Is Incra Worth It Here?
I hope you are ready for a mixed review on the Incra Router Table. This article should prove I am not paid by anyone for this effort.
Let me just say it is not my favorite of their products and their basic fence system is included in those thoughts. For what one pays I believe it is not worth it unless it fits certain criteria you need.
They offer their table and fence system in different packages. Having said this if you are shopping their options pay attention to what they call the combo package you are looking at. Each one is different from the next.
The differences range from the size of the table, hardware included, and also the fence system it comes with. Prices will vary accordingly but what I purchased was the mid range table with basic fence.
It ran me then in the 600 dollar range.
When assembled please know the general safety rules which still apply to all router use. A table does offer benefits in this regard but also other considerable dangers.
Fingers feeding into a bit near 22k rpm is not a pretty picture. My information here does not replace manufactures specifications.
The Router Table In Review
Incra did do one thing right on their router table. It is flat. Also it is smooth. After you put it together you can appreciate it over the junk you find in the average hardware store. As a wood artist the size fits my needs.
Assembly is not difficult but one thing to take note of is how their plate mounts into the table. Incra uses a friction locking system to keep the main plate in the table. You rotate what is essentially a locking nut which presses against the inside edge of the table to secure it. This has major issues which shouldn’t be the case out of the box requiring a user to modify.
My biggest complaint is how this one simple feature ruins the entire system. If you place too much pressure from underneath the table, for example moving the router up in an adjustment, the plate breaks free. It is more than just the plate breaking free, the locking system itself breaks and is of no further use.
My plate still serves its purpose despite this issue but it is with the help of how the fence locks it down when mounted. Also you kind of lose the sense of the table being level for with this broken feature it never is quite perfect. Due to this I had to engineer my own way of keeping things right.
Making adjustments to the router height because of this poor design is a pain. Incra needs to fix this feature desperately. Moving your router to adjust bit height should not lift the entire plate or leave you trying to hold it in place as you adjust.
The failure comes in that on one corner a thin piece of mdf is what holds the plate secure. It takes little pressure to bust this. It should have four points of locking contact at minimum instead of one. Additionally there should be some kind of aluminum frame it locks into rather than relying on the support of the thin mdf alone.
Despite this failure the rest of the table is great. I enjoy its footprint in that it does not require much space. There is no doubt what it can give you is light years above and beyond anything found at the hardware store. So do not let my issues with it drive you away from considering the table.
Router Table Stand
I love the stand which comes with the table top. As you assemble it at first you wonder how sturdy it may be. Once completed it is robust and more than accommodating. Naturally the feet have levelers which allow you to adjust for your shop flooring.
The feature I like the most is how open the space underneath is. The framing is minimal in footprint so you can reach whatever it is that you need to adjust. The only thing I would change is how high it sits. I would make it a little taller yet this is subjective to everyone.
Certainly a little more height would make it easier to get underneath. Yet in terms of securing and providing a stable platform it doesn’t get any better. A little rework in concept would let someone put it on wheels to roll around the shop if required.
Plate Ring Inserts
Here is a heads up you will want to pay attention to. When you purchase any table system irrespective of what brand it may be you need to check ring insert compatibility. Incra has a list of what routers are compatible with their rings as every manufacturer will do the same.
Additionally when you order the table it will come with some of these ring inserts but not all you need. Go ahead and purchase the additional rings they offer so that you are covered with the various size cuts that you will use. They do offer a package deal where you get the most commonly used sizes.
If you do not know what these ring inserts are allow me to explain. The router plate is what sits in the table and the router is mounted to this plate from underneath. The ring attaches to this plate and it is what the router bit passes through to reach the surface of the table.
These rings provide a hole for the bit to pass through according to the size in width of cut. For smaller cuts say at .25 in you do not want a massive hole at .75 inches that it passes through. These rings provide stability when cutting and also safety. Improperly using the wrong size can be a potential hazard to your fingers that you will regret.
These rings which fit into the mounting plates are used commonly across all brand platforms. Yet Incra has a unique twist in that it connects magnetically which I absolutely love. I will hand it to them there that this they did right.
You will want to use rings made by Incra rather than other companies if you buy their table. The same is true if you go with a competitors brand. In turn you would want to use the rings developed for their system. While these are used fairly universally they are not all cross compatible between platforms.
Incra Router Fence System
Incra is known for their jigs and fence systems. It is their bread and butter as so to speak. Due to the costs of the table alone and not needing extreme accuracy I went with the basic “wonder fence”. It really is nothing to write home about.
It does the job but requires a little getting used to. The first odd thing to figure out is how it locks to the table. There is no anchor point or rail system that one would expect. This is very different from their premium version which also costs considerably more.
A lot of systems you find on the market has their fence mounted to the frame of the table in some way. Adjustments are made by unlocking the fence and sliding it in or out on that fixed position. This helps keep the fence square to the cutting tool. Prepare yourself for a new idea of how fences work for Incra changed the rules on this one.
It locks via two locking brackets on each end of the fence. You set it where you would like it to be then twist lock the nuts as it closes the bracket holding the fence in its place. In other words you never know if the fence is square on the table, in fact it is impossible to achieve square.
By unlocking the fence you could pick it up to hold it in your hands. It has no permanent anchor or reference point to determine if it is square. So another method must be used to get the cut you need.
To use this fence effectively a basic concept of geometry is needed. Stop thinking in terms of trying to square the fence to the table but rather think of a line. As long as the fence crosses the router bit where you need it then it will make an accurate cut.
Since the cutting tool is a spinning bit rather than like a saw blade the basic geometry of a line works. If you need a deeper cut just offset one side of the fence to expose more of the bit. For a more shallow cut you allow the fence to cover more of the bit. The line which the fence creates as it crosses over the bit determines this cut.
In this way being square never matters. So if you end up with the “wonder fence” do not beat yourself over the head thinking of it in traditional terms. This would be an easy thing to drive a beginning woodworker nuts if they have little experience.
Incra Pro Joinery Fence For Router
I do not own one but from what I understand this can be mounted to the table. It is an altogether different system than the “wonder fence”. If you have the wonder fence as I do one is able to purchase upgrades in order to use the complete system for they are compatible.
Essentially this system gives you the accuracy one would need in fine measurements. If you enjoy doing joinery or other fine cuts with a router it may be worth it. Most of my needs are served with a dado stack on my table saw. Also the depth of cut on my table saw is far more predictable than the fudgery of what my present Incra router table provides.
If I were to use my router for other functions than what I do then it might would be worth the upgrade. As things presently are I do not need its functions and my other issues with the table itself make me wary of continuing along this path in the future. There are other options I would consider.
Am I Happy With This Incra System?
Despite my complaints against it yes I am happy with it for the function it provides. If I needed more out of it then no I would not be. The table plate locking issue for me is the biggest problem of all. The fence issue is nothing more than a needed upgrade.
With how much their entire package costs I would not go back to upgrade nor further develop this platform. If they fixed how the main plate locks into the table then it would be amazing. Still expensive but I would say worth it.
I understand their push for accuracy and that the greatest time in development has been in their lead-screw system on their fences. The Incra Ibox alone is amazing especially being as compact as it is. I love that tool. Overall I love Incra and what the company does. There are few that can match them.
What Would I Do Different?
Allow me to advise for those who know little about routers or their use with a table, seek advise. Woodworking classes tailored to these tools can help you discover what you really need.
In the future I have plans on what direction I will go. When time allows I will engineer my own system incorporating the best parts of what Incra has given me. It will require me making modifications to this entire station.
Since I like their table top I plan on setting it into another self made table. I will incorporate some kind of lift kit. Additionally I will redesign how their main plate is held into the present table. It will take some work but it is manageable. Needless to say all of this will require a good deal of diy elbow grease.
If I did not have their table and knew of the weak points before hand I would simply build my own. Achieving a flat surface that is needed for router work is not that complicated when one possesses a cnc mill. So this aspect I achieve often in my regular daily work.
Adding in a lift kit would be necessary due to the scale of the table I have in mind for this future design. I would most likely use the more advanced Pro Incra fence system. This though would be open for debate and suggestion but few can compare on that level.
I feel there is a lot that can be achieved from building your own table. Much has to do with how it can be customized to ones work.
Routers are versatile in their application and the different functions which they can provide. I believe that with some thought a personalized table can be more robust in what it can give you in return.
This philosophy holds true with most woodworking tables and custom designs.