After selling my table saw (see For Sale – which is sold), I needed to have a router table. Yes, I know that I am going to a more hand tool model but I think that routers are too useful for too many tasks to eliminate completely from a shop. For instance, I can’t envision owning a lot of moulding planes that are often expensive because they are driven up in price by collectors. Also, while I am getting better at my hand cut dovetails, I could not really envision cutting box joints by hand (I see the artistry in dovetails but box joints, while nice looking, are much more utilitarian to me).
So I wanted a small, bench top router table. One reason for the bench top, is that I don’t have space for a dedicated routing station (you’ve seen pictures of my shop in Shop Tour). In addition, having used a standard bench height router table, I have often wished it could be higher for better control and a bench top router table is definitely higher. I also wanted an enclosed router table for better dust control as routers are, by their design, very dusty creatures. There are a few options out there but I think that the Bench Dog contractor table was the best option for me.
It required full assembly. My only complaint is that the instructions (yes, I read the instructions) had really awful pictures and diagrams. These pictures were apparently photocopies of photocopies to a painful degree and very hard to use as references. It went together well and I only had to reverse directions (take apart and reassemble) ones on the top (it has these metal brackets and as I said, the pictures were not very legible).
It has a flexible insert for many router models and a great base for a nice clamping method. The fence and miter slot look very useful for jigs and the like. I am looking forward to using this table.
