Do you need a router table? Start with your projects

Our original article made a router table sound almost inevitable. The more useful question is what it will let you do in your own workshop. A table also takes space, adds setup costs, and needs to fit the router you intend to use.

Three questions to ask first

1. What operation are you trying to improve? Name the cut or project. A vague hope of doing more woodworking is a poor basis for choosing a table.
2. How often will you repeat it? A dedicated setup may earn its place if the same work comes up regularly. For a one-off task, compare the setup time with a suitable handheld approach.
3. Where will the setup live? Measure the storage space as well as the working space. Include access around the table and room for the stock.

What a table changes

In a table setup, the router is mounted underneath and the workpiece is moved past the bit. With handheld routing, you guide the router over the work. The change in which part moves is the important distinction; it does not make every cut automatically more accurate or safer.

For example, Bosch’s RA1171 uses a fence with adjustable faces, featherboards, and dust ports at both the fence and cabinet. Those features are reasons to investigate a table for repeated work, rather than proof that it is right for every project. See Bosch’s RA1171 specifications.

When handheld routing may still make sense

If you are working on a large panel that is easier to keep stationary, consider whether a supported handheld setup is more practical. A table is also not a universal requirement for dovetails: the appropriate tool arrangement depends on the jig and method.

Our earlier article overstated both points. Instead of choosing a tool first and adapting every project around it, choose a suitable method for the cut, then determine what equipment that method requires.

Check the complete setup

• Router compatibility. Confirm the exact router and base against the table manufacturer’s mounting information.
• Adjustment and access. Check how you will change bits and set height with your particular router. A separate lift is an additional compatibility decision.
• Support and workholding. Plan how you will control the workpiece throughout the operation.
• Dust collection and space. Include the hose arrangement and the table’s working footprint in your layout.

A table is not a fix for an inadequately supported small workpiece. Follow the table, router, bit, and jig instructions for the intended operation. Bosch’s RA1171 manual calls for securing and supporting the work, keeping guards properly adjusted, and disconnecting power before adjustments.

Where to go next

If you can name the projects that justify a table, read our Bosch RA1171 owner review for the experience of living with a cabinet-style benchtop setup. Then compare the alternatives in our router table guide.

If your current setup already handles your projects, it is reasonable to keep using it. A useful workshop grows around the work you actually do.