abowers Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 Hi folks, I received a bunch of Rockler gift cards this Christmas, mostly because I was looking for a router table. I was just going to get a basic table, however, If I buy the whole package, I can save about one hundred bucks. Buying the table, stand, fence and lift all in one. How important is a lift? would the one I am looking at be satisfactory? If I don't get a lift, will I regret it and want one later. BTW, this is my first router table other than the 1970 aluminum, not flat, craftsman I had borrowed from a neighbor. This is what I was considering. http://www.rockler.com/rockler-high-pressure-laminate-router-table-fence-stand-and-fx-router-lift Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks, Aaron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 You,don't need a lift , but if you ever get one you will never go back . It's a pain in the ass to adjust from below the table. It works but it's no fun. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raefco Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 I have been dabbling in the wood for years, mostly fulfilling needs rather than enjoyment. I have never had a lift, I would like to have one and I have been researching my options. I currently have 3 craftsman routers (ranging in age from 6 months to 25). I find them all very adequate. what I did not realize is the last craftsman router I bought is build so it can be adjusted from the top like a lift, it has a counter sunk allen head that works the height from the bottom so I am thinking about just getting a router plate and recessing it in my work table along with some slots for a rip fence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisphr Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 I can't speak for this particular lift, but I suspect you will regret it if you don't get it. Huge convenience, and makes micro adjustments easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 I agree with the posters above.. One of my favorite luxuries in the shop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21meyer Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 I have the Bosch 1617 that has the adjustment from the top with an allen wrench. I used it for a few months but it was very tedious and slow. You still have to reach under the table for major adjustments. I ended up building the same lift as Steve Ramsey and have been very happy with it. It is from the Woodsmith plans. It was very easy and inexpensive to build. The only thing I wish I would have done differently is the threaded rod. The plans call for a rod that is 16 threads per inch for the ease of one rotation being 1/16". I find that all of my router applications vary and the bit height never depends on it needing a perfect 1/16" adjustment. This type of rod is not available at the home centers so you will need to find a Fastenal or similar hardware retailer which means it costs a bit more. If I were to build it again, I would use the threaded rod readily available at the home centers which I believe is 10 threads per inch for 3/4" diameter. http://www.woodsmithplans.com/plan/router-jig-router-lift/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 I see a lift as a part of the cost of a router table. I wouldn't have one without it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raefco Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 I have the Bosch 1617 that has the adjustment from the top with an allen wrench. I used it for a few months but it was very tedious and slow. You still have to reach under the table for major adjustments. I ended up building the same lift as Steve Ramsey and have been very happy with it. It is from the Woodsmith plans. It was very easy and inexpensive to build. The only thing I wish I would have done differently is the threaded rod. The plans call for a rod that is 16 threads per inch for the ease of one rotation being 1/16". I find that all of my router applications vary and the bit height never depends on it needing a perfect 1/16" adjustment. This type of rod is not available at the home centers so you will need to find a Fastenal or similar hardware retailer which means it costs a bit more. If I were to build it again, I would use the threaded rod readily available at the home centers which I believe is 10 threads per inch for 3/4" diameter. http://www.woodsmithplans.com/plan/router-jig-router-lift/ good to know about the slow adjustment. I may just have to spring for the porter cable motor, a good lift and build a table Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 I'll toss in another option. My shop-built router table uses a drop-in plate, from which the router hangs. For bit changes and height adjustment, I just pop the whole thing out and lay it on the table. Doesn't get much simpler, or more reliable. I got the idea from watching these guys on PBS: http://www.routerworkshop.com 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abowers Posted January 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 All good advice. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 I just looked at this table at rockler Pasadena last night. It mss l was much more sturdy than I thought it would be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knotscott Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 I'm sure a lift would be the cat's meow, but I don't what I'm missing, so we've managed to find plenty of other places for the money. Thanks to a full compliment of topside features on my Freud FT1700, I've never felt the need for a lift. The MW5625 has topside height adjust, but I still need to lock and unlock from underneath, and bought a bent wrench to access the collet from the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikem Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 Do you need a lift? No. However, I do think they are worth the money. I have a Bosch 1617, which allows for above the table adjustments, and I used that for many years. For the router table I built last spring, I decided to go with a PRL-V2 lift (the incra version). The first thing I noticed out of the box is that the lift is far more robust than the router's fixed base. Next, once I got the lift and router in the table, once I got a feel for how the height adjustment works, I have found I am able to get the bit set to height a bit more quickly than I was before. Where the lift saves me a LOT of time is with bit changes, since I do not have to pull the router out of the table, and can do it all above the table. The lift is definitely a luxury, but a good option to add to your table if your budget allows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yanis Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 My wife bought me a second hand router and table for a song but it was under table adjustments and after using it that way for a day I bought and retro fitted the router with the Router Raizer. Chalk and cheese. That table does look nice Aron. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 ....Chalk and cheese. Now there is a colloquialism I've never heard before! What part of the globe does that originate from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 Now there is a colloquialism I've never heard before! What part of the globe does that originate from? UK I think - certainly used a lot over here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wouldwurker Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 Chalk and cheese is new to me... There are also manufac. as well as 3rd party 'speed cranks' for under-table mounted routers. I have one for my PC. Not inconvenient at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 Thats a new one to me as well. Had to go look it up ! Seems to have originated in England around 1390 http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/chalk-and-cheese.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wouldwurker Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 I used to work for a British company. Terry can attest i'm sure that Brits say 'touching wood' in lieu of 'knock on wood'. I giggled every time they said it. Sorry to derail this thread.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheOneHandedHandyMan Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 I assume you already have a router which is why you're considering a lift and table only, but if you need a router as well, consider the Triton, It removes the need for a lift, which can save cash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimberMagic Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 I have an older Rockler router table, and their products are solid values for what you pay. My issue with them now is that they are for mid-sized routers. I've used a router table with a big Porter Cable router, and my next table will handle a heavier duty router that has no issues handling big bits like panel bits for cabinetry. The best thing about the really haevy-duty router lifts is beig able to change bits above the table. I have to pull my plates up and lay the router on its side to easily get to the collet nuts. And after buying a Festool track saw, I've decided my future routers are going to be Festool. Their router tables are very expensive but I'm at a point in my life where I'm willing to spend the money to get the very best I can find. Their routers can use the track saw guide rails, as well as go into their tables, or of course, be used freehand. That said, I still have a really fond attachment to my old 70's-era Craftsman router with trigger handle, and use it for lighter routing -- it only has a 1/4" collet. And I love my littel Ridgid palm router. It has a dedicated roundover bit for knocking the edges off a lot of projects I build. And I will keep my old Rockler table. I have two plates -- one holds a heavy duty Craftsman, which I use for 1/4" bits (although it does have a 1/2" collet as well). My second plate carries a Ridgid router (with fixed base, I can remove motor to put in the plunge base that came in the kit) for 1/2" bits, and I bored a hole in the plate to use the included wrench to raise and lower the bit from above the table. (It is like the Porter-Cable lifting mechanism, but not in same location, so I had to bore my own hole rather than use the P-C plate.) Four routers here, and I want at least 2 more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CessnaPilotBarry Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 I don't think you "need" a lift, but they're nice to have. I used a Bosch 1617EVS in a table for 12 years, and I had to open the front doors, bend down, and adjust bit height from inside. It's not that big of a deal... However, many lifts are also more substantial mounts than typical upside down router bases, so they absorb more vibration and provide a better surface, as well as convenience. If cash is tight, don't sweat the lack of a lift. You can always add one later. If you can swing it, a lift is helpful. BTW... Even with a lift, I still have to reach inside to adjust the motor speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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