A trim router....

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I have had 3 or 4 full sized routers since I began woodworking but I had never had a compact trim router. I am working on a project that has to be done by Wednesday night and it has a small narrow piece that needed routing. I was uncomfortable doing it freehand with my 2 1/2 HP P/C 8529 or doing it freehand on my router table. So I went to the local HD about 7:00 p.m. last night, looked at the two compacts they had and chose the Makita RT0701C. I also bought a cheap set of 1/4" shank round over bits as all the ones I own are 1/2" shank.

Using some turners tape, I taped the piece to the top of my t/s outfeed table, routed it, flipped it over, retaped it and routed the other side. What a pleasure it was to be able to use 1 hand to hold and guide the router while using the other hand to manage the power cable. I should have bought one a long time ago!

[Bill Orbine]

About time! You'll find a variety of uses for the small router now that you have one. Now..... Time to buy a wide belt sander....

[Brian W Evans]

For roundovers, trim routers are hard to beat. I'm not there yet, but I've seen guys on YouTube just zip around all of their parts with trim routers - faster than any other method I can think of.

[Ken Kortge]

Make sure you don't position a hand as shown in the photo below. Note how close the fingers of the left hand are to the opening of the trim router. For this reason some people suggest either using the trim router one-handed, or if two-handed use is desired, find a base with two knobs - Rockler sells such a base.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Ken thanks for the warning! On my right wrist I have an area that received 14 stitches. I was routing some 1/2 lap joints in some 2x4s for my wood storage rack. I received a call telling me one of our DIL had come out of a surgery okay. I went back to routing. I was plunge routing 1/4" at a time using a jig to guide the router. I shut the router off to adjust the bit 1/4" deeper, flipped the router off, unlocked it and as I glanced at the telephone across the shop thinking about the call, I pushed down on the router base. The bit hadn't stopped turning yet. My wife was having lunch with some former coworkers at an elementary school where she had retired after 25 years of service. Luckily, my neighbors were home. The drove me to the ER while calling my wife on her cell phone. I take routers really serious...always have but a moments distraction cost me a trip to the ER.

[Roger Feeley]

The tool that scares me the most is my power plane. The reason is that when I use a hand plane, the fingers on my left hand tend to go under the plane and ride along the wood. It doesn’t hurt with a hand plane but I would be asking for trouble with an upside down jointer. I try to be very careful. I’m also trying to break myself of the hand plane habit.

[andy bessette]

Make sure you don't position a hand as shown in the photo below. Note how close the fingers of the left hand are to the opening of the trim router...

No.
That is the correct way for the left hand to hold the trim router so as to insure the base remains in full contact with the narrow workpiece. Though I prefer a lower grip with the right hand.

Though I have several trim routers, the Rockwell is my very favorite.

[Larry Frank]

I do not know about correct. BUT...I am not putting my fingers that close as a slip will get your nails trimmed.

[James Biddle]

I've had this add-on base from Pat Warner forever. Allows you to work one or two-handed and really stabilizes the router. I don't know if anyone took over his website or business since he passed, or if anyone else makes them, but they really do add safety and functionality to hand routing. If I needed one today, I'd probably make it on the CNC.

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I also have a Festool trim router, but leave that set up for flat trimming. It would not be my go-to router for edge routing. The small trim routers like the Bosch, Makita or Dewalt are really handy. If I were buying new today, I'd look for a cordless trim router...I don't need dust collection for it and not having to work the cord would be a big benefit.

[Adam Herman]

the ridged has a clear plastic guard on the bottom so that you can safely put direct down-force on the bottom plate. My ridged has done far more than it has any business doing and never missed a beat.

[Osvaldo Cristo]

I have had 3 or 4 full sized routers since I began woodworking but I had never had a compact trim router. I am working on a project that has to be done by Wednesday night and it has a small narrow piece that needed routing. I was uncomfortable doing it freehand with my 2 1/2 HP P/C 8529 or doing it freehand on my router table. So I went to the local HD about 7:00 p.m. last night, looked at the two compacts they had and chose the Makita RT0701C. I also bought a cheap set of 1/4" shank round over bits as all the ones I own are 1/2" shank.

Using some turners tape, I taped the piece to the top of my t/s outfeed table, routed it, flipped it over, retaped it and routed the other side. What a pleasure it was to be able to use 1 hand to hold and guide the router while using the other hand to manage the power cable. I should have bought one a long time ago!

I also purchased a such trim router but in a kit with four different bases. Locally they are sold with 6mm, 1/4 inch and 8 mm collets - it is great as most of my router bits are 8 mm shank and a number at 1/4 inch. I also have a few bits with 6 mm shank, so it is perfect for my use. I did not miss for this particular (trim) router the fact it doesn't accept my 12 mm and 1/2 inch shank bits as most of them are too heavy for a such small router.

This thing is powerful (for the size), light weighted and handy. I think you will be surprised by joy to use it more and more... I know this is my own case!

My best wishes to you and your new tool... and please let us know the projects and uses you will be actually employing it.

[Carl Beckett]

I bet this router becomes your #2 user. Maybe #1 even

I recently purchased the LXT cordless version and should have done it long ago.

[Nick Decker]

Sounds familiar to me, Ken. The first trim router I bought was a little Ridgid that was on sale at HD at the time. I like it fine, but the whole trim router experience has me eyeing the Festool 1010. Yes, it's larger, but the dust collection would sure be nice...

[Mike Henderson]

I've gone to trim routers for just about all my non-router table work. My first "big" router was a Craftsman that only took 1/4" shaft bits and probably didn't have more power than my modern trim routers. I think I have five trim routers - four DeWalt 611's and an old Ryobi that I bought in the 70's. I keep a particular router bit in all but one so that I can immediately pick one up and use it.

Trim routers seem to multiply.

Mike

[Dave Cav]

I have about a dozen full size routers and one DeWalt 611. The little trim router seems to get used about half the time if not more.