Lewis Allison Posted September 21, 2016 Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 I am new to woodworking, and in the market for a router table. I am interested in this http://www.eagleamerica.com/product/415-9754/new_products. but i cant find any reviews on it, are any of you familiar with this product? if so what are your thought on it. I am also open to any other suggestion for a good router table. any advice you can give me will be greatly appreciated thanks,Lewis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronn W Posted September 21, 2016 Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 http://www.woodcraft.com/product/159486/woodpeckers-24x32-premium-router-table-package-with-v2-420-router-lift.aspx Another to consider. Wood pecker makes decent stuff but I have no personal experience with this router table since I made my own. I am sure some of the other guys will have some good suggestions Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted September 21, 2016 Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 The set you linked to seems like a decent deal. I personally am in the camp that a router table is one of those Saturday in the shop projects, not a drop a grand on projects. $200 in materials without the lift and you'll have a sweet setup tailored to your needs. I have a 1/4" bit drawer, 1/2" bit draw, accessory drawer and storage under for the stupid blow molded plastic cases tools come in ( and I'm too stupid to throw away all) tucked attractively behind some crotch figure walnut shop sawn veneer doors. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a1606myrsclm Posted September 21, 2016 Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 I agree build your own, you can make it exactly the way you want. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted September 21, 2016 Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 Or, buy a shaper instead. (come on, I know you were all thinking it.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted September 21, 2016 Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 12 hours ago, wtnhighlander said: Or, buy a shaper instead. (come on, I know you were all thinking it.) Well, maybe not all ;-) I am also in the camp where you pick your router and you fence preference and the rest will come along. Given your example table I see you are looking at a 3+ HP router. Many will say that a 2-1/4HP router has served them well. I moved to a Milwaukee 5625 almost 10 years ago and it has done nothing but work. A lot of folks love the Porter Cable 7518 with 5 stepped speeds. Both are locomotives in the router table. The large router moved me to a stout lift. Alas the original Woodpecker PRL is no longer made but, there are other heavy duty lifts with milled billet carriages and so forth. All are in the $300 range. Your fence preference will dictate a lot of your jigs and accessories; not all work with all formats. I kept it stupid-simple with the fence and run the Rockler basic version; often on sale for under $100. This allows me to make alternate fence faces with ease although one additional tall and one additional deep set for occasional use has met 99% of my needs. The base is indeed a weekend project. By using plywood, dados, glue and screws I knocked this one out pretty quick. The top can be laminated but, I ran two layers of MDF with an oiled and waxed surface for years. I got the one I use now on sale, I think it was $80. I added the liter track and wouldn't be without it; other folks don't miss it and don't care. I added the one deep drawer thinking this is where I would keep bulkier items or a hand held router, I reality the smaller drawers are more useful and when it bug me enough I will change the big drawer for more small ones. I want a reasonable amount of table in "front" of the bit, not just a shelf. I actually bolt my router table to the tablesaw and share the surface of both tools for better support on each. There are a lot to choose from out there pushing $1000 but, you can knock several hundred off of that and spend it on bits by doing some of the work yourself. I am at revision 4 with this tale and here's some things I learned that work for me; YMMV: I want a reasonable amount of table around the bit. I want the table to have an overhang on front and sides for clamping. Good dust collection is essential to the life of your router motor. On-board storage of frequently used bits, wrenches, throat inserts and so forth speeds things along. A good range of fence adjustment saves you frustrating moments. Plan for as much tool-less adjustment capability as you can get. A hip-switch can be very handy. I have my table on the right of the tablesaw. This means the same area I keep open for outfeed on one tool acts as outfeed on the other, 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted September 21, 2016 Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 I have this one and love it! http://www.woodcraft.com/product/153675/jessem-mastrlift-excel-ii-included-complete-router-table-system.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted September 21, 2016 Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 2 hours ago, wtnhighlander said: Or, buy a shaper instead. (come on, I know you were all thinking it.) Don, are you hiding behind highlanders moniker? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted September 21, 2016 Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 I just got the General router lift & it's a monster, with 4 chain driven lift posts. they also make a table to go with it, but I'm going to build mine into the right hand table saw extension. Course, I haven't used it yet, so maybe it's no good, but it gets good reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave's Not Here Posted September 21, 2016 Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 That table and stand is pretty generic and sells for under $200 at a number of places. I have one like it but found the stand to be a little on the wobbly side so I ditched the stand, actually made a small workbench with it, and mounted the table to a Kreg Shop Stand which is rock solid. You could buy just a table/fence and start from there and build your own setup. Customizing your own setup to fit the needs you have could end up costing you less than what your linked setup is going for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Allison Posted September 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 1 minute ago, Dave's Not Here said: That table and stand is pretty generic and sells for under $200 at a number of places. I have one like it but found the stand to be a little on the wobbly side so I ditched the stand, actually made a small workbench with it, and mounted the table to a Kreg Shop Stand which is rock solid. You could buy just a table/fence and start from there and build your own setup. Customizing your own setup to fit the needs you have could end up costing you less than what your linked setup is going for. lol that is just what I decided to do. I will buy a table/fence and router, and build my own stand. Thanks for all the advice. Lewis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted September 21, 2016 Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 lol that is just what I decided to do. I will buy a table/fence and router, and build my own stand. Thanks for all the advice. Lewis Just so you know, general makes a cast iron router table if you want solid and really flat. I have the general router lift and cast iron table and have no complaints. Here is a review pop woodworking did http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/editors-blog/excalibur-deluxe-router-table-kit Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted September 21, 2016 Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 10 minutes ago, shaneymack said: Just so you know, general makes a cast iron router table if you want solid and really flat. I have the general router lift and cast iron table and have no complaints. Shane, did you build your own base? I'm thinking of getting the cast table & putting it on the table saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted September 21, 2016 Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 Shane, did you build your own base? I'm thinking of getting the cast table & putting it on the table saw. Nope. I bought the whole kit http://www.atlas-machinery.com/40-200C/ Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted September 21, 2016 Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 37 minutes ago, shaneymack said: Nope. I bought the whole kit http://www.atlas-machinery.com/40-200C/ Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk Holy $1,500 that's shaper territory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted September 21, 2016 Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 Holy $1,500 that's shaper territory. I paid less than that. If I went with a shaper, id get a Felder and I'd be over 5k with an autofeed and the whole shabang. One day. Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted September 21, 2016 Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 Just now, shaneymack said: I paid less than that. If I went with a shaper, id get a Felder and I'd be over 5k with an autofeed and the whole shabang. One day. Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk You really know how to beat a dead horse. I'm just giving ya a hard time. That router table set up looks awesome. I just don't use a table enough to justify something like that. I'm finding I'm using the router table less and less now that i have a good table saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post shaneymack Posted September 21, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 I'm finding I'm using the router table less and less now that i have a good table saw. Say what? This makes no sense? I use my electric shaver less now that i have a good dishwasher. Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted September 21, 2016 Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 6 minutes ago, shaneymack said: Say what? This makes no sense? I use my electric shaver less now that i have a good dishwasher. Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk I used the router table in place of a dado stack. I couldn't mount on on my old table saw. I never really ran a lot of profile bits. Only thing i use the router table for any more is panel groves for doors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeslayer Posted September 21, 2016 Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 i built my own, 28" X 4' with a ton of storage underneath in drawers, Rockler lift, i know their lift is not mentioned much but I've had no problems. i use it almost every day for many tasks and i could not live without one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted September 21, 2016 Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 The router table is a joinery machine. I use mine on almost every project for one thing or another. It's in the Big Five and I don't know how anyone can be serious about making furniture without one. It's handy for a million and one things. You best broaden your horizons there, The Nut. If you're gonna drop a grand on one you might as well just buy the Incra so you won't have any regrets...except buying the Incra. LOL I know Shane is gonna get pissed at me but oh well...you don't need a cast iron top on a router table. Good lift inserts have a very slight convexity to them which makes the rest of the table's flatness moot. As long as you build your cabinet to support the top so you never get sag, it doesn't matter what material it's made of. There's probably an argument to be made about vibration, but if you have a huge table on a heavy ass cabinet, you're not gonna get much vibration anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted September 22, 2016 Report Share Posted September 22, 2016 I think I'll build my own top. The only space I have for it is on the right hand side of the table saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuxleyWood Posted September 22, 2016 Report Share Posted September 22, 2016 One thing that I didn't see mentioned is that the rounter motor included is their no-name router. Doing a "big" router router table for me means either the big Milwaukee or PC and not some "generic" router. While I do like to have a shaper along with a router table (or 2) I have never been a fan of the light weight shapers. To me a shaper is 5 or more hp with a 1hp feeder, at least 1.25" spindle and a quality fence. While you can luck up on these used buying new pushes up near $5k on the budget end (or you could trade your house for a fully tricked out Martin). While one can get REALLY lucky with a lighter duty Delta or PM used a $1k budget still says router to me especially when most woodworkers already have a selection of tooling that ran do double duty. Shaper tooling can get expensive though by using insert tooling you don;t have to go crazy as a hobbyist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted September 22, 2016 Report Share Posted September 22, 2016 I don't have a lift but just drop the router in place with the plate supporting it. Can I assume, with as popular and expensive as they are, that the lift allows you to change bits without taking the router out of the table? Do you access the collet with wrenches above or below the table top? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted September 22, 2016 Report Share Posted September 22, 2016 I don't have a lift but just drop the router in place with the plate supporting it. Can I assume, with as popular and expensive as they are, that the lift allows you to change bits without taking the router out of the table? Do you access the collet with wrenches above or below the table top? Ya you can crank it up all the way and change bits above the tables. Quick and easy. Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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