ToolBox Blog

Tool: Porter-Cable 698 Router Table

Even though it’s the only router table set up in my shop at the moment the Porter-Cable 698 has a few drawbacks. The fence altogether sucks. It’s held in place by two really long thumbscrews threaded into the table top. If you don’t immediately cut them down to 1″ you’ll be twisting for 20 minutes to get the fence off. You’ll need to take the fence off because it’s limited to a very small range of movement.

Rating:

• Portable, adjustable table accommodates 3-1/2-inch router bits
• Split fence with two independent sections
• Made of lightweight, durable machined-aluminum
• Dimensions: 19.75-by-16.75-inches; 1-year warranty
• Comes with table and miter gauge

Experience:
In my shop you’ll find the Porter-Cable Router Table mounted to legs and stashed in the corner. I’ve pushed this little table to it’s limits on both size of material and size of cut, but it serves best for edge details, that is, after you fix the fence.

Comments:
Mentioned twice already, the fence system on this is the worst. It’s two thin pieces of wood bolted to a metal frame, that frame is what the long thumbscrews hold down. The factory wood is adjustable in every direction via little screws here and there. It’s a simple fix though and my preferred method even on costly fences: Screw a very flat piece of 3/4″ wood to the factory fence. Make it taller, longer, flat and straight and fasten it to the two multi-directional pieces. I use the bit itself to cut the bottom of the new fence but a bearing-guided bit may require a notch in the new fence.

The switch on mine busted a few years ago and I haven’t bothered to find out why yet, opting for the power switch on the router. [Don't get me started on dangerous! I forgot to tighten in the router once and it dropped out spitting chunks of aluminum, steel and carbide bit on it's way to the floor spinning wildly and scaring the hell out of me - unscathed but more conscious!]

Note: The Rousseau table saw stand I wrote about earlier with attached Router Extension Table provides the great Rousseau fence for my 3 1/2h.p. router but the tubular steel edge is rounded at the bottom relegating this to larger material.

For it’s intended purpose, which is “bench top” router table (sounds very handy-homeownerish to me) the Porter-Cable 698 Router Table will get the job done. If you need to spend hours each week on a router table, look for a better system unless you’re prepared to make a few jigs and a new fence for cuts more than a few inches from the edge.

Porter-Cable 698 Router Table at Delta.com (Product Data)
Porter-Cable 698 Bench Top Router Table at Amazon.com