Thread: Router table - how good is it??

If you get Australian Wood Review magazine, the new issue has 6 tables reviewed (by yours truly) including the two you mention.

I won't give away the findings as that isnt fair to the magazine, but I will say the Carbatec will be a better choice than the Triton for your needs. No table is perfect, but some are just better suited for particular tasks than others. Anyway grab the issue before you buy. It will probably answer most of your questions.

Hello Mr Picker,

I have the Triton with a GMC router mounted in it and it's ok. Biggest problem is probably the depth "locking" device on the router - sometimes drops a bit.

Whilst not the best around, with a bit time and energy spent in the set up and double checking your distances etc you can end up with some good results. (good for me anyway!)

I also use the finger joiner system which once set up correctly has given me some good results too.

If you are handy at building such a thing there are some good plans for DIY tables around that may a: be cheaper, b: fit your needs better, c: give you more satisfaction (coz you DIY).

My 2c worth anyway.

Good luck!

I sold my Triton table, as did few others.

Too many spots where plates, rings and the rails all join up but none are flat. There's always a small ridge to upset the accuracy of the work.

Get a table top and phenolic plate from Grahame at Woodworksupplies and hook the Triton router under that. Much better.

http://www.woodworksupplies.com.au/category24_1.htm

Agree with everybody above. great system well thought out but to many little knooks and crannys for stuff to catch on, if you get one the best thing you can do is make a smooth top for the whole unit, but then that defeats the purpose of buying one, get the idea
Steve

Originally Posted by Gumby

I sold my Triton table, as did few others.

Too many spots where plates, rings and the rails all join up but none are flat. There's always a small ridge to upset the accuracy of the work.

Get a table top and phenolic plate from Grahame at Woodworksupplies and hook the Triton router under that. Much better.

http://www.woodworksupplies.com.au/category24_1.htm

Mr Plasticine Man is deaaaaaad right.

Make your own - come on, you know you can do it.

G'Day Picker

I'm going to offer the alternate view here. A while ago I was chasing a router table. I wanted to build one myself but time and cost conspired against me. I ended up going down the Triton route and so far I'm very happy. Ive been routing curves on edges and grooves in long and short pieces. I've also done mortices, lap joints and edge jointing on the table. The Triton has done every job well. It comes with a pretty reasonable fence and for not a lot of money gets you going with a router table.

I've yet to find the limitations of my table but I'm sure that time will come. When it does I'll be giving Grahame at PWWS a call and upgrading the top. In the mean time I'm enjoying some great features like the biscuit joiner and (soon to be purchased) finger joiner.

When I look at some of the better systems out there I see how they would be more accurate but I've yet to do a job where the accuracy of the Triton wasn't up to the task.

Hope that helps

regards

Manix

Hi Manix

Outside of fine woodwork the triton is great. But if the finer side is your thing then I recommend against it. I am not sold on the bells and whistles of upmarket machines.

IMO the most important factor in routing is a dead flat surface and sadly our orange brother struggles here.

But I love that triton router in the table mode.

cheers

dazzler

I had a serious whinge, about my RTA 300, on the forum last year. I said then, that it wasn't fit for purpose out of the box. The differing heights, all but made it impossible to use properly.

I then proceeded to spend a fair bit of time, hand working the red plastic mounting plate 'levellers', down to the 'correct' height. It wasn't perfect, but was a vast improvement.

Since then, I have thrown them away completely, and drilled the steel bars out to accept hex head screws, with a nut on each side of the bar. Adjusted the height of the hex heads, until the mounting plate was perfectly level, and then ran some CA down the threads. Problem solved, and it turned out to be an easy solution.

I am now very happy with it, and the fence is a dream. I don't do a lot of routing, at this stage, and it suits my needs. Should my needs change, then I will look to making my own table, with a router raiser in it.

Have you got any pics to illustrate what uou did - and what it looks like now?
Please?
Jedo

Originally Posted by Jedo_03

Have you got any pics to illustrate what uou did - and what it looks like now?
Please?
Jedo

Hi Jedo, I'll try and get you some pics over the weekend.

Originally Posted by Gumby

I sold my Triton table, as did few others.

Too many spots where plates, rings and the rails all join up but none are flat. There's always a small ridge to upset the accuracy of the work.

Get a table top and phenolic plate from Grahame at Woodworksupplies and hook the Triton router under that. Much better.

http://www.woodworksupplies.com.au/category24_1.htm

Gumby
i saw your new setup in your gifkins jig video, (although i think you need the flannellette shirt if you want to play Roger properly) can you give us some pics, show us the set up, it seems to be incorporated into the table saw...

Thanks
Paul

Originally Posted by PaulS

Gumby
i saw your new setup in your gifkins jig video, (although i think you need the flannellette shirt if you want to play Roger properly) can you give us some pics, show us the set up, it seems to be incorporated into the table saw...

Thanks
Paul

No it isn't incorporated in the TS. I'd only just bought that top and it was just sitting on the extension arms of the TS. That's why it moved a couple of times when I was using it.

The top now sits on a Triton Router table stand. I still haven't screwed it down but it woks OK.

Originally Posted by dazzler

Hi Manix

Outside of fine woodwork the triton is great. But if the finer side is your thing then I recommend against it. I am not sold on the bells and whistles of upmarket machines.

IMO the most important factor in routing is a dead flat surface and sadly our orange brother struggles here.

But I love that triton router in the table mode.

cheers

dazzler

Dazzler, Picker

Yep, I'll have to admit that the table isn't perfectly flat and after reading Picker's requirements it may not be for him.

Over the last few weeks I've routered some stuff to what I'd say are pretty fine tolerances but I can certainly appreciate how a perfectly flat (and larger) table would help.

As for "fine" woodworking, I thought all the stuff I did was fine. When I say to SWMBO "I'm off to the shed" she always say "fine". What better endorsement can I get?

regards

Manix

How about the triton stand with the engineered table top with the LE Fence
from PWWS???
Is the table stable ??
I saw a demo for sale at bunnies [only $40 of rrp and it looked pretty sad] that was doddery are they all like that??

graham from PWWS has a triton table version....If I can get a decent table to put the top and fence on i'm good to go

oh an i dont feel like building a table that is dead dead flat on top to put the engineered table top onto i just wanna get on and make some more geetars.