Tools, Sharpening and Power Machinery - Router Table Insert

I hope this is the right place for this question -

I'm building a router table and have bought a .22" thick piece of plexiglass 8" by 14" for the insert. Would this be stiff enough to use single thickness or should I stack two pieces and make it thicker, and stiffer?

I just can't tell if over the long run something like this will be strong enough to hold a router without sagging.

Anyone else use plexiglass for an insert?

I've never used plexiglas as a router insert, but know from the flexion of 1/4" plexiglas that it won't work. I would opt for 1/2", or 2 of the 1/4" sandwiched and glued to each other. That way they will work in tandem.

IMO, the best thing to use for inserts is phenolic. I have nylon in mine. I doubt that acrylic (plexiglass) will be stiff enough over time. But I haven't read up on the topic... just replying on my personal experience.

I also use a router plate made by Veritas (from Lee Valley).

Thanks, guys. I have looked at buying a plate, but the ones I saw were out of my price range. I do like the one from Veritas, though.

Since I have the plexi, I think I'll sandwich two pieces and glue. What sort of glue should use? I assume I should glue the whole surface, not just the edges?

Again, thanks.

I would use a solvent based glue. PVC glue comes to mind. Don't worry about seeing through it, as the glue will occlude the glass, and it won't be pretty, so I hope that rigidity over pretty was the goal.

Rigidity over pretty is always my goal! I've made enough little aesthetic mistakes on the table that I think pretty is long gone anyway.....

Thanks for the tips.

Oh - forgot: I know that before you use glue on PVC you put some other material on first to clean it I think? Should I do that here, too?

I'm not sure PVC cement is the best choice..you may want to test on some scraps first.

Normally Plexi is glued/joined/bonded using Methylene Chloride (sold as “Plaskolite” in hardware stores). Also seen you can use the strong paint strippers, since that's the main component in the good old stinky stuff. Of course this was when making boxes or something..not just laminating together.

Oh..and if you just spray paint the underside white or a light color..the glue stuff will be less noticeable.

Well, I did it. Took my two pieces of plexiglass and bonded them together using weld-on 16. Chandler was right - aesthetically it leaves something to be desired, but it seems very solid now. Of course, I could have bought a single piece of 5/8" lexan for about what I paid for all these materials, but what the hell. I learned some things.

You stop learning, you stop living. Glad you got it all together.

Yeah, my friend is fond of telling me that "you pay for learning" - either by paying for classes or by paying for new materials when you screw things up the first time.......

thanks for the help.