Horizontal Router Tables

[Rick]

My turn to ask a question. Horizontal router tables. Good or not so?  Any advantages? My reason for asking is several years I worked for the company that duplicated the promo videos for RB Industries out of Harrisonville, Mo. They made what they called the Hawk Router Shop. It was a router table that was hinged in the middle with the router attached to a slide on the side of the table that could be raised up to a 90 degree angle to the material side of the table. I thought this to be a very clever idea IF the table was made from quality material. Quick note, the company has since been bought out by another company but their line up of tools are still available. Rather pricey. Anyway, back to topic, I have never asked experienced woodworkers if this type of item is worth the effort. I know there are 2 horizontal router tables on the market, but these are not variable to other angles. Anybody have an opinion?

 

Thanks!

 

Rick from KC.

[Gary roofner]

Yes anything you have to route with the narrow edge of the board flate on the table. Rasied panels you dont need a 3 inch long bit to cut and most moldings you make.

 http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pag...

[justin waldron]

I'd also add that they would be great for running mouldings as well.

[Jay Boutwell]

http://woodgears.ca/slot_mortiser/  Build you own.  I have a simple one of which I use for cutting mortise and tennon joints.  I don't use it for very many other projects simply as I can cut about anything you can cut on a horizonal router.  I am not limited to the type or  hard to find bits.  However it is an accurate machine when set up as a mortiser but still limited to what it can do.  The one shown here in made of wood and some key board slides but the one I am building is out of steel and aluminum.  Iwill also be using a different method of slides as well.  Once done it will perform just like the one shown in the video. 

I am however building one of which will do much more and is patterened after the gentleman whom has this web site.  If you are interested in building machines take a look at this craftsman's web site.  It is quite large once you get into the you tube video  you will find a link.  There is a link that once you get into it explore it and you definately be not only fasinated but inspired.  He lives in Canada and has a long history of his experience of coming to the United States from germany.  His father has a saw mill and build furniture and even build wood working tools from wood.   There is a gear generating chart in this web site for any of you whom wish to build clocks or other projects that require gears that you can make from wood. 

The gentleman is a genius and his web site if definately worth while exploring and one that will leave you with a new vision on not only wood working but an appreciation for the skills of the craftsman of years past.  His name is Matthias Wandel.  Enjoy his web site  note: at the bottom of this link you will find another link that says "back to my woodworking site"  click that it should take you where you want to go and in each of the web site locations there are additional links.

[Kerry Werry]

a bit off topic but yes Woodgears.ca has tons of info and some of the things this guy builds out of wood are amazing.. 

 

KLW

[Jay Boutwell]

The item in the opening page is a horizonal router set up as a mortiser only.  You get the same thing by changing bits and a table.  My point was that I have not yet experienced where a horizonal router has any benifits other that what I explained in the above post. 

Kerry Werry said:

a bit off topic but yes Woodgears.ca has tons of info and some of the things this guy builds out of wood are amazing.. 

 

KLW

[Rick]

Jay:

 

HOLY CRAP! I loved the link you sent. Facinating! You gotta love engineer guys. You show them the nice pencil box you made and they show you a TIME MACHINE they made from reconstituted catfish whiskers, two old car tires, and 5 molecules from a hammer handle they found in their dad's basement. AND IT TASTES LIKE CHICKEN. I'm not sure whether I should be inspired or just go sit quietly in the corner and play with my toes. But I see your point. More technology does not necessarily lead toward wider variety of application. A lot of times the simplest most direct approach works fine. That guy is still very impressive, though.

As for myself, still being new and a novice, my direction is to build some nice cabinets for my house and my wife. We've been together for a long time and I would really like to build her a dream kitchen and some other things. That being said, and due to my very limited shop space, I'm tooling up for one off cabinet construction. Now that I have my table saw set up, I'm looking into router table setups. Many to choose from and a lot of features to consider. So far, all things considered, I'm leaning toward the Kreg. The local Woodcraft store had a router table seminar and they used the Kreg table with the router lift insert. After seeing it in person, and watching the beaded face frame videos, this is looking like a complete system for the direction I'm going. The end look we want is simple classic but with a modern influence. Stained down to what guitar finishers refer to as tobacco. A seriously dark brownish black that still keeps the wood grain visible. Anyway, after messing around with my pocket hole system (and having great success I might add) I think I'm going to stick with Kreg and get their router table setup. It just seems to be a simple, well thought out design.

I wonder if it will taste like chicken.

[Jay Boutwell]

HI RICK GLAD YOU LIKED THE LINK,  HERE IS SOME MORE FROM THIS SITE THAT I GET FROM SUSCRIBING TO HIS SITE: EXPLORE THIS A BIT AND CLICK ON TO SOME OF THE LINKS HE HAS INCLUDED TO GET AN EYE FULL OF WHAT OTHERS HAVE MADE.    If you have not done so I would encourage you to subscribe to his updates.  It is free and packed full of added information that you will only get if you subscribe.  Have a great day.

http://woodgears.ca/reader/gilliom.html

Rick said:

Jay:

 

HOLY CRAP! I loved the link you sent. Facinating! You gotta love engineer guys. You show them the nice pencil box you made and they show you a TIME MACHINE they made from reconstituted catfish whiskers, two old car tires, and 5 molecules from a hammer handle they found in their dad's basement. AND IT TASTES LIKE CHICKEN. I'm not sure whether I should be inspired or just go sit quietly in the corner and play with my toes. But I see your point. More technology does not necessarily lead toward wider variety of application. A lot of times the simplest most direct approach works fine. That guy is still very impressive, though.

As for myself, still being new and a novice, my direction is to build some nice cabinets for my house and my wife. We've been together for a long time and I would really like to build her a dream kitchen and some other things. That being said, and due to my very limited shop space, I'm tooling up for one off cabinet construction. Now that I have my table saw set up, I'm looking into router table setups. Many to choose from and a lot of features to consider. So far, all things considered, I'm leaning toward the Kreg. The local Woodcraft store had a router table seminar and they used the Kreg table with the router lift insert. After seeing it in person, and watching the beaded face frame videos, this is looking like a complete system for the direction I'm going. The end look we want is simple classic but with a modern influence. Stained down to what guitar finishers refer to as tobacco. A seriously dark brownish black that still keeps the wood grain visible. Anyway, after messing around with my pocket hole system (and having great success I might add) I think I'm going to stick with Kreg and get their router table setup. It just seems to be a simple, well thought out design.

I wonder if it will taste like chicken.

[John Schaben]

Hi - I looked into horizontal tables some time ago. Very impressive. Looks like mortise and tenons are duck soup. Raised panels also would feel safer as you wouldn't use Big Scary Panel Raiser bits but use vertical panel bits instead. About the only downside I could see to a horizontal table is that cathedral style raised panels look to be very difficult.