Router Table - Part 1

I am starting to get more and more interested in woodworking so I needed a good project that would get me closer to the goal of being able to do find wood work.

For me, the place to start was a router table. I found a great set of plans on Woodsmith. They are for the quick and easy router table.

It started off with locating some decent 1/2" plywood. I found the go-to lumber yard here in Austin is only a couple miles from the house. It is called Fine Lumber and Plywood. There I was able to pick up a sheet of 5ft by 5ft by 1/2" Baltic birch plywood for $35. Which is pricey, but this is quality stuff. They even helped me load it in the truck and cover it with a tarp because it was threatening rain.

From Router Table

The first step was to cut all the pieces. I used a combination of my circular saw and table saw to cut everything but the corner braces. Those will have to come later on.

From Router Table

The first assembly I did was the drawer. This required rabbeting the ends of the frame and gluing the simple box together. I used 1" panel nails to hold things solid until the glue is dried.

From Router Table

Next up was the main box of the cabinet. I needed to cut both rabbets and dados to be able to fit the bottom and the cabinet base in. I used a combination of the cheap metal router table and my hand held plunge router to do the work. I then glued and nailed the shelves in and also attached the back. You can also see the drawer guides inside the opening which will keep the drawer in place when the table is complete.

From Router Table

From Router Table

From Router Table

That ends part one. In part two, I will finish the base of the cabinet and begin work on the top. It will probably take me about another day or two.

Parts List So Far:

Item	Source	Cost
Birch Plywood	Fine Lumber and Plywood	$35
Panel Nails	Home Depot	$3 for a 6oz box
Gorilla Wood Glue	Home Depot	$4 for a 8oz bottle