One drawback to many benchtop router tables is the absence of adequate dust collection below the tabletop. JessEm intends to remedy that problem with its new Benchtop Router Table: it comes with a dust collection bag that completely encloses the router area. This bag doesn’t just trap the debris that falls below the table, however: it has a built-in 2-1/4 in.-diameter (I.D.) shop vac fitting so you can draw dust away as you make it. A pair of “Saddle Bags” attached to both sides of the dust bag provide storage space for collet wrenches and other routing accessories.
The 1-in.-thick tabletop consists of a high density MDF core that’s edge-banded and laminated on the top and bottom faces for durability. JessEm outfits it with an aluminum miter gauge track and a shorter (3-1/4 in. tall x 23-5/8 in. long) version of its Rout-R-Fence®, which consists of an extruded aluminum frame and a pair of adjustable fence facings. You also get JessEm’s 3/8-in.-thick phenolic Rout-R-Plate™ that is guaranteed not to bow or buckle. The plate has a 3-5/8 in. opening to accept even large panel-raising bits, or you can close up the bit opening with the included 2-in. Tab-Loc insert ring. (Other ring opening sizes are available separately.) The router table’s plate opening will also fit JessEm router lifts.
Beneath the tabletop, JessEm provides a 1-1/4-in. tubular steel frame that’s black anodized for rugged use and long life, and it stands on four leveler feet. The base raises the table to an overall height of 18-1/2 inches. An external safety On/Off switch, mounted in the front lower right corner of the frame, makes for convenient router control without reaching inside the dust bag. A 10-ft. heavy-duty power cord may even help eliminate the need for an extension cord. JessEm’s new Benchtop Router Table is available now and sells for about $259.
