In my shop, floor space is always at a premium. One day, I had the idea to build a router top for my Workmate to help save on real estate. A notch in both the fence base and the fence provides an opening for the router bit. A clamp on each end holds the fence to the table (photo above).
Top Construction.
I built the top of the router table using two layers of 3⁄4" plywood. This ensured that the top was sturdy and it wouldn’t warp over time. Instead of attaching the router to the top, I chose to cut an opening for a router insert plate. This allows me to remove the router and plate for storage.
To make the fence, I simply connected strips of plywood with screws and added some supports to keep the fence square.
Foldable base.
To grip the top in the Workmate base, I attached a pair of clamp blocks wider than my router on the underside of the top. When I’m done working with the router top, I pull the insert out and store it in the cabinet. The top can be hung on a wall using a pair of holes drilled to match stud spacing. The Workmate can then be folded for storage.
