UJK Router Elevator Needs Avoiding

[garethharvey]

Have had the UJK router table, and elevator for just over 2 years now, the table is excellent, cast iron top, perfectly level with an excellent fence.

The route elevator however is not so good. The small plastic insert that fits around the cutter no longer fits, it's a very had plastic that fits in to an aluminium insert. The elevator is adjusted from the top, sadly for the second time it has stopped working. The bearings on the bottom of the elevator keep seizing.

The last time this happened, I had to send it back to Axminster with a fee of around £80. Don't think I will be doing that for a second time.

This is probably the worst too I have ever purchased. Now need a new router elevator.

 

[themackay]

If you have already had it repaired and you have the same fault again I would say to Axminster not fit for purpose under the sale of goods act and demand a refund goods are covered for 5 or 6 years not just the one year warranty.

 

[garethharvey]

If you have already had it repaired and you have the same fault again I would say to Axminster not fit for purpose under the sale of goods act and demand a refund goods are covered for 5 or 6 years not just the one year warranty.

Good point, I really do believe it's not fit for purpose. Last time they repaired it I was told I needed dust extraction whenever I used it. I have always done this, I have the extractor connected direct to the router.

I also have a small wire brush that I use to continually wipe the threads prior to winding up or down.

This set up cost between £800 - £900, I am gutted that it does not work. Would have been better off with a spindle moulder for that price.

I work all week, I only have chance to do a little on the weekend, they this happens.

Bl**dy fuming. :evil:

 

[MikeJhn]

I'v had the UJK elevator for about four years now with only one problem caused by myself, by over trying to move the lift without undoing the lock, this caused the lock pillar to unwind out of the bottom fitting, easy fix, but did need to take it apart and re-fit the chain drive in the correct sequence to get all four lift threaded shafts to operate at the same time, but other than that its been a very good lift, I do have the dust enclosure below the table, perhaps this makes the difference, keeps all the detritus off the gears and shafts.

I use STP oil addative on the shafts, gears and chain this is extreamly sticky stuff and you would think it makes it worse, but the oposite is true.

Mike

 

[Peter Sefton]

I will be putting a JessEm Prestige out for a pass around soon but I don't think it will fit your UJK table top, they use an older larger US standard most insert plates are now 235 x 298mm, but you are more than welcome to have a go.

Give me a shout if you would like a try of it.

Cheers Peter

 

[MikeJhn]

The UJK insert is 229 x 305 x 6mm.

Mike

 

[Chris70]

I don't think I'm too off-topic with this comment. I am a late-in-life, impoverished, novice woodworker with lots of time . "Join the club", I here you say! I've been considering the UJK [502701] Router Lift for some time, along with a UJK stand, for my Festool OF1400. Now, it's probably me, but I've found setting the depth of cut on my OF1400 so confusing; a reason I thought the Router Lift would be good for me, yet so expensive. So, this thread really caught my eye.

And just yesterday, I finally bought a UJK stand with all the trimmings on eBay, so hopefully I'll get it all up and running today. It has the [502748] 10mm Universal Insert with a laminate top. I bought it used a) to save money and b) because Axminster have very few, or no, UJK Router stocks presently.

So any useful tips you guys can offer me would be greatly appreciated on using my new toy. Fate seems to have steered me away from the UJK Router Lift - it seems I've saved some money and avoided headaches. Am I lucky?

Chris

 

[Blackswanwood]

I have a UJK Router Lift and initially had some issues with dust sticking to the threads and mechanism. I stopped oiling them and switched to Axcaliber Dry Lubricant which sorted the problem.

 

[craigs]

I have the UJK router lift in the benchtop table and it all works great, never had an issue except the size of the table, might be time to upgrade to the full size table or go all in and get a spindle, trouble is theres a lot a router table can do that a spindle cant ......hmmm decisions

 

[Spectric]

Hi

If you want the more exotic lifts then in my opinion you have two options, spend big money and buy the vari speed AUK setup from Peter at WWW or buy the Jessem prestige lift and fit the big Triton router again from WWW. Cheaper option is just fit the Triton router to a standard plate and you get lift from above table and a few niggles, search these forums and you will find all you need to know.

 

[Argee]

... or buy the Jessem prestige lift and fit the big Triton router again from WWW.

Fitting a Triton to a router lift is a complete waste of time and money, plus you would lose cutting depth. Some would use a collet extender to restore depth of cut, a dangerous way to cause balance, stability, runout and bearing life reduction issues. The large Triton is designed for table use and has both bit-changing and height adjustment above the table.

 

[Spectric]

Hi Argee

So in your opinion what router would you fit to the Jessem prestige lift that delivers 2400 watts and cost only £220 ? The Dewalt is another option but cost around £300 and is 2000 watts. You lose 15 mm due to the design of the lift irrelevant as to what router you fit and if you watch Peter demonstrats this product including the extender that in your opinion is

a dangerous way to cause balance, stability, runout and bearing life reduction issues.

I wonder how many will agree with this statement.

 

[Peter Sefton]

The Triton is a reasonable router-2400w input 1450w output, personally I prefer the Dewalt 625 for router table use. I have both setup within the workshop along with Trend, Festool and other brands even the huge Festool is only 2200w input but I would think gives a higher output than the Triton.

http://www.tritontools.com/en-GB/Product/Power Tools/Routers/TRA001

 

[Spectric]

Hi Peter

I would not believe you would sell an extension for a router that was anything but totally fit for purpose so that statement about being dangerous and causing imbalance and stability issues is nonsense unless their only experience has been with cheap tack.

I have the Dewalt 625 with the plungebar in a woodrat and it is a well built machine and also great handheld unlike my Triton which sits in the table, out of sight because it is an ugly orange beast but it always delivers. Biggest issues for me are the awkward too access speed control and I would like more precise control of height which that Jessem would deliver. The Triton is ok but the height is not as smooth as I would like, it feels like you are climbing a flight of steps, as you turn the lift it moves in small jumps and often I need to wind it back and come up again.

An even bigger concern is that once you get smooth controllable height adjustment you then want the same from the fence so you begin an expensive journey!!

 

[Doug B]

@Spectric I took Ray’s comment about being a waste of money because the Triton already has a built in rise & fall mechanism though obviously I could be totally wrong.
As for collet extensions I don’t agree with his comments but I’ve no doubt the quality of an extension will reflect in its use.

 

[Spectric]

Hi

Yes the Triton can be height adjusted from above the table and it is easy to use the lift knob under the table to fully raise to change the bit but it is not a smooth process, and when trying to precisely set the height to run a profile to match something already done it can be hardwork and you have to run multiple trial cuts to get to where you want. With the lifts you get the precise accuracy so you can just dial in say a 0.75mm increase and job done. I must admit I had not realised that there were better systems out there until I visited the North of England woodworking show and experienced the quality and finese of some of the routing systems available and realised the limatations of what I was using. Saying that the Kreg table and Triton router have performed very well and is ok if you work knowing the issues, ie setup and run all the pieces in one go with some spare so no need to go back to a previous setup.

 

[Sideways]

I have had use of the Axminster router lift and table. I would not buy one.
I consider the Jessem options to be distinctly better for not that much more money.

 

[space.dandy]

Yes the Triton can be height adjusted from above the table and it is easy to use the lift knob under the table to fully raise to change the bit but it is not a smooth process, and when trying to precisely set the height to run a profile to match something already done it can be hardwork and you have to run multiple trial cuts to get to where you want. With the lifts you get the precise accuracy so you can just dial in say a 0.75mm increase and job done.

The only time I had this issue on my Triton it was because I had forgotten to remove the plunge spring when table mounting it. It makes a huge difference to the above table height adjustment.

 

[Chris70]

Oh dear, I think I've gone off-topic again :-(

Has anyone out there managed to get their Festool OF1400 to fit satisfactorily inside the Axminster

UJK Dust Extraction Box [502538]

Axminster guessed, if I bought it, my Router wouldn't fit? I reckon the distance from the big round knob to the plug-it is about 40 cm, which means it might just fit. Does anyone have any words of wisdom they can offer, please?​

 

[pcb1962]

The only time I had this issue on my Triton it was because I had forgotten to remove the plunge spring when table mounting it. It makes a huge difference to the above table height adjustment.

My Triton (with springs and everything else it doesn't need removed) goes up and down perfectly smoothly. I tend to use the knob under the table more than the above table winder simply because it's less effort than poking the stick through the table and locating it on the spigot, and I'm down there anyway to lock the height.