Guides
Practical answers to buying and setup questions, with links to the relevant choices.
- GuideAbove-table height adjustment: plate access holes and collarsHelps you find out whether your router and plate allow bit-height changes from above the table.
- GuideAluminum vs phenolic insert plates: what makers stateHelps you weigh plate material against fit, using only what makers state.
- GuideBuying router table parts on Amazon or AliExpress: what to checkGives you the checks that separate a part that fits and can be returned from a listing that only claims to.
- GuideDiscontinued lifts and motors: PRL-V2, Milwaukee 5625-20Helps you find parts that still fit an older lift or a discontinued router motor.
- GuideFeatherboard for a 3/4 miter slot, T-track or fence slotHelps you match a featherboard or roller guide to the slot, track or fence on your router table.
- GuideRouter table featherboard placement, and what they cannot doGives you the makers' own placement and pressure instructions and their stated limits, before you rely on a featherboard.
- GuideRouter table guide bushings: which rings and tables take themTells you whether your plate or table can hold a guide bushing, and which ring its maker makes for it.
- GuideRouter ring size chart: which opening for your bit diameterHelps you choose the insert ring opening for a given bit diameter using your own ring maker's clearance rule.
- GuideRouter plate reducer rings: set sizes by systemShows which ring openings your plate came with and which add-on set in the same system fills the gaps.
- GuideHow to measure your router table plate and router before you buyGives you the short list of numbers to record, and how to compare them with a part maker's figures, before you order a lift, plate or gauge.
- GuideRouter table coping sled vs miter gauge: which you needHelps you decide between a miter gauge and a coping sled based on whether your table has a slot and what stock you need to hold.
- GuideThe 2014 Porter-Cable 7518/7519 recall and router liftsHelps you check whether your Porter-Cable 7518 or 7519 is covered by the 2014 recall and what the notice says to do.
- GuidePredrilled vs blank router insert platesHelps you choose between a predrilled and a blank insert plate for your router.
- GuideRouter base hole patterns: which predrilled plate lists yoursHelps you find the predrilled plate each maker lists for your exact router base.
- GuideRouter table setup bars for bit height and fence distanceExplains what setup bars do and what their makers do and do not publish, so you can decide whether you need a set alongside your lift's dial.
- GuideRouter insert ring systems: which rings fit your plateHelps you identify your plate's ring system before you buy extra rings, so you do not order a set made for another system.
- Guide1/16 in per turn and 0.001 in: reading lift adjustment specsHelps you read lift and fence adjustment specs as mechanism figures, not accuracy promises.
- GuideLifts and tables: ledges, adapters and named exclusionsHelps you check that a lift will sit properly in your table, not just match its outline.
- GuideRouter lift vs insert plate (and routers with a table winder)Helps you decide whether your router and table need a lift or a plain insert plate.
- GuideRouter motor diameters: 3.5 in, 4.2 in and the sizes in betweenHelps you find your router's motor diameter on a lift maker's chart before choosing a lift.
- GuideRouter plate levelers, ledges and snugger screwsHelps you work out how your plate or lift will sit flush in your table, and what hardware you need.
- GuideRouter fence dust port sizes: 2-1/2 in, 2-1/4 in and 35 mmTells you which hose size each fence or table maker states for its port, so you can connect your vacuum or collector.
- GuideRouter fence mounting: table width, top thickness and fitHelps you check a router fence against your own table's width, thickness and slot spacing before you buy.
- GuideRouter table miter slot size: 3/4 x 3/8 in, T-slots and fitHelps you check whether a miter gauge or featherboard bar fits your router table's slot by its maker's stated range.
- GuideRouter table plate sizes: 9-1/4 x 11-3/4 vs 8-1/4 x 11-3/4 inHelps you match a plate or lift to the opening your table maker states before you buy.
- GuideRouter table safety: marks, standards, recalls and the manualShows which safety checks belong to the router, which to the table and parts, and where to look up marks and recalls.
- GuideRouter table starting pin: what the plate makers sayTells you what Bosch and Kreg say a starting pin is for and its limits, and which plates include one.
- GuideRouter table wood dust: what OSHA, NIOSH and IARC saySets out what the agencies actually say about router dust, so you can judge dust collection without relying on a port's marketing.
- GuideSplit vs single-face router table fence: what the faces doExplains what split faces, micro-adjust dials and sacrificial faces are for, so you can judge whether you need them.
- GuideT-track bolt size: threads, heads and stops for router tablesHelps you match T-bolts, knobs and stops to your track by the head size and thread a maker publishes.
- GuideWill my router fit this lift? Reading a maker's router listHelps you confirm a lift fits your exact router before you buy, using the lift maker's own list.
- ShortlistFeatherboards with a stated slot and track fitNarrows featherboards to ones whose makers state how they mount, so you buy one that fits your table or fence.
- ShortlistInsert plates with a published outline and router patternNarrows insert plates to ones whose makers name the router bases they are drilled for, so the plate you order matches your router.
- ShortlistInsert ring sets, by the plate system they fitShows which ring set locks into the plate or lift you own, with each set's openings, so you add the sizes you are missing.
- ShortlistMiter gauges and miter track for 3/4 x 3/8 in slotsNarrows gauges and track to ones made for a 3/4 x 3/8 in slot, and shows how to confirm your slot is one.
- ShortlistRouter lifts with a published plate size and motor listNarrows router lifts to ones whose makers state the plate and the routers they take, so you can match your table and router before ordering.
- ShortlistRouter table fences with a stated mounting range and port sizeNarrows fences to ones whose makers say which tables they mount on, so you can check yours against a stated range.