Shop Fox sliding router table adds safety

Woodstock International has introduced its Shop Fox sliding router table, model W1728, which features an aluminum sliding table with a clamping miter gauge. The sliding table offers a unique safety advantage because the operator's fingers remain away from the router bit during cutting - especially important when profiling end-grain or irregular-grain wood.

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The user simply needs to clamp the workpiece against the miter fence and feed the cut by pushing the table. The 31" x 12" sliding table can also be locked in place for use as a normal router table when the sliding feature is not needed.

"One of the great features of the Shop Fox model W1728 is that it will easily attach almost any brand of router between 3/4-hp and 5-hp," says Bill Crofutt, quality control manager for Shop Fox. "The mechanism that holds the router is very secure and allows for quick and easy installation and removal of the router."

The 30-3/4" x 9-7/8" cast-iron main table can be tilted to 45 degrees, allowing easy access to the router for bit changes as well as installation of the router.

"The table locks in this position so there is no need to hold it while working on the router," Crofutt says.

Other features include a 12" x 3" aluminum and steel fence, toggle clamp and 2-1/2" dust hood.

"The main table consists of cast-iron construction accounting for much of the 125 lbs. of weight that helps deaden vibration. We surface grind for flatness, which provides a smooth surface for the wood to slide on," adds Crofutt. "What I like best about this is the sliding-table feature. It slides very easily and securely and the built-in clamping miter makes difficult operations like tenons and rails not only easier but safer, too."

The router plugs into a built-in 110-volt receptacle and includes a front-mounted safety-paddle switch to turn the router on and off without having to reach under the table.

The Shop Fox sliding router table, model W1728, sells for $485.

Contact: Woodstock International, P.O. Box 2309, Bellingham, WA 98227. Tel: 800-840-8420. www.shopfox.biz

This article originally appeared in the August 2009 issue.