Will I be happy with Peachtree Router Table?

Currently I have a garbage BORG router table for my Bosch 1617 and I absolutely hate it (the router and table came as a kit with discount). I'm a DIY hobbyist and most of what I do is long narrow pieces of molding or some simple cabinet stuff for my home reno. I'm not making muesuem-grade furniture. I've recently gotten the delta 36-725 contractor saw, and I stare longingly at the empty space on the right of the saw, seeing the need to drop a router table in there. I have an aircraft-carrier sized outfeed table behind the saw, and the long pieces of molding I route would land perfectly there. The problem is budget and availability. Looks like the benchdog table is on back order, and it has a proprietary plate opening size. Peachtree has what seems to be meets my need (simple and cheap). I'm not open to another material for the table top, as I'm pretty abusive of my tools and work surfaces, and anything other than cast iron router table will quickly have screw holes, saw kerf gouges, and a random angle grider gouge or two, as the current table has. In addition, a router table extension for the saw is my only desire, as the whole point of building the USS Enterprise in my shop was to have an outfeed table for both the saw and a future router table extension. This also simplifies my dust collection, I can leave the shop vac under the table and all I have to move is the hose, instead of dragging it all over the shop to various tables. No desire for a separate table, and yes, I'm aware that with a right-mount table in the saw, I can't stand in front of it. Not a problem. The other thing I'm looking at is a lift. No amount of training, patience, or proper technique will have me using the Bosch table mount properly. Again, I'm ham-handed, abusive, and not very detail oriented. If something doesn't move smoothly, my go-to fix is to whack it with a mallet. Think I've whacked the bosch mount a few too many times with the mallet....I've seen a lot of good reviews for the Jessem Lift. I'm not really thinking about a fence yet, and that's something I prefer to leave 'till after I get the table and lift configured and then I can visualize what I want in a fence (not much). So would the peachtree table and the jessem lift be a good combo for a DIY hobbyist? I am well aware of the buy a cheap tool twice and pay more than buying an expensive tool once school.

Although I don't have one, I have been to shows where the Peachtree Router Table Extension was on display, and was seriously considering buying one, but decided that my small shop and saw arrangement wouldn't allow extending the saw table any further.

The Peachtree cast iron router extension is well made and it will work with the Woodpeckers PRL-V2 router lifts, which is what I was considering. I did note that the PRL-V2 lift had rounded corners and the cast iron table hole had square corners, so the PRL-V2 insert would fit, but there would be small gaps at the corners to fill with sawdust. I also wasn't real happy with the fence slots in the cast iron table, as I considered them another saw dust collection location, but at the time I was willing to accept this and buy the table anyway. The only reason why I didn't buy the Peachtree table was my shop configuration and my inability to extend the 52" Unisaw any further and still get past the end of it.

Router lift top plates come in several sizes, depending mostly on the brand. This is not industry standardized, yet. Before ordering the table, check the size of your intended router lift to be certain that it fits the table hole.

Charley

TLDR. But I have hanging off my saw a cast iron router table i bought from peachtree a couple years ago. It does exactly what it is supposed to do.

Yeah, you do have match the router table with the router lift. Mine has a lift from woodpeckers.

I have a Peachtree CI router table on the end of my TS; bought it maybe 4 years ago. It's dead flat and super smooth, and installed w/o issue. I have a Bosch 1617 mounted under it and it meets my needs, and a shop built fence that attaches to my TS fence. I bought their phenolic router mounting plate to mount my router to and the plastic elevation adjustment screws either slip or compress over time which can causes the workpiece to either jump or come to an abrupt halt when it gets to the interface of the mounting plate and table. That's my only complaint with it and I'm sure I can resolve it if it becomes too great an annoyance.

John

I think the 9.25 x 11.75" router plate opening is the more standard of the two common sizes (the other is 8.25 x 11.75", which is the size of Rockler's tables and lifts, and maybe other's too.) Jessem makes lifts to fit both sizes, and other's may as well.

I have the Rockler Benchdog Cast Iron router extension wing, and am very happy with it. It is very similar to the Peachtree version, except it is not designed to be mounted from either side of the extension. Instead, it has two sets of slots for the router fence, inboard or outboard of the router bit. It also has a T-track slot milled into the cast iron, next to the miter gauge slot. The Peachtree extension has mounting holes on both sides, so you can install it with the router fence slots inboard or outboard of the router bit. This makes a difference which is the infeed side and which is the outfeed side of the router table. You want that to match your saw's outfeed table. Mounting on the left end lets you work from the front of the router (opposite the router fence), and use the saw's outfeed table.

If you plan to use a router fence that attaches to your saw's rip fence (many people do), you will always have to re-set your fence when switching between ripping and routing. With a separate router fence, you can (usually) set up the rip fence for a cut without disturbing your router fence setting, and vice versa. Not that I've personally *EVER* had to rip another workpiece because I screwed one up on the router table!

You probably know this, but Peachtree's claim "A full 1½” thick of solid cast iron" is not accurate. All such cast iron extensions are, like cast iron saw tops, not solid, but ribbed underneath.

I also have the Incra Mast-R-Lift-II-R router lift, manufactured by Jessem. The only meaningful difference between the Jessem and the Incra is the throat inserts. The Jessem's are plastic, like the Kreg, and require a special (supplied) spanner tool to un/lock. The Incra's throat inserts are steel, and are held in place with strong magnets, requiring no tools to un/lock. Note the -R suffix designates the Rockler 8.25" width. They are available from Incra and Jessem in both widths.

-- Andy - Arlington TX