Please help me buy a trim router

[John Huber]

I need a trim router to finish the solid wood edging flush with its veneer panel. Can anyone recommend a make and model? Is there a book or DVD that teaches techniques?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

John

[tod evans]

john, any handheld router will do this job. the laminate trimmers are smaller and somewhat easier to drive. i use the 691 d-handled p/c and the 310 trimmer, ..02 tod

[Larry Norton]

Bosch just came out with a "Palm" router. I have one, and I like it, though I haven't used it enough to give a very good review.

[Doug Shepard]

I've had a DeWalt Trim Router (forget the model #, but they only make one) that I've been pretty happy with. I had to replace the collet after about 5 yrs of pretty regular use. The first one got worn out and would allow bit slip, but other than that no problems.
You can also do the hardwood edge trimmng on a router table too. You just need to make an auxilary fence where the vertical face overhangs the base enough that the edging excess will fit. Then stand the panels up and use a flush trim bit through a hole in the base. I made one after seeing the idea in a WW mag (forget which one) and it works really well.

[David Eisenhauer]

There are a couple of tricks to help hand-held flush trimming go a little easier if you want to go that way. The biggest problem is the router wants to tip over because it doesn't have much of a base to ride on if you are trimming shelve edging prior to installing the shelves in the cabinet. If you have more than one shelf, you can clamp two or more shelves together with a scrap spacer(s) between the shelves somehere below the top where the trimming bit will run. The spacer should be wide enough to allow the router to ride on both shelf edges at the same time and give you a wider base while you run the bit around the outside and inside edges. Another trick is to screw a "fence" extending down below the bottom of your router base at 90* to the base that will ride on the face of the shelf and prevent the router from tipping. This would need a vertical half-circular hole through it to allow space for the flush trim bit to run in, or make it in two halves like a split fence on a router table. This takes more work to create the fence, but is easier to use in the long run by not having to fool with clamps. Best of luck.