Simply laminate flooring two items of MDF, which will certainly provide you a 1-1/4" or also 1-1/2" thick top. After reducing out the opening for the base plate (if you desire one; you don't need one), secure the top on both sides and also the edges with several layers of poly or use paste wax as you suggested.
The structure keeps the leading flat.My router table top consists of two 3/4" layers of MDF glued together, then the sides trimmed in red oak, and also the faces of the MDF covered with laminate.
I huge follower of the insert plate, it doesn't have to be 9" x 12" the regular size, it can be as little as 8" x 8" if you desire it to be.if you remove the deals with that are not needed in the router table the norm.
The real advantage about the insert plate, you can stand out the router out if nothing greater than to burn out the router electric motor, routers are not made to run upside-down regularly, plus you pop the router out to change out the router bit easy.
you will listen to several say they have a tough time switching out the bit in a router table not so with the pop out router, the nut( s) are broad open when you pop it from the table. the PC type routers are easy, it can loosen the router motor as well as do the very same thing but you are on your knees, why not just do it right from the get go.
Now Cassandra new lift may be a 40 pounds. + as well as no way to raise that beast from the top of the router table so she might require some aid supporting that much dead weight. Yet upkeep needs to be put into any type of layout, it's simply a open motor and in time will drop without of some.
TLC. that makes the work easy with the bulge router, little air and the motor is tidy inside the electric motor case when aging, numerous have button errors and that is from router dust filling up the little button box so the components inside can not move inside the button box, they are have a little bit of lube in the button which resembles a dust magnet, most have a vac. pipe right at the router table yet many don't use it for the maintenance job that's needed from time to time.
Place plate or otherwise? It seems to be an infinite 'argument' with no right or incorrect answer. There are recognized proponents of either method. The advantages of a plate have been detailed already. Not using a plate has its advantages too, also if you don't use a router lift. 2 more remarks:
1. Benefit: The table surface area will be minimally adulterated. It could even be done such that there are no holes in the top of the table apart from the opening for the router bit. No snagging of stock during directing.
2. Regarding little bit height: you will not lose the full thickness of the table top. In fact, you'll shed about as high as with a plate, if done right: from a 3/4" sheet of MDF (say, 32"x24" or bigger or smaller, whatever), eliminated an available to fit the router base with (around ~ 6" in size). Glue a 1/4" item of MDF ahead (very same size as the thicker item). Mount the router base into the opening, either with screws (semi-permanent) or with toggle clamps (detachable). You shed 1/4" of bit height, which is not much more than the thickness of a plate (some also are 1/4" thick).
Much depends on the router you have. A router like the Bosch 1617 that is conveniently removable from its base can be made use of extremely comfortably in a minimalist MDF router table.