# What router to use in a home made table?



## dub warrior2 (Feb 25, 2010)

I am very impressed with the router table made on New Yankee Workshop and wnat to have a go at making one myself.
I already have a decent 2000w router that it is very powerful and would like to use this but I have the following problem.

As this is a european hand-held router, the starter switch for it is a trigger and safety button on one of the handles that must be depressed at the same time for the router to work.

In order to use this on a router table, I would need to be constantly holding the handle underneath the bed.

Are there routers specifically made for these tables that just have an on/off rocker switch or how have you all adapted your router to be used on tables?

Hope the above makes senses.


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

You can defeat the current switch and mount another on the cabinet.


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## dub warrior2 (Feb 25, 2010)

Thanks for the reply.
What I want, really, is to be able to remove the router and use it for plunging jobs aswell, so I dont want to start butchering the switch.


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

tape the safety button in and plug it into a router speed control swich.


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## Ghidrah (Mar 2, 2010)

Dub warrior2,

The only problem with mounting a plunge to the underside of the table is the recoil springs in the guide tubes. IMO, the plunge router is the most versatile of the routers, I had my PC 7539 under my table for nearly 11 yrs. Unless you're willing to modify your router by removing the springs, bit setups will eventually become a Pain-In-The-Neck. If you remove the springs then when you pull the router out of the table for hand held use you risk the possibility of personal physical and router damage if the lack of springs and operator negligence causes the router to lower the bit unintentionally.

A fixed base in the RT makes it easier to to set bit heights and if you ever go to a lift odds are your router is one of the default use routers for the lift.

If you pull the springs out of the router I'd keep it in the RT and buy another for hand use.


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## DerekG (Dec 28, 2009)

I've got a freud 2000 in a Unilift that works great. It defeats the plunge spring problem by compressing the router down all the way and mounting it to a plate that moves. http://www.woodpeck.com/unilift.html A great little lift the one negative is that above the table bit changes aren't possible with out an extension. I went with the unilift and freud when tool king had the freud for $82 so it was a no brainer. Paying full price I'd rather go with a motor only lift to facilitate above the bit changes. And you can easily drop the motor out and put it in a plunge or fixed base for hand routing.


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## Ghidrah (Mar 2, 2010)

It's good to learn something new, I didn't know they had lift setups that over came the springs on the plunge.

I might have bought it instead of the BD pro-lift. The BDPL does allow for above table bit and elevations changes.


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## Colt W. Knight (Nov 29, 2009)

If money wasn't a big concern, I would definetly buy a router that I can lift and change bits from the top of the table. Removing the router is continual PITA.


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## Ghidrah (Mar 2, 2010)

That's why I went for the BDPL. I had a big upcoming job that had molding profiles requiring multiple RT setups let alone TS setups. Doing so did better than cut my setup time and bit changes in half, the lift paid for itself in 6 mos.


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## skymonkey (Apr 12, 2010)

Zip tie the trigger down and mount it


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## Ledhead (Aug 3, 2009)

I'm happy with my Bosch 1617 in my router table. It's not a plunge, and I do have to remove the plate to change bits, but it's only 2 screws. It seems plenty powerful enough for the jobs that I've called on it for. I wired / mounted a light switch to the router table cabinet to turn the thing off / on.


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## dub warrior2 (Feb 25, 2010)

Ghidrah said:


> Dub warrior2,
> 
> The only problem with mounting a plunge to the underside of the table is the recoil springs in the guide tubes. IMO, the plunge router is the most versatile of the routers, I had my PC 7539 under my table for nearly 11 yrs. Unless you're willing to modify your router by removing the springs, bit setups will eventually become a Pain-In-The-Neck. If you remove the springs then when you pull the router out of the table for hand held use you risk the possibility of personal physical and router damage if the lack of springs and operator negligence causes the router to lower the bit unintentionally.
> 
> ...



Sorry if I come across as dumb, but what are the recoil springs and how will it damage them?
I presume you mean the springs that shoot the router to full height when the catch is released.
Surely, fitting the bit and then adjusting/locking the router at the correct depth/height, will be no different or more strenuous on the router than doing it when the router is hand held.


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## Ghidrah (Mar 2, 2010)

Dub warrior2,
You misunderstand my statement.




> If you remove the springs then when you pull the router out of the table for hand held use you risk the possibility of personal physical and router damage if the lack of springs and operator negligence causes the router to lower the bit unintentionally.


 Actually the plunge is built and relies on the spring tension as counter pressure for personal and bit extraction safety.



> Surely, fitting the bit and then adjusting/locking the router at the correct depth/height, will be no different or more strenuous on the router than doing it when the router is hand held.


 If the springs are removed from the tubes to allow the plunge to slide up and down without resistance the only thing preventing the router from lowering the bit past the base plate is you and the lock. Either of those 2 fail safes fail, (you're distracted and forget to lock the router in the up position or you don't thoroughly lock it down) and the bit slams into whatever the router is sitting on. 

Router can run from 10,000 to 21,000 rpms. What happens when the bit hits whatever spinning between 0 and 21K? Bit damage, router damage, personal injury due to flying debris from the router bit and or materials thrown from the bit rotation.

We take all kinds of risks everyday simple and complicated, if I were to remove my springs from the plunge I'd leave it in the RT, IMO, removing and replacing the springs would be too much like work whenever I decided to switch from RT to hand. When the 7539 was in the RT it got removed 12 to 18 times a yr. for hand held work

Lastly why risk possible and potentially disasterous damage to tool and person? My tools are too important and expensive not to mention hospitals


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## johnalbert (Jun 21, 2010)

My table is a cast iron Ryobi with aluminium sliding carriage. Smooth and solid. Had to fettle it a lot thoug and the fence is dreadful.


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## Texas Sawduster (Apr 27, 2009)

*Router Table*

My table is homemade. 2' deep x 4' long.
I have a Hitachi 12V mounted underneath. Self made fence on t-tracks. The top is two 3/4" ply thick with a 3/4" mdf to top it off.


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