The folks at work have decided to let me replace the lame little PC benchtop router table I’ve been struggling with for a number of years now.
I have a BenchDog cast iron tablesaw insert router table at home and love it. I see where BenchDog now offers a cast iron free standing router table, but it is pricey… I also see where MLCS now offers what appears to be either the BenchDog insert table, or a clone thereof, as well as a Cast iron free standing table at a considerably lower price than BenchDog. I have also seen other free standing cast iron router tables (I think).
My questions:
1. Anyone have any experience with MLCS equipment other than their router bits? Is it good stuff, bad or indifferent?
2. Are these tables BenchDog under a different name, factory seconds, or cheaper knockoffs?
3. Is my “fetish” for a cast iron table justified in a router table?
I expect the last will generate the most differences of opinion. Let ‘er rip gentlemen!
Replies
RD,
There is nothing wrong with fetishes. They make life fun. Facts are boring. Go with your gut. You should choose a router table the same way you choose a wife - Let your heart make the decision.
There is another thread, under General Discussion, about "Building a router table". I just posted an answer, which was that if the guy wants the BEST router table top and fence, go to Mark Sommerfeld's website and buy his. There is nothing like it in the world. It is extruded aluminum which is then CNC machined. It is thick, precise, will never warp, has not extra holes in it. It is the essence of great design. Check it out and see if you still like your old fetish. It is ok to switch fetishes.
Some people say "Buy American."
Of course, the folks from Australia, say "Buy Australian".
That all has a certain logic.
Personally, my approach is "Buy the best." (if you can't make it). I don't have the wherewithall to replicate the phenomenal engineering of the Sommerfeld router table top.
Have fun.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Go with my gut.......
My gut says Benchdog. My fetish says cast. My (their) pocketbook says I buy the insert top and the trim extension, a switch, and build a cabinet. Include their casters and I'm right in the $450 ballpark, just what was budgeted.
Plus I get to custom design and build the cabinet....... ;-)
RDNZL,
jUST TO RAIN ON YOUR DAY A LITTLE ;-) HAVE YOU CONSIDERED A SHAPER? IT'S WHAT A ROUTER TABLE TRIES TO BE BUT NEVER SUCCEEDS.. (oops caps lock) you can buy a Grizzly shaper for as little as $315.00 and keep your router moble. Another $200 will get you one that is bigger.
Just to review, a shaper cutters remain sharp much longer than a router's do, cut cleaner and can usually single pass things that may be double or triple pass with a shaper.. plus you can do things with a shaper no router table will ever be able to do..
Hey, it ain't rainin' here! It's a proverbial beautiful day.
Yep, I have/did consider a shaper. I personally own a 1.5 HP Griz - it's collecting dust in the corner of my shop. Got it (still in the grease) on a whim together with two frequently used machines from a guy who was selling out....
Why? Shaper bits are expensive! At my level of expertise, and the type of projects I get handed, a nice router table does me fine. (Of course it wasn't so long ago I was saying "why do I need a planer (!!!)" ) Now of course I don't know how I ever lived without one!
I may someday say the same thing about a shaper.
rdnzltoo,
Did you look at the grizzly catalog? Go to grizzly.com if you haven't, shaper cutters decent ones that I've used for thousands of board ft. of white oak (look at the pictures of the home I'm building) start out at $21.95 and go up but they last about a zillion times longer than router bit's I've purchased.
OK, I'm exagerating a tiny bit ;-) honestly they outlast router bits by an awful lot.
Plus you don't need to listen to that darn whining as the router spins up to three zillion RPM trying to make it's advertized HP..
and Like I said there are things you can do with a shaper that you can't do with a router table..
$450 worth of shaper cutters is a good start, and if you buy a molding head with interchangeable knives it is easy to get costom profiles.
I just purchased an MLCS Precision Cast-Iron table. It has a tilt-up table top with an aluminum sliding table. I really like the sliding table. The cast iron top only takes up a small portion of the table. I bought a Milwaukee router to put under the table but can't use the above table adjustment that Milwaukee advertises because the table does not have a removable plate. The claim is that the table will handle ALL routers without drilling any special holes. This is true but it is not real easy aligning the router and centering it in the hole (unless you have an extender bit for the router which thankfully came as a special deal). I have not found an easy way of changing router bits without removing the router - which means re-adjusting the centering. The dust-collection port on the fence only helps if you are making an edge cut not a "dado-type" of cut. All that dust flies out the ends of the board. I am happy with the table so far, though. It is very sturdy. The fence takes some getting used to. The directions that came with the table are pretty much worthless (except for the addendum). You can, however, build it while looking at the exploded view. Thankfully the sliding table can already built. I have not built anything yet using this table. Just experiment now. I also bought some of their Katana rail/stile bits so I am anxious to try those. I think for the money the table is a good buy. For $100 less you can get a solid cast-iron table without the sliding table but I really like the sliding part. It does use non-standard T-nuts for jigs so don't expect to use any of your existing feather boards. I will comment further once I start actually finding time to make something.
Jeez - I originated this post maybe two years ago - I went with the Benchdog, built my own cabinet base, and have been very happy. Next will be a Milwaukee router to mount under it, and a better plate to carry it.
Glad you are happy with what you got. Hope you continue to be.
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