New Toy, New Toy, Woo Hoo.. (Router + Router Table) (1 Viewer)

Brett DiMichele · Jul 20, 2003

So I have been wanting my own router now for some time.. I
mean it's nice of my friend to lend me his 50 year old
decrepid Craftsman and all but I just don't like borrowing
tools.. So today I went router shopping..

I looked at DeWalt, Makita, Porter Cable, Black&Decker, Milauwkee(Sp?),
Bosh and Ryobi.

Out of all that I looked at the Bosh was honestly the best
one out of the bunch with the DeWalt pulling a close second.

Both were Plunge Routers but for my useage I couldn't see
shelling out $200-$220.00 for these units. I went with the
Ryobi 1.75 Horse Non Plunge with the Ryobi Table for, get
this... $99.00! I realize this stuff is made in china like
everything else.. I just don't see how they can make the
stuff so good and sell it so cheap. I have a bunch of other
Ryobi power tools and they have never failed me and always
done the job so I know this router will do the same.

Here are some pics

Allen Ross · Jul 20, 2003

not bad, seems like a great price, i will be getting the basic rockler.com table and legs (full size, not bench top) next paycheck, which should work marvelous with my Porter Cable 960. I will post some pics and some shots of the nice lock miter i will be doing with it.

Also if you are going to be doing some serious routing, def get some dust control on that, MDF will kill that router faster then 22,000 RPMS of fun

Brett DiMichele · Jul 21, 2003

Allen,

Post some pics of that bad boy when you get it! Yeah the
MDF dust flies when you start routing that for sure.. The
good thing is that if throws all the dust upwards out of
the blade guard.. the bad news is that without dust control
it lands on you

I was covered!

Hank Frankenberg · Jul 21, 2003

Congrats Brett! Now go forth and produce MDF dust. If the table doesn't have a dust collecting attachment, try to fabricate one. I really recommend dust collecting router or table attachments - that MDF dust is unhealthy and covers everythin in the area.

Jack Gilvey · Jul 21, 2003

Cool stuff. I'd like to get a table and try something other than a butt joint. Take it easy with the MDF, though, or avoid it, that's a small motor to be trying to do major removal.

Both were Plunge Routers but for my useage I couldn't see
shelling out $200-$220.00 for these units.

Yeah, that's what I thought before investing that much in my DeWalt 621. Definitely my best speaker-building purchase (along with the Jasper jigs), though, no question. Building this stuff has become my favorite part of the A/V hobby, moreso than using the end product.

Click to expand...

Brett DiMichele · Jul 21, 2003

Jack... I took a 3/8" Rabbet cut 3/8" deep with this thing
and it never flinched... That's even with a garbage HSS bit
not a Carbide

The table has two attatchment points for dust removal. You
can remove the plate on the back of the fence and attatch a
collector there or you can simply attatch a shop vac hose
right to the top of the blade sheild and it sucks it right
through the top.

I am a believer in Ryobi's quality.. Especialy compared to
Some of the other companies (excluding Bosh).. Bosh really
impresses me! DeWalt would probably be my second choice if
I really wanted to just spend more money

Jack Gilvey · Jul 21, 2003

Jack... I took a 3/8" Rabbet cut 3/8" deep with this thing
and it never flinched... That's even with a garbage HSS bit
not a Carbide

Alrighty, then...go nuts! (It's only $99, after all. )
Get a good bit if you really want to work MDF.

Click to expand...

Brett DiMichele · Jul 21, 2003

Jack actually $99 was including the table.. The router it's
self really isn't that expensive. I do think I am going to
buy the 2.5 Horse Ryobi Plunge Router also.. It's not that
expensive and would be good to have.

I am buying a bit set next week if I get a chance. They are
all carbide toothed ball bearing jobs, they come in a
package for $100.00 and you get the Ogee's the Roundovers,
the Flush Trim Bits, Pannel Bits etc.

Jack Gilvey · Jul 21, 2003

I find the plunge feature on mine indispensable for speaker cutouts, wouldn't do without it. I fix it in place for roundover, flush/laminate trim, stuff like that.

Have you tried Baltic Birch? $15 for a 2' x 4' at Home Depot, but much easier and healthier to work...lighter, too.
In any event, you'll find dust collection to be very helpful. Even working outdoors, I use mine every time.

The panel bits will really test your motor, I think I'd avoid that work unless you go with a 2.5 or 3 Hp.

Brett DiMichele · Jul 21, 2003

Nope haven't tried Birch.. Looks like it's fairly workable
stuff and probably easier on bits and blades than MDF but
for girth and acoustial deadness MDF is hard stuff to beat.

I have seen some really nice finished done on bare bich
ply's though, that looked superb!

I am not sure what you do with those pannel bits? why would
they tax the motor worse than a 1/2" Roundover? You need to
explain these things to me since I have no panelworking
experiance and have no clue what those bits do

Yeah I guess when working out of the table the plunge
feature would come in very handy. Especially when doing
multiple operations.. I may go for the plunge job next
week or the week after.. Having two routers is never a bad
thing

And yes the dust collection will be very appreciated.
I was doing the work outside wearing a mask but I got so
covered in dust.. My car is an MDF dust covered mess....

Jack Gilvey · Jul 21, 2003

I am not sure what you do with those pannel bits? why would
they tax the motor worse than a 1/2" Roundover?

They typically take off more material in a pass.

Click to expand...

Bob Kavanaugh · Jul 21, 2003

Not that you appear to want to make thousands of panels with your router, but a panel cutting jig for your tablesaw will make nice simple raised panels in no time.

Chris-Lip · Jul 21, 2003

Nice setup Brett, I too bought a new router, I chose the Bosch, now I am not so sure it was a good choice. I made a lot of dust and cut a lot of holes in single and double layer 3/4" mdf and the thing died. It slowly but surely turned slower and slower and the motor started sounding like an lawn mower before the end. Menards however exchanged it for me no questions asked, hopefully it was just a bad unit....

Brett DiMichele · Jul 21, 2003

Chris,

Wow I can't believe a Bosch died on you.. Generaly speaking
I think Bosch is higher in the food chain than most other
professional brands. I can't speak for the Ryobi's longevity
since I haven't really used it yet other than playing
around. But considering I took a full 3/8 in one pass and
it was a clean cut, that leads me to believe the motor has
some balls. Ryobi does recommend making nuerous passes to
acheive depth though (they all do) to avoid gouging and
kick backs plus make it easier on the router and bit.

Sorry to hear your Bosch died.

Jack,

Birch may have more "torsional rigidity" than MDF but it's
certainly not more acousticaly dead.. Birch is used in horn
enclosures for a reason.. It resonates in a much higher
frequency than MDF does. Either is a fine material though.
MDF has some drawbacks but the girth makes it nice for
building solid enclosures..

Jack Gilvey · Jul 21, 2003

MDF has some drawbacks but the girth makes it nice for
building solid enclosures..

Yeah, I've gone through lots of MDF. It rounds over nicely. Not quite sure what you mean by its "girth", but I just finished a BB box for an AV12 and two 15" PR which is as solid as it gets. It's not as heavy as an equivalent MDF box, which might well lead the novice to various erroneous conclusions. Much like knocking on a subwoofer and not hearing it ring.
I sometimes use MDF for test boxes since it's cheap. I don't enjoy working with it, though. I like to feel and smell wood when I'm woodworking.

Click to expand...

Kyle Richardson · Jul 21, 2003

You can smell when working with wood? I use a full respirator when I'm cutting since I dont have any sort of dust evacuation equipment and I cant smell a dang thing

Brett DiMichele · Jul 21, 2003

Jack,

By Girth I mean it's weight.. Improper useage of the word
I guess...

Birch has it's place for full range stuff also.. More in
the form of Transmission Lines, Folded Horns, Open Baffels
and such. Some guys say they prefer the resonance that Ply's
"add" to horns.. I dunno..

Kyle,

Wish I had a respirator.. Instead I am breathing all that
lovely formaldahyde.. But the question is what is worse..
The MDF Dust or the Ciggarettes I smoke? LOL (I do wear a
passive mask and I do all the work outside FWIW)

Mark_E_Smith · Jul 21, 2003

May I recomend a Lockmiter bit for your router. It will make life much easier esp with BB as you can use the natural veneer with perfect 45 deg miters that are square I fought plain miters and never was able to make a square box much less 2 of the same :frowning: any way with the lock miter it was dead on first time.

Brett DiMichele · Jul 21, 2003

Mark,

I appreciate the advise but I have no plans on using Birch
Ply and I use either Rabbets or Butt Joints.

But again thanks for the advice, I am sure someone will
benefit from it.

Bob Kavanaugh · Jul 21, 2003

No doubt. I have been looking into buying a lock miter bit for some time, but worried about the setup and my 1.5 hp router struggling through MDF. Baltic Birch Ply sounds like something I might try.

I have to ask again Brett... how is your audio rack coming along?

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