Tools and Reviews Routers Sliding Top for Router Tables Our sliding tabletop lets you guide your stock straight over a router bit. By WOOD Magazine Staff WOOD Magazine Staff Launched in 1984, WOOD® magazine is the world's most trusted woodworking resource — a distinction we've earned by guaranteeing our readers' success in their woodworking shops. It is the mission of our staff to inspire and inform woodworkers at every stage of their journey by providing reliable and accurate project plans, woodworking techniques, and product reviews. WOOD magazine's Editorial Process Published on February 6, 2017 Routing dadoes—grooves across the grain--poses several challenges, especially on narrow stock. Securing the workpiece, spacing the dadoes, and guiding the router straight over the stock become even more difficult on small workpieces. This sliding top for your router table, from WOOD magazine reader C.E. Rannefeld, of Decatur, Ala., makes dado-routing easy. Start with a piece of 1⁄8 "-thick tempered hardboard as wide as the front-to-back dimension of your router table and about 4" longer than the end-to-end distance. Attach a 1x2" guide bar across each end on the underside of the hardboard, locating them so the hardboard slides without excessive side play. Chuck the straight bit for dadoing into the router. Raise the bit the distance above the hardboard equal to the depth you want the dado to be. Push the hardboard sliding tabletop into the bit, and cut a slot about halfway across the hardboard. Notch a 1x2" fence to clear the bit, and mount it at the back of the sliding top. To rout dadoes, hold the workpiece firmly against the fence and slowly slide the tabletop across the bit. Add a stop-block for repetitive cuts. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit