Thread: Trim Router Lift Options

Just found this one on Ebay.( I looked before but didn't see this one.)
It *looks* reasonably solid?


Screenshot 2023-09-25 211553.jpg

Originally Posted by Sterob

Can anyone enlighten me or put me out of my misery.....lol

Alas, not.

I've been through the same process but can't commit to the bargains on Ali Express, Temu etc, on the the basis that I've bought some very nicely built items in lovely coloured alloys such as router guides (e.g the sort that sits on top of a door to mortise a hinge) and found them to be sufficiently inaccurate to be useless, at least to the standards of accuracy I work to. Which partly prompted my thread at Why are there so many rubbish tools and aids on the market?

Doesn't alter the fact that from time to time I still trawl Ali Express etc in the hope that there's something there that lives up to its advertising.

I'm not opposed to Ali Express etc as I've bought plenty of stuff there that does the job, but I'm wary of anything that is supposed to be a precision tool.

Beats me why so many companies go to the trouble of making a really nice tool to about 97% accuracy and render it useless when a little more attention to detail and or quality control would have made it 100% worth having.

It's not a problem with crappy Chinese quality because they can make anything you want to any standard you want. The problems I was moaning about in the link above were all well recognised Western or European brands but made in China. The fault was with their quality control of the products coming out of China.

Hi - I was in the same situation - ended up getting a scizzor jack from Willtronics - works well for occasional use. $60/80. Laboratory Jacks | Laboratory Scissor Lift | Wiltronics Cheers

Originally Posted by GM2

Hi - I was in the same situation - ended up getting a scizzor jack from Willtronics - works well for occasional use. $60/80. Laboratory Jacks | Laboratory Scissor Lift | Wiltronics Cheers

I didn't want to go this route, but thanks for the ehads up.

Can you not see the pics? They'e in there.

Anyone else not see them?

Originally Posted by Sterob

I'm looking at making a small Benchtop Router Table, for occasional use, for my Makita N3701 Trim Router.
They are rather expensive, for what they are, so I'm going to make something like this:
Screenshot 2023-09-24 205200.jpg
I also want it to have Router Lift.

You do know that Lee Valley makes a version
top

and, if you need it a base

but what I did -- for occasional use -- is drill an approximate 12 mm hole in a piece of good quality ply and attach the trim router using a set of long screws.
Lee Valley item number 05J2905, Base Plate Screws, pkg. of 24 cost CAD $8.90
you will only need 4 of them, but Lee Valley supplies both short and long versions in the common thread diameters

Originally Posted by Sterob

Just found this one on Ebay.( I looked before but didn't see this one.)
It *looks* reasonably solid?


Screenshot 2023-09-25 211553.jpg

I haven't used or seen one of this type of lifter in the flesh so I might be missing something, but it's not clear to me that they have any sort of locking mechanism to hold the router once it's raised to the desired height. If they don't, the router vibration and gravity would drop the router sooner or later, and probably sooner.

At the risk of being laughed off this forum, on an impulse I bought an Aldi version of this cheap table Just a moment... many years ago and recently put it into service with a permanent chamfer bit for timber up to about 600mm long. It does the job out of the box and it's a lot easier and quicker than making your own from scratch. I think it'll take a router / router lift up to 150mm in diameter as there's a ring on the underside that limits the size of the router. I think the biggest router bit it'll take is 22mm, so if you're tempted you'd need to check those sizes.

Forget about the mitre gauge and extension tables as they're rubbish, but otherwise okay for small jobs on short timber if the flimsy legs are screwed or clamped to a solid base.

Originally Posted by ian

You do know that Lee Valley makes a version
top

and, if you need it a base

but what I did -- for occasional use -- is drill an approximate 12 mm hole in a piece of good quality ply and attach the trim router using a set of long screws.
Lee Valley item number 05J2905, Base Plate Screws, pkg. of 24 cost CAD $8.90
you will only need 4 of them, but Lee Valley supplies both short and long versions in the common thread diameters

Thanks Ian, I think the cost and postage for the Lee Valley item would be prohibitive, seeing as it will be shipped from Canada.
Steve

Originally Posted by 419

I haven't used or seen one of this type of lifter in the flesh so I might be missing something, but it's not clear to me that they have any sort of locking mechanism to hold the router once it's raised to the desired height. If they don't, the router vibration and gravity would drop the router sooner or later, and probably sooner.

Yes, all the cheapies seem to be missing a locking mechanism. If thats the only, downer then I could possibly fit one.


I found another one Ebay, which I was initally intersted in but it appear to only have a thin ring gripping the Router.( although I could make a new wider one and fit it.) Also, no locking mechanism.

Screenshot 2023-09-26 213123.jpg

The Ozito table was found and disregarded a long time ago...lol. There *was* one on Gumtree locally, but its gone now.


Steve

Originally Posted by Sterob

Yes, all the cheapies seem to be missing a locking mechanism. If thats the only, downer then I could possibly fit one.

The problem with that, at least as far as I can see, is that you'd need a screw or clamping mechanism against one or both posts, which means you've got to get under the table and that's a nuisance.

Originally Posted by Sterob

The Ozito table was found and disregarded a long time ago...lol. There *was* one on Gumtree locally, but its gone now.

There's always a few on Facebook Marketplace, often new in box, if you change your mind.

Originally Posted by Sterob

Thanks Ian, I think the cost and postage for the Lee Valley item would be prohibitive, seeing as it will be shipped from Canada.
Steve

Steve,
You will be able to get long router base screws in WA. After all, they are standard machine screws.
Go to any bolt supply place, you could even try the Green Shed ...
I expect that you will need to buy many more than 4 -- most bolt supply places have minimum order quantities, meaning you will likely need to buy many more than the four you actually need.


I note you initially specified that your DIY option was for occasional use, so I don't understand the desire to fit a router lift. I used the depth adjustment on my trim router when I bolted in under the piece of ply.
A router lift implies a much more permanent setup.

Originally Posted by Sterob

Yes, all the cheapies seem to be missing a locking mechanism. If thats the only, downer then I could possibly fit one.


I found another one Ebay, which I was initally intersted in but it appear to only have a thin ring gripping the Router.( although I could make a new wider one and fit it.) Also, no locking mechanism.

Screenshot 2023-09-26 213123.jpg

The Ozito table was found and disregarded a long time ago...lol. There *was* one on Gumtree locally, but its gone now.


Steve

Just wondering if there is a soft pad under that grubscrew in the router clamping ring that would allow you to lightly tighten the grubscrew onto the thread once you have the height you want. Even if it didn't come with a pad, providing there is enough depth in the thread you could make your own out of brass or nylon. Only needs to be a couple of mm thick so the grubscrew doesn't bear down on the winder thread.
It may be that the grubscrew in there is only holding in the threaded insert so can't be done there but might be able to do it under the grubscrew on the head section as that one possibly goes in to a groove to prevent it moving up and down.

Originally Posted by Sterob

Yes, all the cheapies seem to be missing a locking mechanism. If thats the only, downer then I could possibly fit one.


I found another one Ebay, which I was initally intersted in but it appear to only have a thin ring gripping the Router.( although I could make a new wider one and fit it.)

Steve

That ring looks about the same thickness as the one the use to lock a Makita trim router into a CNC so I don’t think it would be a problem in a mini router table

Originally Posted by 419

The problem with that, at least as far as I can see, is that you'd need a screw or clamping mechanism against one or both posts, which means you've got to get under the table and that's a nuisance.

I was thinking of extending the locking mechanism to the side of the table, so its easily accessable, but I cannott be sure that would work unless I buy one and eyeball it....A bit of a gamble.

Originally Posted by 419

There's always a few on Facebook Marketplace, often new in box, if you change your mind.

Yes, might be worth a try. The one I saw was only $50.....lol