Thread: Decisions, decisions on which way to go for a router table

And it was such an innocent little question !

Regards
Paul

G'Day Brett,
I'll interested in what you find as it's on my "would like" list to have a router table that's easy to use over my current Triton table with Hitachi M12V..
I found that Lee Valley sell one of the items you mentioned ...
http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/pag...=1,43053,69192
Cheers, crowie

I have the 17" Incra LS Positioner with Wonderfence, Woodpecker Phenolic plate, Triton TRA001 (older model no above table adjustment).

I have never felt the lack of an above table adjustment, I also have a Triton MF001 that has that facility and that box is still wrapped in plastic.

It is not as though you are constantly changing the height of your router bit and when I need to do it it is literally a 15 sec job.

I love the look of all these beautifully engineering router lifts and I am sure they make that part of the job a bit easier, but I decided I would rather spend that money on a superb router fence.

The Incra LS is the best thing since sliced bread, the Triton is dedicated to this table, I never think twice about using the router table. For handheld work I have a Makita 3600 and a cheapie Aldi 1/2". I pick up the Aldi before the Makita.

Dare I suggest you are perhaps "overthinking" this? Some of the pros and cons you mention are perhaps more in the mind than in practice.

What is the term - "Paralysis by Analysis"? (I should talk)

Originally Posted by crowie

G'Day Brett,
I'll interested in what you find as it's on my "would like" list to have a router table that's easy to use over my current Triton table with Hitachi M12V..
I found that Lee Valley sell one of the items you mentioned ...
http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/pag...=1,43053,69192
Cheers, crowie

Yes, I'm all over the LV site for that crowie. They're cheaper there too AND LV will ship by surface freight (as you know).

However, speaking of freight, I'm researching Shipito at the moment and I think I may be getting a VERY good result there:

• Air freight is significantly cheaper than LV's surface freight (and obviously much quicker)
• They have a warehouse in Austria, with all of the ramifications that that has....
• They will warehouse items from varius suppliers for 90 days and then send one consolidated package
• etc

Thanks for your feedback Fred.

Originally Posted by Big Shed

I have the 17" Incra LS Positioner with Wonderfence, Woodpecker Phenolic plate, Triton TRA001 (older model no above table adjustment).

I have never felt the lack of an above table adjustment

This might be one of those things that once tried.....you'd never go back....

Originally Posted by Big Shed

I love the look of all these beautifully engineering router lifts and I am sure they make that part of the job a bit easier, but I decided I would rather spend that money on a superb router fence.

I queried JessEm about their fence, and they reckon it's every bit as good as the Wonderfence for Dust Extraction. The Mitre Slide looks red hot for stability.

Originally Posted by Big Shed

The Incra LS is the best thing since sliced bread, the Triton is dedicated to this table, I never think twice about using the router table. For handheld work I have a Makita 3600 and a cheapie Aldi 1/2". I pick up the Aldi before the Makita.

I have Shedhand's old Festo 900 for handheld. It's not too bad actually, but one day I'll upgrade to an OF 1400 maybe. It will fit into the Festool Guide Rail system perfectly.

Originally Posted by Big Shed

Dare I suggest you are perhaps "overthinking" this? Some of the pros and cons you mention are perhaps more in the mind than in practice.
What is the term - "Paralysis by Analysis"? (I should talk)

Yeah....occupational hazard for me I'm afraid....gotta find the best result. All part of the research of course. Too true that it can be all in the mind - particularly when I haven't used either system.

Originally Posted by Big Shed

It is not as though you are constantly changing the height of your router bit

I'm finding that I do, particularly as I often prefer to sneak up with smaller bites. However, this could so easily be a function of my current crap table, and my inexperience with routers.

Brett, I'll throw another option in the ring . . . Spindle Moulder.

Yes, my little dinky Jet (JWS 25) weighs in about 150Kg, runs 25mm and 19mm spindles and associated heads @ 8000rpm. Also has collets for 1/2" & 1/4 router bits(@10000rpm).

Depends on how deep your pockets are

I have the LS Positioner also and although I find it a joy to use my biggest bug is how far you need behind the table to slide the fence back.(single garage workshop). For that reason I'm looking at putting some tracks in and getting the Woodpeckers super fence and micro adjuster.

What table do you have it in Shane?

Hi FenceFurniture

I too have the 17" LS positioner on the offset router table, with the big Triton router.

This matches the Incra fence on the tablesaw. I like the Incra gear because every cut you do is repeatable.

I have a wixey height gauge to set the height of the sawblade and the router bits, a wixey magnetic angle gauge for the blade angle and an Incra mitre gauge which allows repeatability on angle of cut and length of workpiece. One day I will put the digital readout on the thicknesser.

As a result, EVERY cut I make is repeatable. If I stuff up a part I can reproduce it, or more often, repeat an entire project.

Once you have made something once and recorded all the settings it is instantly and easily repeatable. It takes no time at all to record all the settings for future use.

I know this post goes beyond the subject of the router table , but had you considered compatibility across the workshop and the ability to repeat cuts accurately?

Cheers

Doug

Cheers Doug. I don't have a conventional tablesaw, so the Incra or otherwise is restricted to the router table, but your thoughts are well worth noting.

Originally Posted by Big Shed

I have the 17" Incra LS Positioner with Wonderfence, Woodpecker Phenolic plate, Triton TRA001

Fred, it only just occurred to me that you are using the LS without an offset hole. Is your Woodpecker table 24x32 or 27x43, and what usable range do you get out of the LS?

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Fred, it only just occurred to me that you are using the LS without an offset hole. Is your Woodpecker table 24x32 or 27x43, and what usable range do you get out of the LS?

?Offset hole?? Not using a Woodpecker table, only a Woodpecker router plate, made my own top and stand, see the link in my signature.
Can't remember the sizes but they are in there, I can adjust the distance of the LS from the router bit as well.

Originally Posted by Big Shed

?Offset hole?? Not using a Woodpecker table, only a Woodpecker router plate, made my own top and stand, see the link in my signature.
Can't remember the sizes but they are in there, I can adjust the distance of the LS from the router bit as well.

Ah! Sorry about that, I read "table" not "plate".

As an aside, I've just realised why I've been so vague for the last couple of days. My partner and I switched to electronics cigarettes, but she has only just told me that they have no nicotine.....

Had a look at you table, and it looks terrific! How I wish I had enough space for that size.

Leaving the router motor out of the equation (because I'll stick to that in the other thread):
The LS positioner would have to mounted in the 24x36" table (either Incra's or shop-made) and that would yield a usable range of 11", or 16" if I hang the positioner over the edge (which is possible space wise here - a few things sticking out into airspace can be accommodated).

If I decide to not go Incra (and I sure see the benefits of the LS) then the two other choices would be:
Woodpeckers Super Fence and 24x32" Tabletop, with the Micro Adjust (no comparison to the LS, but at least allows for adjustments)
or one of the JessEm combinations.

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

The LS positioner would have to mounted in the 24x36" table (either Incra's or shop-made) and that would yield a usable range of 11", or 16" if I hang the positioner over the edge (which is possible space wise here - a few things sticking out into airspace can be accommodated).

Dont get too worried about being able to use the full 17 inches of the LS positioner. How often do you need to cut 17 inches of dovetails or box joints?

Like other things in life, all the work is done with the first six inches. The rest is just to look impressive.

Cheers

Doug