Fix2Rrelax

....and imagine my surprise.

After waiting a couple of weeks for the backorder, and expecting a nice flat top, I noticed that both sides of the table drop off when I put a straightedge across the width over the area where the collet will be. Now from the front to back it is pretty flat across the width, and the front and back edges are fairly flat, but right over where the mounting plate fits, it is pretty convex.

I have heard that this is done to compensate for sag when the router is installed (guess I will have to assemble it to be sure) or that it doesn't make a difference in use (time will tell), but with all the chatter about table flatness, this really bothers me.

I know there have been a couple of other threads about the 1181 fence....have not even gotten to that point yet, and I also have a call into Bosch's product manager to get some more information.

Any insights would be appreciated.

Thanks, and glad to be part of the forum.

David

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challagan

Welcome David. Never heard that one before... I would think it would need to be flat from the get go and not count on the weight of a router. Good luck with it.

corey

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Dr.Zook

Welcome David to the best router forum around. We're glad to have you as a new member and hope you enjoy this forum.

PS: with a name like David, you can't be all bad.

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Dave
the "Doctor"

In woodworking there is no scrap, only firewood.

Doyle

Yes David, if it isn't flat it isn't flat. I am saying this not knowing anything about the Bosch RA1181.
WELCOME have fun and enjoy.
Take care
Doyle

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Our tools and machines never take prisoners!

Mike

David, very few tables are perfectly flat. Having the center slightly convex will have no noticeable effect on your projects. Concave table tops are where the real trouble comes in. With the center slightly higher than the sides the wood will pass the bit at the same height every time. The real question is how much measureable distance is the table off from flat? For routing applications 1/16" over the length of this particular table top would be too much, 1/32" would be ok. This is something all manufacturers have to deal with, none are 100% perfect. Even the pre-stressed cast iron tables can be warped in shipping. The good news is Bosch has shown us they stand behind their products and will make sure it works for you. If you have problems with this table PM me and I will assist you.

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Mike

Router is still my name

harrysin

Whilst I'm not a fan of Bosch, having perused that link I would expect the table to perform any task put to it, whether it's a "best buy" depends on it's price compared to other tables, I'm sure that I could be comfortable with one.

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Harry