This Viewer Project comes from Dan. He writes:
Hey Marc….I’m a big fan of your work and website. I finally finished my work table and was hoping you might post it on your site. It was fun to make and inexpensive. Here is a brief description and a few pics.
Introducing my multifunctional work table. I have limited space so I really have to make things practical as well as functional. I started with making the base”¦It’s fairly simple mortise and tenon joinery using 2x’s. Then I added the doors and drawer. Looking at the pricey router tables on the market I figured I could make my own top and buy the essential accessories that would keep everything flush and square. I spent a couple of bucks on the fence and insert, but I still saved on making the top myself. The safety switch was fun to install just some basic electric work adding safety switch and receptacle to the side. After the router top, I made the assembly top. The bottom is a heavy old kitchen table. I added the hardboard and trimmed it out with maple. I got the idea for the clamp table from Festool”¦but instead of spending $600 I spent $25 on a piece of MDF and still have left over. I measured out a grid and drilled 1” holes every 4”. All of the tops have 3 coats of wipe on satin poly. I added 1Ã?â??3’s on the bottom with t-nuts so that the tops are secure to the base. I am looking forward to many projects with these tops and maybe it’ll give you an idea on how to do it cheaper with a little imagination. Enjoy!
Very clever! So is the clamping surface just a sheet of MDF with holes or is there a support structure under it?
Hey Bob…I did put a frame under the MDF. I also added a dust collection port of the back of the cabinet and it wors as a pretty good down draft table.
You did very nice work, I am just a little confused about a couple of things…
I understand the down draft bit. But how does that work for clamping?
Did I read that right that the base was an old kitchen table? So you basically took the legs / apron of an old table and added on to it?
Nice Tables Dan. I am building very similar tables in my shop.
Are the tops MDF? I am sheathing mine with 1/8″ Masonite. I hadn’t considered coating them with anything–how is the satin Poly working out–seems like a good idea.