A router table is a versatile and powerful addition to any woodworking shop. Familiarize yourself with the router table parts, their features, and safety guidelines to ensure a safe and productive woodworking experience. Choosing the right router table parts and accessories will help your projects grow in quality and quantity.
Standard Router Table Parts
The core parts for a router table are relatively standard, but the specific layout and included accessories can vary widely between models. Here are the most popular components.
Guard of the Router Table
The plastic guard is an essential component of your router table. Its primary function is to protect your hands from the spinning router bit. By shielding the bit, it significantly reduces the risk of injury. Beyond safety, the guard also plays a vital role in dust management.
It channels wood chips and dust away from the operator and towards a dust extraction port, keeping your workspace clean. The guard helps to maintain a secure hold on the workpiece by keeping it firmly pressed against the table surface.
Mitre Fence Slot for a Router Table
This router table part, extending the length of the tabletop, is specifically designed to accommodate a mitre fence. This fence can be effortlessly slid along the groove, allowing for precise positioning across the table.
These grooves run parallel to the table’s edge, and larger tables often feature multiple grooves for enhanced versatility. A mitre fence, commonly included with router tables, can be utilized in conjunction with this slot. This slot also enables the guiding accessories to be freely moved across the table and securely fixed at the desired position.
Fence of the Router Table
A router table fence, a slender, straight board, acts as a guiding mechanism. It can be positioned vertically on the tabletop and securely fastened in place. These router table parts possess the ability to be moved across the table and clamped at various positions, accommodating workpieces of diverse sizes.
They serve the purpose of guiding and supporting the workpiece as it traverses the cutter, thereby controlling the shape and position of the cut and ensuring its parallelism. Typically, they feature a T-slot running horizontally for the integration of additional guiding components or accessories.
Router Table NVR
No-volt release (NVR) switches are power buttons and important router table parts that have become a standard safety feature on contemporary power tools. They function as a safety mechanism, automatically cutting off all power to the tool in the event of a temporary power outage. This ensures that the tool remains inactive, preventing unintended operation should power be unexpectedly restored.
These switches are typically attached to router tables, serving as the power source for the router. The placement of the switch varies depending on the table’s design, but it should be readily accessible during operation.
Router Table Dust Extractor
Behind the guard and fence, you’ll find a router table part designed to accommodate a dust extraction hose. Various accessories are available to ensure compatibility with different hose sizes. This feature enables efficient removal of most debris generated during routing operations.
It is crucial to note that using a standard household vacuum with a router table is strongly discouraged. Instead, it is imperative to employ a vacuum specifically designed for dust extraction purposes.
Router Table Plate
The insert plate serves as the mounting point for your router within the table. It is secured to the base of the router using screws and then mounted at the center of the router table top, ensuring a flush fit with the tabletop surface.
A central hole in the insert plate allows the cutter to protrude. In some cases, additional screw holes may be drilled into the insert plate to accommodate different router models. Moreover, the hole in the insert plate can be modified using insert rings to suit various cutter sizes.
Router Table Accessories
In addition to the fundamental router table parts, most high-quality router tables are equipped with a range of supplementary parts and accessories designed to facilitate various routing tasks. If any of these accessories are not included with your chosen router table, they are typically available for separate purchases.
Mitre Fence Gauge
A router table mitre fence, or mitre gauge, is a tool that fits into the mitre fence slot integrated into the tabletop. It comprises a long rod and a pivoting fence, resembling a protractor.
This tool can be utilized to guide a piece of material, enabling both straight and angled cuts. Typically, they feature adjustable stops at -45, 90, and +45 degrees, with a 5-degree scale increment.
Insert Ring
An insert ring, also known as a reducer ring or insert plate ring, is a router table part and accessory designed to modify the size of the central hole in the insert plate. This adjustment accommodates different cutter or bit sizes.
By reducing the opening around the cutter, insert rings minimize the amount of dust and chips that can fall onto the router. They also provide increased support for the workpiece as it is fed across the table.
Lead on Pin
A lead-on pin, shoulder pin, or starting pin, is employed when routing without the aid of fence guides. It provides support to the workpiece as it makes initial contact with the cutter.
This router table part and accessory functions as a fulcrum because it enables the pivoting of the material against the cutter for the creation of curves. These pins typically range in length from 10mm to 13mm and can be secured into threaded holes within the insert plate.
Push Tools
Push tools are designed to maintain a safe distance between your hands and the spinning cutter while enabling precise control over the feed rate and direction of the material. Various types of push tools exist, with push blocks and sticks being the most common.
These tools can be utilized both with and without the fence in place. They are particularly recommended for working with smaller pieces of material.
Pressures
Router table pressures, such as finger pressures, side pressures, and top pressures, often referred to as fingerboards or feather boards, are designed to securely hold a workpiece as it traverses one of the guide fences and encounters the cutter, preventing the material from being ejected. They effectively maintain the material’s contact with the guide fence or the table surface.
These router table parts typically feature multiple fingers that gently exert pressure on the material as it moves along the table. The fingers are strategically angled to allow forward movement of the material while inhibiting backward motion.
Collet Extension
A collet extension is an accessory designed to elevate the height of your cutter when used in a router table. Most collet extension models can increase the height of your router bit by approximately 50mm or more. This feature is especially beneficial if your router’s design restricts the extent to which bits can protrude above the tabletop surface. Collet extensions are installed in a manner similar to router cutters or bits.
Conclusion
Every router table, regardless of its size, consists of essential components that collaborate to deliver high-quality results. These router table parts and accessories include a fence, guard, mitre fence slot, pressures, insert rings, and more. They can be acquired as a complete set or individually from trusted online stores like Maple CNC.
