Expensive week this week. Burned up the Sawzall, broke the tightening bolts on two routers, one on the router table, and my Hitachi 10″ sliding mitre bos has a screaming motor, sounds like about ready to fry.
Any input on Router tables, I’m looking at the Rousseau, recipricating saws, or Hitachi vs Makita sliding mitre saws?
How about the bench top joiner from Delta, a decent portable machine?
Happy New Year
From building boxes and fitting face frames to installing doors and drawers, these techniques could be used for lots of cabinet projects.
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Replies
Your rough on tools. Sounds like your method of transporting power tools might need some improvements. You might try placing the tools inside the truck as opposed to just tying the cords to the rear bumper. This minor change alone can often double the service life of your toys.
<Joke>
Don't know much about routers.
Bump.
Happy New Year.
Actually, I very good care of my tools, they have made me a very good living for about 30 years now. Routers were 18 yrs and 12 years respectivly, sawzall has cut hundreds of old posts in a couple of renovations of 150 yr old structures, but the dock rebuilding in Florida a couple of years ago I think started some major corrosion that I am paying for now. The Hitachi has cut thousands of trim, siding and flooring cuts, so I guess I can't complain, but as of this morning, I am $1300 poorer. Glad it has been a good year.
Tools===== it's what makes our world go round.
Amortize the router and it cost like 1$ a month or .50
I sold my screaming Hitachi mitersaw to a client for 200$ and he had new bearings installed for 50$ and it's quieter than it was brand new ..dang it.....Rik..
The PC tiger claw articulated recip saw is amazing. Doubles the usefulness of a an already versatile tool. Can be had for around $200.
http://www.porter-cable.net/porcab97tigc.html
I've used both Hitachi and Makita sliders and both are solid. Our Hitachi stays in the cabinet shop but the Makitas are out on sites and they take an amazing amount of abuse. About the only failure I've noted is eventually the bevel angle adjusting clamp can strip out, but this can be replaced with a regular bolt anyway.
Router tables - the only ones I ve used were shop-made, but the Rousseau one looks interesting for site work. Lee Valley has a mounting plate system that is cut into an existing table. No experience with it but their stuff is always exquisitely well researched and top quality materials and methods.
http://www.porter-cable.net/porcab97tigc.html
Have fun shopping, and try to go easy on the new stuff!
Wally
Wally
Check out the Hilti recip saw, it's a few bucks more then the top of the line milwaukee. I believe I paid 250 for mine. I think it's worth the extra money, it runs smooth, has plenty of power and the odd shape of it seems to work better then the standard inline shape of the rest of them.
Don't have one myself - but the Bench Dog portable router table has gotten good reviews
http://www.benchdog.com/Products/ProBuilder/ProTopContractor.dwt
I've had the Makita 1013 slider for several years and have been happy with it
The Rousseau table looks good but pricey. I picked up Rockler's router tabletop yesterday ($135 w/ promo) for my PC 7518, includes table, fence, and plate.............. will build my own legs/stand.
Rousseau sells their table saw stand (fits Makita, etc, 8 & 10 inch portables) with a router base plate cutout in the table...I like mine, use it a lot...you don't get the fancy fence that comes on most purpose built router tables, but you can add your own to the regular rip fence....
I have the Bench Dog. Great table, built like a tank. I'm using a PC router on it (75182) and am very happy with the combination.
"How about the bench top joiner from Delta, a decent portable machine?"
I've had one for a while, and have used it a great deal.
It's great for SHORT stock - Maybe 4 or 5' max. Anything longer than that, and you have a heck of a time keeping it straight.
A: They're married.
Happy new year.
I have about 12 years and lots of miles on my Makita 10" slider and it has been a great saw, still going. I would buy another but my wife and kids just surprised the hell out me and presented me with a dewalt 12". Now I have to decide which saw is the framer, and which is the trimmer.
Have a good day
Cliffy
dave... i have the benchdog... and the benchdog lift.. and the router... great set-up
however.. i feel like i backed into the deal
if i was doing it over.. i'd buy a shaper instead
<<"if i was doing it over.. i'd buy a shaper instead.">>Why is that?I have always thought a shaper made sense if you did a lot of cabinet doors -- with rail/stile and raised panels. Otherwise a router table worked fine for moldings, casings, trim, etc. On the other hand, if you are doing a lot of casings -- or trying to duplicate existing casings -- wouldn't it make the most sense to get a planer molder (such as the Williams-Hussey)?
i could be wrong.. but what would you possibly do on a router table that you couldn't do on a shaper ?
a moulding machine , like a W&H, is a little more specialized that a shaper
and .. it was my impression.. that after i had spent all that money on a table, a lift, and the router ( which becomes dedicated after you mount it on a lift )..
i would have been ahead with a shaper ..
but, hey, whadda i no ?
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Naw, I was just curious what your thinking was. A shaper is hardly portable, whereas a router/table arrangement can be made so that you can schlepp it around if needs be. Also, shaper cutters are way more expensive than router bits, and the profile selection is much more limited. And then, a 3 hp router begins to get into shaper territory (in terms of power and cutting capacity), although it is still not in the same league -- especially when it comes to making cabinet doors. I mentioned the W-H planer molder, since I thought perhaps you were interested in making your own casings -- which is about the only reason I can think of to own one of these machines.
nikki.. bench top shapers are at least as portable as router tables.. or , am i wrong again ?Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
nikki... i've never owned a shaper.. but a friend used to bring his old delta on the job whenever he did kitchen installs.. weighed less than a table saw then.. guess 100 lb. ?
now i look at portable shapers.. i see one .... a Delta SH100 ... with a 1/2" / 1/4" collet, 9 amps induction motor... 12500 rpms.... 61 lb..... $238.. (takes the same bits as my routers )
or a shop shaper.... 5 hp.. 456 lb... $ .. who knows ?
i 'm just commenting .. my bench dog & the lift and the router.. i gotta have $500 in that... and it's gotta weigh 61 lb.
i bet if i look , i can find a bench top shaper that will equal my router set-up... ..
my thinking is that a router table is a slippery slope.. it's trying to take a router and turn it into a shaper.. why not buy the shaper ?..
that's a question, BTW.... not a statement.. like i said.. i've never owned a shaper..
i do own 5 routers
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I have come to the conclusion that the cost of a bench dog cast iron table, cabinet whether I build it or buy it, 3-1/4 router, lift is going to be 800-
An entry level 1-1/2 hp shaper will be in same ballpark, can run router bits as well...In doing some research, I am probably going to get a Delta 3hp for around 1500. I believe you get what you pay for, and I really hate cheap tools
The grizzzly, shopfox and jet to name a few don't fair as well in reviews.
I have an ancient Delta shaper in the shop, but always found the need for a portable router table on the job.
I bought the cheap Jet shaper, ($700?) it will run router bits or shaper cutters, I use it with a power feeder, and 1 person can load it on the truck.
It is not as portable as most router tables, but I think the results are much better.
interesting.. i went to Jet on Amazon... nice unit.. 1 hp... 180 lb.
$550 ... free shipping ... & $ 25 off that...
anyways.. i do already own my router table... and it works great...Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
This post reveals an interesting thought process....
Most people would think "Damn, I have to replace four tools and the router table. Guess that joiner I was thinking about will have to wait."
But not you...you think "Gee, I have to go shopping for four tools and a router table...I might as well look around...yeah, I think I'll go for a joiner while I'm at it!"
:)
Rich Beckman
Another day, another tool(or five).