This may be a Tool Time question appropriate elsewhere but I figured that the FR forum is the right place to talk about build tools.
I'd like to get a lightweight non-industrial strength router. One that is easy to handle for someone coming on to arthritis in the wrists.
A company called Trend has such an item.
But this appears to be an English company. And Porter Cable has one that looks similar though I can't recall which photo on here showed that. Porter cable is available here in US but it's still expensive anywhere you go.
This all got started with wanting to make flush mounts.
The flush mount jig/template requires a table mount router functioning as a spindle shaper. That's to get the square shape (or any shape other than round) of the driver flange.
For my workspace, the fixed base would be mounted on a work table with a removable center leaf. Pop it in, pop it out.
I suppose an extra motor housing of the quick release kind would be beneficial to cut down wear and tear on the fixed mount table setup.
What suggestions can you make?
If this belongs elsewhere just let me know where it winds up if moved.
cheers
I'd like to get a lightweight non-industrial strength router. One that is easy to handle for someone coming on to arthritis in the wrists.
A company called Trend has such an item.
But this appears to be an English company. And Porter Cable has one that looks similar though I can't recall which photo on here showed that. Porter cable is available here in US but it's still expensive anywhere you go.
This all got started with wanting to make flush mounts.
The flush mount jig/template requires a table mount router functioning as a spindle shaper. That's to get the square shape (or any shape other than round) of the driver flange.
For my workspace, the fixed base would be mounted on a work table with a removable center leaf. Pop it in, pop it out.
I suppose an extra motor housing of the quick release kind would be beneficial to cut down wear and tear on the fixed mount table setup.
What suggestions can you make?
If this belongs elsewhere just let me know where it winds up if moved.
cheers
The larger Porter cables are about half the price or less than a similarly powered Trend here in Europe.. makes us europeans drool, except we need a trafo to run the PCs, and only some of them can cope with 50hz. England often uses 110V for site power...not sure about the Trends doing 60 hz,
Have you checked out Rockler for the PCs...quite often on sale.....
Have you checked out Rockler for the PCs...quite often on sale.....
The Bosch POF series with electronic speed control are pretty good and go up to about 1400W. I would have thought that they would be easily available in the US too. They are easy to handle (though they don't have the soft start feature of the pro types) and come with a good range of accesories (they do here in the UK) including parallel guide, circle cutting accessory and dust extraction outlet.
Gareth
Gareth
I have been completely happy with the Bosch routers, both the 1617EVSPK and the PR20EVSK. Amazon has some relatively inexpensive kits of each with many accessories. I also would look at the table tops that Rockler sells. You get just the top and make your own stand.
Other thing to look at is the Jasper jigs. They are great for the circular holes. And lastly, don't cheat on bits. They make a difference.
Craig
Other thing to look at is the Jasper jigs. They are great for the circular holes. And lastly, don't cheat on bits. They make a difference.
Craig
I see they moved me. Ok.
From the tips so far the most accessible and reasonbly priced item is
from Porter Cable:
Porter Cable 690LR Router $149.99
The Home Depot has the Rockler accessoriies and likely the Lowes (our Lowes is new) has some of this.
One thing I never see on Freecycle is power tools. I have no idea where old power tools go. Freecycke is an online free exchange of stuff.
But the other question is: on the Porter Cable 690LR Router do they have extra fixed bases with quick relase? I imagine the adjustment is Porter Cable quality.
I've seen and priced the Jaspers on and off over time but the small roto tool I've been using has a circle cutter. That tool takes nothing larger than 1/4 bits. But no way will mount right.
From the tips so far the most accessible and reasonbly priced item is
from Porter Cable:
Porter Cable 690LR Router $149.99
The Home Depot has the Rockler accessoriies and likely the Lowes (our Lowes is new) has some of this.
One thing I never see on Freecycle is power tools. I have no idea where old power tools go. Freecycke is an online free exchange of stuff.
But the other question is: on the Porter Cable 690LR Router do they have extra fixed bases with quick relase? I imagine the adjustment is Porter Cable quality.
I've seen and priced the Jaspers on and off over time but the small roto tool I've been using has a circle cutter. That tool takes nothing larger than 1/4 bits. But no way will mount right.
Rockler sells the 690 with combo base for 209$. This was the one I was looking at for myself.
The Bosch 1600W combo is 219$
These are the more heavier candidates.
Of course there are cheaper versions- particularly in the US.
Your intended use and load factor should be a guidance.
If you intend to use it table mounted, there are often good priced packages - router and lift - but I haven't checked this for some time now. I'll probably buy a Bosch combo from England ( half price compared to Norway retailers)
The Bosch 1600W combo is 219$
These are the more heavier candidates.
Of course there are cheaper versions- particularly in the US.
Your intended use and load factor should be a guidance.
If you intend to use it table mounted, there are often good priced packages - router and lift - but I haven't checked this for some time now. I'll probably buy a Bosch combo from England ( half price compared to Norway retailers)
deal of the day
Here is a reconditioned item. I didn't look at warranty details or shipping. Is this the deal to beat?
http://bosch.cpotools.com/reconditioned_tools/routers/fixed-base_routers/
Things I do will not require a lot of wear and tear usage.
Here is a reconditioned item. I didn't look at warranty details or shipping. Is this the deal to beat?
http://bosch.cpotools.com/reconditioned_tools/routers/fixed-base_routers/
Things I do will not require a lot of wear and tear usage.
Re: deal of the day
Very nice indeed, those routers (Grade A) sell for a lot more than $140 over here, mind you so does pretty much everything. With 2.25horsepower aswell you could even ride it down to your timber yard 😀.
Nah, seriously though, I know some of the guys in work use the same and they are pretty impresed with them and the fact that you cah swap the handles over.
I wonder if these are the Swiss made (probably) or the Chinese made efforts..
Gareth
loninappleton said:
Very nice indeed, those routers (Grade A) sell for a lot more than $140 over here, mind you so does pretty much everything. With 2.25horsepower aswell you could even ride it down to your timber yard 😀.
Nah, seriously though, I know some of the guys in work use the same and they are pretty impresed with them and the fact that you cah swap the handles over.
I wonder if these are the Swiss made (probably) or the Chinese made efforts..
Gareth
I have bought a number of reconditioned Bosch tools and never had a problem with any of them. The only concern is that often I can get the same tool new as part of a package deal and it is actually cheaper in the package deal. Why I actually look at Amazon's prices for tools.
Craig
Craig
Re: Re: Getting serious about routers
Gareth,
What I want to do is make a fresh thread called "Flush mounting drivers: The whole story" as reference.
Please join me for that discussion and we can go through the techniques-- perhaps with the help of your pictures (I can't do pictures.) There seems no one source for this kind of info-- I've looked at Fine Woodworking (subscription required) and the like and have not found all the details.
pinkmouse said:
Gareth,
What I want to do is make a fresh thread called "Flush mounting drivers: The whole story" as reference.
Please join me for that discussion and we can go through the techniques-- perhaps with the help of your pictures (I can't do pictures.) There seems no one source for this kind of info-- I've looked at Fine Woodworking (subscription required) and the like and have not found all the details.
Hi lonina,
It was 'pinkmouse' who supplied the pictures, not myself. Although I am sure everybody here will help and provide you with lots of tips (and photos) if you want, I can't see there being any problems. There are some really knowledgeable people here, and I would be glad to help if I can.
I would like to add this though, the use of router tables has been mentioned previously and if you are not too confident then I suppose the table could help, but, I don't know anybody over here that uses one (except workshops) and really speaking there is not much you can't achieve with a Workmate or two saw horses (and a sheet of ply or MDF) and some fairly decent clamps. I suppose it depends on how much cash you want to outlay. Consequently, using your machine by hand will help to improve your technique for future use, afterall some jobs can't be completed on a router table.
The choice is yours really.
Gareth
It was 'pinkmouse' who supplied the pictures, not myself. Although I am sure everybody here will help and provide you with lots of tips (and photos) if you want, I can't see there being any problems. There are some really knowledgeable people here, and I would be glad to help if I can.
I would like to add this though, the use of router tables has been mentioned previously and if you are not too confident then I suppose the table could help, but, I don't know anybody over here that uses one (except workshops) and really speaking there is not much you can't achieve with a Workmate or two saw horses (and a sheet of ply or MDF) and some fairly decent clamps. I suppose it depends on how much cash you want to outlay. Consequently, using your machine by hand will help to improve your technique for future use, afterall some jobs can't be completed on a router table.
The choice is yours really.
Gareth
pinkmouse said:
Sorry, my bad. Must've been something int he corner of my eye.
The new thread is started in the forum group everything else called
Flush mounting speakers: the whole story.
I started out with what I know about rebateing round ones.
About tables.
A preview of the discussion on the Rodney Buike technique
is that a table mounted router is used without a fence or other doo-dads that are sold for router tables.
The technique to make a a template described by Buike has the
driver bolted face down to a piece with the hole cut for the
driver and trimmed close.
The table mounted router is used as a spindle shaper. A flush trim bit with bearing is used to shape away the waste and leave the
first template shape of the speaker flange. The bearing makes contact with the flange and that gives the true shape of the flange.
The transfer process then goes through a couple more steps using
different side bearings.
The end result is to have a jig made that the router can accurately follow.
I don't think it will infringe on copyright if, at some point, I give the
complete parts list. But all this should go in the other thread:
I'll give the thread link after I reload this.
pinkmouse said:
Frankly I am just learning all this about bushings and bearings.
I'm studying the picture here and I see how the bushing should match the depth of the template.
The question before that is how to get cutout exact so as to look good as a repeatable procedure.
I am not looking for techniques for business. I have only done a few cabinets in my life. This is just to refine how I can do things with
preferably minimal gear.
Continuing with the Buike technique, once the shaped template
is made the screw holes from the speaker are used to register the
piece on the second blank.
Then, the second blank piece is drilled to accept an outer pass by a bearing bit.
This template cutout will then be larger than the first by the depth of the bit and bearing, say 3/8 inches. The final template will have a 1/8 in. clearance after the jig is complete.
Now before anybody starts to follow this, there are some things from Buike for setup I have not included. I will talk about those
but this is to clarify the difference between using a bushing and a template made freehand and one using the shaping technique.
Pinkmouse I'm hoping you can help with this with a full set of pictures. This should be made permanent some way. Also I hope that a technique can be simplified as much as possible.
Doing it free hand, the corner radiuses are always off by a bit.
And with a curved side on the flange, I've hand trimmed with a knife to get that looking smooth. The goal is to have a repeatable shape
with identical corners etc.
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