# $20 Router Lift



## camaro_fan (Nov 7, 2011)

Recieved a new router and router table for Christmas and realized real quick I needed a router lift. I cant afford the high dollar name brand one so i started looking for something cheaper and this what i came up with.


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## against_the_grain (Aug 15, 2010)

I thought you were joking. Ha. 
There is a plan in a recent shopnotes mag of a shop built lift using Baltic Birch and some hardware. 
Some woodworker on another site I believe posted the build. 

Sometimes we gotta do what we gotta do though.


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

Ahhh, the infamous Blue Hawk from Lowes. I've read comments about the springs in that thing being really tough and difficult/impossible to remove... Nice solution.:thumbsup:


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*caution*

Do not cover/block the cooling vents on the end of the router motor housing. It will overheat and die prematurely....... :thumbdown:
You could use a pizza box cover triangle with the 3 prongs which would allow more air to enter.










This box lid support has 3 strong legs for support and a solid top with less shipping weight and less storage space than the traditional table top. 1000/box, 100/sleeve, 10 sleeves per box. New compressed packaging for freight savings. Ideal for international customers.


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## camaro_fan (Nov 7, 2011)

woodnthings said:


> Do not cover/block the cooling vents on the end of the router motor housing. It will overheat and die prematurely....... :thumbdown:
> You could use a pizza box cover triangle with the 3 prongs which would allow more air to enter.
> 
> This box lid support has 3 strong legs for support and a solid top with less shipping weight and less storage space than the traditional table top. 1000/box, 100/sleeve, 10 sleeves per box. New compressed packaging for freight savings. Ideal for international customers.


Because the jack doesnt have a flat surface like larger floor jacks. It doesnt block any air passage. Its designed to be used on the pinch weld of a car and has a "U" shape to it.


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## commodore (Jan 14, 2013)

+1 for woodthings and the pizza triangles


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## Lilblee (Sep 5, 2013)

Hahahaha yeaaaaahhh!!!! I have the same router table, with the same router but a slightly different jack hahahaha. I thought I was the only one that cheap lol. Works pretty dogone good though doesn't it?

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## 4DThinker (Mar 13, 2013)

1.5 tons ought to be strong enough to do the job. Great thinking!


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## Lilblee (Sep 5, 2013)

4DThinker said:


> 1.5 tons ought to be strong enough to do the job.  Great thinking!


Hahaha I Agree.

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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I cannot imagine that the accuracy of that setup is very good.

George


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*a hand screw will work*

A piece of all thread rod, 3/4" X 10 NC thread would have tenths of an inch of adjustment .... 1 turn equals 1/10" of rise. You would need to make a platform that secures the router motor, and is able to slide up and down without racking. Wooden dowels or a dovetail track if you're on a budget, steel rods, if you have the necessary machine tools. A piece of 80 -20 aluminum with a sliding bearing ....
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trk...RC1.A0.X8020&_nkw=8020&_sacat=11804&_from=R40

Plenty of shop made lifts on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/results?sear...0j3.36.0...0.0...1ac.1.11.youtube.SbiVoPFHaaA


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## bladeburner (Jun 8, 2013)

Or you could really go cheap!


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## Al B Thayer (Dec 10, 2011)

bladeburner said:


> Or you could really go cheap!


Smart Idea. Works great I'll bet. 

Al

Friends don't let friends use stamped metal tools sold at clothing stores.


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## Lilblee (Sep 5, 2013)

Depends on how you use it. I set it, still lock the plunge sleeve, run a test piece, adjust, run test piece. I am usually on after second test piece. Usually the same procedure with an actual lift. I don't see an accuracy problem there. Can you elaborate further?

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## Al B Thayer (Dec 10, 2011)

I built this lift out of scraps. Spent a few dollars at the box store for fasteners. It's a modified plan from ShopNotes. There wasn't anything difficult about building it. 

One full turn equals 1/6" of travel. So you can understand how easy it is to make micro adjustments. 
Al

Friends don't let friends use stamped metal tools sold at clothing stores.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*OK, what pitch thread is that?*

1\6 = .1666" I know of no SAE thread that has that pitch.
3/8 -18? 3/8 - 24? A sixth of an inch makes no sense to me. ... just sayin'
I would have used a 3/4" X 10 SAE thread which would result in one turn giving a change of .10 " Two and a half turns would be .25"


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## Al B Thayer (Dec 10, 2011)

woodnthings said:


> 1\6 = .1666" I know of no SAE thread that has that pitch.
> 3/8 -18? 3/8 - 24? A sixth of an inch makes no sense to me. ... just sayin'
> I would have used a 3/4" X 10 SAE thread which would result in one turn giving a change of .10 " Two and a half turns would be .25"


I believe it's 3/8" comes in 16 or 24. 5/16" would be 18 or 24. 1/16= .0625

http://www.boltdepot.com/fastener-information/measuring/us-tpi.aspx

Al

Friends don't let friends use stamped metal tools sold at clothing stores.


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## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

I recently picked up an old jack like that for $3 for a router lift.


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