Router Complete Set Up

[Andrew Balberg]

Hello, I am new to this group and have been reading many of the posts. A great site for both advance and beginer skills it seems. Its been very helpfull.

I am looking to pick up a router table, fence, router, bits, etc to make some rasied pannel doors. Like every other subject everyone has an opinion. Specially at the local Woodcraft store.

Should I buy a table or make my own? The JessEm masterlift set ups are really cool but very expensive, I have been told they are the best and will probably buy the complete set-up. I want to buy good stuff that will stay with me for the long run but dont have experience to tell me what exactly that is. Woodcraft has a 15% off sale this Saturday and I want to go picksomething out to my entertainment center built in project going. I have about $1,200 or so dollars to spend to get all set up.

Any advice anyone wants to give me would more than greatly appreciated.

Regards

Andrew

[gary Zimmel]

Andrew

Welcome to the Creek. You are going to find a ton of information here.

I have a complete Jessem router table set up, with the masterlift, and have been very happy with it. In the near future I would like to replace the metal stand that I bought with it with a router station. It will be like the plan from NYW. I will just make it to fit the Jessem table.

Get us pics if you pick one up this weekend...

[Paul Fitzgerald]

Welcome Andrew!

I wanted to get something put together relatively quickly while still retaining some design choices so I took a hybrid approach. I built a mobile base for a Woodpeckers Router Table Top and Cast Aluminum Router Mounting Plate. They also sell Router Lifts if you want to go that route.

Paul

P.S. The Woodpeckers eCLUB is running some pretty sweet specials right now.

[glenn bradley]

Well there is certainly something to be said for getting it all over and done with. But the journey is fun too. I built my router table because I wanted certain things in dust collection, drawers, height, etc. Many 'ready to go' router tables lack dust collection. There are exceptions of varying quality; Bench Dog, Woodpecker, Eagle and others.

The JessEm is nice and owners seem to love them. For the money I favor the Woodpecker PRL but this can be influenced by your choice of router. I'll stop there because you will get just as many opinions as there are owners.

I'll just state what I have found to be important to me and as usual, emphasize that your mileage may vary ;).

a plate that will not sag (meaning metal) that has multiple adjustment screws accessible from the top (this is for your other router; the one not in the lift).
a lift that will allow above the table bit changes without a lot of fuss.
a lift that locks itself so I don't have to reach underneath to lock the carriage.
a lift that has an opening large enough to handle the raised panel bits you want to use.
a table that will not sag (trust me, you'll be surprised by what will sag).
plenty of table in front of the bit (I love the Bench Dog extension wing but it is so darn small).
a reasonable fence with good dust collection (some folks go wild on their fence, straight and true at 90* to the table is good enough for me).
table and fence should accept jigs easily (this means a miter slot for most folks and t-slots as well).
3.5HP router with variable speed, soft start and electronic feedback for stable speed under load.
convenient, large power switch with a paddle or other fixture that allows you to turn the router off without removing your hands from the work (foot pedals don't work as well as "hip" switches unless they are fastened down).
drawers for your extra router/plate, bits, wrenches, collets, measuring stuff, feather boards, safety stuff, throat plates and other do-funnies.Oh, so much more but I'll give others a chance. Believe me, for everything I think is indispensable, there is someone out there who could care less and vise versa :D . . . . BTW, Welcome!

P.s. the reason I keep mentioning the second router is a recommendation. I find there are some things I do . . . a lot. For me it is 1/8" chamfers. I picked up a 2HP Ryobi and put a chamfer bit in it that I change when it gets dull. For chamfers I just swap routers/plates.

[Mike Cutler]

Andrew

Welcome to Sawmill Creek. Nice meeting you.

I'm going to take an entirely different approach here. I hope it's okay.

A lot of people use the router to do raised panel work because they already have the router and some of the peripheral accessories, so it becomes cost effective to adapt a tool they already own to perform the task.
If the flexibility of a single tool is more along the lines ofwhat you are looking for. The rest of my post may be off track.

It appears that you are essentially starting from ground zero here, by the wording in your post, because of that I would suggest that you look at a shaper.

By the time you run that first stile through the cutter head you'll have spent about the same $$$ and ended up with the more correct tool for the task. A router will do raised panels, no disputing that because I've done them. The shaper table is better suited for the task in my opinion.
It's a different animal altogether.

Once again though. Welcome to Sawmill Creek

Mike

[Don Eddard]

I'd agree with Mike. For what you're looking at making, a shaper will be more robust and can be had for about the same amount of money as you're planning to spend.