Charnwood W012 Bench Top Router Table - White

Product Information

The best table-mounted router needs a solid and flat base to allow timber to pass smoothly and accurately along it. My preferred material is cast metal like aluminium: it’s hard-wearing, not too heavy and reliably flat. Don’t discount laminated MDF though, it’s a reliable flat surface that might not be as hard-wearing as metal, but it’s a lot cheaper. On the Fence Supplied with tough plastic insert plate, adjustable fence with two replaceable wooden faces, horizontal feather board, two vertical clamps and sliding mitre fence. W012 Specification Table size As such, you will like the two “T” slot extrusions because you can adjust them easily. You can also take out the fence for different tasks so that you can juggle between grooving, jointing, making round pieces, or moulding. The table should come with a large enough opening and set of reducing rings to accommodate at least ¼” and ½” router bits. Wide dado or mouldings require a larger hole than a straight-cut bit.

But why consider a power router table in the first place? The main advantage is you won’t have to fix your router to the table. Besides, this particular model is versatile so that you can either attach it to your workbench or place it on its own stand. The side frames are steel with a smooth melamine faced MDF table across the top. The insert plate, which must be drilled to suit your routers fixing points, is made from a tough plastic with an aperture in the centre for the cutter. The motor isn’t the only powerful piece. The tabletop itself is sturdy because it’s made from steel . You will also get a wide enough work area considering this table is 600 x 460 mm. A separate on/off switch connected to the body of the router table is a very important feature that you can activate with your knee in case of an emergency.

Charnwood W012 - Bench Top Router Table

If you’re not familiar with those large, usually yellow, plastic combs on the table and fence, they’re a handy and safe feature that helps to keep the workpiece tight to the fence without you having to push it too hard. Lastly, the Kreg Router Table allows you to keep your workspace very clean because the vacuum port is easy to use to eliminate dust.

The Kreg Router Table is another value for the money item, but its unique selling proposition is that it’s portable. As such, you can easily transport it from one location to the other depending on your project. If you already have a Trend 1/4” or 1/2” router, you should get the Trend WRT Workshop Table because they fit well together. However, you can also use this table with different routers. A plus point of this router table is the cast aluminium bed. It’s nicely flat and combined with the featherboards on the table and rear fence, should hold the workpiece down securely. The overall dimensions of 597 x 457 x 355 mm are modest, which makes it the ideal addition to a small workshop. With a huge range of tools and gardening kit in their arsenal, Excel are a brand to watch out for. If you’re looking for a table with everything included, then their router table with 35-piece bit set is brilliant. You can raise and lower the cutting head with a big wheel, and the dust collection is effective. For a hobbyist, or even for light commercial work, this is a solid choice of table.One of the best-known names in DIY around the UK, Silverline have an enormous product line with over 5,000 products spanning everything from concrete breakers to welders. Their 460793 router table is a good example of a low-cost option to upgrade your plunge router to a table router. It’s not built for heavy work, but it’s a great way to convert your trim router into a table one. With that in mind, the Trend WRT Table might be the best value router table because it’s very easy to use, versatile and highly adjustable. The base should ideally be made of aluminium, although this is quite expensive. Laminated MDF is a reliable flat surface though, and much cheaper. The accessory slot is what makes the Bosch RA1181 even more versatile because you can add all sorts of optional accessories. For instance, you can add a mitre gauge to keep your workpiece at an angle while you’re cutting.

Unlike some of the budget router tables on my list, this one comes with a 1,500 Watt router already installed. Controlled by a safety switch and speed selector wheel on the front, there’s even a big stop button in case of emergency. The motor can spin bits up to an impressive 28,000 rpm. US tool brand Trend have been making router tables and the like since 1955. Their CRT/MK3 pro router table is a stripped-down, solid bit of kit that should make light work of all table routing tasks. If you already own a router, you don’t need me to tell you how versatile they are, but when you combine one with the best router table setup, it becomes an awesome tool that any proper woodworker should learn to use. All About the Base Any sized router can be mounted to this table using the clamping set provided. To give easy access to the router when changing settings the whole table top is hinged and supported by gas filled struts to counteract the heavy weight of the cast iron top.

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BOSCH Benchtop RA1181 is the best professional router table with all the bells and whistles, but it’s more expensive. Besides, remember you can only adjust the rear fence to approximately 80 mm, although a distance of 150 mm would have been better. You also get an included starter pin and guard. These essential parts will help you do more tasks, such as routing round workpieces. Most benchtop router tables don’t include these extras. What makes this one of the best table routers in my eyes is the depth adjustment wheel– it’s accurate and easy to raise and lower the router bit – an operation that can be a pain with a regular router turned upside down on another router table.