Making a milling table with your own hands: drawings, videos and photos. How to make a do-it-yourself milling table Do-it-yourself milling table for a manual router

For people involved in carpentry, a milling table is an indispensable tool. It will help to raise the quality of work performed, their efficiency.

The industry offers such tables in the factory, but not everyone is suitable for their cost. We propose to consider a do-it-yourself milling table, without expensive component materials.

Definition of a milling table, its design

Device with which you can perform: grooves in the workpiece, grooves, to make spiked joints, to process the edges of products, they are called a milling table. It is inconvenient to use a milling cutter separately, the master will have to concentrate on the workpiece and at the same time on processing. A do-it-yourself milling table facilitates the work process, it can be mounted on a workbench or a special design can be made for it.

Important! When carrying out work on the manufacture of a specialized table, it must be remembered that the router is installed from below, free space must be allocated for it. The stationary part of any table is the bed, it is a strong frame with a tabletop.

frame material milling table can be:

1. Wooden beam.
2. Metal corners.
3. Boards: MDF, chipboard.

The requirement for the frame is the creation of stability for the countertop and the rigidity of the structure. When a milling table is made with one's own hands, the overall parameters of the bed are determined from the materials that require processing.

How to make a frame for a milling machine

Despite the simplicity of manufacturing a frame for a countertop, a homemade milling machine must for proper operation Meet requirements:

The table design includes mounting plate, it is needed to mount the router.

How to make a mounting plate

Position the mounting plate at the point of attachment of the sole of the router. For its manufacture, a material is selected that meets the criteria:

• Strength.
• Thickness - the thinner the better.

Experts recommend using sheet metal for self-manufacturing of the mounting plate of the milling machine, you can use fiberglass or textolite. Overall dimensions of a rectangular shape, thickness within 4 mm to 8 mm. It is necessary to make a hole in the center of the plate, which in diameter fits the hole on the sole of the hand router.

The router is equipped with a plastic pad that is attached to the threaded holes on the sole, these holes are used to attach it to the mounting plate. If there are no such holes, they must be made in the sole of the router. Another method of fastening the router is also proposed, this is with metal brackets-springs. Mounting plate attached to the tabletop at the corners.

Do-it-yourself milling table assembly instructions

To assemble the clamping device, rollers or a ball bearing of the desired diameter are used. It is mounted in a holding device, which is rigidly fixed at the right distance from the plane of the tabletop.

This device provides a tight pressing of the overall workpiece to the plane of the tabletop when it passes under the roller. This simple addition increases the accuracy of the work carried out, improves labor safety.

You can assemble a functional milling table with your own hands when the master has information about the electric drive that will be used in the work. Consider the power parameter to select an electric drive:

Important! Experts recommend that before assembling the milling machine, determine the power of the milling machine, it must not be less than 2 kW. This power enables the master to work with any wood. It is recommended to choose models of milling cutters with rotation speed control. The rotational speed of the router is very important for obtaining an even cut on the workpiece. If this parameter is high, the cut will be clean.

Safe use of the router table

When the milling table is assembled and the electric drive is installed, do not rush to immediately check it in operation, make sure that the work performed is correct. What experts recommend for safe work on the milling table:

• It is advisable to install a protective screen on the countertop, it can be of its own design or industrial design.
• Be sure to check the presence of an emergency stop button for electrical equipment, it must be in the form of a “fungus” and located in the area where the master is located so that you can press it with your body.
• Equip the work area with light illumination.
• When the router table is used for frequent cutter changes for work, it is recommended to equip it with an automatic cutter lift.

In equipping a homemade milling table no restrictions, there is only one requirement for them: to increase the safety and efficiency of the work being carried out.

Hand routers, due to their affordable price, are popular among home carpenters. However, working on a simple workbench according to the principle: a fixed workpiece, a movable tool, is inconvenient and dangerous.

The industry produces tables for carpentry, on which you can install a planer, circular saw, or milling cutter.

The device is reliable and convenient, but its cost is comparable to a power tool. Therefore, many craftsmen make such workbenches with their own hands. Since the presence of a tool makes it possible to make a table for a router with high quality, such homemade products look and function no worse than factory ones.

The general design principle is as follows: a smooth worktop is made of hard material (so that it does not wear out so quickly), on which the base plate of the router is attached. The instrument itself is placed upside down. A guide for the workpiece to be processed is fixed on the working surface.

Bench-type workbench

The simplest design that does not require free space. It can be stored at home unassembled, and installed on any table if you need to get the job done. The advantage is compactness. Disadvantages: low stability, and restrictions on the size of machined parts.

This is a complete workbench without legs. Dimensions allow you to process any workpiece with high accuracy. At the same time, it is convenient to store the table in an upright position. However, an installation site is required to bring it into working condition. The device cannot be installed on a regular table - the milling cutter suspended from below will interfere. Usually the workbench is temporarily placed on a sliding table, or the tabletop is removed and the panel is installed on a frame with legs.

To save space, another option is suitable: the workbench is attached to the wall with one side, folding supports are organized under it.

Separate router table

The design can combine several functions: a workbench, a chest of drawers for storing tools and materials, and the actual milling table.

The advantages are obvious: versatility, stability, work safety. There is only one drawback: a permanently allocated space is required. Therefore, this option is only suitable for the workshop; you cannot place a workbench on the loggia.

How to make a table for a router with your own hands?

For example, consider a full-fledged workbench with a chest of drawers for placing equipment. Of course, before starting work, you need to sketch out a drawing (according to the dimensions of your manual router), and make a list of materials:

• Boards or wooden blocks for making a frame.
• Chipboard sheets or solid wood panels for side panels and drawers.
• Hardboard sheet (fiberboard), or thin plywood for partitions.
• Two sheets of plywood 18-25 mm thick, or a finished kitchen worktop.
• Screws, bolts, confirmation, steel corners for assembly.
• Measuring tool: tape measure, ruler, angle.
• PVA glue.

Tools for woodworking: circular saw, drill, planer, wrenches, screwdrivers.

We are preparing the supporting structure of the bed. We coat all connections with glue before tightening the screws.

We assemble the bed on a flat surface. We check the geometry: everything should be parallel and perpendicular.

We install partitions (they will act as stiffeners), and assemble the box for the router. The box is needed so that chips and sawdust are not scattered around the room. In the future, the socket of a construction vacuum cleaner can be adapted to it to remove debris.

Set the main element - the work plane. It can be made from two sheets of plywood by gluing them together. To prevent vibrations, the thickness of the table must be at least 5 cm.

You can use the finished surface for the kitchen (commercially available in furniture stores). The main thing is that the top layer is strong and smooth.

A steel plate is installed on the tabletop, flush with the surface, for attaching the base plate of the router. Also, it is desirable to insert profiles into the table to fix the guides.

It is advisable to fill all free niches with boxes in which equipment and fixtures for fixing workpieces will be stored. Some boxes are replaced by stands for cutters: holes are drilled in the thick bottom of the board according to the diameter of the shanks, and the cutters will not touch each other.

To ensure safety, it is advisable to install a safety cover in the working area, as on industrial models.

A cutter protruding from the table is a serious danger. If the hand slips off the workpiece, you can get injured. Another way to ensure the safety of work is a foot switch-pedal. A simple circuit is being assembled: a socket is installed between the power cord of the electric milling cutter and the common network cable, which is turned off by the pedal. Approaching the workbench, you press the pedal - the motor turns on. After finishing work, or in an emergency, the foot is removed from the pedal, and the router stops.

The finished table looks aesthetically pleasing, and allows you to competently organize the work area, even in a limited space.

Elevator for manual router

In normal operation, the operator of a manual milling machine lowers the shaft with the cutter using the tool handles. We are talking about using the device without a machine. When the router is hung upside down from the tabletop, the router is in what is known as parking mode. A mechanism is needed to lift the machine into working position.

If multiple options:

• Fixing screw rod. With the help of a threaded stud, the required depth of penetration of the cutter is set. If necessary, it can be changed.

• Lever mechanism. Allows you to quickly change the height of the tool, even during operation. Expands the possibilities of the machine: in a sense, the router becomes three-dimensional.

• Screw trapezoid. Many masters use an ordinary car jack as an elevator. You raise the cutter exactly to the required height. It's comfortable, and the fixation of the position is quite accurate.

The considered option includes all the nuances of making a table for a router. You can use the technique at 100%, or adopt only the necessary technologies.

A milling machine is purchased for a variety of carpentry work. But, sometimes the scope of its application increases significantly, and there is a need for reconstruction of the workplace. A do-it-yourself milling table for a manual router is a great opportunity to save money and create a high-quality work surface for yourself. Carpentry work is now in great demand, and in everyday life this tool is quite useful. And more comfortable working conditions will make it simply indispensable.

Milling table

An experienced carpenter can assemble a simple do-it-yourself milling table even without drawings, prepared dimensions and diagrams. There are many videos on the Internet on this topic and step-by-step explanations of the essence of the work. If for the first time you decide to try yourself in this area, then do not despair, if you wish, you can make a table for a manual router in just one day. In addition, you will be completely confident in the strength of your product, and you will also be able to choose the ideal dimensions that are needed specifically for your room. But, before making a circular milling table, you should understand what it is.

Milling table drawing

A homemade milling table can not be distinguished from a store version if it is made in compliance with the basic rules and requirements. Milling machines move on the surface of the material being processed, thereby leveling it. If this type of processing is made stationary, then the master will go to work much less time and effort.

A do-it-yourself table for a router occupies a certain space in the room. Therefore, before mounting, decide which table you want to see:

• aggregate;
• removable;
• stationary.

Aggregate Portable Stationary

Remember that most of the work can only be done in a stationary mode. Also, consider how often you will use the machine, because a portable model is quite suitable for rare use, and a stationary workplace for daily use.

What parts does a milling table consist of?

A homemade milling table can be made alone without the help of others. To do this, it is necessary to make all the main parts of the structure for subsequent assembly. Without one of the parts, the milling table can become practically useless, as it will not perform its main duties. The do-it-yourself milling cutter consists of the following parts:

• countertops;
• beds;
• bottom stop;
• clamping combs;
• mounting plate.

The worktop for a hand router should be thick, durable and even. Kitchen countertops are great for this, or, if one is not available, ordinary plywood. It is only worth remembering that a universal milling table requires a thickness of at least 16 mm, so the plywood sheets should be glued together with wood glue. Additional means can be given to the smoothness of the surface, for more convenient work. In the center you need to make a hole to install the router.

The drawings of the milling table cannot do without a bed. It is responsible for the stability of the structure, absorbing all vibrations emanating from the tool. To do this, you can use old bedside tables, tables, but on condition that they are very durable. Some focus on metal models, which is quite practical.

Milling table from an old nightstand

The bottom stop fixed on a table-top, is responsible for the correct supply of material. It can be made fixed, for permanent materials, or sliding, if the master will work with elements of different sizes. This is a very important element in the work, since the quality of the cutter will depend on the evenness of all sides.

Clamping combs on the table for circulars and routers are almost mandatory. They perfectly fix the material not only from the sides, but also from above. This comb can be installed at any height using fasteners. Its dimensions are set based on the personal wishes of the master and what he will face in his work.

Experts advise immediately installing sliding combs and stops, then the functionality of the working machine will increase significantly.

Assembly rules

Assembling the milling table with your own hands should take place in stages. First you need to decide on the countertop and make a hole in it for the tool. Next, material feed control systems are attached.

In this case, it is necessary to accurately determine the places of their attachment to the smallest detail, since the quality of further work depends on this.

The milling machine itself must be firmly fixed under the tabletop. It should not dangle or hang, any movement can lead to injury during operation or damage to equipment. It is better to fix it with self-tapping screws, for your own peace of mind.

The main thing in this way of working is to make the most convenient workplace for the master. And in this regard, the master himself works with all sizes, knowing what he actually wants to get as a result.

Electronics at work

Making a circular and milling table with your own hands is quite simple, but do not forget that this tool is powered by electric current. Since the start and stop buttons will be in an inconvenient place for the master, you need to take care of their use. You can make an exit and install the start and stop buttons of the mechanism in a convenient place, but this requires knowledge in electronics.

There is an alternative option that is less safe for the router and circular saw. The start button is clamped, and it is in a constantly on state, stopping only with a cable when disconnected from the mains.

A new milling table made by oneself must fully comply with the floor covering of the workplace. If the floors are uneven, legs with a movable mechanism should be made, otherwise the structure will quickly become unusable. In order for the service life of the table for the router to significantly exceed all expectations, its surface is coated with varnish or other woodworking liquid. This not only increases the service life, but also additionally holds the elements together.

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Protect yourself from damage that may occur during operation. Install a protective glass on the longitudinal stop, which will be a barrier to flying chips, sawdust and other elements.

When making a router table at home, with your own hands, remember that working with it is quite dangerous and better take care of your safety.

The workshop of any person contains all the tools necessary for him. But at the same time, an urgent need for arranging the workplace may be necessary, and store prices may not suit you. And in general, not all people have the opportunity to visit stores with such goods.

Milling table drawing

The milling table has drawings and diagrams, so making it yourself will not be difficult. Moreover, you yourself will know which model you need, what sizes will be convenient for you. The purchase option may not always be a way out. Do not be afraid and waste time, even a beginner will figure out how to make a table.

A person who loves to create and do various things on their own will get great pleasure from creating a router table. This is a rather difficult, but fascinating business. To make a table for a router with your own hands means to get a design that costs much less than that made at the factory. When manufacturing a milling table, safety precautions must be observed.

The milling table is designed for processing materials, cutting figured holes, making connections. A table made with your own hands will come out more economical and much more convenient than a purchased one.

The work in which it is necessary to perform milling is always associated with the movement of the tool on the surface of a rigidly fixed workpiece. However, when you need to mill a part with small dimensions, some difficulties arise. To solve this problem, you can make a table for the router with your own hands. In this case, the tool will have a stationary mount, the workpiece itself must move. As a result, it will be possible to quickly carry out end processing and remove overhangs.

Standard router table

The easiest way to create a table for a router is to mount the router directly to the table top. Fastening takes place through a drilled hole. Such a setup proved to be positive in the work. In this case, the milling cutter is located at an angle of 90 ° to the tabletop, it is rigidly fixed to the table, which dampens excessive vibration.

Such a setting is considered the best if the router has a solid base, if it has the ability to control the immersion of the tool. The base of the router must be fixed to the tabletop so that the router can be lowered to the required depth. This method of installation has some disadvantages that you need to keep in mind.

Firstly, the thickness of the worktop affects the working range of the tool, it allows you to work with cutters that have long shanks.

Secondly, the performance of work is limited to a single hole diameter for mounting the cutter.

And lastly, if there is one router, its constant installation and removal, changing the cutter, adjusting the height is very inconvenient.

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Bed production

Under the bed is understood the main part, without which no table for a router can do. To make it, a variety of materials are suitable. You can use metal profiles, MDF boards, wood and more.

Perhaps the best option would be to use a metal profile. Existing butt joints during assembly are fastened only with bolts. Welding work is excluded. The design will receive high reliability, it will be manufacturable and easy to assemble.

The dimensions of the frame do not have fixed dimensions, they are selected by each craftsman purely individually. The main criterion will be the dimensions of the parts that have to be processed. To accurately determine the dimensions of the bed, it is best to make a small sketch.

In order to make it convenient to work, the frame must be deepened into the floor by about 15 cm. The most important parameter of the table is its height. Optimal will be 1 m. To get maximum convenience, it is worth equipping the router table with adjustable supports.

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Cover device

A kitchen worktop made of chipboard with a thickness of 40 mm is best suited for this part. This material perfectly absorbs vibration, it has a hard, absolutely smooth surface, on which the workpiece moves perfectly.

Modern phenolic plastic of high hardness is also suitable for the production of lids. It has an absolutely flat surface, is not afraid of moisture. Plastic does not cause difficulties in processing, which makes it possible to make grooves where aluminum profiles and stops will be installed. The only drawback is its high cost.

To make the tables for the router more reliable for long-term operation, you can make an aluminum table top. This material never corrodes and is light in weight. But before manufacturing, aluminum must be clad so that no dirty marks remain on the workpieces.

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Plates for installing the router in the table

Router tables have the inserts needed to fit directly into the table. This method has several advantages.

Due to the fact that the plate has a thickness of no more than 10 mm, it becomes possible to easily get the router to replace the cutter.

Additional inserts can be used to make it possible to use different cutter diameters. Such a plate-insert can become a base plate during surface milling operations on large-sized parts. The plate gives the router increased stability, the use of plates helps to mill wide grooves of parts.

Inserting the plate is quite difficult. It is required to first drill a seating hole in the table in order to obtain a tight fit for the subsequent insertion of the plate. In the case when there are large gaps, increased vibration occurs. If the plate does not have a reliable tight fastening with the table, the milling accuracy will not be maintained. Too large a hole drilled in the table top of the router table being manufactured will cause it to weaken. Therefore, when calculating the hole diameter, care must be taken to create a countertop reinforcement. It is of great importance that the countertop with the insert are flush. Additional gaskets, washers, and so on will help to cope with such a problem.

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:

1. Stationary
   Free standing full desktop.
2. Portable
   Desktop design, which is installed if necessary.
3. 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.

You can 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 that 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 fixing 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 no longer be removed).

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.

A semicircular hole is made in one plywood strip 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 their movement) 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: