Accepted practice is to have all but maybe 1/16 or so of the bit IN the collett. I'm certain some people are not always that careful but you elevate the risk of, at minumum, a broken bit when you use the router with only half the shank in the collett. The one time I broke a bit I never FOUND the rest of it...message being you don't KNOW where its going when it breaks, although the gurus say it will stay in or under the table. Me?......they call me Captain Cautious for a reason.:jester:

 

Perhaps you can make a recess under the table to bring the router closer to the top surface?

Nicolas

 

That's what I did with my first table. I routed out all but 3/8" where the router base would be.

 

Hi,

They do make extensions for the router. Here's one of several available: http://eagleamerica.com/xtreme-xtension/p/415-0650/

 

I'm sure you don't need to hear the virtues of table top base plates.

You don't mention it, I'm guessing the router is mounted directly to the underside of the table to lose so much stroke?

The Dremel may spin at a higher rpm, but the bit is smaller and it doesn't/shouldn't receive the stress that a router bit can absorb free hand or in a table.

You don't want your router on the receiving end of a 1/4" bit. Most times it drops like a rock, maybe into the exhaust vent of the router.
If it does stick in the stock odds are you won't react fast enough to stop and lift it up before it might drop into one of the vent slots.

 

I guess one thing I have been learning since being on this forum is: If you question what you are doing there is a chance it is not safe and, as you are doing, check it out. Something screaming along at 23000RPM can do some damage to the receiver of said part if it breaks. I have heard somewhere along the line that you should not extend the bit from the Collate any more than 1/4" or so. I just don't remember where I heard that. (I have slept since then).

 

You do not need the bit in so far as 1/8" of all the shaft in, its just no req. An amount less than 1/2 way of the shaft or less is fine. I have never ever had a problem.

If you look at the MLCS Katana bits you can see the markings for bit depth and most of them are further than 1/8" from all the way in. They start at a bit less than 1/2 the entire shaft length. I agree with the markings on this bit, but would not pull the bit out any further than the last marking on the picture.

 

hello Paul,

you can buy a router bit extension.

but i have a question, did you mount the router to the table material or did you mount it to a plate?

if you didnt mount it to a plate, i think thats the first thing i would do.

im sorry, i just am not understanding.

 

HI Paul

I agree with levon ,you need to remount your router to a plate,, if you screw the router to some 3/4" plywood you will have that error right off the bat..you can cut out a pocket hole for the router to sit it in but it's not safe..to thin...

Pickup up a mounting plate and do it right from the get go..

Then you will not have that error.. the norm.

=====

 

Almost all router manufacturers specify to insert the bit fully and pull it back about 1/8". The exception to this is Tritan who say to insert it fully. You can thin down the material where your router is mounted as suggested or make life really easy and mount the router to a $20 mounting plate from Harbor Freight, the least expensive solution with the best results. This will allow you to use PC style guide bushings too.

 

thank you all for your response, that's what i was afraid of, yes i was trying to save money on a pretty tight budget so i mounted directly to the bottom of a 3/4inch piece of ply but today i realized it isnt even flat its bowed in the middle already so as of right now im at a complete loss, ill have to just stick to hand held routing until i can afford to buy a cheap table just to get me going.

Im not much over a week into woodworking so i cant seem to talk the wife into somehow squeezing anymore money into this new venture of mine, she calls it a hobby but as much fun and enjoyment ive had in the almost two weeks now i wouldn't call it a hobby i would call it a life style because that drive to make more saw dust just keeps calling my name

I just need to stop trying to run before i can even crawl time to step back and take it slow build up my things as i go along, i mean i dropped 30 bucks on the 8x4 sheet of plywood when if i had just waited and added another 40 i could have picked up the bottom of the line router table from lowes which would have been a thousand times better than the top i was trying to work with right now and stop trying to cut corners to save 20-30 bucks when in the long run all that its doing is making things harder and end up costing me more money or health in the long run.

Thankfully i have a place to come and ask questions before i do something in haste and learn the correct way to do things ahead of time, Thank you all for giving me and others in my situation a place to help overcome this learning curve.

 

thank you all for your response, that's what i was afraid of, yes i was trying to save money on a pretty tight budget so i mounted directly to the bottom of a 3/4inch piece of ply but today i realized it isnt even flat its bowed in the middle already so as of right now im at a complete loss, ill have to just stick to hand held routing until i can afford to buy a cheap table just to get me going.

Paul, you have just learned a valuable lesson. You will never save money by going cheap. I know times are hard and money is a scarce commodity, but you have chosen an expensive hobby and I have found that it is best to save up until you can afford to get the best you can afford at the time. This doesn't mean that there aren't some good deals out there, but in general you come out ahead by getting the best you can afford. Going cheap just means you will spend more on replacement sooner. Also, in tools, cheap usually means unsafe.

 

Hi Paul,

Have you checked at sears? They have a table that would get you by until either you made another or buy one. Here's one that isn't bad price wise.

Craftsman Fixed-Base Router/Table Combo - 28180 at Sears.com

 

The reason they say all the way in than out an 1/8 is so the bottom does not touch. It is the min. It is not meaning that the bit can not be used pulled farther out. They just do not want people pushing the bit all the way in and bottoming out. That is what that statement is for. No where do they say that the bit needs to be pushed in so far, they are telling us NOT to push the bit all the way in, thats all.

The Katana marking are correct and any bit can be pulled out as far as those markings, but no bit should be pressed all they way in. That is what they are referring to when they say push the bit in and pull out an 1/8, it is strictly the furthest you can push in the bit, NOT the most the bit can be pulled out.

If I had to put every bit in that far I could never get 1/2 my work done without an extender. Its just not what the manufacturer means when they tell us about bit placement. It is more important to them for us NOT to put the bit all the way in than pull it out a little.

Most manufactures also state do not pull the bit out more than a little less than 1/2 way to go along with the statement of putting the bit in and pulling it out an 1/8". You need to take both statements together to determine safe bit placement in the router. I am sure many here use the bits regularly pulling them out more than an 1/8", I do everyday.

 

Nick, please post the instructions that say other than to fully insert the bit and pull it back 1/8". This is for my reference since I have yet to see one that said other wise.

 

The last bit I bought from Price Cutter before it merged with Eagle, (Oct/08) reversible glue joint P16-4032, (which doesn't exist anymore) replaced with 190-2715 has a collet set mark on it. Not absolutely sure for my CMT chamfer bit, the shank is a bit scratched but I think it also has a collet mark.

An odd thing about the RGJ bit, it's sort of up-side-down to all the RGJ bits offered that I can find.

 

hi Mike, im with you, go by the router manufacturers recommendations! lines on a router bit dont tell me anything. im going to listen to the routers recommendations. id like to see where they say you can pull the bit way out further than that!

 

"thank you all for your response, that's what i was afraid of, yes i was trying to save money on a pretty tight budget so i mounted directly to the bottom of a 3/4inch piece of ply but today i realized it isnt even flat its bowed in the middle already so as of right now im at a complete loss, ill have to just stick to hand held routing until i can afford to buy a cheap table just to get me going."

I understand money being tight. I will tell you I bought 2 pieces of 3/4" MDF cut off from a cabinet shop going out of business for $5. And bought enough formica from a different shop to laminate both sides for $10. I splurged and bought the $29.99 plate from Ptreeusa (I liked the fact it had cam tighteners and levelers). a piece of mini-T-track to mount the fence (which I'll make from wood I already have.) $55 for a nearly ready to use router table top. I don't think you can BUY one that cheap! I'm tight as a tick when it comes to money...you can do it even cheaper if you don't laminate the MDF!!

Bill

 

Frugal is good, it used to be called Yankee thrift.
You might get 10 different ways to go about solving a problem here.
Know that each solution is relative to the members wood working prowess, his tools and the available materials.
Knowing where to skulk for the material is an art form equal to in import as wood working ability