Mobile Router Center Lansing MI

Mobile Router Center

This rolling router center has onboard storage for all your router components, folds into a tidy package, serves as an extra work surface and rolls out of the way when you're done!

by George Vondriska

Without question, a router table is one of the most versatile tools you can add to any shop. Whether you’re making doors or moldings, router tables are do-it-all tools. This shop-made unit is a fully featured router table with portability, versatility and compactness. And you can build the whole thing for less than $260. It’s perfect for any shop in which floor space is precious. The top has as much real estate as a full-size router table but, like a benchtop unit, the router center can easily be stowed when you’re done.

The key to a flat, rigid table is the torsion-box design. A torsion box is nothing more than a crisscross frame captured in a top and bottom. It’s easy to build, dead flat and solid as a rock. 

Use It!

Move It!

Store It!

Unfold It!

Organize It!

Build the Top

Crosscut both sheets of plywood required for this project into 32-in.-long slabs (see Cutting Diagram, below). 

1. Cut to size the ribs (A, B), ends (C) and top and bottom skins (D). Cut the hardboard top (E) 1 in. larger than the top skin.

2. Glue and screw the torsion-box ribs together (Photo 1). Pin the top and bottom skins to the torsion box (Photo 2). Assemble the torsion box on your tablesaw (Photo 3). 

3. After the glue is dry, rough out the cavity in the bottom of the torsion box and trim it flush with a router (Photo 4). Use a 1/4-in. round-over bit to ease the sharp corners. Flip the torsion box and flush-trim the hardboard top to match the box’s top skin (D). 

Build the Case

The assembly of the case is very similar to that of the torsion-box top, with internal ribs that create the compartments in the case.

4. Assemble the case ribs (H, J).

5. Glue and screw the case skins (K) to the ribs (Photo 5).

6. Rough-out and flush-trim the router cavity on the inside of the case. Use a 1/4-in. round-over bit to ease the corners.

7. Screw and glue the top (L) and bottom (M) to the case. Attach one layer first. Then add the second piece of plywood by screwing from below so no screws show on the top side of the double panels.

8. Cut the door panels (N) to size.

Add Edge Banding

Make all the edge banding 1/32 in. oversize in width. After you glue it on, sand it flush to the plywood. 

9. Make the banding for the case and door (Q), the double-thickness top and bottom (P) and the torsion-box top (F, G). 

10. Cut, fit and glue the narrow banding to the remaining edges of the case and the doors and the wide banding to the top and bottom of the case.

11. Cut, fit and glue the extra-wide banding to the torsion box’s sides and long back edge. You don’t band th...

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