Need Router Lift For Skill 1830

[Kerry Wright]

I received a Skill 1830 router combo kit from Christmas. My shaper took a dump on me today, so I figured now is as good of time as any to put a router lift in my TS extension table. The problem I am running into is it seems none of the major lift manufactures support this model. Or at least they don't advertise it.

Have any of you found (or has experience with, good or bad) a lift that works with this model router?

[Don Sundberg]

What is the diameter of the body that goes into the base? If you give us that, we should be able to figure out if any of the lifts will fit.

[Kerry Wright]

Don,

Sorry for the late response...long day!

The router motor has a diameter of 4 5/16".

[Dave Richards]

Is the motor house round. I tried looking at some images but couldn't tell for sure. If you can't find a commercially made lift that works, I can share with you how I made the lift I had for my plunge router. It took me about 30 minutes to make it and cost less than $10.

[Kerry Wright]

Dave, It's round except for the gear drive teeth.
308711

And yes, I would be very interested in seeing your plans!!

[Dave Richards]

I don't have a plan per se but here's what I did. I did this on a DW621 but I expect it could be made to work on your router, too. I used a couple of lengths of threaded rod screwed into the plunge base where the locking knobs for the edge guide normally go. On the DW621, anyway, there are holes positioned diagonally across the plate which worked perfectly for this. I locked these rods in place with hex nuts and lock washers driven down against the base plate.

The rods were cut about two inches above the top of the motor when the motor was all the way up (router bit retracted into base). I cut a scrap of wood and drilled holes so it could be slipped over the rods. In the middle I added another hole for a 3/8-16 TPI T-nut which I installed on the side toward the motor. Into the T-nut I threaded a bolt with a shop-made knob on one end and an acorn nut to bear against the motor housing. One turn of the knob would move the router bit 1/16 in.

So you end up with a sort of bridge over the top of the motor with a screw to move the motor up and down. This system results in squeezing the base and motor together like you would when using the plunge router by hand.

You do have to reach underneath the router when it is in the table with this arrangement but I didn't find it a big problem. I was usually squatting down to see the router bit or a measuring tool, anyhow.

A few years after I made it I was attracted to a shiny new Plunge Lift from Woodpeckers. It's a very nice lift but I sometimes wish I'd kept the one I made instead. Now I rarely use the router table because I have the Router Boss so even more I regret the investment in the Plunge Lift.

[Kerry Wright]

Dave,

Any pictures of your lift?

[Dave Richards]

Dave,

Any pictures of your lift?

Sorry. I can't find any photos. That was more than 10 years ago. I did a quick sketch (https://flic.kr/p/ry85qE) though. Wrong router model but hopefully you get the idea.

By the way, I found it useful for adjusting it when hand holding the router, too. It was easy to make very precise depth settings while the router was laying on the bench.

[scott spencer]

Ultimately it's up to you, but most of the router lifts are more expensive than this router, so I don't think I'd bother. I'd just use whatever height adjustments are built into the base. I might consider building my own, but it's still a fair amount of effort.

[Dave Richards]

Ultimately it's up to you, but most of the router lifts are more expensive than this router, so I don't think I'd bother. I'd just use whatever height adjustments are built into the base. I might consider building my own, but it's still a fair amount of effort.

Good point on the price of commercial lifts relative to the price of the router. It's probably worth saving your shekels, Kerry, and getting a better router later.

My lift wasn't much effort unless drilling three holes in a scrap of oak is considered "a fair amount of effort."

[glenn bradley]

I agree with Scott and Dave. I would not select a high quality lift based on that router. I would build something for it if it were not too costly or time consuming. This is not to bash your router; its fine. In my opinion the decision is being made in reverse. I wouldn't buy a different car just because I got a great deal on some tires. I would buy the car I wanted and put better tires on it later if I wanted to do that. This logic breaks down if you are looking at lifts in the sub $200 range ;).

All that being said, it sounds like I am one of those guys that answers the question "what car should I get?" with "a Mercedes". That is not my intention. The websites for the different makers of lifts; Woodpecker, Jess-Em, Woodhaven, General, Incra, etc. will have the diameters listed that the lift will accommodate. Many offer "pads" that can be added to fit different routers. Quality commercial lifts are not inexpensive. I am just trying to urge you to look ahead to your eventual dedicated table-router before you lay out a few hundred dollars for a lift if that is the direction you end up going.

[Kerry Wright]

I have two shapers so this was never an issue until the one unit decided to go south in the middle of a custom trim run. This is why I was looking at a router lift. More of a backup plan (and a way to finish this run sooner rather than later) for now. Some time down the road I will upgrade to a better router but for now it is, what it is.

I appreciate your responses, but back to the original question. Does anyone know of a lift that works with this router?