Im setting up a shop in my small basement. I have a 6″ Delta Jointer, 10″ fold-up contractor saw, Dewalt. A 13″ Ryobi planner. Iam taking a class Jan. 2009 for Intro. to cabnet making at Ct. Valley Woodworking School. I have been reading alot of books and did take a class on hand planning. Im looking into buying a Router and a small Router table. Should I buy the kit with both bases? I still have not started a project yet, still putting together the shop. Any inpute on getting started would be apprecaited.
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What kind of "small router table" are you looking at? Most of the little ones, similar to the pic below, are a waste of money. They tend to not be flat, fence is marginal, surface is way too small, and it's a royal pain to mount the router solidly.
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Don't know about buying a kit, others will comment, but be sure to get router(s) that take 1/2" shank bits and have enough power to do the kind of edge-trimming and dado work you might need building cabinets.
Thanks for the info on the router & tables. I have been looking into the size i would need for the small area i have to work with. I hope to start making a few jigs to start for the table saw. Any suggestions?
I am highly predjudiced toward the Lee Valley steel router table top. It has a universal clamping system that will hold fast whichever router you want to put in it, it will stay flat, and you can mount it on anything from a small bench-top stand to a full-fledged cabinet. When I first got mine, I hinged it to the wing of my table saw on a 1x3 oak frame, and could fold it down whenever I needed the space.
If you look through the Lee Valley stuff, keep in mind that you can easily make the wood stand for the top to rest on. There are instructions included, and several of us Knots-heads have this top, can give you ideas for a base. You can start out with a shop-made fence if $$ is an issue. Their fence is well-built but could be a bit more user-friendly.
I can't give much up-to-date advice on routers, as I've had mine for a long time: PC690 and it's plunge cousin; big ol' 3+HP Freud plunge mounted in the table, and a couple miscellaneous Craftsman routers. If I were to look today for replacements, I'd probably move from Porter Cable to another brand. There are better machines out there, methinks.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
PS: Lee Valley has a free shipping thing going through early January (the 4th?). That would really be beneficial when buying the steel router table top.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
The "target tools" in your shop really have to do with your project goals. Some of the folks here have enough high quality power tools to build just about anything they set their minds to while others choose the more primitive handtool route--and still make whatever they fancy.
My first router was a Craftsman that I bought on sale many years ago. It only had a 1/4" collet which really limited my routing options. Now I have four routers: one 3 1/2 hp dedicated to a router table; a 3 1/2 hp plunge router; a 2 1/2 hp fixed and a 1 1/2 hp fixed. Depending upon the project, I may have them all set up with different bits for different tasks. Others here who are way more accomplished (and have way more toys) would make my shop look like nothing at all. I'm simply offering suggestions.
Forestgirl is right, you need to have a router that: a) has enough power to get the job done, b) is versatile enough to accept both 1/4" and 1/2" collets. If your budget allows only one router, by all means get one that will serve in as many applications as possible--like a kit that has both fixed as well as plunge bases as well as varable speeds. If you can afford to have more than one (look for some good deals on Craig's List or even at pawn shops and yard sales), shop around to get the best bang for your buck.
Happy woodworking!
Thanks for the info. I know i'll be asking many more questions. Im glad I found this site.
My pleasure! If you have the opportunity to search through some of the old threads here, there has been many a discussion on routers, router tables, and just about any and every tool you could imagine. Beware, some of the fine folks here are more than a little passionate about their favorite (or unfavorite) tools and materials. Please stick around and ask questions--you will discover that there are many who are more than happy to be of help!
I guess you would call this "old school", but I am of the belief that if you can build it, you should build it.
If you have the tools and skills to pop a hole in the center of a board you have a router table. You can set it on a homemade stand, sawhorses, a barrel or whatever. A clamped board suffices for a fence.
The problem with router table design is that they have limitations, but if it is shop-built it is easily altered.
The advantage of building your own crude router table is that there is no regret for screwing down the fence or for that matter making any other type of "plumber-with-a sawzall" modifications to make it work.
im with RJT on the router table issue, its a great easy first project
my first router table was a piece of kitchen countertop with a hole in it!!
depending on your budget, the leevalley steel top is the way go, but aplywood/particle board works well too but they wont stay flat forever
a lot of us have router tables built onto sides of our tablesaws, its cheap and easy and the tablesaw fence can be used in many cases, one of my router tables is just that, and ive seen one that was just an old chest of drawers as a stand for a plywood top!!
router choices are far reaching. many of us have more than one. personally i like the porter cable 690 series, i have 3. its reasonably powerful at 1 1/2hp, now comes variable speed, 1/2 and 1/4 inch collets and a variety of bases. its also been around for years
for the future plan on 3 routers at least, changing bits all the time gets tiresome!!
a laminate trimmer is great for the small stuff like roundover and other edgetreatments, a 1 1/2hp like the 690 will do a multitude of tasks and a 2-3 hp machine shines with pattern routing and large mortise and tenon tasks
Good point about particle board/plywood tops not staying flat. They need to be well supported. A 3-1/4 hp router hung from a middle of 3/4" particle board is going to sag otherwise. I've never found a router yet that was designed with the idea in mind that someone might want to screw it to a board with a hole in it for either a router table or a jig. As far as those fancy router tables with the height adjustment, I believe you can find a small shaper that is cheaper and more capable.
> a router yet that was designed with the idea in mind that someone might want to screw it to a board with a hole in it for either a router table or a jig.I have an old Porter Cable screwed to a board see pic note screws protruding through router body.Here is what I cut with the jig. See pic Drawer Frame and D F 2Since Philip is asking for more pics . . Philip are ya there ?>small shaper that is cheaper and more capable.I totally agree !roc
who gave up all that matcho sh*t and now eats quiche. If i keep this up I need to get a camera with a zoom. The zebra wood is looking good though. That's what matters.
Edited 12/28/2008 3:45 pm by roc
Thanks for all the advise and I will post my progress
some here may disagree, but the tablesaw will soon become your best friend far and above al the rest, some days mine doesnt shut off all day
you asked about jigs for the table saw, well here's a pic of mine with the two most important, and a pic of the router table built in
first and foremost is a crosscut sled, the pic is of an older one since scrapped but the newer one is the same, you'll never use a miter guage again!!
the second is a tenon sled, it slides along the fence holding a piece of lumber verticaly, safely, to cut tenon shoulders
both of these can be built for any saw
the router table on my saw is shown too, some portable saws can accomadate this too, its a great space saver for a small shop
id definitly build a crosscut sled, i use mine alot. i'll try to find a link for instructions
Thanks to all for the information. Steve thanks for the pictures of the jigs. This is what I'd like to do for the Dewalt contractor saw I have. I am glad I found this site. I have been reading books and have a little background in machine shop. It's kind of overwhelming all the tools and knowledge involved. But I sure want to learn this craft. I hope the wife will put up with me. THANKS
M,
As another has said, you need to have a definite build-list before you start amassing tools. By the same token, I would avoid jig-making until you have a specific task for the jig.
That said, a router is a basic and versatile tool for any woodworker who is not limiting hisself to handtools. Again, as another poster has said, there is no router that is suitable for all routing tasks. You can do quite a lot with a smaller one just using it by hand, however. I still have a Bosch PF600A that the ladywife bought for my birthday some ten years ago. There are many "beefed up" laminate trimmer models of this kind on the market.
Learning to use a router with 500 watts is probably better than starting out with those 3 kicking horses in a big one. Your first experience of router kickback should not break your wrist. :-)
A bigger router means less passes for the same task as well as the capacity/power to manage bigger tasks, including the production of larger mouldings using a router table; and the manufacture of large/deep M&Ts.
Like Forest Girl I am a long time user of the Veritas table and can recommend it as versatile and solid. There are other systems, no doubt, that have their merits too. The Veritas does allow easy dismounting/mounting of the router in the table.....
Nevertheless, I would recommend that you dedicate a (powerful) router to the table and get another for freehand work. I like the big Triton in the Veritas table, as it has easy bit change with one spanner from the tabletop as well as both fast and micro height-adjustment. A Dewalt 625 is a good workhorse for a big hand-held router, although it is relatively crude by modern standards. However, it goes on and on.
Lataxe
Build a router table. There are numerous plans out there and its a great way to get started. Norm Abrams version is a good one and is basically a few sheets of plywood mdf and some formica. As to the router question, the combo kits are nice I have the PC 890 series, but the Triton is a very nice router. I saw that demo'd at a wood working show, and they really thought about the router table when they made it. Milwauki also has a nice set up as well as Bosch. You can either build a basic fence system like the folks at http://www.routerworkshop.com or Pat Warners is very sharp and you can check him out at http://www.patwarner.com/. I myself build Norms plans at http://www.newyankee.com and bought the incra ls120 fence to go with it. Good luck and enjoy the craft I've loved it since I was a youth.
If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it.
And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
m m. ya need a gorilla in the "large & solid" router table. I did a Milwaukee 3 1/2 hp. in a LV steel top. You can dress up the mounting to suit yourself but it is the best kick a$$ table made. The hand routing does not need that level of power regardless of what the tool marketers say. I do fine with 1.75 hp. as big power in hand is not an advantage. I use a Porter Cable 1.75 hp. kit , the 690 series variable speed(very important) with a fixed base and a plunge base. I also have a D-handle base that is not of much value.
In routing you will find that several light passes will produce a fine edge. Some think that more horse power will let you hog off that wood but that does not work, but a lighter tool in hand will give you great control. Paddy
Triton gets my vote as best router, especially when table mounted. I have a Veritas mount also. It works well.
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