Thread: Best Router/ Rourter-tables? Sick of Plunge routers!

I have a plunge router mounted on a router lift in a homemade table. Works great. I'll rebuild the table one day but no hurry.
I have a smaller plunge router to use hand held.

At the wood show I saw a triton router which didn't need a router lift. You could adjust the height easily, either macro or micro adjustments. Fits easily under any router table.

One of the biggest issues with height setting plunge routers in a table is that you end up fighting against the plunge springs if you have not removed them.

Look at it this way.

The average mid range sized plunge router motor section weighs in around 2-3 Kg. In order to ensure that the springs can raise the router out of the work once the plunge lock is released, the springs a lifting force somewhat frater than the weight, so in the order of 5Kg or more. This means that you need to provide a force equal to the difference (say 5Kg - 2Kg) in order to plunge the motor, plus extra force to overcome the effort of forcing the bit into the work as it cuts it's way in.

Now, turn the unit upside down and mount it in a table. The spring force is now working with gravity, instead of against it, and the combined downward force you have to raise the bit against is the sum of the spring force and motor weight, not the difference, in the example above, around 7 to 8Kg. Removing the plunge springs brings this down to the motor weight (around 2-3Kg in the example, or 1/3 to 1/4 of the force required with the router inverted with the springs installed. This helps ease the issues.


Some plunge routers have a mechanical lift mechanism built in to allow fine mechanical control for setting depth. As mentioned previously, the Triton range have this mechanism, and can use a winder handle through the table for fine tuning bit height, or the body mounted winder to set coarse height.

In addition to a Triton I also have a Makita 3600BR about 30 years old which has a threaded winder that can adjust the height at 1.25mm per turn over a range of around 50mm. With that system, there is no coarse mechanical winder, but it is possible to manually lift the motor without adjusting the winder to change bits etc and lower back to original position as a basis for setting height after a bit change, but it is not as sweet as the seperate fine and coarse adjusts on the Tritons.

You haven't elaborated on what model router you have, but a lot of basic units don't do a lot to help set bit height in plunge mode, but finding a parts diagram and working out how to remove the springs would be a good step.

There is also a range of add on winder products available (Router Raiser or Raizer) can upgrade routers to provide through the table winder capabilites. Might be an option but last time I looked they were more than $100 locally. Local agen is PWS in Melbourne.

Hope this helps

I used a 1/2" Elu in a Triton for years. All older stuff, dating from the 80's. I was more than satisfied with the results, springs or no springs.

Of course there's superior setups available now...at a price. I have a homebuilder friend who is satisfied with an unbelievably gutless GMC router/shaper table with dedicated motor, which cost next to nothing. He set his small table into a home-made larger one.

It's probably different these days, but when I was buying this gear the cost of cutters far exceeded that of the hardware. I can remember saving up for 6 months or so just to buy a panel raising set!

I managed to do quality work on the Triton setup. Made my own skirtings, architraves, t&g flooring from myrtle and v.j. linings from wattle & celery pine among others for a couple of houses.

Originally Posted by hellofellow

Hello again,

I have Ryobi plunge router mounted in a cheap table.

I am very new to this and have essentially learnt all of my skills thus far from reading and youtube. That being said, all the Americans have stationary base routers and router lifts on their tables and its SOO CONVIENIENT.

Us Aussies only seem to have plunge routers. So I guess my question is:

how do you use your plunge router? With or without a table? They are terribly annoying to adjust on a table!!! Yet seem far more versatile on a table.

So whats the go in the great AU? Table or no- table? Best tables?, Best routers?.. how do you make it convenient for you to use?

Good Morning hellofellow

Not really sure what issues you are trying to raise, but ...

Plunge routers have virtually replaced fixed base routers everywhere in the world except the USA. Here, England, continental Europe, Japan, etc, plunge routers dominate and they are usually far more versatile and convenient than a fixed base - lock the plunge mechanism and you have a fixed base!

Either will work well on a table fitted with a router lift - but the router lift mechanism will probably cost more, perhaps far more, than the cost of a Ryobi router.
UniLIFT Router Lift

My router table simply consists of a 1983-vintage Makita 3600BR bolted to a 600mm square of MDF sitting on a B&D Workmate table. No difficulty in turning the screw adjuster - except I commonly turn it the wrong way because the router is upside down.

IMHO, routers are almost always easier to use in a router table (and safer) - next for ease, precision and safety would be in a jig - then against a strait edge. Very few people can successfully use a router freehand.




Fair Winds

Graeme

More that happy with the Triton router.
As stated, it's easy to adjust in both hand held and table modes, the latter with the supplied through table winder.
I can't see a case where a fixed router would be better.

Hi Hellofellow,

i have the big triton attached to a Kreg router table. Great combo and highly recommend.

add a digital depth gauge and bobs your uncle

The 1/2" Triton and the Trend T11 are both semi-dedicated table routers, offering useable and useful over the table height adjustment.

The former is best suited to table routing only, whereas the Trend is versatile and ergonomically refined enough to be used as an everyday tool in all configurations.

Also consider using a plunge bar setup for your router. These enable relatively effortless and accurate height adjustment irrespective of the router's orientation.

I have several Triton routers purchased from the start of Triton in the router market, both for table mounting and hand use, so far I haven't 'broken' one (touch wood )

Makita currently imports the current version of their 1/2" chuck, 'D' handle 'fixed base' router - it wasn't available for several years. It looks very old fashioned compared to the modern routers, just basic Mak blue & silver, no fancy levers, lights or other fripperies. Judging by their past performance you would need to drive a truck over it to kill it, and you can get accessories on-line from the US that fit it if they are not available locally.

The Makita router you're referring to is the 3601B. It's a good product for hand holding, as it has a fantastically low centre of gravity, plus both 1/2" & 1/4" collets.

It is however very old school, requiring both inversion and 2 spanners to change bits.

It's worst vice, however is that at a mere 1000w it's just too gutless to drive larger bits - even 1/4" shank rebaters are too much for it.

Also, with only a 23K fixed speed it's prone to burn your workpiece with anything other than perfectly sharp, high quality new bits.