Brian Kent
05-31-2007, 10:45 PM
I was tired of despising my router and table. I was not using them because of excessing noise, vibration, frustration and lack of control. So I started reading and listening and taking advice.
Here is what I came up with.
To start with, I made this new fence this week, using scrap wood and parts I already had, plus about $30 in sale items from Rockler. I bolted most everything together, so that I can correct mistakes and make changes and improvements as I go along.
My cheapo router table from the past (Wolfcraft from Home Depot) is for now my router mounting plate. The table is a discarded school table with maple trim and solid core laminate in the middle.
The Wolfcraft aluminum table had about a 1/8" crown on it. The aluminum was only about 1/6" thick, so I couldn't grind or sand it to shape. Just before I was going to throw it away, I pounded it hard about 7 times with a big old rubber-face mallet and it was almost perfect. A couple extra blows on one corner finished it. I was laughing for about ten minutes as I checked it with a straight edge.
Tomorrow I expect delivery of a reconditioned Porter Cable 892 router from Amazon. It was only $119 plus $11 shipping. For that price and with a 1 year warrantee, I'll take a chance on a reconditioned unit. It is replacing the cheapest 1/4" collet Ryobi.
I added an above-table adjuster for $31.
For my final step in this stage, I'm trying the winning router bit (Whiteside #3212 Cove and Bead) from the Fine Woodworking bit comparison.
Total cost was $226 for a new router, 1 trial bit, shop made fence and freshly-pounded table. Let's see if that buys a little more smoothness and control and a little less vibration and noise.
Here is what I came up with.
To start with, I made this new fence this week, using scrap wood and parts I already had, plus about $30 in sale items from Rockler. I bolted most everything together, so that I can correct mistakes and make changes and improvements as I go along.
My cheapo router table from the past (Wolfcraft from Home Depot) is for now my router mounting plate. The table is a discarded school table with maple trim and solid core laminate in the middle.
The Wolfcraft aluminum table had about a 1/8" crown on it. The aluminum was only about 1/6" thick, so I couldn't grind or sand it to shape. Just before I was going to throw it away, I pounded it hard about 7 times with a big old rubber-face mallet and it was almost perfect. A couple extra blows on one corner finished it. I was laughing for about ten minutes as I checked it with a straight edge.
Tomorrow I expect delivery of a reconditioned Porter Cable 892 router from Amazon. It was only $119 plus $11 shipping. For that price and with a 1 year warrantee, I'll take a chance on a reconditioned unit. It is replacing the cheapest 1/4" collet Ryobi.
I added an above-table adjuster for $31.
For my final step in this stage, I'm trying the winning router bit (Whiteside #3212 Cove and Bead) from the Fine Woodworking bit comparison.
Total cost was $226 for a new router, 1 trial bit, shop made fence and freshly-pounded table. Let's see if that buys a little more smoothness and control and a little less vibration and noise.