Workshop Setup

Build a Simple Router Table for Your Workshop

By Hods Published · Updated

A router table mounts your router upside-down under a flat surface, transforming it into a miniature shaper. The workpiece moves past the bit instead of the router moving past the workpiece. This is safer and more accurate for narrow stock, edge profiles, and repetitive operations.

Build a Simple Router Table

The Basic Design

A router table has four components: a flat top with a hole for the bit, a fence that guides the workpiece, a base or cabinet, and the router mounted underneath.

Building the Top

Material

Use 3/4-inch MDF for the top. MDF is flat, stable, and smooth. A 24x32 inch piece is adequate for a benchtop router table. Apply several coats of polyurethane or paste wax to seal the MDF against moisture.

Router Mounting

  1. Position the router on the underside of the MDF, centered side-to-side and about one-third from the front edge
  2. Trace the router base plate onto the MDF
  3. Drill a hole through the MDF large enough for the router bit to pass through (1-1/2 to 2 inches)
  4. Drill screw holes matching the router’s base plate mounting holes
  5. Mount the router from below using countersunk machine screws and nuts

Optional upgrade: Install a router table insert plate ($20 to $60). This is a flat plate that sits in a recessed opening in the top. The router mounts to the plate, and the plate drops into the opening flush with the table surface. This allows quick router removal for bit changes.

Building the Fence

The fence is the most important part of the router table. It must be straight and adjustable.

Simple Fence

  1. Cut a straight piece of 3/4-inch MDF or plywood at 4 inches high and 30 inches long
  2. Cut a semicircular notch in the bottom edge at the bit location to provide clearance
  3. Attach clamps to hold the fence to the table at any position
  4. Adjust the fence forward or backward to change the depth of cut

Fence with Dust Collection

Cut a 4-inch hole in the fence behind the bit location. Attach a shop vacuum hose fitting over the hole. The vacuum draws chips and dust away from the cut — this dramatically improves visibility and air quality.

Building the Base

Benchtop Version

Mount the MDF top on a simple frame of 2x4 legs at workbench height. Add a lower shelf for storage. Total cost: under $30.

Integrated with Outfeed Table

Build the router table into the end of your outfeed table, sharing the same base and surface height. The router table top sits adjacent to the outfeed surface, saving floor space.

Cabinet Base

Build an enclosed cabinet from plywood with a door for accessing the router from the side. This also serves as a sound enclosure that reduces router noise significantly.

Using the Router Table

Safety Rules

  • Always feed workpieces against the rotation of the bit (right to left when facing the table with the fence behind the bit)
  • Never start the router with the workpiece touching the bit
  • Use push blocks and featherboards to keep hands away from the bit
  • Wear hearing and eye protection
  • Take multiple light passes rather than one heavy cut

Common Operations

  • Edge profiling: Run board edges past roundover, chamfer, and ogee bits to add decorative profiles
  • Rabbeting: Run boards past a straight bit to cut rabbets for back panels and joints
  • Narrow stock: Route profiles on pieces too narrow or small to handle safely with a hand-held router
  • Raised panels: Large panel-raising bits should only be used in a router table at low RPM

Bottom Line

A functional router table built from MDF, a few 2x4s, and clamps costs under $30 and dramatically expands what you can do with your router. It is one of the most useful workshop additions for any woodworker.