Makeshift Router Table

I'm working on a project right now that requires blind dadoes and I didn't want to spend any time with a chisel. Too many repeat cuts required, and I love power tools. But I don't have a router table. What's a tinkerer to do? Build one of course!



I had some spare particle board laying around that I use for temporary assembly/work stands. I just drilled a 3" hole. Aligned and drilled for mounting screws. Mounted with some #10-32 x 1" flat head screws. I've got a working router table.



I didn't need a tall fence, so some more scrap wood clamped to the table did the trick. Measure and mark where to start and stop the work piece and it's all ready to go.

In the image below you can see a close-up of the bit and fence. The workpiece shows the blind (and through) dadoes cut with this setup.



The downside to this type of setup is it's difficult to adjust the height of the bit. Especially with a plunge router like mine. It takes some finesse and a little brute force, but I didn't need high levels of accuracy on the depth anyway. I was able to adjust things "close enough" without too much trouble.

The upside is I only spent $.99 on screws and I was able to make the cuts exactly as I needed them with ease.

I certainly didn't come up with this idea. But the purpose of this post is to encourage thoughtful and frugal use of the tools one has to get the job done. Also, to tease a certain someone about a project I committed to that is currently underway. I'll post more about this project when it's completed and delivered.