17 Free DIY Router Table Plans You Can Build Today (with Pictures)

Most woodworking projects require some degree of precision. You can get by with subpar measurements for some things, but if you’re building something placed prominently in your home — especially something that might affect its value — you’ll want to get it right so it looks and fits together snugly.

We went out and found some plans for DIY enthusiasts that will teach how to build a router table to suit their style. Routers are used commonly in building cabinets, and you don’t want uneven or loose cabinets. One way to avoid that is attaching your router to a fixed surface for stability. We’ve included a number of different plans for people with different needs and tastes. There are ones that are easy to set up, ones that are portable and ones with different and novel ways to dispose of waste. The only things all of them have in common is that you can build them in your home and that they’ll help make your woodworking projects better.

The 17 DIY Router Table Plans

1. DIY router table plan from Instructables

The best DIY projects are ones that let you use simple things to achieve complex ends. That’s what this table does, it allows you to get precision results with your router with just a handful of materials and hardware. You can even deal with sawdust, a constant problem with these sorts of tools.

Instructables has a copy of these plans. The plans are laid out in photos, so if you learn best from images this one will be particularly attractive.

2. Patrick’s router table plan from Ana White

This is less a table and more like a complete router system. It comes with the benchtop to do the actual work, but with plenty of space for storage of parts and even wood. Plus, it’s got a place to coil up the power cord when you’re done. You can roll this out to where you need to work and then put it away just as simply. It’s less a portable router table and more like a mobile workbench.

Although this is Patrick’s router table, it’s at ana-white.com. The instructions are complex, clear and provide plenty of photos so that you not only know how to make it but what it ought to look like.

3. American Woodworker router table plan from Popular Woodworking

One great thing about building your router table is that you can get all the functionality of one you buy at the store but at a greatly reduced price. That means saving a lot of money while building something that you can show off to your friends as a demonstration of your skills. Those are all the things that make DIY projects so attractive to enthusiasts.

You can find the instructions here. They are both written out and come in accompanying photos so that if you start and get stuck you can probably figure your own way out of a jam.

4. Benchtop router table plan from Instructables

One of the more complicated designs we looked at, this one is more appropriate for people with some skills in woodworking rather than someone who wants to get their kit up and running. It’s a complete table that guarantees precision routing when finished, but the best part is that once you’re finished you’ll have something that fits on top of your workbench. When you need it, you just need to pull it out.

Instructables has detailed steps on how to build it. There is some jargon involved, so if you’re unfamiliar with it you might want to look for a less complicated project.

5. Stow-and-go router table plan from Fine Woodworking

DIY enthusiasts who want a router table that is fast to build, easy to break down and light enough to take to a job site will find these plans attractive. It starts with simple materials with a simple design and ends with topline features like built-in dust collection. For something that looks so complex, it does a light touch to your wallet.

These instructions come with everything, from photos to written instructions. There is even a video introduction for people who prefer to learn from watching.

6. Fold-away router table plan from Woodsmith

This router table is perfect for someone who only needs one occasionally for light use. It’s bolted onto a workbench, which means that you can set it up quickly, but it’s also not as sturdy with a powerful set of legs underneath it. When you’re done, it comes with the added benefit of being a snap to store.

The instructions are available in PDF form here. That means that not only can you easily follow the instructions with your laptop open but that you can download it and print it off so that you can build it after shutting down your electronics.

7. Quick-and-easy router table plan from Woodsmith

Perfect to sit on top of your workbench and then put away when you’re done, this router table is sturdy, portable and easy to set up. It has plenty of space for bits and is easily to set your router into, so if you don’t need a standalone bench this one just might be the right one for you.

Like the previous router table, the instructions are on a downloadable PDF file. That means you can print it out and take to the hardware store to get the materials for it and then use it to build from.

8. Scott Moore router table plan from Scott Moore

This router table looks more like a bathroom or kitchen standing cabinet, except that this one is designed for working with a router. It’s got storage for accessories that go with your tool and a spot for you to run the cord to the table. It’s light enough that you can move it around, but it doesn’t have wheels so it’s designed to sit in one place.

You can find the instructions at Scottmoore. It’s three-feet tall so it’s perfect to stand in front of to work. It’s also got a nice large working surface.

9. DIY router table plan from One Project Closer

There isn’t anything really special about this router table. It’s a pretty basic model intended to just allow you to cut precision grooves. One thing that we like is that it’s built with a special eye to your power cord. When it comes to a tool intended to stay in place and plugged in, that’s a pretty big deal.

Just as there aren’t any secrets or anything to this router, the plans are pretty straightforward. One advantage of its simplicity is that you can build it and get routing in a hurry.

10. Simple router table plan from Sawdust Making

Probably the simplest plans we looked at, this one is just about getting you a stable work surface that you can put on top of your workbench. There isn’t any flash to it. It’s just a simple benchtop router table that you can put together in a hurry to get to work.

One thing to pay special attention to are instructions on how to build the fence. That’s really what this table has going for it.

We’ve also taken a look at the leading router tables on the market right now. You can read our conclusion (top picks) here.

11. A Router Table for Woodworkers

This router table by Joe Johns is aesthetically pleasing and functional. Technically, this table is more of a “cabinet” than a table. If you’ve built cabinets before, figuring out this plan should be easy.

12. Cheap Router Table Plan

If you’re trying to make a router table on a budget, this plan from Instructables could be your best option. You may have enough wood scraps laying around your house to build it – which would make it absolutely free. Of course, you do need a few screws and bolts to get it together. However, most woodworkers have these laying around as well.

13. Mini Router Table

If you don’t need a huge router table, this plan from Wood Magazine may be a solid option. It uses simple pieces of wood and a few clamps. It is one of the easiest options to make on this list.

14. Fancy and Complicated Router Table

If you want to make the fanciest table possible, this one from Plans Now is the one to get. It comes with all sorts of drawers and looks professionally made. However, it does take quite a bit of work.

15. Unfinished Wood Router Table

This is a simple table from Woodstore.net with plenty of storage. It takes a bit of know-how. But, if you’ve worked on wood before, you should be able to figure out how to do it.

16. Spool Router Table

If you happen to have an extra spool lying around, then this table from Mother Earth News is perfect for you! Of course, most people do not have an extra spool lying around, so you may have to choose a different option instead.

17. Easy Router Table

Learning how to build a router table from Sawdust Making 101 is a very easy and straightforward. It has an extension cord attached to it to power all of your tools and machinery, which is a nice addition.

• See Also: Routing Wood Without a Router: Is It Possible?
• See Also: 8 Best Router Tables

Featured Image Credit: Pikist