Router lifter

**Bodgy** · 4th August 2005, 08:22 AM

I had become particularly frustrated with height adjustment on my cheapo router table and Bosch router. There are some very nice lifters available commercially, but costing many hundreds of $$.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com

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I searched the forum and did find a clever alternative, however it relied on symmetrical router handles for the lift – mine has non symmetrical handles. Nothing for it but to make one.<o

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My first thoughts resulted in the prototype in Pic 1. Obviously based on the cheap car scissor jacks. Surprisingly it worked very well, however each revolution of the winder knob raised the router an incrementally, decreasing amount as the horizontal gap decreased between pivots, although each turn gave somewhat over 3mm to somewhat over 2mm in the operating range. This lift relies on leverage from the bench the router sits on, so requires the table to be fixed – another black mark. I abandoned this design after deciding in a production model the two horizontal pivot pins would need commercial machining, as my tap/die set was not up to it. Also the aluminium channel required would necessitate a drive across <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com

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Next plan involved a wire lift with shackles, blocks etc, but was quickly abandoned due to the costs of all the bits and the embarrassing Heath Robinson appearance. Might resurrect it for the Triton saw lifter tho, using an old hand drill as the winder mechanism, which will allow a constant rate of height adjustment against a scale.

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Final router solution is as shown in Pics 2-5. The design is obvious, based around a very cheap G clamp from Bunnies for a couple of dollars a pair, and completely useless as a clamp (the back bends under pressure). Fortunately the router base plate had a couple of convenient, threaded holes I could use. This jig works well, and the cannibalized clamp has a quick release feature that is very useful. Each full turn of the winder raises the router a constant 2.174 mm, which is nicely balanced between high accuracy and fewest turns needed to fully raise. I also hope to be able to use same jig with my larger 1200watt, ½ inch router.

I still need to mark the winder disc with some graduations. 2.174 is not an easy number divided by 360. Probably in 40 degree incements, giving a bees dick under 0.25mm per graduation (0.2415 rec)
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Disadvantages – the U shaped brace makes locking the spindle more difficult and also necessitated a custom made spanner for the collett locking nut. No practical way to put scale to show router height.<o

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All in all, a vast improvement on leaning under the table and bashing the thing in a upwards direction, then trying to twist the locking handle before it dropped back.<o

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Now I know it works I’ll tidy it up, clean it off and paint it <st1

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Cost: less than $10.<o

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**junkboy999** · 4th August 2005, 04:29 PM

Very neat.

dont warry about a scale. I have the very first Rout-U-Lift and just use it for lifting the router. I use my hand made height scale for bit height

**Sturdee** · 4th August 2005, 05:47 PM

Bodgy, before I got the Triton router I had a homemade Router raizer, see this thread from post 14 onwards. That may help you.

Peter.

**Bodgy** · 4th August 2005, 07:41 PM

Junkboy - I think all we $$ challenged people can hope for is to accurately adjust the router. Even with a rubber ring on the bit shank you would still need to calibrate any scale you had, to be able to set the depth precisely once you installed the bit. Same as we have to.

Sturdee - I just wish I could get better results when I search the forum. Your far better executed jig, on the same priciple as mine, would have saved me much intellectual effort. The only lifter I found (on search) was not suitable. You also benefit from a decent router table, allowing a better crank.

I need to do something for the Triton WC saw. Problem is that the saw describes an elipse as it rises. Maybe an adaptation of your router lift with a pivot at the base plate? This eliptical issue was why I am thinking a block and wire system.

Sorry all about the crazy formating of the original post. Blame Gates, as I saved the doc as plain text before pasting.

Bodgy

**junkboy999** · 5th August 2005, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by Bodgy

Junkboy - I think all we $$ challenged people can hope for is to accurately adjust the router...... to calibrate any scale you had, to be able to set the depth precisely once you installed the bit. Same as we have to.

Wahoooo your way off track and thinking to hard about it. Yes the router lift thingy cost $$ but it does just what I wanted it to do. It alows me to raise the bit from the top of the table. This is great for cutting long slots in wood for bolts to slide in for jigs. The lift system does have a 1 turn = .1 in height but like all LEAD SCREWS system there is slop in it turning left and right befor it starts moving the router. like your car stearing wheel. Your right about puting in the bit in your router time in time again. You'll never put it in the same hieght. All this makes it hard to use any scale attached to the lift system.

I probely could of saved a lot of typing but just taking a pic of my scale. A simple 6 inch ruler inlade in a shalow rabbit in a block of wood and a peice of plastic with a line on it. place it over the bit when it is sticking above the table and move the plastic untill it touched the bit. This will tell you how hight the bit is sticking above the table. No need to recalibrate this.

I not sure, but dont all routers users measure the hieght of the there bit from the top of the table?

**Bodgy** · 5th August 2005, 04:04 PM

Junkboy

I think we're all singing from the same hymnbook. I didn't phrase it very well but what I meant was that even with a $$ motorised lifter and digital scale, those fortunate enough to own one are still in the same boat as us, ie every time they change the router bit they need to reset the scale, thus more or less nullifying the value of the expensive lifter.

Its 1 AM if you're on the East Coast now, are you at work or insomniac?

Bodgy

**Sturdee** · 5th August 2005, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by Bodgy

Sturdee - I just wish I could get better results when I search the forum. Your far better executed jig, on the same priciple as mine, would have saved me much intellectual effort. The only lifter I found (on search) was not suitable. You also benefit from a decent router table, allowing a better crank.

Thanks Bodgy for the kind comments, I agree searching this board can be difficult and I had an advantage knowing where I posted the details.

I need to do something for the Triton WC saw. Problem is that the saw describes an elipse as it rises. Maybe an adaptation of your router lift with a pivot at the base plate? This eliptical issue was why I am thinking a block and wire system.

What you are proposing seems exactly like Triton's height winder system for the WC. This raises or lowers the saw through the table top with a removable handle. As you raise or lowers it it pivots at one side and the whole is designed for the WC.

In regards to blade or router height I suggest you make these little jigs . They are easy to make and accurate and allow easy setting.

Peter.

**junkboy999** · 6th August 2005, 12:30 AM

Bodgy.

Insomniac.

Sorry did not want to make the last post sound ruff..

It is now 8: am and I just going to bed. I retired form the AF and march and with about 18 years of my 20 years working the night and grave yard shift I find my self staying up all night and sleeping in the day

+ cooler in the workshop in at night this time of year. Now that I'm retired ( taking a break for a while no job ) I making more tools now rather then buying them. I have not read Sturdee post on router lift because I had one but may be I should. The only thing I hate about my lift is there is no stop. I set the height I need and have to count how many turns I turn it down, then make smalls passes in the hard wood and have to remember how many turns I need to raise it bact to the hieght I needed. That make me do it old school, stoping the router and gettin the ruler out again for the finial past. It I had a stop on mine I can make passes untill I hit the stop, life would be great.

A stop would the the ideal thing to incorparate in to you jig.

**Arthur** · 23rd August 2005, 09:01 AM

I had an issue with new router table (Carbatec) and a router without a "screw adjuster"

My son had no futher use for his diamond shaped screw jack from under his car so it has found it's way to under my router: good alternative

Arthur

**outback** · 23rd August 2005, 07:56 PM

I've got a mate who buys motorbike repair stands, ones you wheel the bike onto, clamp the front wheel, and jack it up.

Anyhoo, he pulls them to bits, and builds another thing from it, and he ends up with the whatsey jigger that clamps the front wheel. Essentially a nice 125mm wheel you turn round, which screws out out a nice big square plate. All I need is time, and some time, and I'll have a pretty handy lifter.

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