Planning your Woodworking Project

To achieve the best outcome from every woodworking project, you need to spend some time on planning and preparation. We all want to go out and choose our perfect piece of wood and get cutting but a little effort in the early stages can pay off in the long run.

Planning

Start by asking yourself what you want to achieve from your project and the function of the piece? Knowing what the end product needs to do, allows you to move forward and start sketching it out. If you are looking for some ideas or inspiration, check out these sites.

Instructables Woodworking Projects for Beginners

Popular Woodworking Magazine

Minwax

Popular Mechanics

The Family Handyman

Before you finalise your design or sketches, check if your design can’t be improved with an addition here or a modification there. Again you can turn to the internet for advice and pictures to make sure you are completely happy with your piece long term. Once your design is finalised, you will be able to confirm the materials you will be using. You will need to know if you will be making a solid wood project or a veneer project. Price the materials you need to ensure they are within budget.

The Right Tools and Materials

There is nothing worse than getting into your project and being forced to stop because you don’t have the right tools on hand. Different tools, cutters and methods are needed depending on your materials. Decide early on what router bits, saw blades or cutters you will need to complete the project and order them now. If you don’t want to buy any new tools, then you have the option of changing your design now before you buy any materials.

Similarly to your tools, you will want to check if you need to buy more glue, fillers, sealers and finishes. There is nothing more frustrating than getting everything ready to glue only to find it has gone hard. Having everything on hand means you aren’t wasting time on multiple orders or trips to the hardware store.

Your Project

Once you have all the wood, tools and other materials on hand, you can get started. As part of your planning and information for next time, keep notes on any difficulties or tricks you come across, so you know for similar projects you undertake in the future. Every piece of information can help. It’s hard to remember the time-saving tricks you discover so write it down in a notebook or on your computer for easy reference.

Remember to take a photo of your finished piece and share it with the online woodworking community on your favourite forum or blog. Fellow woodworkers may be looking for the inspiration your piece provides.

All that is left to do is enjoy your piece and start planning your next project.

The Best in Table Top Routers

If you are someone who uses a router regularly, it’s wise to invest in a table top. A table makes the job easier, safer and more accurate. With a router table, it won’t take you long to master working with long, narrow or small stock, edge trimming, grooves, dadoes, slots, dovetail and box joinery. The projects are endless .

Choosing your Table Top Router

A table top router should last many years, so it’s important you choose a good quality table offering accuracy and stability. Timbecon did plenty of research before deciding which brands to stock. We looked at each model and checked to see if the tables were:

Good design - the table needs to be able to handle large workpieces and be comfortable for the average person to use.

Sturdy - the table needs to be strong and able to withstand years of use before showing signs of wear and tear.

Precision - if the table doesn’t offer perfect accuracy every time it didn’t make the cut.

In the end, we decided to stock the Baladonia and Kreg brands because they met our requirements and offer customers good value for money. Below we’ve listed a few of the table top routers and accessories we stock.

24x16in MDF/Phenolic Router Table Kit

Not everyone is looking for a heavy cast-iron table top router. Made from 32mm-thick HMR (High Moisture Resistant) and 2mm black PVC edge banding, you can expect a long life from your table if it is kept in a workshop, not exposed to humidity long-term. The stand is a heavy-duty L-angle steel powder-coated in burnt ochre with plenty of bracing.

This table top is also available in a huge 32x24in size with the posts made from heavy tubular steel with thick steel braces.

27x16in Cast-Iron Table Kit

If it’s cast-iron you want, then you will find plenty in this Baladonia benchtop router table. The table is cast then precision CNC-machined multiple times, so it’s dead flat and also has stress-relieving and strengthening ribs on the underside of the table for maximum strength.

27x16in Deluxe Cast Iron Router Table Kit

If you are looking for the Rolls Royce in router tables, look no further. This Baladonia kit has had every component and accessory bolted on including a lift, dust collection box, Super Flat Fence, two horizontal and two vertical featherboards and a fence flip stop.

Kreg Benchtop Router Table

If you need an industrial grade table top with full-size capabilities plus portability, you can’t go past this table. Made from an edge-banded, vibration and noise resistant MDF it features an Easy-Slide™ Micro-Dot skin. The high-pressure laminate allows your work pieces to slide across the surface easily.

Accessories

There are a few accessories to consider when you are buying a table top router.

Router Table Dust Collection Box

Keep your workshop clean and healthy with a dust collection box that picks up around 98% of all dust because the collection point is right next to the bit and underneath the table. This dust collection box has been designed to mount to the underside of the Baladonia MDF table or the bottom of your home-made table top.

Right Angle Fixture

If you are using a Baladonia Router Table Fence and you do a lot of fine vertical routing then it makes sense to invest in a right angle fixer, to make life easier. Produced from heavy-duty extruded aluminium, the right-angle fixture runs in the t-slot on the top of the fence via a matching precision-milled UHMW t-profile.

Table Switch

If you are building a table rather than buying one then a remote switch is a must. This one can be mounted on an MDF Top Router Table. Rated up to 10 amps.

Extension Support Frame

If you have a Baladonia 32x24in table top then an extension is a great accessory to have if you work with end-grain or panel product like MDF or chipboard. The extender gives you an extra 500mm of support.

Mitre Guide

The solid mitre guide that comes with all Baladonia deluxe router table stands is now available to buy separately. The mitre bar is the standard-size 3/4 x 3/8in (19 x 9.5mm) and has a good quality protractor.

Standard Fence

This Kreg fence is made of anodized aluminum and features a table saw-style T-square adjustment system. The fence can be easily adjusted with one hand and locks firmly in place with dual locks.