Router Lift and Shop Made Router Table Recommendations
Go_Bills
| Posted in General Discussion on
I would appreciate advice and comments on router lifts and shop made router table ideas and plans.
Any cost saving suggestions would be appreciated as well.
Thanks
Replies
I use a router that has a built-in screw type lift system. When mounted in the table, I can use a tool through a hole in the table top to turn the screw. Mine is a Milwaukee model. I'm sure there are other brands that do the same. For me, it works well and is not as expensive as the separate lift systems. It does not allow lifting the shaft far enough to change cutters, but the motor is easily removed from underneath for that.
I also have the large Milwaukee router with its built-in lift. I use it with the Woodpecker plate embedded within my homemade from scrap wood router table. This setup works perfectly for me. I put my $$ into quality tools & saved where I could.
I have the big Triton, it has above the table adustment and bit changes...and a spindle lock for 1-wrench swaps. The dust collection port is surprisingly good with a vac hose stepped up to a 4" DC port.
Second everything above on the Triton TRA001. I just started using it in a table with a Rockler Pro plate. One must drill a 1/2" hole for the above table adjustment stem to access router- then works really well. Surprised how well designed this is...especially for the cost. This is mounted in a very old Rockler table top on a shop made base-top was inexpensive then. Doing something this way will save the expense of a lift and will be more than adequate for most work. Fences are another matter and I decided to put the $$ into an early Jessem fence and Mit R Slider - couldn't live with a cheap poorly designed fence.
I have a Jessem MastRLiftII with their PowerTec motor and remote speed control. Apparently they no longer sell the motor, but the external speed control is nice.
Here is my story on why I removed my Triton TRA001 from my router table:
After about 6 months of light use, I began to notice the collet would drop when I released the height adjustment lock. I got to the point the collet was dropping almost 1/8"making micro adjustments impossible.
A consult with Triton tech support resulted in this answer: "its the nature of the beast" and an offer to send it to someone in Virginia, I think.
Triton may have rectified the plastic gear backlash situation in newer models, but if yours starts doing this, you know its a real thing.
Other than that, the router is an absolute beast.
I will take a quality lift over a Chinese Router any day. I have the Woodpecker and my son the JessEm it's a coin toss on which I think is better although I absolutely love JessEm's engineering and minimal use of plastic it's all too rare these days. Unfortunately finding motors for use in Router Lifts is not easy right now. With the PC 7518 out of production the pickings are slim.
What router would you suggest? What would you replace yours with if you needed to?
That is the million dollar question, and knock on wood one I won't need to answer for a while as my 7518 purrs along. My son uses his Bosch but it's only 2¼hp and I would not want to take the step back. I only hope Stanley comes to its senses and re-releases the 7518 or an equivalent soon.
I've had no problems with the Bosch 2.25hp motor, including when taking on finicky hardwoods with large bits.
I tried really hard to get by without a dedicated router lift. I went with the Incra mast-r-lift. I was truly amazed that the depth or height of cut could be adjusted by the 1/64 of an inch and do it reliably.
The Incra is actually made by JessEm except for the plate which offers their proprietary inserts which are a nice upgrade.
Great question. A well thought out router table will serve you for years. I struggled for years with a lower end commercial table and it was a pain. Finally made my own after doing a lot of research and it has been a real pleasure. What I found to be essential were a good quality lift, a variable speed router, good dust collection, and a good fence.
I concluded that the best router and lift combination would be the Bosch 1617 EVS 2.25 HP Variable Speed Router mated to the JessEm Rout-R-Lift II, and have been very pleased with that choice. This is the lesser expensive of JessEm's lifts, very well made, is compatible with the Bosch router, and it is so useful in changing bits and easily dialing in super-precise bit heights. There are many YouTube videos on installing the JessEm lift. There is also an excellent review of the Bosch router at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWEUSc2GIos.
I believe that you are smart to then build the table to suit your needs. There are good commercial tables on the market, but they are pricey. You can build one yourself that fits your specific needs for far less, though you still need to plan on spending for decent plywood and MDF. Drawers are very handy but optional if you want to keep it simple or trim the budget. There are many excellent FWW articles and videos on router table builds; I especially benefitted from Bob van Dyke's 2018 video series "Router Table Fundamentals." I combined resources from FWW with other online woodworking sources to come up with a unique "Frankenstein" design that suited my particular needs and budget.
Do your research and you'll come up with a table that will be a pleasure to use for years to come.
If keeping simple is a consideration. Check out the 5-6 blog entries from Rob P. I am going to build this next. rpwoodworks.com Search router from his site.
I'm saving for a $700 digitally-controlled MLCS router lift. It comes with a foot pedal, Bluetooth capability, an Android tablet preloaded with the lift's operating system & an 11-3/4 x 9-1/4 x 3/8" thick aluminum plate.
I built a table off plans from Woodsmith several years ago. It’s great. If you need a reference to the issue I can probably dig it out. When I decided I really needed a lift, we’ll it was about time to upgrade from my PC 2 horse any way, so I jumped into the big Triton MJ mentioned above. A very well made and flexible tool. No separate lift required. I wouldn’t part with that Triton for anything. Still use the workhorse PC often, but the Triton stays in the table unless I need the extra uumphh.
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