What Is a Router Table?

A router table mounts a handheld router upside down beneath a flat table surface, with the bit protruding through the top. This gives you two hands free to guide the workpiece and allows safe, consistent cuts on smaller pieces that would be difficult or dangerous to rout handheld. Common uses: edge profiles (roundovers, chamfers, ogees), rabbets, dadoes, raised panel doors, and joinery.

Safety First

  • Always wear safety glasses and hearing protection
  • Never adjust bit height or change bits while the router is plugged in
  • Feed workpieces right to left (against the direction of bit rotation)
  • Never back up a workpiece while the router is running — stop the router first
  • Keep hands clear of the bit path — use push sticks and featherboards
  • Secure the fence firmly before cutting
  • Never start the router with the bit touching the workpiece

Basic Setup and Use

  1. 1

    Install the bit and set height

    With the router unplugged: insert the router bit into the collet and tighten securely. Adjust bit height using the router’s depth adjustment mechanism (accessed through the table opening or via a lift mechanism). For decorative edge profiles: set height so the profile aligns with the desired position on the workpiece edge. Use a test piece of scrap wood to confirm the setting before cutting your actual workpiece.

  2. 2

    Set the fence

    For cuts that use the fence (most straight cuts): position the fence so the bit is partially enclosed behind it, with only the cutting portion exposed. Measure the distance from the fence to the cutting edge of the bit for consistent results. Lock the fence securely with the clamps — a moving fence during a cut is dangerous.

  3. 3

    Make multiple shallow passes

    For deep profiles: never try to rout to full depth in one pass. Make 2–4 shallow passes, raising the bit slightly each time. Shallow passes produce cleaner cuts, reduce tearout, put less strain on the bit and motor, and are much safer.

  4. 4

    Feed right to left, consistently

    Stand to the right of the table. Feed the workpiece from right to left, pressing it against the fence throughout. Maintain consistent feed speed — too slow can cause burning; too fast causes rough cuts. Use both hands on the workpiece, keeping them on the far side of the bit path from where the bit is cutting.

Featherboards are essentialFeatherboards clamp to the fence or table and press the workpiece firmly against the fence and down onto the table during routing. They dramatically improve cut quality and safety by preventing the workpiece from lifting or shifting. Buy or make featherboards before using a router table — they are inexpensive and important.

Frequently Asked Questions

Climb cutting means feeding the workpiece in the same direction as the bit rotation — the opposite of normal. The router wants to grab and pull the workpiece aggressively, making it dangerous. However, a very light climb cut pass (a whisker of wood removed) can prevent tearout on difficult grain before making the full cut in the normal direction. Climb cutting should only be done by experienced woodworkers with very light cuts — it is not for beginners. Never climb cut at full depth.
Both work in a router table. A fixed-base router is simpler, lighter, and easier to adjust height through the table. A plunge router allows making stopped cuts (starting and stopping mid-workpiece) by plunging the bit down. For most router table operations (edge profiling, through dados), either type works well. For dedicated router table use, a fixed-base model is generally preferred for its easier height adjustment.