Bench Dog Router Tables

Bench Dog Tools makes and impressive line of Router Tables. You can find just about any type of table that you might need for your woodworking needs. Good design and lots of features are some of the pros of these tables. Here are 10 good reasons for adding one to your shop.

They are some great features that make using your router table safer and more fun. An On/Off switch mounted in front of the table is a great feature. These switches take the danger out of reaching under the table to find your routers on/off switch. Feather boards are another great feature that adds safety to your project. Pull out router bit storage is also very handy. Keeping everything in one station allows you to work smarter and neater.

There are a lot of things that go into the design of a good router table top. The three most important aspects are the top, the fence and the insert. These three items have to be well designed for long term use in your shop. You can add on lots of other features once you have these features. The Bench Dog router table series has very good design. They give you full sized tables and rock solid fences. Every insert they carry fits in every router table they make. All the fences have the same good design aspects and are interchangeable. Their engineers were thinking and you can tell that they have spent some time in the shop.

If you splurge a bit and order one of bench dogs Cabinet Systems, you can start off with a basic cabinet system. Later on, you can add drawers and doors to dress up your cabinet and make them more functional and efficient. Having everything in one place is very important in woodworking. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to hunt down a wrench or part because you cannot remember where you put it. You can also start with the more inexpensive phenolic inserts and then upgrade to an aluminum insert as your skills progress. They all fit and are all designed to work together.

I really love it when people think through design. There are times when I have to move some tools around in the shop. Sometimes it is to "rearrange the furniture" or other times to accommodate for a large project. Having casters on tools makes life so much easier. Bench Dog makes a Cab-Loc caster system that allows you to move your router table around the shop, but also allows you to level it and lock it in place. Their proguard router bit guard, bushing adaptors and zero clearance inserts also are well balanced and useful in the shop.

Bench Dog makes many different types of router table inserts that work in every Bench Dog table. Inserts are available in Phenolic and Aluminum. There is great debate upon which one is better. Personally I believe that a 2 HP router will meet all of your needs in the workshop. Some woodworkers believe that you need a big honking 3HP router to get the job done. My theory is that you really should not try removing large amounts of stock in a single pass. Taking your time and removing stock in smaller increments will increase your safety and save you about $100. (The difference between a 2HP and 3HP router)

One of the nicer features is the ability to buy their inserts pre drilled for your router. Bench Dog divides these routers into two groups. Group one routers fit Bosch 1617series, DW616/618series, DW621, DW625, Fein RT1800, Hitachi M12VC, Makita 1100series, Milwaukee 5615/16/19 series, Milwaukee 5625, All Porter Cable, Triton MOF001 and TRA001 Group Two router inserts fit Bosch 1619, Freud FT2000E, Hitachi M12VC(plunge), Makita 3612 About the only drawback I can think of are the extra holes. I personally don't like having all these extra holes in my inserts. The hardest part about assembling a router table is installing the router to the insert, so buying a predrilled insert saves you a step. However you can buy blank Bench Dog Router table inserts. These inserts keep you from having an insert with a lot of extra holes.

There are lots of different looks available with the Bench Dog systems. You can mix and match tops, stands, and cabinets to make nine possible combinations. You would be hard pressed to find a table saw, band saw or drill press that had that many options. Again, its good design to the rescue. If you add in all the accessories, the possibilities really add up.

You cannot buy a Bench Dog Router table directly from Bench Dog. Instead you have to buy them from a vendor. Most of the reputable vendors are online or in catalogs. At this printing you cannot buy them at your local hardware store, however this may change in the near future.

Bench Dog carries a limited one year warranty. This is always a good thing especially with a unit that really does not have any moving parts. The warranty is managed by Bench Dog and not the vendor in which you bought it from. A good thing to keep in mind is the biggest hassle and chance of damage comes from the shipping company that brings you your table. Shipping is a rough business and the likelihood of damage lies within the shipping process.

Having a well design tool in your shop just looks cool. Having everything in its place says a lot about your woodworking style and your workmanship. Bench Dog also makes an all wood cabinet that has a tremendous amount of appeal and pride. How cool would it look in your shop?