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Coffee Table - UJK Technology Router Table is top of the range
Router ramblings from Rob Stoakley
Having marked out and shot to length the four side rails, the rebates were then cut on my new, all singing, all dancing, all weather UJK Technology router table.
Note that the sides still have their ‘OUT’ signage. Some would say this is a bit ‘belt & braces’ but in my book, it’s better than rebating the wrong edges, which I probably would have done if they weren’t there. Correction…definitely.
In previous years, I’d built two tables which varied from ‘OK’ to ‘OKish’…they were adequate, did the job but weren’t ‘state of the art’ by any means. This time round and third time lucky, I decided to go for the top of the range UJK Technology table with all the ‘bells and whistles’.
What prompted the decision to buy was Geoffrey Laycock's excellent review in F&C. A large intake of a wheaty type breakfast cereal is needed before moving around the cast-iron top, as it’s a seriously, seriously heavy lump of metal. The most awkward bit of the whole assembly procedure was to ensure that the UJK Technology router elevator was dead level with the top as there were no adequate instructions included, although I’ve been assured that this situation will change in the future. I did, after a lot of head scratching and ponderings, eventually manage to not only get it dead level but also bolted down absolutely rock solid so that there’s no chance of it going anywhere. If you’re considering the purchase of one of these bad boys, read Geoffrey’s review and also mine (just scroll down the product page), where I’ve described in some detail how I sorted out the insert.
I was also intrigued to see if the top was indeed level, so I used my big LV straight edge and tried to wriggle a 0.04mm feeler gauge underneath. Result? ‘Nul points’, which, considering the table is over 800mm long is fairly impressive!
One of the big disadvantages of using a router is undoubtedly the racket they produce. On more than one occasion I’ve heard them called ‘screaming banshees’ or indeed described using a slightly more adventurous, more flavoursome form of English.
Whichever way you slice it, they’re a bit noisy. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the UJK table, as I’d fitted the dust extraction box underneath it. Not only does the extractor suck out all the nasty dust from underneath the router, the sound is now considerably muted. Where it was once an ear deafening scream, which demanded the use of earmuffs, it’s now usable without them, which is definitely an added bonus.
Dare I say a rebate plane would have been even quieter ☺
The eternal debate…and probably quicker, but maybe not so accurate, which is what I always strive for.
Whether I achieve it is a moot point.