How to Build a Router Table that Looks Awesome

I almost always would rather be designing a beautiful piece of furniture, but sometimes you need to build shop furniture and fixtures to make life around the shop easier. So instead of building your everyday shop furniture out of plywood, I decided to build a Green and Green Furniture piece and put a router in it.

The main wood is made from Cherry, accented with walnut.

If you want to build this table, you can download the plans here: Router Table PDF Plans

This router table features some of the best dust collection from under the table as well as in the fence that I have ever used.  The fence is totally adjustable with a T track installed to attach feather boards and stops.  The drawers are configured so they are modular, allowing tooling of bits to grow and change based on the needs of the shop.  It also has space to hold the zero clearance inserts for the router lift as well as collets, different size bearings, and guide bushings.

Specialty Products used in this build (Affiliate Links)

-Incra Router Lift – https://amzn.to/2K2eIrc

-Incra Clean Sweep – https://amzn.to/3gGhM8t

-Dust Right® Quick Connect 4” Elbow – https://amzn.to/3oM10rf

-Dust right Conversion port 4″ to 2 1/2″ – https://amzn.to/3mibq01

T Track 1/4″ – https://amzn.to/2JP9OxX

-T Track Combo 3/4″ and 1/4″ – https://amzn.to/3a7ypIW

-Router Table Switch – https://amzn.to/37aUXGI

If you’re like me, scrap wood tends to pile up in the shop. Instead of letting it go to waste, I decided to put all those cherry offcuts to good use by building a fully-featured router table complete with adjustable fence, modular bit storage, and dust collection. The best part? I didn’t have to buy a single board.

Why Build Your Own Router Table?

A good router table is essential for any serious woodworker, but commercial options can be expensive and often lack the customization you need for your specific workflow. By building your own, you can design storage exactly how you want it, add the features that matter to you, and end up with a piece of furniture-grade shop equipment that’ll last a lifetime.

Getting Started: Milling the Scrap

I gathered up every piece of cherry scrap I could find and laid out all the components for this build. After taking stock, I realized I had just enough material to complete the entire project. The key was being strategic about how I used each piece.

First things first: I squared up and milled everything to the final thickness. Even though I was working with scrap, I didn’t skip this crucial step. Properly milled lumber makes all the difference in how cleanly your joints fit together later.

Building the Base: Legs and Mortise-and-Tenon Joinery

I started with the legs, bringing them to final width before setting up a stop block on my miter gauge fence. This ensured all four legs would be exactly the same length—critical for a stable cabinet that sits flat on the floor.

For the joinery, I used a traditional mortise-and-tenon approach. Here’s a time-saving tip: lay out your mortise locations on just one leg, then use that leg as a template to transfer the marks to the others. This guarantees perfect alignment across all four legs.

To rout the mortises, I pinched the workpiece between bench dogs and used spacers to set the depth stop on my router. I routed starting and stopping points, then connected them with a few shallow passes. This approach is much safer than trying to hog out all the material at once.

The side panels needed to be beefy since they’d take abuse in the shop environment, so I made them 3/8″ thick. The back panel, however, could be thinner—I went with 1/4″ to save material.

Crafting the Rails and Tenons

For the rails, I followed my usual process: rip to width, use a stop block for consistent length, then move on to cutting the tenons. I always set up a sacrificial fence when using the dado blade to protect my good fence from accidental cuts.

The secret to perfect-fitting tenons? Test cuts on scrap pieces. I kept adjusting until I had a fit that was snug but not overly tight, then used that exact setting for all the remaining tenons. When they came out just slightly too tight during test assembly, a few passes with a shoulder plane dialed everything in perfectly.

Adding Character: The Cloud Lift Design

One of my favorite details on this build is the cloud lift curve on the rails—a nod to Greene and Greene style furniture. To achieve this, I made a plywood template and took my time refining the curve with a file until it looked just right.

After tracing the template onto my workpiece, I roughed out the shape at the bandsaw to reduce the load on my router bit. Then I used double-stick tape to attach the template and routed a perfect copy with a pattern bit. A quick switch to a 3/8″ grooving bit with a bearing let me follow that curved shape to cut the dado for the panel.

For the panels themselves, I used shop-sawn walnut veneers glued to a plywood substrate in my vacuum bag. Pro tip: I pre-finished the walnut panels before assembly so that any seasonal wood movement wouldn’t reveal raw, unfinished edges.

Cabinet Assembly and Drawer Infrastructure

With all the individual components ready, it was time to start putting things together. The front face frame needed notches for the drawer dividers, which I cut with a dado stack, moving the fence between cuts to establish each drawer width.

During glue-up, I was extra careful to keep the top and bottom rails perfectly aligned—if they’re off even slightly, the whole cabinet won’t be square. The back panel went together the same way, with vertical dividers added for both structural support and visual interest.

Final cabinet assembly brought everything together. Those small face frame dividers filled the notches I’d cut earlier, creating the drawer openings for bit storage. I attached the bottom using cleats screwed to the front and back panels, using a spacer strip to ensure perfect alignment.

Creating the Drawer Slide System

Rather than buying commercial drawer slides, I built my own system by cutting dados in boards for the bit trays to ride in. The trick to getting these perfectly aligned was using plywood spacers cut to specific heights for each drawer level. This ensured both sides matched exactly.

The center dividers that I’d glued into pre-cut dados got the same treatment. With a little persuasion, everything slid into place and created a rock-solid framework for the drawers.

The Top: Built for Heavy Use

A router table top takes serious abuse, so I wanted something substantial. I laminated two pieces of plywood together in the vacuum bag, which created a top that’s both stable and strong.

For the edge treatment, I did something a little different than the typical miter joint. Using the bandsaw, I cut a bridle joint that creates interlocking fingers at the corners. I originally planned to round over these fingers for a decorative Greene and Greene look, but after a test fit, I decided they’d just be something to catch on during operation, so I cut them flush instead.

Installing the Router Lift and Dust Collection

I’m using an Incra router lift for this table, which required careful template work. I cut an MDF template first to test the fit, then used double-stick tape to secure it to my top before routing out the opening. The jigsaw made quick work of the center cutout, though I always think of the jigsaw as a bit of a savage tool—it gets the job done but leaves a rough cut.

For dust collection, I integrated Incra’s clean sweep box below the table and added a 4″ port through the back of the cabinet. A tee fitting connects both the fence dust collection and the clean sweep system, giving me comprehensive chip removal.

The Adjustable Fence System

The fence incorporates T-track for adjustability, allowing the two wings to move independently for perfect bit clearance. I cut dados for the track, drilled ports for dust collection, and made sure to use only screws (no glue) on the dust collection block so I can disassemble it if anything gets clogged.

The fence sits on a T-track running front to back on the top, secured with adjustable star knobs. This gives me infinite positioning options for different cuts.

Drawers with a Twist

The drawer fronts got the same template treatment as the curved rails, but with added features. Each drawer front includes a routed dado for the bottom and an integrated pull that flows with the overall design.

I made the drawer bottoms using a wedged tenon joint—traditional, strong, and visually interesting. The 1/4″ maple drawer sides keep things light while providing plenty of strength.

Here’s where I did something different: instead of drilling holes directly into the drawer bottoms for bit storage, I made removable inserts. As my router bit collection changes over time, I can simply make new inserts rather than re-drilling the whole drawer. This modular approach means the table can adapt as my needs evolve.

The drawer pulls are shop-made from walnut, milled to fit snugly into the routed recess in each drawer front. A tap with a large mallet seated them perfectly.

The Finishing Touch: A Paneled Door

The door follows the same construction method as the side panels, complete with cloud lift details and mortise-and-tenon joinery. European-style hinges make installation straightforward and allow for easy adjustment.

Lessons Learned

This build taught me that scrap wood doesn’t have to mean compromised quality. With careful planning and strategic use of materials, you can create something that’s both functional and beautiful. The modular bit storage system has already proven its worth—I can reconfigure drawers as needed without any permanent modifications.

The integrated dust collection makes a huge difference in shop cleanliness, and the Incra lift gives me precision that’s hard to beat. Most importantly, this router table is built exactly how I wanted it, with storage where I need it and features that match my workflow.

If you’re sitting on a pile of scrap wood and need a router table, I highly recommend taking on this build. It’s a great way to use up material, practice your joinery skills, and end up with a shop workhorse that’ll serve you for years to come.