routers

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ed
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#1 routers

Post by ed »

I've had an up and down journey with routers since the early days...

when I was building long case clocks as a hobby I had a really expensive ELU router which lasted about 3 years before it started giving me electric shocks. The service centre couldn't fix it and suggested I buy another....I was disappointed and vowed never to buy another Elu and instead bought a cheap one from B&Q. This lasted from 1999 until 6 months ago and during that time I think I put about 3 sets of brushes in it and made one or 2 surgical repairs.

just goes to show that quality is not always dictated by price, although imo it is most of the time.

Some time back I bought a Draper 1/2 inch at an irrisistible price, just as an emergency replacement if needed. It's lived under the bench for about 5 years unused, until now.

The dilemma was that none of my templates and accessories(guide bushes, varijig, and countless templates) were compatible and it had a none standard base. So I had to meake the decision to buy a current Trend model(loadsamoney) or frig the Draper to accept standard Trend accessories. I had a universal base but that wouldn't fit the Draper. In the end I bought a trend flat base(accepts standard guide bushes) and lined it up and drilled it to fit the Draper. I've also re-drilled the varijig to fit the Draper base...

so now all is good and cheapskatesRus has saved a few hundred pounds, never a bad thing here.

so why am I telling you this?....I've just had a break from routing, for a coffee, and thought I'd share.
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#2 Re: routers

Post by Cressy Snr »

For the first couple of sentences, I thought you were talking about ‘rooters’ of the Internet type. I think I’m losing it :shock:
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#3 Re: routers

Post by Ant »

I have one of those trend unibase bolt on bases that i use for the other 2 routers (the bosch and the hitachi) in order to use trend guide bushes.
Quite useful, although i have ended up making my own bushes for the bosch one for specific jobs.
The trend t5 itself died a death a few years ago due to the bearings letting go and damaging the housings but i still have the unibase and the bush set i bought to go with it.
used when i have to drag out the dovetailing jig which is very rarely, or i want a specific offset.
I think it was about 20 quid when i bought it probably 10 years ago, i wouldnt like to think what they cost now
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#4 Re: routers

Post by ed »

Ant wrote: Tue May 10, 2022 11:19 am The trend t5 itself died a death a few years ago due to the bearings letting go and damaging the housings but i still have the unibase and the bush set i bought to go with it.
yeah, that's exactly what happened to the B&Q, the top bearing let go and took out half the casing...oh waily
I found a Trend GB/5 base just about fits the Draper base.....fingers crossed, so far so good.

I was looking at a T12 or a T7 at a push but the T7 doesn't have a base for the standard guide bushes....it's a mine field, more waily
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#5 Re: routers

Post by Ant »

I havent used the t12 but i have used the t7 which wasnt bad, it felt abit light to me
My 1/2" one is a hitachi m12, it weights an absolute ton but that makes it very stable. In some ways its better than the 1/4" bosch for small fiddly bits because its so heavy

Yep the top end of the trend just smashed itself to bits when the top bearing let go, wrecked the coils and the armature so i just binned it. My own fault really because it had been making knackered bearing noises for a while, i should have just put some new ones in when it started but no. Thought i could just get away with one more job....
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#6 Re: routers

Post by jack »

I don't know why, but I have more routers than any other power tool.

My original Bosch piddly 1/4" I sold at a boot fair last year (went round the workshop and anything not used for 5 years went).

I still have the replacement CMT 1E 1/2" ("The Only Orange One" similar to DeWalt DW625e & ELU MOF177e) which is a beast, plus the Trend T11e 1/2" which is permanently mounted in the router table lift.

Then there's a really nice 1/4" Makita RP1110C that I bought years ago when on a routing course at Axminster's and finally a Makita RT0702CX4 1/4" trimmer which frankly scares the bejeezus out of me as it's on/off (with no NVR) rather than trigger so if you drop it, it keeps going...

Maybe I don't stress them enough as I've never had one fail.

Tbh, although I use them a lot, routers scare me as the big ones are vicious and unforgiving and that edge trimmer...
Last edited by jack on Wed May 11, 2022 9:21 am, edited 7 times in total.
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#7 Re: routers

Post by Ant »

I just have a cheap katsu laminate trimmer. It came with the laminate trimmer base, a plunge base and an angle adjustable base. I think is only something like 600w. the plunge base is attached to to adjustable trammell base i got from rutlands, the laminate trimmer base it attached to a router table top i made which sits on an open topped steel frame i welded up years ago with the intention of dropping in different tops to make a router table and a table saw.
Dont like table saws, i have a clarke one which i really dont like using, and ive never used the top i made to mount the circular saw.
The frame is used for everything, i dont have a workshop so everything has to be done outside other than the lathe and mill which are not man portable and are permenantly set up inside.
all the other tools such as the planer thicknesser, bandsaw, mitre saw et cetera fit on it. It just a pig to have to lug everything out of the storage shed and lift them onto the frame every time i want to use them.
I use the frame for spraying too because its open so i can get to everywhere, i think the paint is a couple if mils thick on it there has been that much stuff painted on it. No chance of it rusting...
The katsu has taken some right abuse since i got it and ive never had any problems with it which aint bad for a chinese makita knock off
Even used upside down in the router table base it seems to be fine, although i do tend to give it a blow out with compressed air after most uses to make sure its not accumulating crap in it
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#8 Re: routers

Post by ed »

jack wrote: Wed May 11, 2022 8:15 am Tbh, although I use them a lot, routers scare me as the big ones are viscous and unforgiving and that edge trimmer...
viscous? snigger
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#9 Re: routers

Post by jack »

ed wrote: Wed May 11, 2022 8:51 am
jack wrote: Wed May 11, 2022 8:15 am Tbh, although I use them a lot, routers scare me as the big ones are viscous and unforgiving and that edge trimmer...
viscous? snigger
I was being a bit thick... (SWIDT)

None of my routers have NVR, which when you consider just how extremely dangerous they are, surprises me. NVR for a router seems like a complete essential, yet none of the manufacturers seem to do it. They're completely happy to do that for table saws of similar power (2000W), so why not routers that could shred you in an instant....
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#10 Re: routers

Post by ed »

good point, totally agree.....
although, afaik all reputable tables have NVR which you plug the router into...
but in their defense, I've never seen a router which didn't have a dead mans handle(except maybe your trimmer), so you would think that the manufacturers have at least thought about it.
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#11 Re: routers

Post by jack »

ed wrote: Wed May 11, 2022 9:56 am good point, totally agree.....
although, afaik all reputable tables have NVR which you plug the router into...
but in their defense, I've never seen a router which didn't have a dead mans handle(except maybe your trimmer), so you would think that the manufacturers have at least thought about it.
The CMT also has an on/off lever (not deadman) and the Makita has a trigger but also a lock button so that you fingers don't get tired on a long job... that trigger lock is not NVR, so it's essentially not a deadman either.

Just surprises me - it would be an easy thing to do.
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#12 Re: routers

Post by Ant »

My bosch has to have a little button that you would think is the trigger lock depressed so you can pull the trigger, it doesnt lock in the on position so if you let go it switches straight off. the hitachi is abit different as it has a big switch that has to be pulled down with the thumb to switch it on, but the slightest jolt turns it off. Abit like the switch on a grinder.
I put an nvr on the router table top, that nvr came off a cheap old pressed steel router table that was as much use as a chocolate fireguard. Only bit that was any use, the table itself was rubbish. The laminate trimmer is just on or off with no safety
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#13 Re: routers

Post by Mike H »

Cressy Snr wrote: Tue May 10, 2022 11:13 am For the first couple of sentences, I thought you were talking about ‘rooters’ of the Internet type. I think I’m losing it :shock:
Us both then, altho I did it t'other way round, was right first time then thought is it the other type after all ... :lol:

Back on topic ..... :oops:
 
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