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First let me confess to not being a carpenter, but my partner is.
He lost his router in Katrina, so I want to buy him a new one. I saw your discussion on routers, but wanted a little more info about choosing one.
It looks like the routers of choice are: DeWalt, Makita, and Porter Cable? And you all are 50/50 on the necessity of a router table?
He lost his router in Katrina, so I want to buy him a new one. I saw your discussion on routers, but wanted a little more info about choosing one.
It looks like the routers of choice are: DeWalt, Makita, and Porter Cable? And you all are 50/50 on the necessity of a router table?
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Re: new here, please help
Mon, November 21, 2005 - 5:03 PMOf the three routers you listed, I would choose the Porter Cable. It is more standardized for jigs than the other two models.
I actually have a Bosch router that I'm quite pleased with (I own three Bosch routers, actually). Bosch has a set that you can switch out a fixed base and plunge base, which is a really nice option.
As far as router tables are concerned, I use mine religiously. A good one will cost more than the router, though. I don't recommend buying a cheap router table.
Hope this helps.
Ben -
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Re: new here, please help
Mon, November 21, 2005 - 8:12 PMok, good.
Makita, Bosh, PC, and DW.
More about tables? It took me a long time to be able to spot a cheezy table saw. I assumed the Hitachi was good, but right before I bought it, I realized that the motor was poo, and the design was flimsy. It could work for some things, but for the price a royobi is just as good.
What to look for in a router table? -
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Re: new here, please help
Tue, November 22, 2005 - 4:04 AMA good surface that is flat and will not distort over time. A top that's not going to flex during use too. The size of the table is a preference thing really. I prefer a larger table, but I have met a lot of folks that like a smaller table.
Easy bit changing and height adjusting is nice.
I tend to go for the products without all of the gadgets. They get in the way for me. More things to break too.
I can't offer you any names because it has quite a while since I've been on the market for one and I ended up building mine.
I have a Porter Cable BTW.
Good luck.
Andy
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Unsu...
Re: new here, please help
Tue, November 22, 2005 - 11:35 AMCheck out www.woodpeck.com. They have a number of table options. The most important part of the table is, of course, the router. Once you've got that, the issues is surface area; the router plate; easy access to the router for changing bits and pulling out the router; dust collection; and a safe on/off switch.
Woodpecker sells sturdy basic tables and very plates, pre-drilled for most popular router models. -
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Re: new here, please help
Tue, November 22, 2005 - 5:52 PMokay check out fine woodworking,april 2004 for the best router table ive ever seen . i think im going to build it on the next few days i have off. and i would have to say for thhe money the bosch is the way to go. -
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Re: new here, please help
Tue, November 22, 2005 - 5:56 PMand by the way, a table is only nessesary if he's doin lots of work that the router can be tied up in a table. otherwise most site carpenters will make do with freehand or we just cut a hole in some plywood mounted it up and let the bearings do all the work. -
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Re: new here, please help
Wed, November 23, 2005 - 4:51 AMIf he's going to be doing any rabbets, molding, tenoning, dados, grooves, etc... a piece of plywood will not work, plus most of the bits for these cuts do not have a bearing wheel on them and he'll need a fence.
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Re: new here, please help
Wed, November 23, 2005 - 6:34 AMHe has a home made table, but often talks about getting one, so I think he is 50/50 on the subject. During our evacuation he worked at an architectural milwork shop, and has newly obsessed with fancier stuff now, so.....i don't know. -
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Re: new here, please help
Wed, November 23, 2005 - 7:03 AMOh yeah. I understand a little better now.
He was probably using a shaper. A large router table basically. Not really the table size but the motor and the size of the bits that are available. Duel adjustable fences for infeed and outfeed is the feature I enjoy most about them. You can also increase or decrease the opening width on some of them, allowing you to introduce a zero clearance inset for the fence too.
Again I haven't been keeping up with what's on the market, so I don't know who sells one with theses features on it. -
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Re: new here, please help
Thu, November 24, 2005 - 8:42 PMmillwork is a totally different fish. i still think that if he has the tools to build it he may be happuer and better off building his own table. the fine wooworking article and a american woodworker router issue from ayear or two ago can provide great inspiration for a nice table at the fraction of the cost with all the jigs and add ons that seem to make the off the shelf models pricey. if you want a off the shelf kit or the piece it together kit i would look at www.leevalley.com . they are one of the best catalogues i have seen and i have never been dissatisfied with and of their products. they also carry a good assortment of bits. ill try to get the issue # of the american woodworker for you, the table they have plans for include zero clearence fences and many other helpful add ons. by the by if you want the best ,kick ass table/plunge router it has to be the triton, it'll set you back about three hundred but it is a charm to work with, i had the luxury to use on in a shop for a while. you can check it out on amazon. good luck.
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