with a mounting plate. The material for it must be of high quality and durable. It is best to use textolite, metal or plywood. There are usually threaded connections on the fasteners of the plastic pad on the sole of the router, which can be used to attach the router to the table top of the router table. On the surface of the future table, select the groove for the mounting plate so that the sole of the router is flush. The plate must be fixed with self-tapping screws with countersunk heads so that they do not interfere with the movement of the workpieces to be processed in the future.
The router itself is also attached to the table with countersunk screws, attaching it to the mounting plate. If there are no such holes in the sole of the tool, they must be drilled by yourself. Alternatively, clamping devices can be used if there is no desire to drill the router sole.
On the milling table, be sure to install a button to turn the router on and off. It is also highly desirable to equip the table with an emergency fungus button for the safety of the person working behind it. In order for the fastening of the workpieces to be reliable, clamping devices are arranged. It is convenient to use a milling rotary table. For measurement, a ruler is usually built into the surface of the table.
Types of milling tables
When starting to manufacture a milling table, you should, first of all, decide on a place for it in your workshop. It depends on what features you plan to use. This may be a lateral extension of the saw machine, that is, an aggregate table.
If you plan to only occasionally work on the router table and use it outside of the workshop, build a portable table. It can always be removed or hung on the wall, saving space.
If there is enough space in the workshop, then a stationary table for a milling machine will be most convenient. It can be equipped with wheels and moved as needed.
Both the portable and the stationary table can be temporarily removed, but at the same time keep them constantly ready for certain operations. To do this, they are pre-configured.
Simple table design
If desired, a device of a simple design can be made of a small height, then fixed on an ordinary table. To do this, take a chipboard sheet and a simple board, which should be fixed on the sheet as a guide. The board should be of small thickness and fastened with bolts.
After that, you need to make a hole for the cutter. In a simple version, this can be finished - the resulting design will allow you to perform simple milling operations. However, if you want to make a router table for more thorough work, you will have to spend a little more time and effort.
Bed manufacturing
For any milling machine, the bed is its frame, on which the tabletop is attached from above. The base can be made of any material, the main thing is that it is strong and stable. The size of the bed is selected individually, based on the dimensions of the parts that are planned to be processed on the machine.
In the manufacture of the machine, it is desirable to make its lower part in such a way that the person standing in front of it does not rest his feet on the frame. To do this, the lowest part of the bed is deepened (like ordinary furniture) by about 10-20 centimeters.
If you plan to process door linings, then it will be appropriate to make a table 85-90 cm high, 50-55 cm deep and 150 cm wide.
For convenience when working while standing, the height of the table is taken to be about 85-90 cm. In this case, it is desirable to use adjustable supports in the design of the table, which allow you to level the milling tables for a manual router if there are uneven floors or, if necessary, change the height.
Tabletop for a homemade table
Since the workpieces glide well on plastic, a good option would be to use a kitchen panel made of chipboard 26-26 cm thick as a tabletop for a milling table. Its depth of 60 cm will also be convenient for use, and the chipboard material itself will perfectly dampen the vibrations produced by the router during operation.
As a last resort, when making tables of milling machines, you can use chipboard or MDF boards with a thickness of 1.6 cm or more.
Mounting plate
Since the kitchen worktop has a rather large thickness, in order to maintain the amplitude of the overhang of the cutter, the router should be fastened to the table using a mounting plate. With its small thickness, it is highly durable and securely holds the tool without losing the cutter's working stroke.
Using a textolite (fiberglass) mounting plate, cut out a rectangular blank 5-8 mm thick and with sides from 15 to 30 cm. Cut a hole in the center of the plate corresponding to the hole in the sole of the milling tool. The plate is attached to the surface of the table, and a milling cutter is already installed on it.
We assemble a table for a milling cutter
After the bed is made, a countertop is temporarily attached to it. A mounting plate is installed on a pre-prepared place and its outline is drawn with a pencil. Then, using a manual milling cutter with a cutter with a diameter of 5-9 mm in the tabletop, you should choose a seat for it. The plate should lie flush in it and without distortions.
The corners of the seat must be rounded with a file. The same operation must be carried out with the mounting plate - process its corners with the same radius as in the seat.
After that, through milling of the tabletop along the contours of the sole of the router should be carried out. This does not require special accuracy, but you will probably still need to choose additional material from the bottom of the countertop for the dust collector and some other additional devices.
It remains to connect all the details together. Having started the router from below, we fix it on the mounting plate, then we attach the plate to the tabletop. We fasten the tabletop to the bed already completely.
Setting up the top clamp
As an additional safety measure and for convenience, the milling table is equipped with an upper clamp - a roller-based device made according to the drawings. When working with door linings, this is especially true, as well as when dressing overall parts. The design of the top clamp is simple.
A properly sized ball bearing will do the job of the roller. The bearing must be rigidly fixed at a certain distance from the tabletop so that it provides a reliable clamping of the workpiece from above.
Milling machine drive
If your choice is to make a simple machine, pay attention to the electric motor for it. Power is the main factor of choice. If the tree sampling is planned to be shallow, then a power of 500 W will be enough for you. So that the machine does not constantly stop and justifies your expectations, choose a motor with a power of 1100 W or more. Such a drive will allow not only to safely process any wood, but also to use various cutters.
A homemade milling table can be improved indefinitely, depending on your requirements and desires. But the most important thing at the same time is not to forget about safety and be sure to equip your machine with the means to ensure it.
When processing a surface with a manual router, it often becomes necessary to simultaneously hold the product. For such situations, the milling table is designed.
Of course, you can buy this device in hardware stores, but it is not cheap, so it's better to spend a little time and make a router table yourself.
Types of milling tables
The amount of work to be done will depend on which version of the table you need.
Milling tables are of several types:
- Stationary
Free standing full desktop. - Portable
Desktop design, which is installed if necessary. - Aggregate
An option when an expansion of the surface of the saw table is made to work with the router (pictured).
Structural elements
In this article, we will consider a stationary milling table. Having made it, you can independently cope with the design of any other type.
The most important part of the table is the frame. It consists of a frame (legs, frame, etc.) and a table top (including a metal plate and other table components). The bed height varies from 75 cm to 1 meter and is adjusted individually.
As a bed, an old unnecessary table is quite suitable, which is easy to convert into a milling table.
The tabletop is made of chipboard, chipboard, thick plywood or plastic. The optimal sheet thickness is 16 mm. The material for the bed should be chosen taking into account the fact that wooden blanks will constantly move along its surface. Therefore, it must be smooth. Often the countertop is made of metals that are not subject to corrosion (for example, aluminum).
There is a mounting plate in the middle of the table top. Many people think that you can do without this detail, but this is not so. The mounting plate is the holder for all milling equipment.
The thickness of the plate should be no more than 8 mm. The material of manufacture depends on the desire and possibilities. It can be metal, textolite, durable plywood or other sheet material. A hole is cut in the center of the plate, suitable in size for the sole of the router.
Important: router models differ from each other, so when making a table, you should take into account that its height should ideally fit your height, and the router mount and hole size should be exactly for your tool.
Stationary milling table
Consider the option of manufacturing a milling table with a metal frame and a Dutch plywood top.
Materials and tools
In order to make a table for a manual milling cutter with your own hands, you will need materials:
- metal corner or pipe (for the frame)
- aluminum guide
- axis for fastening the router
- putty, primer and paint for metal
- self-tapping screws
- furniture bolts 6 x 60 mm
- adjusting hexagon bolts with nuts - 4 pcs.
- plywood Finnish moisture resistant laminated, 18 mm thick (other material can be taken)
- boards or scraps of plywood (for the manufacture of a parallel stop).
The following tools are also required:
- welding machine (for the metal frame of the table)
- drill and drills
- screwdriver
- jigsaw
- router
- spatula, brushes, rags.
How to make and assemble a transforming table with your own hands:
You may also be interested in an article about how to do it yourself.
And how to make a table for a sewing machine yourself, you can learn from
Manufacturing steps
Step 1. To begin with, we make a table frame: the tabletop holder is welded from 4 profile pipes 25 x 25 mm, on one side of the table it is necessary to weld another pipe along which the parallel stop will move. Legs are attached to them.
It is possible to weld on each side of the frame (along the perimeter where the countertop will be located) along a corner long with a pipe so that the countertop sits on these corners in a recess.
Another option, which we will use, is to install additional supports for the countertop: we weld two more pipes on the long sides, which will serve not only as a support for plywood, but also as a limiter for the router (the distance between them should be such that you can safely cut a hole for mounting the device).
In order to make the workplace more stable, we weld reinforcing jumpers between the legs of the table, at a distance of about 20 cm from the floor.
Step 2 For painting, you need to take oil paint (not suitable for aluminum and galvanizing!). We clean the metal from dirt and degrease it with any solvent (alcohol, kerosene, etc.). If necessary, you can putty the surface with a special putty and prime it.
Note: all actions should be carried out in a respirator and a ventilated area.
For primers you can use the same paint, which will be further stained, but diluted with a solvent. Longer term and qualitative the result is obtained by processing specialized compositions for metal.
After application last standing it is necessary to wait for the full drying out and only then proceed to further actions.
Step 3 We cut the tabletop exactly under the metal frame so that it fits firmly into the corners. For greater strength, you can drill (with a drill for metal) holes in metal pipes (or corners) and fasten the edges of the tabletop to the frame with furniture bolts. The size of the finished tabletop is 84 x 59 cm, the height of the table is 90 cm.
Step 4 At a distance of 20-25 cm from the edge we cut aluminum rail along the entire length of the table.
Step 5 Cut the axis for the milling cutter in half. This will help increase the space between the sole and the axle to 11mm (if you use uncut axles, this distance will be only 6mm).
Step 6 We remove the sole from the router and in the middle of the table top we mark 4 holes for its fastening, we drill them. In the middle of the tabletop we make a hole under. For each tool, the hole size will be different! Holes are drilled to the left and right of the hole, into which bolts for fastening the clamps of the milling axes are inserted (they will not be removed anymore).
Step 7 On the reverse side, it is necessary to make a large groove under the router sole milling cutter.
In the groove itself, above and below the through hole, cut out small grooves (with a milling cutter) equal in length to the axes. At the ends of the grooves with a Forstner drill, make small recesses for adjusting bolts with hexagonal hole.
Step 8 From the pieces of the pipe we cut out two segments equal to the width of the large groove. We drill holes in them for bolts that cannot be removed. We got the clamps of the axes of the milling cutter. Nuts are screwed onto the bolts.
Step 9 Hex nuts and bolts are placed on both sides axes and necessary in order to plane adjustment milling cutter.
Step 10 We make a parallel stop. To do this, a groove is cut in a small piece of plywood for movement along a pipe specially welded for this. With an electric jigsaw, three plywood strips of the same size are cut (length of the strip = table length + guide tube width) and 4 stiffeners for them.
In one plywood strip, a semicircular hole is made for the exit of chips, which should correspond to the slot in the countertop. In the second strip, a square hole is made in the same place.
The third plywood strip is sawn in half. It is attached to the back of the strip with a square hole using bolts (then you need to make long grooves for them to move) or simple guides. The halves of plywood should move apart in different directions. An aluminum guide is installed at the very top edge of this strip.
Step 11 We fasten the first and second strips together with the sides with cutouts. We fasten stiffeners: two - along the edges of the resulting large hole at the junction of plywood strips and one at a time - on both sides (at a distance of 7-10 cm from the edge).
We cut out a small square from thin plywood (which would fit between the stiffeners located in the middle), closer to the middle we make a hole equal to the diameter of the vacuum cleaner pipe. Plywood is attached to the stiffeners, forming a triangular box.
Step 12 The parallel stop for the milling table is fixed with clamps. This is done so that the milling table can be easily removed and rearranged. If it is completely designed for a router, you can fix stop using brackets with grooves for its movement.
Step 13 For convenience, we weld a 6 mm metal plate to a regular bolt. Clamps are made of wood, with two grooves for such bolts. It is necessary to have two such clamps.
Step 14 We install the router: we thread our half-cut axles into the side holes of the router, put nuts on them and fix the router with pipe clamps.
Step 15 We flip the table. Using a hex wrench, turn the bolt, lifting the router up (1 turn = 1 mm).
Can be installed with a jack so you don't have to use bolts all the time. To turn on the router, we attach a socket with a switch to one of the legs, which will act as an ON / OFF button.
Note: for convenience, you can provide a small tape for pressing the wire from the router during operation.
Workplace safety
When working with power tools, remember the following safety rules:
- While working with the router, be vigilant, do not turn away from it and do not advance the workpieces near the tool with your hands.
- Always use restraints, safety goggles and gloves.
- Keep children away from the operating machine.
- In the event of a malfunction, immediately disconnect the router from the mains and take it to the workshop.
For more information on how to make a table for a manual router, see video:
The milling cutter is the most frequently used tool of a self-respecting craftsman. Thanks to him, you can make the things we know with incredible ease. There are operations in carpentry that cannot be performed without this tool.
The milling cutter consists of an engine, a collet for mounting replaceable cutters, a speed controller, and a vertical bar. In the model range of any manufacturer, there are many models with different capacities. A manual milling cutter is a fairly versatile electrical device that has a wide potential and possibilities. It becomes possible to improve the router by installing it on a horizontal surface, which will allow you to process fairly large workpieces with minimal effort.
Purpose of the milling table
Installing a router in a table or workbench allows you to achieve good results in the manufacture of many products. In the furniture industry, it is an indispensable tool. Since this process often requires trimming the edges of the canvases, making figured grooves and recesses.
Such tables can be found in large tool stores. The cost of such equipment directly depends on the functionality and material from which they are made. But even with the most minimal set of functions, but with high-quality coverage, the price for such a product is quite high. For a simple amateur who works for his pleasure in the garage, the price is unaffordable. The way out is a homemade table for the router.
Before you start buying material for the future table, you should decide on its functionality. Consider the main features of a manual milling cutter and its machine version.
Hand Router Operations
- Figured or rectilinear processing of ends or edges of preparations.
- Excavation of holes of various shapes for the installation of furniture fittings.
- Removing a quarter of the thickness.
- Grinding and cutting of workpieces.
- drilling.
- Finishing the cutting area.
- Removal of grooves of slots, grooves.
Milling table operations
A do-it-yourself table for a router allows you to perform operations such as:
- parallel fine cutting;
- facing surfaces and edges of great length;
- quarter sampling;
- edge finishing.
From the list it becomes clear that all the same operations are performed on the milling table as with a conventional manual router, but only with greater accuracy and quality. In addition, the dimensions of the blanks are already many times larger.
Choosing a hand router
For a tiny workshop, buying a separate router is an unaffordable luxury. Therefore, a router table will be required with a quick-release router design. This means that it will work in two versions, both on the table and in manual mode. To do this, you need a quality power tool.
There are two types of manual router:
- submersible;
- trimming.
Their names speak of their functionality. Since the miter router is highly specialized, its further consideration will not be interesting to the reader.
By power, an electric tool is classified into:
- low power - from 500 to 1100 watts;
- medium power - from 1200 to 1800 watts;
- high power - from 1900 to 2500 watts.
Professionals advise using low-power milling cutters for processing small workpieces, this allows you to achieve maximum ease of use. In this case, you will have to make passes in several approaches, removing a small thickness, layer by layer. However, such routers cannot be installed on a special table. For these purposes, milling machines with a power of about 2000 watts are suitable.
Also, when choosing, you should pay attention to the following features of the tool:
- the maximum depth of lowering the rack;
- smooth start;
- spindle speed control;
- dynamic brake;
- maintaining rpm under load.
- chip removal system.
All these parameters determine the quality of a manual router, which will be useful both in manual mode and in machine mode.
Milling table device
Any milling table consists of the following elements:
- directly to the milling cutter itself;
- countertops;
- parallel stop;
- chip removal systems;
- boxes for storing spare parts and various cutters;
- horizontal clamp.
Depending on the functional tasks of the milling table, it can be made in the following versions:
- side table with a milling cutter;
- stationary tabletop;
- stationary worktop with parallel stop;
- stationary worktop with rip fence, with router lift, cutter cross feed.
materials
How to make a table for a router? What should a person who decides on this business have in his arsenal? To begin with, we need a drawing of a table for a manual router. Finding him is easy. Therefore, making a table for a manual router is quite realistic. There are also many detailed tutorials and videos of local craftsmen showing off their creations. There are models that are so multifunctional that they combine, in addition to milling, drilling, grinding and cutting tables.
Almost any material is suitable for manufacturing. Basically, they use sheets of chipboard, laminated plywood or ordinary plywood with a thickness of at least 8 millimeters. You will also need wood screws with a countersunk head, aluminum corners (furniture), PVA glue.
Assembly
Consider how the simplest do-it-yourself table for a router is assembled. We will make it from laminated plywood. The size of the countertop is 400 mm wide and 400 mm long. A laminated board is perfect for a countertop. It has a number of advantages over plywood:
- wear-resistant surface;
- low cost;
- quick replacement.
However, we decided to make a table for a manual router from laminated plywood. Carefully cut it to the intended size. The legs will be made from the same material. It retreats from the edges by 20-30 centimeters and fastens the legs with the tabletop, pre-lubricate the joints with glue and make two or three holes for tightening the screws.
We make the following technological holes in the countertop:
- large round for the exit of the collet with a cutter;
- parallel groove for fastening the guide;
- you can make a small groove for attaching the ruler.
Parallel stop can be made from the same materials as the countertop. The stop consists of two parts, the interface runs exactly in the center of the installed cutter. They must move independently of each other. To increase the possibilities of milling, it is desirable that the parallel stop has two degrees of freedom. That is, he could tilt relative to the tabletop, and turn parallel to it. This will allow you to make products of complex shape.
Among other things, a recess with a square-shaped cover is made on the reverse side of the parallel stop, a vacuum cleaner pipe is inserted into one end. As a rule, the chip removal system is made from two sides, one from above behind the stop, the second directly near the milling cutter collet.
This is the easiest table for a do-it-yourself router. In the future, you can refine and install a lift for convenient adjustment of the departure in height and horizontal cutter.
Accessories
Since the router installed in the table is an electric tool, an external switch can be built into the table for safety. This will allow you to conveniently and safely turn the machine on and off when needed. Here you can also install additional sockets for connecting a portable lamp or a hand drill.
With sufficient free space, milling tables are made with dimensions of 1500 by 1500 millimeters and a height of one and a half meters. Get full-fledged workbenches. At the same time, sliding shelves are made in them, in which it is convenient to store various cutters and a key for changing the spindle. A large table allows you to process large sheets of plywood or other material so often used in the manufacture of furniture or doors. Such a table increases the accuracy of machined parts and reduces the percentage of defects in manufacturing.
Safety
It is worth remembering that tables for wood routers are sources of increased danger. The speed of the cutter reaches 25,000 rpm. Any awkward movement will lead to irreparable consequences. Hands should be kept at the maximum safe distance from the rotating head, the cutter should be changed on a stopped and de-energized machine.
When working, you need to wear special glasses that will protect your eyes from getting small chips. The noise level during operation is quite high, you should take appropriate precautions. Keep children away from the router.
A modern range of processing power tools will satisfy the needs of any craftsman. In this case, you can always turn a hand tool into a stationary machine.
The most sought-after woodworking tool is, of course, a milling cutter. Most of the work can be done with a manual milling cutter, but when large workpieces are processed, technical difficulties arise.
Buying a milling machine for home use is too expensive, so the craftsmen try to make a table for the router with their own hands.
A self-made table allows you to manipulate the workpiece being processed, while the router itself is rigidly fixed on the tabletop. The power tool is attached from below, protrudes above the level of the table.
Do-it-yourself homemade milling table from wooden bars
How to make a table for a manual router
The main condition is a massive structure that will be reliable during vibrations and withstand the weight of a workpiece of any size.
IMPORTANT! Because the router is dangerous, the table may fall and cause injury. To give stability to the structure, it is advisable to equip the table legs with height adjusters. Then you can set the machine on an uneven surface.
The worktop should be made of a smooth, wear-resistant material, such as a kitchen worktop coating. The legs and frame of the table can be made from a bar with a thickness of at least 40 mm, or from plywood 10-12 mm. The space under the tabletop should allow easy access to the router for maintenance and changing the router bit. Or the upper part is made hinged, like a piano cover.
Since a home-made milling table is a critical piece of equipment, it is necessary to draw a detailed drawing before starting work.
Security:
- The cutter start button is made remote. It is advisable to close it with a lid to prevent spontaneous switching on. But the emergency de-energization button, on the contrary, should be easily accessible;
- It is desirable to close the cutter with an automatic folding shield, as on circular saws;
- There should not be any objects, protruding parts of the interior, steps and wires around the table. During operation, you can trip and get injured;
- The electrical wiring is laid in the corrugation, and securely fastened to the inner surface of the table;
- The replacement of cutters is carried out only on a de-energized electrical appliance, with a complete disconnection from the network;
- It is desirable to provide for the possibility of removing chips from the working area.
IMPORTANT! There should not be any sagging power wires inside the structure.
In addition to clogging the workplace, sawdust can get into the ventilation of the router (because it is under the table) or between the tabletop and the workpiece. This can lead to slippage of the workpiece.
How to install a plate for a router in a table
The most important part of the design that affects the quality of work is the plate (or sole) of the hand mill. Since, when installed in a table, it is no longer a support unit, it is necessary to consider a reliable fastening and controlled movement of the cutter vertically.
Plate for fastening the router
Mounting the power tool to a plate instead of a table makes it easy to dismantle it for maintenance or changing attachments.
Do-it-yourself milling table for a manual router
One of the main assistants of the carpentry master is a woodworking mill. This hand tool is indispensable when you need to:
- cut a groove;
- make a groove
- make a spike connection;
- finish edges, etc.
However, when performing some carpentry work, it is not always convenient to use this tool due to the fact that it is required to simultaneously hold the workpiece and operate the milling cutter. Therefore, many craftsmen go to the trick, making a milling table for a manual router. With the help of the table, which is a reliable addition to the milling tool, it is possible to obtain wooden elements in quality and precision that are in no way inferior to joinery made in professional furniture workshops on milling machines.
A homemade table for a manual router significantly increases the productivity of the tool and facilitates the work of processing wood products. It is not difficult to manufacture such equipment, moreover, unlike a standard milling table produced by various manufacturers, this table will have the dimensions, design and options chosen directly by its manufacturing master.
To perform any engineering work, and the manufacture of equipment is one of these, it is necessary to draw up a sketch of the future machine. On it you need to designate your vision of the project with an indication of the actual dimensions. Based on the sketch, you can easily select materials for the manufacture of the future structure, their quantity, determine the construction budget and stock up on the tools necessary for processing machine parts.
Option 1. Instructions for making a table for a manual router
Materials for the manufacture of the milling table
To build a milling table you will need:
- 4 bars of square section;
- chipboard and plywood trimmings, the dimensions of which are determined when constructing a table drawing;
- hardware (nuts, bolts, self-tapping screws, hinges, etc.);
- jack;
- metallic profile;
- six mm steel plate;
- aluminum guides;
- movable carriage-stop (guide from the saw);
- manual frezer.
Drawing homemade milling table (option 1)
In any case, before starting to make any such table, the drawing must be completed with the designation of all sizes and the location of the work items relative to each other.
Step by step assembly
Let us consider in detail each step in the manufacture and fastening of each element of a homemade milling table.
1st step. For the manufacture of a stationary base for the table, you will need bars and chipboard trimmings, from which we twist the legs, additionally strengthen the rigidity with the help of horizontal plywood connecting panels. In the right side part, we cut a hole for the start button, which will be connected to a manual router.
2nd step. The table top is made of chipboard. We make it lifting together with a router, for which we install hinges and make an additional support base from 15 mm plywood.
3rd step. To smoothly move the workpiece along the table, for example, to cut a groove in it, a moving stop carriage is used. We cut a groove in the tabletop for the guides of the movable stop and install a metal profile into it. As a stop carriage, you can use a guide from an old saw.
4th step. The longitudinal stop is also made of chipboard and made movable to adjust the gaps around the cutter. To ensure mobility, we cut out perpendicular grooves in the upper part of the stop and fasten the stop to the tabletop with clamps. In the middle we cut a small groove for sucking out chips and other milling waste.
5th step. From thin plywood we make a box with a hole for connecting a vacuum cleaner hose, which will remove dust and chips formed during the milling process. We fix the box behind the perpendicular stop.
6th step. We take a six-millimeter steel plate and fasten it to the countertop flush with the surface. In the process of fastening, we make sure that its edges do not protrude above the countertop, otherwise the workpieces will cling to them. A manual milling cutter will be attached to the plate from below.
7th step. We attach the milling cutter by the aluminum sole to the bottom of the plate with bolts, but do not forget to pre-drill holes for the bolts in the sole. Attaching the hand tool to the indexable insert rather than directly to the table saves depth of cut and allows for easy cutter replacement.
8th step. We are building a milling elevator. To do this, we use a car jack, which allows you to change the height of the cutter with maximum accuracy.
9th step. We remove the handles from the router and instead of them we fasten the aluminum guides, which we connect to the jack mechanism.
Design and homemade milling table for a manual router
Before proceeding with the manufacture of a milling table, it is necessary to accurately determine its design features. This article provides instructions on how to make a simple router table. For other first build options, see the details below.
We check the reliability of fastening of all elements - and the milling table is ready with our own hands!
We offer several more models of hand-made wood milling machines for your taste.
Option 2. Another milling table and other assembly features
We offer a table design for a milling cutter with a detailed analysis of its nodes.
Materials and tools.
In order to make a table for a manual milling cutter with your own hands, you will need materials:
- metal corner or pipe (for the frame);
- aluminum guide;
- axes for fastening the milling cutter;
- putty, primer and paint for metal;
- self-tapping screws; furniture bolts 6 x 60 mm;
- adjusting hexagon bolts with nuts - 4 pcs. ;
- Finnish moisture-resistant laminated plywood, 18 mm thick (other material can be taken);
- boards or scraps of plywood (for the manufacture of a parallel stop).
The following tools are also required:
- welding machine (for the metal frame of the table);
- drill and drills;
- screwdriver;
- jigsaw;
- milling cutter;
- spatula, brushes, rags.
Basic drawings
Design features of the milling table
Under the milling machine, you can adapt the existing workbench. But it is more expedient, in order to exclude the influence of strong vibration during the operation of the cutter, to make a separate structure that ensures the stability of the table.
The main loads during the operation of the equipment are transferred to the base. Therefore, the frame must be reliable and stable. Under the bed is understood the fixed base on which the milling cutter is located. It perceives all loads and is a design in the form of a table with a fixed lid. It can be made from a metal pipe, corner, channel, wood, chipboard.
It must be taken into account that the router itself is fastened to the tabletop from below, which means that it is required to provide empty space there.
The router is attached to the table through a high-strength and rigid plate for assembly work. It is preferable to make it from metal, textolite or grooved boards.
On the sole of the router, threaded mounting holes are provided for mounting. In the absence of threaded holes, cutting is performed independently. If the task is not possible, secure the milling device with special clamps.
Start the work by making a sample according to the shape and thickness of the mounting plate with a router. To simplify on the mounting plate, right angles must be rounded off with a file. A recess in the table top ensures that the plate is flush with the table top.
Make a hole in the center of the plate for the tool to exit, drill holes for mounting the plate on the table. The next step is to drill holes for attaching the milling device, keep in mind that the fasteners must be sweaty.
How to make a work surface and base
The manufacture of the base of the future milling table begins with the frame. For the convenience of performing work, the table cover should protrude in the front part by 100-200 mm. When designing the bed frame, pay special attention to the installation height of the working surface. This size is decisive for the convenience of working at the machine. According to ergonomic requirements, it should be 850-900 mm, depending on the height of the person. For convenient operation of the future milling machine, you can install height adjusters at the bottom of the support. This will allow, if necessary, to change the size of the height of the table;
As a working surface for the future machine, a Soviet-era kitchen worktop is useful. Most often it is made of 36 mm chipboard sheet covered with plastic. The wood chip material will reduce the vibrations that occur during the milling process, and the plastic coating will provide excellent movement on the surface of the workpiece. In the absence of an old countertop, use MDF or chipboard, with a thickness of at least 16 mm.
Choose a place for the future milling machine in your workshop, the dimensions and type of the future design depend on this. It can be a modular machine located on the side of a circular saw, a desktop version, or it can be a stand-alone stationary machine.
If the use of a milling machine is not regular, it can be reduced to one-time work from time to time, it is enough to make a small compact table.
Make your own milling machine. It is a design that fits on a standard table. For work, you need a chipboard plate, two boards. On a sheet of chipboard, fasten two boards in parallel. Attach one of them to the tabletop with bolts, it will serve as a guide and as an emphasis. Use the second as a limit stop. Cut a hole in the table top to accommodate the router. Attach the router to the table top with clamps. The milling machine in a compact design is ready.
If your workshop has a lot of free space, then make a full-fledged stationary milling machine. It will be more convenient to work on it than on the desktop version
Option 3. Cheap homemade table for the router
The sketch is ready. Materials purchased. The tool, laid out in its place in the workshop, is waiting for the moment to serve its owner. The master is also serious and is not going to grab everything at once. He will put everything on the shelves and do everything in stages.
Start by making the frame of the future machine. You can apply the following method of manufacturing the frame. Cut the profile pipe 25 × 25 with the help of a “grinder”, then weld the blanks intended for the frame on which the work surface will be located. Weld a pipe on one side, along which the parallel stop will subsequently move. Weld 4 supports to the frame.
To fix the table top, frame the perimeter of the frame with a corner, then it will sit in a recess.
Use the second method of making the frame. It implies additional supports for the work surface. In the middle of the table, weld the stops for the milling equipment. The size between them should correspond to the convenient fastening of the router.
For structural stability, connect the lower supports with jumpers at a height of 200 mm from the floor.
Color the resulting design. Why prepare the surfaces: clean the metal pipes and degrease with a solvent, then prime. If there is a need to putty surfaces, perform a special putty mixture and apply primer. After complete drying, paint with PF-115 enamel.
Cut the work surface according to the inner size of the frame, set it tightly into the corners. Then drill holes in the top frame for mounting the table top. Mark the tabletop itself, drill it and securely connect it to the bed using furniture bolts. Table dimensions 850×600×900.
Step back from the edge 200-250 mm and cut the T-rail along the length of the work surface.
Cut off half of the milling axes. This will make it possible to almost double the distance from the sole to the guide axle, which in turn will expand the range of the tool's capabilities.
Remove the sole from the milling equipment, in the middle of the working surface of the table, mark the holes for its fastening and drill them. In the middle of the table top, drill a hole for the appliance. On both sides of it, drill holes for attaching the clamps of the axes of the router.
On the underside of the worktop, make a selection for the soleplate of the router.
On both sides of the drilled through hole in the sample, make grooves for installing the axes of the router. The size of the groove and the axis must match.
Along the edges of the grooves with a Faustner drill (picture above), drill holes for the adjusting bolts for the hex.
Cut two pieces of pipe to fit the width of the large groove and drill holes in the center for the fixed bolts. They will serve as clamps for the axes of the milling tool. Screw nuts onto the bolts.
On both sides of the axles, install hex bolts and nuts to adjust the plane of the milling equipment.
Now make the parallel stop. Take a small piece of plywood and cut a groove in it so that it can move along the pipe welded in advance for this. Using a jigsaw, cut three strips of identical size, where its length is equal to the sum of the length of the table and the width of the guide tube, and four plates for them in the form of stiffeners.
On strip No. 1, make a semicircular hole to remove woodworking waste. It should match the slot in the work surface of the table. In strip #2, cut a square hole in the same place.
Cut the strip number 3 from plywood into equal parts. Attach one to the back of the square hole strip with bolts or rails. Plywood halves should move in opposite directions. Install an aluminum guide along the top edge of this strip.
Fasten plates No. 1 and No. 2 together with the sides with half holes. Fix two stiffeners along the edge of the hole formed and two on the sides at a distance of 70-100 mm from the edge.
Cut a square of plywood to the size of the distance between the ribs, cut a hole in it according to the diameter of the vacuum cleaner hose. Attach the square to the stiffeners.
Secure the parallel stop with clamps. This is done for the mobility of the rearrangement of the emphasis. If it is intended only for a milling machine, then fix it with brackets with grooves for movement.
Weld a bolt to a 6 mm thick metal strip. Clamps are made of wood with two grooves for bolts in the amount of two pieces.
Install the milling equipment: thread the cut axles into the side holes of the device, put nuts on them and fix the device with pipe clamps.
Turn the table over and use the hexagon to raise the router.
For the convenience of raising the router, it is advisable to install a lift based on a jack.
Option 4. Milling machine based on a desk
A desk-based milling machine is considered an economical and convenient solution. The list of photo drawings contains a table with a specification of parts by size and recommended material.
Part sizes and materials
How to make a mounting plate
Due to the thickness of the table top, in order to maximize the output of the cutting tool, it is necessary to take a smaller thickness of the mounting plate. From this it follows that with a slight thickness, it should have sufficient strength.
The plate can be metal or textolite. It is these materials that most meet the requirements of strength and rigidity. The optimal thickness of the plate should be 6 mm. It is made of a rectangular shape, in the middle of the part a hole is drilled in diameter corresponding to the hole on the sole of the router. To increase the range of use of the tool, rings of different diameters are used. Holes are made in the plate for connection with the router and fastening it to the tabletop.
The holes in the plate should match the holes on the bottom of the router in terms of location and size. To accurately mark the plate, you need to draw a sketch with dimensions or fix it on the table with clamps.
The nuances of assembling a milling table with your own hands
When assembling the milling device at the ends of the width of the table top, fix a metal ruler, this will make it possible to set the parallel stop correctly in size and strictly parallel.
On the reverse side of the table cover, make selections for the subsequent installation of the dust collector housing, additional equipment. The given drawings and photos will help you to make all the components correctly.
For the convenience of switching on and safe emergency shutdown of a do-it-yourself milling machine, install the start button and the stop button in the form of a fungus on the countertop.
Option 5. Small desktop router table
A small desktop milling table and a detailed analysis of its manufacture are shown in the photo.
How to make a top clamp
To process large parts and create safe working conditions on the machine, the so-called upper clamp is used. Its manufacture is based on the use of a roller. Before the device of this device, develop its drawing.
The roller can be a ball bearing. Its installation is carried out on a special device, which makes it possible to fix the workpiece at any distance from the working surface.
Milling machine drive power
As a milling machine drive, it is most advisable to use an electric motor with a power of 1.1-2 kW and a speed of 3000 per minute. When using a low-power electric motor, it will not be possible to use any cutter, the machine will not have enough power. If the number of revolutions is too low, a poor-quality cut will be obtained.
You have seen several options for resolving the issue; how to get a milling table. Which one you like is your choice. We will be glad if we could help you
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