Router Selection

[Mindcrime]

Hey guys,
I need some advise on a router, I have been nitten by the DIY bug, I have built a couple of sets of Cyburgs Needles, now I'm hooked. I was using a circular saw, it was fine to get my feet wet, but its time to step up. I puchased a refurbished Ryobi table saw from cpooutlets.com. Now I am looking to get a router and some bits. is there anything I should look out for? What other tools would you suggest? Thanks in advance gang!

Building electronics just wasn't enough!! lol

[Jdurg]

Heh. That's why I like speakers. It's a nice mixture of electronics and woodworking. Two things that can create so much stress, yet relieve it at the same time.

One of the first power tools I bought was a Ridgid 2939 Router Combo. (I think that's the model number). It's a fixed base and plunge base router kit and it does a great job. Just ordered a Jasper Rig to cut the circles out for my drivers. Wednesday will be fun, and the speaker will be done by the end of next weekend.

[arlis_1957@yahoo.com]

depends on what you want to spend. i bought the 99 dollar ryobi plunge router a few months ago and am very happy with it. if money was not a thing i would have gone with a porter-cable combo. i also have a fixed router in a table also 99 dollars. its ryobi too. does the job. cheap way to get started. i found a large collection kit of bits on ebay to start, but you could get by well with a spiral bit or straight bit set and a rabbit bit set.

[djg]

I bought a Bosch, but it is pricey. Lots of people like the Hitachi, and it is cheaper. You do need a plunge router. Amazon has reviews. You can always buy used.

[kenmcculloch]

I bought the Hitachi 12V plunge router and it is a monster. However, it is heavy (12 lbs) and hurts a lot when you drop it on your foot and lose you big toenail! (long story). It has a fixed metal bottom when doesnt allow a large bit to be attached (like a furniture bit 2.5" wide). It has lots of power and easy to changes bits. My buddy has the Bosch 2 part and it's lighter and works well. If you're mainly doing spiral upcut hole cutouts, roundover and flush trim cuts then the plunge router is the way to go.

But watch your feet.

[johnastockman]

If you can swing it, a router with a combo plunge and fixed base is great. Any of the reputable brand names, but make sure it has 1/2" chuck capacity. Some of the woodworking mags have a lot of info and reviews/tests on their respective web-sites. When working with MDF, dust collection is important. From what I've read and observed, the DeWalt has one of the best...don't rely on those white dust masks, they are not adequate for the fine powder that MDF generates. I use a particulate respirator, about $20-$40 at any HD or Lowes. For bits, some straight, round-overs, and a rabbet set. No high-speed steel, make sure they're carbide. A spiral bit works well for cutting the driver mortises and through-holes and a flush-trim bit for cleaning up edges. A circle-cutting jig is invaluable for the driver mortises...there's the Jasper and the Router Buddy. They usually fit most of the popular routers, but best to check the router you're considering to see if it'll fit. Variable speed is another nice feature.

John A.

[Wolf]

I have the Ryobi $99 plunge router from HD, as well as the 1/2" collet bit set, and edge guide that you can buy to accompany it. It's fairly light weight, variable speed (2HP peak). The bit set should suffice most of your needed bits for awhile, but it lacks the spiral-upcut/downcut bits. The set is of good quality, and should last you awhile.

There is no dust collection for it that I am aware of, *but* there are base-plates you can purchase with inherent shop-vac dust extraction ports. I do not know if these will fit the Ryobi.

I also have a Router Buddy, which *does* fit the Ryobi with minor modification. Please use the screws that come with the Ryobi for mounting it, not the cheap ones with the 'Buddy, as they will not stand up to much pressure without stripping out the heads.

My wife bought me a decent router table for Christmas, a Wolfcraft (How appropriate!!) floorstander from Menards. This one is also available in table-top for about $80, has capacity for 3.5" diameter bit heads, interchangeable inserts, and a dust extraction port in the fence should you want one. It's not metal, but you can reinforce it if desired. The Ryobi does fit the base that comes with the table, so you can mount it easily.

I also would recommend these following bits in addition to the set Ryobi offers:
*spiral-upcut, for circle cutting. I bought a 3/8", as most of the rebates I cut are close to this dimension for drivers. I also recommend carbide for these, albeit expensive.

*1/4" laminate-trimming bit if you wish to veneer. This is nice to remove the excess edge.

*3/4" roundover bit. This is a staple for edge-treatment of speaker cabinets, but a lot of people use the 1/2" roundover.

*pattern-bit, opposite of flush-trim bit. This allows you to make a template, and surface mount the template to your workpiece. Your bit follows the template with a bearing. Whiteside makes an "under-over" flush bit that has both in one package.

*rabbet-bit set, or slot-cutters can be beneficial.


I also have a 2.5" table-edge, large 1.25" 45 deg chamfer, and am looking for a 1/2" roundunder bit of decent cost. The table edge is nice, but risky without a table or mount, as it is rather large. The large chamfer allows perfect 45 miters when used in a table, as opposed to a sometimes sloppy table saw. The roundunder bit is an advantage if you cut your holes after you glue the boxes together. These will allow you in a pinch to relieve the area behind the driver for better breathing room after boxes are constructed.

Hope this helps,
Wolf

[jerryanderson]

Craftsman also has a fixed and plunge base combo set. Rack & Pinion Adjustment seems to be the best especially for under router table work. MLCS also sells some nice router tables. I purchased their rock solid portable router table and has worked fine for me. A very nice table for the price. Good bits are the best for your project. Cheapies are ok for practice work and learning how to use your equipment. A spiral uppercut bit is good for cutting out the holes. Jasper Jig is a good attachemnt to have. The craftsman routers also can be set up for 1/4" or 1/2" collet and are included in the package!

[arlis_1957@yahoo.com]

ps the porter cable combo set is on sale at menards right now.
i purchase spiral bit 3-packs at harbor freight pretty cheap. work just fine for mdf.

[LouC]

You might check here:http://www.reconditionedsales.com/Routers___c362.aspx and see if any of these look good. Prices are very good.

[Mindcrime]

THanks for the help guys... I'm glad I asked I would have made the wrong choice I"m sure.. so what is the difference between a fixed base and plunge? Sorry for the rookie questions, I was an auto body tech for 13 years, and run a body shop now, so you need anything made of metal I"m your guy.. but wood has always been evil for me..lol

[MagicO309d]

THanks for the help guys... I'm glad I asked I would have made the wrong choice I"m sure.. so what is the difference between a fixed base and plunge? Sorry for the rookie questions, I was an auto body tech for 13 years, and run a body shop now, so you need anything made of metal I"m your guy.. but wood has always been evil for me..lol

Basically, you use the fixed base for laminate trimming and roundovers with bits that have ball bearing guides. The plunge base is used with bits that have cutting edges on their ends such as used with circle jigs and templates/guides for cutting speaker holes, flushmounts, and dados.

I went with one of the big Porter Cable sets because it was on sale when I needed it, very nice indeed. Soft start, variable speed, and dust collection are very nice features to look for regardless of brand. For laminate trimming, I still use my 25 year old small cheap 1/4" Sears router because it is still easier to handle for this use.

If you are buying your first router, go with a good 1/2" unit with fixed and plunge bases because it will cover all your needs from the start.

[williamrschneider]

so what is the difference between a fixed base and plunge?

A plunge base allows the spinning cutter to be lowered straight down into the stock. There is usually a thumb release on a handle that unlocks the motor/bit so that you can raise or lower it while it's running.

While you could conceivably use a fixed base to do driver rebates and cutouts, it would be very cumbersome.

My Bosch plunge router has an 8-step indexing stop that limit the depth of cut to 1/8" increments which I like for doing cutouts (stepping ever deeper) with a spiral upcut bit.

[Jdurg]

You might check here:http://www.reconditionedsales.com/Routers___c362.aspx and see if any of these look good. Prices are very good.

That is a GREAT place for picking up tools! I got my Hitachi 12" Laser Guided Compoud Miter Saw from there for only $210. About half of the actual retail cost of it. I was initially concerned about purchasing a "reconditioned" tool, but after reading through all their legal disclaimers and whatnot, I learned it's not a bad thing at all. "Reconditioned" tools are exactly the same as the retail models. They might just have a flaw in a part of the tool that doesn't affect the safety or performance (such as a chip in a plastic covering), or they were once broken or didn't meet production specifications and the broken/bad parts were completely replaced. They have the same warranties as a new tool, but they are sold "reconditioned" because once they have been opened from their factory box, they CAN'T be sold as new tools. Hell, some of them are simply returns after someone opened the box, used it once, then returned it to the store. I love my miter saw that I bought from there. Beats the living hell out of my $40 Harbor Frieght POS.

With a router, a jasper jig is pretty much a necessity if you want to use it to route out holes for your driver. Unless of course you have hand-eye coordination that's impeccable and can cut a perfect circle without a jig. I hadn't had one for a while because I wasn't sure it would fit the base of my Ridgid Router, but then I read that Ridgid's base is exactly the same as the Porter Cable 690 series routers.

[nikbrewer]

Hey, i can cut a circle wth out a jig with my router

I just draw it in cad, and send it down to my garage. Of course my router appens to be in CNC

If you have to do it by hand, dont sell your self short on the power.

I have a small ryobie laminate trimmer i do small round overs with,
a PC 690 which is 1.75 hp, and i do most the work with this
My cnc has the 3.25 HP PC router in it, if you plan on using a router table most the time, or turning large bits, this is th router to have. It is high doller though, 299 for motor only, or 349 for the fixed bas, and i think 399 for the plunge.

I would start with a 2.25HP PC or hitachi, and then later bt a small laminate trimmer for venner work and small stuff, and then of you find you have a router tbale set up most the time, get the largest router you can afford

[davidellis]

The advice above is solid - IMO. I would also like to add my snippets of experience in this regard. While I have become a tool snob in recent years, I only recommend this after you manage to burn-out cheap tools from over-use or have an application where a better (i.e. more expensive) tool becomes necessary. This recently became true with my router(s).

I had a pair of older Porter Cable/Rockwell "690" type routers. They performed nicely, but spun a very large bit too fast. They didn't have speed control and I found this very necessary for a large diameter roundover bit. The bit speed was FAST and burned the bit while cutting. Further, the bit was somewhat frightening. Following this, I decided to purchase a router with a speed control. After some fiddling with the routers at the local tool store, I purchased the Makita 3612. It ran very smoth, had very ergonomic adjustability, and a base that could be "augmented" to accomodate the 1 1/2" roundover. After spending several hours with the router - it's wonderful!

So... I suppose my advice is, but a fairly cheap router initially. Find one that adjusts nicely, has a 1/2" collet, and adjustable speed ( if possible). I have found there are discernable differences in more expensive tools, but this only makes sense IF they are being used often - IMO.

My 2c,

Another Dave

[nikbrewer]

i would agree variable speed is great.

However, if i read the above post correctly, I would nto agree that a makita is better then a porter cable. I personally feel the porter cable is the wrok horse of the routers. The newer 2.2h hp is variable speep. You metion that your routers where fromthe rockwell area, making them atleast 15-yrs old i bet, probally more, so there is proof alone they are menat to last.

also, the ols 690 form that area may have been 1 to 1-25 hp

[davidellis]

One of my "old routers" (the Rockwell) is @+ 20 years old. The other is @ 8 years old. And, I thought the older Rockwell tool was slightly better than the newer actual Porter Cable 690. Yes, these were/are VERY durable tools.

The newer Porter Cable routers did seem much better with regard to motor operation/smoothness/noise when compared to my older "Porter Cable" routers. Yes, the new PC units have improved! However, I preferred the motor operation/feel of the Makita slightly better. And I vastly preferred how the adjustment system on the Makita 3612 was arranged.

I really was hoping the Big Porter Cable would work for me. I have had great luck with their tools. I have their 7336 R.O. sander and biscuit jointer too. Indeed, Porter Cable makes very good tools and it doesn't seem like the quality is slipping.

The local tool store allowed me to turn-on all of the routers. I think they had @ 5 of the bigger routers, Bosch, Makita, Porter Cable and Hitachi. The big surprise was the Hitachi. It was very smooth (and fairly cheap), but the base diameter was too small and the adjustments were less ergonomic than the Makita.

Another Dave

[ScottM]

In the past i've done a great deal of work with both the 3.25hp Hitachi and the 3.25hp Makita primarily with acrylic but increasingly now with MDF and ply. Smaller routers are nice for flush trimming but big routers really make quick work out of more serious jobs. I like the Hitachi for the price but the Makita has a motor brake which i love when i'm doing lots of bit changes.

Scott