Suitable router for a router table

[curtisrider]

I'm going to be building a router table soon to replace the Aldi one I bought a few years back. I run a 600 watt Black and Decker 1/4" router in that and it has been just fine for light duty applications. I want to run a 1\2" router in my new one and have a 2000watt McKeller cheapo thingy that I got free, surprisingly very capable machine for hand use with slow start, variable speed and smooth plunge action but super heavy making it only really useful for jobs that require rather large cutters. Would this machine be ok for a router table or should I be looking at using something better quality? Does it matter massively or should I be considering using my single speed Hitatchi or variable speed Ryobi 1/2" routers, both of which are preferable over this for hand use as they are smaller but still have enough power for handheld operations and therefore I would like to keep them available if possible.

These are the three routers in questions (ignore the top Bosch one!)

 

[sunnybob]

Use the biggest router you have. Big routers will still cut small items, a small router wont cope with your larger stuff.
I have a large makita single speed in my table. It does everything I ask of it.

Height adjustment is the pain. if you figure out a simple way then any router is good.

Are you going to buy a plate? or just cut a hole?

 

[AJB Temple]

I have used Elu, large Hitachi like yours and am currently using a Trend T11 in the table. This wins hands down because it is easy and precise to adjust the height. Also easy to change cutters. If you are using it a lot the adjustability is a real boon.

 

[DiscoStu]

Being able to adjust from the top is a real bonus. I have the Triton Tra001 in my table and it's great for that. I know some people use a car jack under it so maybe that's an option with your biggest and most powerful router.


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[curtisrider]

I was going to use a car scissor jack as I have a load of them in the shed or make my own router lift as they are pretty basic. I have a plate ready although I seem to have lost the clearance discs to prevent tear out on different cutters so may just buy a new plate and keep this as a spare. If using the cheap router won't be an issue then I'll happily use it as i don't foresee needing it for anything else! Cheers for your help!

 

[curtisrider]

Just browsing router insert plates and spotted this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235-x-120...872015?hash=item465763d88f:g:UxUAAOSw44BYCeTe

Has anybody tried one? Seems a bit of a bargain and even cheaper if ordered from Hong Kong!

 

[sunnybob]

check out the size. its only 5" front to back. Is that ok for you?

I have a KREG plate. Dont like it too much as its resin and its not dead flat. best one I've seen is on the bay and its made of stainless steel. Not cheap, but you will never need another one. i might buy one of them soon.

 

[curtisrider]

Ha ha, I didn't notice that! The one I have is one of the generic phenolic plastic ones, I may be able to make inserts or use a 3D printer to make some I guess

 

[NazNomad]

Use the biggest router you have.

+1 for that. My huge Makita was too scary to use until I mounted it in a table.

Height adjustment is the pain. if you figure out a simple way then any router is good.

I've had great success using an old scissor jack from a dead van. (Idea stolen from Chippygeoff, credit where it's due :-D)

 

[sunnybob]

My table is a home made heath robinson style fully enclosed with drawers under, I made a router lift from a few pieces of scrap wood. Its NOT a pretty sight, but I have a handle on the front of the table that allows me to lift the router in infinite increments.

 

[ComfortablyNumb]

Anything but the dewalt dw 1/2 router. I bought one years ago solely for use upside down in a modified bench for making monkey tails and other bits of small hand rail. Because of the open design, dust and swarf gets in the motor bearing and it failed after less than 20 hours use

 

[custard]

check out the size. its only 5" front to back. Is that ok for you?

I have a KREG plate. Dont like it too much as its resin and its not dead flat. best one I've seen is on the bay and its made of stainless steel. Not cheap, but you will never need another one. i might buy one of them soon.

For precise work not only do you need a table that's both rigid and dead flat, you also need table inserts that are both stiff and dead flush.

My Festool router table is okay but the inserts aren't great and the fence/hold down arrangements just aren't that versatile. There are plenty of things higher up the shopping list than a replacement router table, but if I was buying again I'd follow several furniture makers that I know and get a Jessem router table, currently that seems to be the gold standard.

 

[sunnybob]

Custard, luckily I dont make stuff thats precise. I'm only a novice box maker.
I am getting fussier on things like "is it square" and "that gap's a bit bigger than I'd like"
The kreg plate inserts are quite good, but that resin plate does move.
But I'm about a year away from being precise enough to need a dead flat table.
But yes, I see a stainless steel table in my future because jessem is just too much money for little old me.

 

[custard]

It's interesting, some of the best router tables are simple, user made items from a piece of aluminium plate, or phenolic. The secret is simple fences and to just have the smallest possible cutter opening, so no good if you use panel raising bits or suchlike, but perfectly do-able otherwise.

Most user made router tables go wrong in the same way most shooting boards go wrong, instead of being a simple practical jig it becomes an exercise in building "the ultimate router table/shooting board" which then fails because it's too fancy. I've seen plenty of split fences that don't properly align, inset tracks that cause the table to sag, inset plates that aren't remotely flush, 85mm cutter openings when no cutter bigger than 25mm is ever used, etc. But just sweep away all the bits that you hardly ever need and you can turn out a fantastic router table in an afternoon that'll be accurate and reliable.

 

[sunnybob]

I made my router fence out of a 4 ft piece of scrap architectural aluminiun 3" square. Cut a hole through it for the cutter and waste to pass through.
Then made adjustable fences with a piece of laminated wood effect shelving cut in half and sliding on two caoch bolts on each piece.
Total cost around £30.
It would take quality control instruments to find a fault with it.
But yes, that resin plate is on the "todo" list

 

[Halyon881]

I made a router lift out of an old bottle jack. I had picked up a crap Charnwood Router table cheap so set about improving it. Enclosed it, set it on a base with shelves and added the lift. It turns with the knob on the front and has a switch on the side that my sparky brother wired up for me. Its not exactly pretty but it works well enough for me. Got the jack for €7 and the wood was free from an old bookshelf a friend was throwing out. I will replace the fence at some stage as its really fiddly and has limited travel.