I'm just brain storming here, but I wonder why hardwood flooring wouldn't make just as nice of a router table?
Its hard, slippery and I have lots of it. Is there a requirement that I am not seeing?
High press. laminate is cheap, easy to install, no joints and is pretty tough. Laminate flooring has joints will raise the level of the top considerably, and is not actually glued down, at least when used as a floor.
Formica/Plastic laminate is the way to go. Inexpensive and easy to apply.
Usually you can get it free at local cabinet shops if you are not concerned about the color. I give it away all of the time.
If you could make it as flat as laminate, then it would probably work. Just remember that the slightest little offset or bump will catch your stock and even stop it as you slide it over your table. I'm talking paper thin here.
I have 2 router tables...my older one is phenolic and the newer one is plastic laminate. Formica is just a brand name of laminate. I think both the laminate and phenolic are both excellent surfaces and very durable. The top material is most certainly important but you must have the laminate glued to a material that is very stable and will not warp or bow under conditions of weather, moisture, weight etc.
My first router table I built many years ago was made of 3/4" oak ply with a laminate top. After about a year I noticed a slight downward bowing near the plate. I have had the solid phenolic top for over 4 years now and it is still perfectly flat. My newer top is from Incra and is 1 - 1/4" mdf with a laminate top. It has not stood the "test of time" in my shop yet since I have only had it since christmas (thanks to my wife) but it is well braced underneath.
I would be using a table insert, so I would not need to worry about thickness.
I have decided to stick with the laminate, although I think that if I build a bigger table later I may still try the hardwood idea. Glued to a good base, I don't see how it could be uneven or unstable. Just something to think about.
Thanks for all the insight.
daryl - would it be even? Are you saying you'd sand and finish it? If so, I don't see why it wouldn't work just fine especially if you already have the flooring. But on the other hand, a slab of MDF + a small piece of laminate is a very cheap, smooth solution.
i agree with the laminat on mdf. my dad bought a cheap old desk from a local unaversity surplus store 10 years ago which had a laminat and mdf top that is to this day perfectly flat and smooth. Have no planes on replacing it any time soon.
Hardwood flooring would make an attractive and durable router table top surface if attached securely and finished to a smooth flat surface. The biggest advantage to formica, or plastic laminate is that you don't have to do any sanding or finishing. Just glue it down.
Never thought of that. Do you use a permanent marker for long lasting lines, or do you use dry erase so you can change them as required?
Gerry
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