Thread: Chinese 710W trimmer router review

Originally Posted by Chief Tiff

Clamp the trimmer down somehow and run it at the lowest speed setting.

I don't think the lowest speed setting on a router is anywhere near slow enough for lapping. When I've lapped small bores (10mm) it was at a few 100RPM on my lathe. If you're going to be holding the lap you don't want it to be spinning at 1000s of RPM when it grabs. This sounds like a recipe for losing skin. The bores I lapped were soft steel and I used an aluminium lap. Here we are talking about a likely hardened steel spindle bore being lapped with wood. It would likely take hours to see a result. And a wooden lap is likely to result in the bore changing shape.

Sorry, but I can't see it working.

I agree, do not jam a tight fitting stick in the spindle bore and try to hold onto the other end.

Originally Posted by pippin88

I agree, do not jam a tight fitting stick in the spindle bore and try to hold onto the other end.

That phrase conjures up the image of someone deliberately forcing an oversized item into an object rotating enough force to rip it out of the hand. That's not how lapping is conducted.

The "tight fitting" criteria is for initial sizing of the lap.
I did say "put a handle on it" thus increasing the amount of grip and torque.
And you don't "jam it in"; you "gently insert it" with the implication that if it feels like it's binding you might wish to consider stopping...

If you'd read the trimmer review you would have seen that the speed control on this trimmer is woeful; it reduces the speed by reducing the power to the motor so at low speed it has no guts whatsoever and bogs down. A handle similar sized to a file handle fitted on the dowel provides more than enough torque to stall it.

Originally Posted by jack620

I don't think the lowest speed setting on a router is anywhere near slow enough for lapping. When I've lapped small bores (10mm) it was at a few 100RPM on my lathe. If you're going to be holding the lap you don't want it to be spinning at 1000s of RPM when it grabs. This sounds like a recipe for losing skin. The bores I lapped were soft steel and I used an aluminium lap. Here we are talking about a likely hardened steel spindle bore being lapped with wood. It would likely take hours to see a result. And a wooden lap is likely to result in the bore changing shape.

Sorry, but I can't see it working.

Lapping can be done at any speed; the higher the speed the more superfine the finish. For this trimmer the lowest speed setting is also the lowest power and the slightest load causes the motor to drop revs alarmingly. By putting a handle on the lap you are increasing the amount of torque you have available to prevent the lap being spun in your hand, but in any case you insert the lap gently.

The lap material isn't particularly important; it just needs to be softer than the material being lapped so the abrasive embeds in it. Wood, brass and lead were traditional materials for making laps; and plastics since about the 50's onwards. The abrasive is doing the work and the grit size dictates the speed of metal removal. If you've ever lapped burnt exhaust valve seats on an engine you'd know how quickly silicon carbide can cut into extremely hard materials. I have a fair few "precision" shop-bought wooden laps in round and flat sections and one or two with a rubber coating as well; but I would usually make them up as I required. Veritas sell cast iron lapping plates for polishing the backs of HSS and high carbon steel plane blades; the blades wear down the softer cast iron doesn't.

As for the bore changing shape; it's still going to be round... Yes; it could end up being slightly tapered if the lap isn't held co-planer with the spindle but it's fairly easy to feel it happening and adjust accordingly. The ring at the end of the collet only has to bear on a specific few millimeters of the spindle bore, if it becomes slightly funnel shaped leading up to that point... so what? And I did say to stop often and check the fit.


Another option would be to use a lap clutched in a power drill; but you lose the fine control and feel. You would also guarantee the bore would become tapered.

Originally Posted by Chief Tiff

And you don't "jam it in"; you "gently insert it" with the implication that if it feels like it's binding you might wish to consider stopping...

Too late I reckon. At the RPM a router operates at (even at its lowest speed), by the time you notice it's binding it's either broken the lap or yanked it out of your hand.

And if you're relying on bogging the motor down to reduce the RPM to a safe level, I reckon you're going to end up with a cooked motor or fried speed controller.

The only method I would consider is the dremel grinding method mentioned earlier.

Originally Posted by Chief Tiff

The lap material isn't particularly important; it just needs to be softer than the material being lapped so the abrasive embeds in it. Wood, brass and lead were traditional materials for making laps; and plastics since about the 50's onwards. The abrasive is doing the work and the grit size dictates the speed of metal removal. If you've ever lapped burnt exhaust valve seats on an engine you'd know how quickly silicon carbide can cut into extremely hard materials. I have a fair few "precision" shop-bought wooden laps in round and flat sections and one or two with a rubber coating as well; but I would usually make them up as I required. Veritas sell cast iron lapping plates for polishing the backs of HSS and high carbon steel plane blades; the blades wear down the softer cast iron doesn't.

Yes, I know. As I said, I've done lapping. The examples you gave of valve grinding and the veritas lapping plate aren't really relevant. We are talking about a bore here. When lapping bores, as lapping progresses the lap becomes loose in the bore. That's why expanding laps are needed for bores.

Here's the lap I made to lap the cylinder liners on some 1cc diesel engines I made.

Ok, whatever.

I’ve explained a solution to the problem that can be executed using materials likely to be available to the poster(s); based on my own experience of the technique and the offending machine itself. This isn’t precision fitting within a micron or two; merely easing a tight fit on a very small area of a bore for the base of a collet to slip into.

Perhaps you could expand on your argument against this by discussing an alternative method?

Originally Posted by Chief Tiff

Perhaps you could expand on your argument against this by discussing an alternative method?

As I said, the method Woodpixel mentioned of grinding the bore with a dremel and cylindrical stone would be my preferred option. But the setup required wouldn't be worth the effort IMO.

Woah. Anxiety fellas.

0.02mm off the insides of a bore doesn't sound like too much.

A pencil with some 1200 grit would be OK. Or toothpaste....

No need for big jigs. A "stick" sounds fine.... say a dowel or pencil shaped stick


On the set-up I mentioned, the video guy simply had two bits of wood, joined with a bolt. First bit anchored to the table, the second had a hole in it bored with a suitably sized Forstner bit. The bolt allowed the jig to rotate to the useful angle. The Dremels socket-hole was bisected to create a pinch and a bolt used to hold it in place. The picture isn't the jig, but it shows how the Dremel was held - its bodged up to hold the dremel firmly. The other end secures to the table "in some manner" (be inventive!).

The idea was the dremel was set to the correct angle, with an appropriate stone/polisher/bit and the router raised (while on, in this case mounted in a lifter). It zinged off a poofteenth of material. Tests were done, corrections made and eventually runout was zero (or, I think 0.01 or something stupid tiny). I did have it as a post here somewhere but I'll be buggered if I can find it!....


diy-homebrew-hardwood-sycamore-fret-tang-trimming-cutting-tool-jig.png

Originally Posted by woodPixel

A pencil with some 1200 grit would be OK. Or toothpaste....

So we're enlarging the bore of a router spindle with a pencil and some toothpaste? Hang on while I grab some popcorn.

Originally Posted by jack620

So we're enlarging the bore of a router spindle with a pencil and some toothpaste? Hang on while I grab some popcorn.

Depends all on how one uses the pencil

I suggested toothpaste, as I was shown that it's a fine abrasive. For some reason it doesn't break down. I used it to polish scratches and blush from acrylic. Magic.

I'm not a machinist, but I'm good at shoving pencils in things.

Yes, I know this is an old thread.

I found it on a google search while researching a plunge base for my Makita trim router I have had for probably 7 or 8 years.

I was wondering if I should buy the Chinese Vevor version of the router that comes with all three bases for about $93 just for the plunge base - and possibly a chance to have another useful router. Thank-you Chief Tiff for your great writeup of the Chinese copy and also to the others who made meaningful contributions to this thread.

My genuine Makita plunge base (for about $10 more than the Vevor ensemble) will arrive tomorrow in the post. I've polished enough t#rds in my life already and don't need the aggravation. I know me well enough to know that even if I just bought the Vevor for the plunge base I couldn't resist the urge to make it work properly at who knows what cost in time and materials. It's worth the extra $$ to me to just get the bit I want and know it will be of good quality or can be returned and not be led into time-wasting.

The evidence in this thread of how much time people wasted just talking about lapping collets, let alone doing it is what really convinced me not to go there.

Woodpixel, you had me in stitches at this point. Thank-you.

Originally Posted by woodPixel

I'm not a machinist, but I'm good at shoving pencils in things.

Can I use that as my signature on a hobby machinist forum I am on?

Originally Posted by Chief Tiff

Ok; right now I still stand by my statement that this item as currently sold is not fit for purpose; however if the collet machining issues are fixed then I would give it an 8/10 mark. Older machines appear to not suffer from the collet problem so if the OEM tightens up in that one area they've got themselves a winner again.

I always read these reviews with a bit of a smirk on my face because to next purchaser will always think they're going to get the unicorn - the cheap chinese garbage that actually performs as it's western QC'd counter part. To be honest I don't think they actually care because there are so many that keep falling for the fantasy that there's will be the one...

The run out's been a problem for years - literally. It ain't getting fix - ever. And the electronics, wouldn't be surprised if you report back that there is smoke coming out of the top. And the bearings, wouldn't give them more than 15 hours of use.

Now don't get me wrong I bought one. It only got turned on to see the obvious wobble in the router bit and then I chucked it in the cabinet never to see day light again. I only bought it for the two handled base. Figured they couldn't screw that, up too much. It's functional but still garbage. The chinese can't even cut smooth threads and I expect they will strip out sooner rather than later because the metal is soft as butter... Over all, at a C note, it wasn't worth the risk. It's like a great wall truck. Wouldn't take one for free for all the repairs I'd have to pay for.

I'd like to say YMMV but I doubt it

Originally Posted by doug3030

My genuine Makita plunge base (for about $10 more than the Vevor ensemble) will arrive tomorrow in the post.

Originally Posted by The Spin Doctor

I only bought it for the two handled base. Figured they couldn't screw that, up too much. It's functional but still garbage. The chinese can't even cut smooth threads and I expect they will strip out sooner rather than later because the metal is soft as butter... Over all, at a C note, it wasn't worth the risk.

Thanks Spin Doctor. That confirms that I was on the right track investing in the genuine Makita base. It arrived a couple of days ago and I am more than happy with it.

I have spent the last couple of days making new sub-bases for it to take my guide bushings for template routing and a trammel to help make the templates. The advertising blurb said that the plunge base I bought would take standard sized router bushing. The router bushings I had are standard sized bushings but they obviously aren't the same standard.

In fact, having the bushing secured in a tight-fitting groove between two pieces of perspex seems to be a far more secure way to attach them to the router than the normal method. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise and a little bit more practice for me with my metal lathe turning perspex.

Pic shows the new bushing holder sub base completed and the trammel base still under construction.

router subbases.jpg