MINI ROUTER TABLE

for Bosch Colt Router

Plans & Assembly Instructions

by Jim Moss
Bosch Colt Mini Router Table - exploded view

6 8

4 3
2

1 - Base (16 x 10 x 3/4)

2 - Sides (10 x 10 x 3/4)
3 - Back (10 x 10 x 3/4)
4 - Table (20 x 12 x 3/4)
Note: parts 1 - 4 are cut from melamine faced MDF but can also be cut from plywood

5 - Mounting plate - Acrylic or similar or brass sheet (5 1/8 x 5 1/8 x 1/4 (or 6mm))
6 - Fence - good quality pine or a hardwood (24 x 2 ht. x 1 1/4 thick)
7 - Fence clamping block - cut from same wood as the fence 3 x 2 x 1 thick
8 - Fence pivot bolt - 4 x 3/8 hex. head plus 2 wide plain flat washers, 1 spring
lock washer, and one nut (preferably a wing nut)
BASE & TABLE SUPPORT ASSEMBLY

3 A
4" 10" 16"

1 1
24" 24"

10"
2 "
R 1

10"

2" 3" 3"

10"
3/32" diam. DETAIL A
contersunk SCALE 1 : 4
through holes
set 3/8" in from
edge of the side
4"
support
3
 TABLE (1) - 3/4" (17.5mm) melamine faced MDF or similar
3 3/32" dia. contersunk through
58" hole for drywall screws

12"
1

32"
1

52"
1
1 1
72" 58"

8"
3/8" diam. through

5
hole for fence pivot
bolt
1"
58"

38"
12"

8"
1

5
4" 2"

1 "
R4

38"
3
3 "
R4
20"
4"

1 "
3

R4
R 1
4"
TABLE (2) - showing location of base and side and back supports (dotted lines)

2" 16" 2"

2"
1

1 1
24" 10" 24"
10"

12"
20"
 FENCE & CLAMPING BLOCK ASSEMBLY - good quality pine or hardwood

2"
1" BACK VIEW
A

2 5/8" 4"
2"

8"
5

14"
1
3
18"
3 SIDE VIEW
4" TOP VIEW

24"
2"

2"
2 3/4"
FRONT VIEW
DETAIL A
SCALE 1 : 2
AssemblyInstructions

Refertotheexplodedviewdrawingforthepartsdescriptionandthefollowingdrawingsfor
cutting,shapingandassemblydetails

1. Cutthebase,sides,backandtablefrom3/4(17.5mm)melaminecoatedMDF.Radiusthe
cornersofthebaseandthetable.Roundoveralledgesofthetableplusthefrontvertical
edgesofthesides.Roundingoverofthebaseedgesisoptional

Note:ThemelaminecoatedMDFusedforallbutthetablecanbesubstitutedbystandard
noncoatedMDForbygoodqualityplywood,however,itisadvisabletouseeither
melaminecoatedMDForalaminatecoatedplywoodforthetablesurfacetoprovidea
perfectlysmoothandlevelworksurfacewhichhasgoodresistancetowear

2. Giveallcutandroundedoverroundedoverfacesacoatofwoodsealantorvarnishand
whendrysandthemsmoothusingfinesandpaper.Applyasecondcoatofsealantorvarnish
tofullyprotectthesurfaces.

3. Drillthesideandbasewith3/32countersunkpilotholestolocate2longdrywallscrews
used,alongwithwoodglue,toassemblythetablesupport.Usingwoodcrampstoholdthe
backandsidessquaretooneanother,glueandscrewthepartstogether

Note.AlwaysdrillpilotholeswhenscrewingintoMDForplywoodendfacesinorderto
preventthefacesfromsplittingopen

4. Clampthesidesandbackassemblyintopositionontothebaseandglueandscrewtheparts
togetherseetheBaseandTableSupportAssemblydrawingforpositioningdetails

5. DrillthetableaccordingtotheholepositionsandsizesshownintheTable(1)drawing.

Withtheaidofaframejigcutoutthemountingplaterecess(51/8square)usingyour
Boschrouterfittedwitha1/2diam.standardcutter.Ifyouneedhelponhowtodothis
thenaskintheforumthread.Forthemountingplatetositflushtothetablesurfacewhen
insertedintotherecessitiscriticalherethatthedepthoftherecessforthemountingplate
exactlymatchesthesizeoftheplateitself.Iftheacrylicoralternativematerialyousource
forthemountingplateisnotexactly1/4thickmakesurethatyoucuttherecessouttoits
thickness

Theinnercutoutcanbeeitherbecutoutwithyourrouteroryourscrollsaw.Checkyour
Boschrouterbasefitscomfortablyinsidethisrecesswithalittlesidewardplay1/16to
1/8clearanceallaroundisok

 Note:Ifyoufindthatproducingtherecessandcutoutisalittletoomuchforyour
woodworkingcapabilitiesthentakethedrawingandapieceofMDFalongtoyourlocal
carpenterandaskhimtocutitoutforyou.

6. Whenyouhavecompletedthetabledrillingandrecessingworkglueandscrewthetableto
thesidesandbackpartsofthetablesupportassemblyseetable(2)drawingfor
positioningdetails

7. Cutoutthemountingplateanddrillandcountersinkthedrillholes.Thedrawingprovidedis
fullsizeandcanbeusedasapatterntomarkouttheholes.Whencountersinkingtheholes
makethenveryslightlylargerindiameterthantheboltorscrewsheadstheywilltakesuch
thattheheadsofthesesitjustbelowthesurfaceofthemountingplace.

Note:The11/4"diam.centreholeissizedtoaccommodatelargeroundovercutters.Ifyour
workismainlygoingtousesmallerroundovercuttersthenitisadvisabletosizethisholea
littlesmaller.Check,firsttheoveralldiameteroftheroutercutteryouintendtouseand
add1/8tothistoallowfor1/16freespacearoundtherevolvingcutter.Drillthe
mountingplatecentreholetothisnewsize.Ifyouarelikelytoswitchfrequentlybetween
largeandsmallerdiam.cuttersthenitsadvisabletomaketwomountingplateswith
differingdiam.centres.

8. Tomounttheroutertothemountingplateitwillbenecessarytotakeatriptoyourlocal
hardwarestoreandpurchase4x1longconicalheadedboltswhichhavethesamethread
astheboltswhichholdthestandardbaseplatetoyourBoschColt.Removeoneofthese
boltsandtakeittothehardwarestorewithyoutomakesurethethreadsontheboltsyou
purchasearethesamebesuretopurchaseconicalheadedboltsandnottheflatheaded
boltswhichyourrouterisfittedwith.

RemovethestandardblackplasticbaseplateofyourBoschColtandguarditanditsfour
mountingboltsinasafeplace.Carefullyscrewthemountingplatetothealuminumbaseof
therouterandtestitfitsperfectlyandpullsupflushtotheplatewithoutanyeffort.Be
carefulheretonotforcethescrewsintothealuminumbaseoftheBoschColtthese
threadsstripeasilyifyouarenotcareful!Ifthefitseemstightthenopenupthedrillholes
alittlewithalargerdrilltoallowforalittlesidewardplay.Whenyouarehappythatthefit
betweentherouterandthemountingplateisfineremovetherouterandgoaheadand
screwthemountingplateintoitsrecess

Checkthatallcountersinkholesaresufficientlylargesuchthattheboltorscrewheadssit
justbelowthesurfaceofthemountingplate.

9. Makethefenceandfenceclampingblockfromtwopiecesofgoodqualitypineora
hardwood.Drillthefencepivotboltholeandscrewtheclampingblockinplace.The
workingfaceofthefencemustbeperfectlyflatandsquaretothetableandalsobe
perfectlysmooth.Applyahardwearingtopcoatvarnishtothefence


Note:Ifyouareabletoproduceone,afencemadeforalengthof2boxsectionaluminum
channelisalsoagoodoption

10. AssemblythedusttakeoffaccessoryfromstandardPVCdrainagepipefittingsandscrew
thistothefenceusing2x21/2"drywallscrews.Seetheslideshowimagefordetailsofthis
assemby

Thiscompletestheassemblyoperation

Safetyguards

Forroundingoverworkitisnotnormallynecessaryorevenpracticaltousesafetyguards,
particularlywhenroundingovertallpieces

Whenroundingoverstraightitemssuchasboxedgesusethefencetopartiallycoverthecutter
andruntheboxfacealongthefencefacetoproducetheroundovercut.Thiswaythecutter
willnotbeexposedforthemajorityoftheworkingstroke.However,besurewhenstartingand
finishingacuttokeepyourhandswellawayfromthecutter.

Forfreehandroundingoverofcurvedformsuseacutterwithmountedlowerbearingtopush
against,onceagainkeepyourhandsawayfromthecutter.Fortallorthickpiecesitis
impracticaltouseacutterguard,howeverifyouareroundingoverpiecesofuniformthickness
ofupto2thicknessitispossibletomountanadjustableheightacrylicplateontopofthe
fencewhichcoversthecutterinsuchawaythatyourworkpiececansliceunderneathitto
makecontactwiththecutbutyourfingerscannotandremainprotected.

IMPORTANT!DONOTtrytoroundoverabnormallysmallitemswithoutsomeformof
mechanicalaidtoholdthemneartothecutter.Donottrytoholdthemwithyourfingertipsas
thisisfartoodangerous

Forgeneralroutertablesafetytipstakealookatthelinkspostedintheslideshow