What is the tool I Need?

[zakthor]

Originally Posted by MBAtarga

You don't need to spend $300-$400 or more on a router table and lift system (unless you want to.)
A simple alternative - and cheap - is mount your router upside down on a 3/4" quality piece of plywood about 2'x2'. You'll need to make a hole about 1" to 1.5" diameter somewhere around 8" to 10" from one edge, but in the middle of the other 2' dimension. Mounting it near one side will make it easier for you to adjust the height of the router bit placement above the plywood surface. Screw the board down on the 2 cross boards setting on the sawhorses such as in your picture. Use a wooden fence list look171 drew and clamp it to the plywood top at mid-center of the router bit. You can fine-tine the placement by loosening 1 clamp slightly and moving the fence.
Using the above method - the "top" surface of your wood being routed will now be laying upside down when it is being machined. You'll just have to keep that in mind as it will be opposite your normal operations.

I'm sick of trying to micro adjust my router. Height adjust will suck even more if the router is fixed to the bottom of the table. Maybe because my router sucks. Inherited it from a picture framer, I broke a wing nut with my hands getting it tight so it wouldn't move on me.

I've got no problem spending whatever for a better experience here. I understand the bolt and clamp fence technology but I really want something that is solid metal like a table saw, ideally with a fence that has markings I can trust. I'm done with saw horses and plywood kluging. How nice would that be to move fence 2mm, test and find its good. Then multiple passes with feather board, a little lift in between. Sounds like it would mostly eliminate my stress.

I just got through with a routering project so the pain is still burning hot right now. Who knows when I'll do routering again, but when I do I'm going to find myself a nice router table with a great lift. The money I save doing this stuff I can justify buying anything.

I still think its strange how much home built is required for routering. Every cheap used table saw is the mona lisa compared to the average router experience.

[look 171]

It not the router or the fence. Its your method. Sorry, not trying to be offensive here but its understanding how fence and router relationship works. You have an old Black and Decker professional router with a wing nut and a round knob for height adjustment. Mark the height of the board that needs to be cut, adjust router by turning that round knob up or down to the marking on your stock, loosen clamp on fence, move it to the width of the cut by measuring to the very edge of cutter or carbide tip. Test cut a small cut and adjust from there. You will like to be able to do that from below while the work piece os up top for ease of viewing. Its should only take less then 2-3 min. of adjustment to get it dialed in. From there, if you ever need to change setting, make sure you make the table with pencil and return fence to make future exact cuts. 20 seconds to swing fence back and/ or to adjust height. I tell ya, we have a professional woodshop. None of us like those Incra router fence with micro adjustments. if 1/64" is needed to be moved, we tap it with our hand.

[look 171]

This guy is a bid of a monkey using the mallet instead of t slight tap with his fist along with the fancy top adj. or router height with the socket. Lots of money for someone like yourself that only uses it once every few months. Lean over (you will need to eyeball the height anyway) and turn that knob to adj the bit height (much easier then making many test cuts and adjustments) No need to do all those fancy and time consuming measuring task. After a couple tries, it will be 99% accurate with a simple marking of a sharp pencil. I taught high school kids woodworking when I got out of college. If those 16 year olds can do it with a simple tape, block and pencil, you can too.

[gregpark]

I made my own router table out of an old portable dewalt table saw with a bad motor. I got it for nothing, ripped out the old motor and installed a router upside down. The old dewalts have a fence that's geared on both ends. I notched out the fence with my baby grinder. Bonus, it came with a sizzor base with locking wheels. Find an old table saw!

[gregpark]

Ok, after looking at your pics of scraps I see what you're trying to do. Most of that I would do on the table saw. Certainly the rabbits.
I use my router table more for smaller pieces that would be too dangerous to cut with a hand held router. And if I'm clamping and routering I clamp to a bench or portable work table. Saw horses are not that stable and cord catchers but more importantly, it's not desirable for the material being routered to sag or move at all.
Oh, and make your life easier and get yourself a bunch of cheap speed clamps.