Tenoning On The Router Table

Woodworking Crafts

Derek Jones uncovers some of the basics of router joinery

Wood shaping machine with wooden pieces nearby

Table of Contents

Basic kit
Establish your datum
Rise and fall
Simple tenons

For several years, I shared a workshop with router expert Anthony Bailey. A serial author of technical manuals on the subject, Anthony is the most knowledgeable chap I’ve met when it comes to the topic of routing. Whether it be freehand stuff or table top techniques, it appears that there is very little he can’t achieve with the machine. For a lot of us the router is where we made our first inroads to machining profiles, shaping and jointing and no matter how advanced you and your machine shop become, it’s still a ‘go-to’ tool for a lot of applications.

I love the gentler pace that comes with using hand tools and for many applications they are more practical, but a router is still a force to be reckoned with when it comes to batch work or just plain old accuracy.

It may surprise you to know that when it comes to kit, Anthony’s preference for routing equipment is basic in the extreme. He’s very fond of his old piece of kitchen worktop hanging off the side of his bench that supports a Trend T11E, the highest spec router that Trend produce, which has many features for use freehand or when mounted in a router table. The 190mm high fence is made from MDF with a boxed in section at the back to attach an extraction hose and that’s about it – no whistles or bells to make things easier or scales calibrated to within an inch of their life to ensure accurate results every time, but that’s precisely what this ensemble is capable of.

So as I begin my look at table top routing, I’m going to try and strip the landscape of superfluous bits of kit and introduce an element of practicality.

Basic kit

Let’s set aside the question of which router to choose as there are far too many variables to give a full appraisal within the context of these articles. I’m going to assume you have made your decision based on the scale of work you intend to do and move on.

A rigid platform in which to hold your machine should be a priority and there’s nothing more robust than a cast-iron top. These haven’t exactly been easy to come by in the past but UJK – available from www.axminster.co.uk – is producing these formidable workstations that quite frankly outsmart any of the alternatives.

Notwithstanding the physical presence of cast iron it comes with the added bonus of being suitable for use with magnetic holdfasts. Invest in a couple of these and you will open the doors to a whole new way of jigging and machining, as long as you have more than one machine with a cast-iron table that is.

Establish your datum

My first step was to build a fence for our table from a piece of sapele and attach a ‘T’ slot to the face and a pair of Magswitches to the back. At this point, note the lack of scale or any other means of calibrated reference – surely that’s a distinct disadvantage, I hear you say. Well, no, that’s not the case, and here’s why. I once asked furniture maker Robert Ingham to explain his method for capturing and transferring critical dimensions from component to machine without losing or gaining anything in the process. Scales and onboard measuring devices didn’t feature that much in his answer. Instead a digital Vernier or, better still, a well prepared spacer, gave the best results. Although a scale will put you in the right ball park, you need to know from what it is referenced and if it remains constant. With a router mounted in the table the only two certainties are the cutter and the table so all dimensions should originate from these.

Metal insert nut on wooden board — 1. Threaded inserts come in all shapes and sizes and are great for building jigs that might have to be dismantled or adapted in the future

Hand operating yellow magnetic clamp on table saw. — 2. Magswitches allow you to position a fence or hold down anywhere on the table top without clamps

Woodworking dust collection system with brush attachment. — 3. Extraction and guards can be added using the ‘T’ slot strip in the fence

Assorted mechanical components on white background. — 4. The complete set of parts for the Router Raizer covers a range of different routers. Most of these items you will never need

Router tool parts on wooden surface — 5. The first step is to separate the motor casing from the base

Hammer and metal parts on wooden surface — 6. In the case of the T11E or DeWalt 625, a roll pin has to be removed to free the factory- fitted threaded column

Disassembled appliance cover with screws and screwdriver. — 7. The sub-base also has to be removed in order to fit new components

Assorted small mechanical components on wood surface. — 8. Follow the instructions to the letter and only select the parts you need for each step of the operation. The mainshaft is hacksawed to a specified length ready for installation

Using punch tool on metal component — 9. The mainshaft is fixed in the old threaded column hole using a star-shaped retainer, which is pushed down firmly for a tight fit

Tightening router collet with hands. — **10.** The original threaded depth rod and locking nut are now replaced with the Raizer long drive nut and bushing which are fastened tightly

Person using handheld power router on workbench. — **11.** The router springs and bushes are reinstalled, the brass pellet that locks on one column must also be in place, then the router body is carefully slid down on to the columns

Rise and fall

Having poo-poo’d the idea of a fancy fence for your router table, I’m going to try and convince you that a sophisticated rise and fall mechanism might not get you as much bang for your buck as you would hope, although we will look at a few options in the coming months for those who like forking out on shiny metal.

For our first setup, I chose to strip down a Trend T11E and fit a Router Raizer. This does call for a fair bit of dismantling, not to mention concentration, to rebuild the machine with the Raizer installed and working but the instructions are clear and easy to follow. The parts list looks like the contents of an odds and sods drawer when you open the packet, but you will have far more parts leftover than installed when the job is done.

As a precaution, hold on to all the original parts that are required to be replaced should you need to return the machine to its factory condition. This shouldn’t be necessary as the Raizer will work perfectly well mounted in the table as well as freehand.

Simple tenons

When it comes to creating joinery on the router, I’m starting with the most basic joint – a tenon. In this context the corresponding mortise is best machined with a two flute cutter and the router handheld so won’t be featuring in this article. A 50mm diameter mortising cutter has shear cutting edges that will leave behind a smooth surface to the cheeks of the mortise and a sharp edge to the shoulder. Creeping up to a finished dimension will give you better results. Our 30mm-thick example has a 10mm-thick tenon and two 10mm-thick shoulders.