Dave Morris
06-04-2007, 1:37 AM
On a lark, I picked up something that looked like it *might* fit a Stanley "R2D2"-looking router I have that is part of an old Stanly Powerplane. Sure 'nuff, the router fits perfectly. Hey, the price was right... free.
It looks like a small drill press stand, with "STANLEY" cast into the base. There is a 10" x 14" table that can swivel sideways, and move up and down on the main post, with a mount underniegth to hang the router. The mount pivots from vertical to 45°, whether that is for angled cuts with the router or just to make mounting the router easier I donn't know. The table has 5 pairs of matched holes spaced 6" apart around the router opening, and several others spaced at different places, that look like they might be for mounting a fence. So far, so good, some kind of router table, right?
But above the table is another place to mount a router that rides on a nicely dovetailed weighs (ways?), and this moves up and down by means of a handle using a gear that meshes with a replacable toothed portion of the weighs. There is also what appears to be a depth stop on the upper assembly. Now it's an overhead router press???
No identification or serial numbers, other than the cast Stanley on the base, another STANLEY cast into the overhead arm where it meets the post, and "C 1687" cast into the upper arm next to the depth stop.
I put my old router in both the upper and lower places for the pictures to give some perspective. So, what is this thing? Any idea when it was made? (give or take a couple decades) Are there other parts I should keep an eye out for? There is some surface rust and a lot of, er, "patina", but it will clean up nicely and look as good as new. Everything moves smoothly, but can it be anything more than just a cute 32" tall Cast Iron Paperweight?
Hopefully some of the old timers here will recognize this, cuz Google wasn't any help.
It looks like a small drill press stand, with "STANLEY" cast into the base. There is a 10" x 14" table that can swivel sideways, and move up and down on the main post, with a mount underniegth to hang the router. The mount pivots from vertical to 45°, whether that is for angled cuts with the router or just to make mounting the router easier I donn't know. The table has 5 pairs of matched holes spaced 6" apart around the router opening, and several others spaced at different places, that look like they might be for mounting a fence. So far, so good, some kind of router table, right?
But above the table is another place to mount a router that rides on a nicely dovetailed weighs (ways?), and this moves up and down by means of a handle using a gear that meshes with a replacable toothed portion of the weighs. There is also what appears to be a depth stop on the upper assembly. Now it's an overhead router press???
No identification or serial numbers, other than the cast Stanley on the base, another STANLEY cast into the overhead arm where it meets the post, and "C 1687" cast into the upper arm next to the depth stop.
I put my old router in both the upper and lower places for the pictures to give some perspective. So, what is this thing? Any idea when it was made? (give or take a couple decades) Are there other parts I should keep an eye out for? There is some surface rust and a lot of, er, "patina", but it will clean up nicely and look as good as new. Everything moves smoothly, but can it be anything more than just a cute 32" tall Cast Iron Paperweight?
Hopefully some of the old timers here will recognize this, cuz Google wasn't any help.