New to Router Forums

3114 Views 19 Replies 14 Participants Last post by JOAT, Jan 6, 2018

jhursh

Discussion Starter · Jan 4, 2018

Hi,

I am new here as well, just moved to NW Florida last year. I am going to buy a router very soon, I have a table and mitre saw (Dewalt), I am leaning toward getting a Bosch MRC23EVSK, I would like to get a table and also have the ability to use it freehand as well. I am trying to also decide on a table, but I do not know much about router lifts and am thinking that the MRC23EVSK, would allow me to adjust it without requiring a lift. Thoughts?

thx

Jim:smile:

1 - 20 of 20 Posts

ggom

· #2 · Jan 5, 2018

Welcome Jim!
You can' t go wrong with this Bosch system !
It is complete and quite usable.

Many happy users around in this forum.

I don' t have any Bosch router , but I do believe they are good routers as I
seen them in the shops and some friends have some and they are happy with them.

(Got some Bosch stuff anyway:concrete drills and metal grinders and they are pretty good ).

You soon will get more usable advices , plenty of good people are active in this forum.

Regards

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Reactions: 1

difalkner

· #3 · Jan 5, 2018

Welcome to the forum, Jim! Yep, like Gérard said, you can't go wrong with Bosch. I have a 1617 and the little Colt trim router. We even have a Bosch mixer in the kitchen! Be sure to post photos of your work when you have a project going on.

David

Reactions: 1

Cherryville Chuck

· #4 · Jan 5, 2018

Hi Jim and welcome. Lifts are not compatible with most plunge routers unless they are part of a combo kit where you switch motors between bases. However you don't need a lift with one and many now come with the ability to adjust their height from above the table. That leaves the main difference between them with not having to reach under the table to lock the router in position if you use a lift.

Most of have built our own tables and they aren't that hard to do and you get the features you want that way and it will cost way less. There is a ton of info on this site about router tables.

Reactions: 1

Stick486

· #5 · Jan 5, 2018 (Edited)

jhursh said:
Hi,

I am new here as well, just moved to NW Florida last year. I am going to buy a router very soon, I have a table and mitre saw (Dewalt), I am leaning toward getting a Bosch MRC23EVSK, I would like to get a table and also have the ability to use it freehand as well. I am trying to also decide on a table, but I do not know much about router lifts and am thinking that the MRC23EVSK, would allow me to adjust it without requiring a lift. Thoughts?

thx

Jim:smile:

welcome Jim...
I believe you'll find that the Bosch 1617 in a table will do a bit more than the MRC for less money..
a refurb from CPO will even be less money yet...

https://www.cpooutlets.com/bosch-routers-and-trimmers/bosch-routers-and-trimmers,default,sc.html

Reactions: 1

RainMan 2.0

· #6 · Jan 5, 2018

Welcome to a great forum Jim . I hope you enjoy it here as much as I do

By the way, we love pictures,and hopefully you share your projects with us

Reactions: 1

Semipro

· #7 · Jan 5, 2018

Hello and welcome to the router forum Jim

Reactions: 1

DesertRatTom

· #8 · Jan 5, 2018 (Edited)

Glad you joined the fun. I also suggest the Bosch 1617 EVSPK kit with both plunge base and the fixed base (which will also work well in a table). You can get a simple key to adjust it from above the table.

Making your own table isn't a big deal, although I strongly suggest you do buy an aluminum router plate to mount the Bosch on. You'll use the router to cut out an opening and form a ledge for the plate to rest on. Lots of discussion on making your own table. Making it and maybe even a fence will give you a first project that will give you some skills to start with.

I have a Rockler table and fence that I like, but most brands with split fence faces are pretty good.

Getting your saw to cut the 90 degree and 45 degree pieces perfect is pretty darn important, and for that you can order a Wixey digital angle gauge. Put it on the table, set the zero, then put the magnetic edge on the blade and adjust it to a perfect 90. You'll find gluing things together will go smoother with that little $30 Wixey.

Ask lots of questions, we're happy to help. Here's a drawing of a fence for your router table, made from really flat, 3/4 plywood (with as many layers as you can find). Clamp it to your flat top with a couple of $3 Harbor Freight clamps. Keep it simple. A router table is much safer than freehend, BTW.

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Reactions: 1

Danman1957

· #9 · Jan 5, 2018

Welcome Jim,
A great bunch of people and a wealth of knowledge can be found here. Hope you enjoy the experience.
Dan

Reactions: 1

JOAT

· #10 · Jan 5, 2018

Router tables.
http://www.routerforums.com/table-mounted-routing/17212-wanted-pictures-your-router-table.html

Reactions: 1

MT Stringer

· #11 · Jan 5, 2018 (Edited)

9

Welcome aboard, Jim.

Some of us use the Bosch 1617. I own two of the kits (1617EVSPK) and have been happy with both of them. One is currently mounted in my CNC and gets a workout. The other is currently mounted under my work table in the fixed mount. If I need it, I can easily remove it and put the motor in the plunge base for hand held operations.

Welcome to the forum. There are a lot of threads dealing with routers of all types.

Note: I have several others ranging from an old Craftsman (90's era) to a newer DeWalt compact DW-611pk.
Mike

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Reactions: 1

DaninVan

· #12 · Jan 5, 2018 (Edited)

Hey, Jim; welcome!
You know I'm a fan of Bosch in general and the 1617 in particular, but I confess I have one very small complaint about it. I find the round wooden knobs too slick.
I'd much rather they were either egg shaped or had more grip to them. Anybody else have that issue and come up with a solution? The way they are now, using the router on the horizontal (handheld obviously) isn't a lot of fun; I'd rather use my 1619 or the old Craftsman, both of which have ergonomic grips.

Reactions: 1

MT Stringer

· #13 · Jan 5, 2018

DaninVan said:
Hey, Jim; welcome!
You know I'm a fan of Bosch in general and the 1617 in particular, but I confess I have one very small complaint about it. I find the round wooden knobs too slick.
I'd much rather they were either egg shaped or had more grip to them. Anybody else have that issue and come up with a solution? The way they are now, using the router on the horizontal (handheld obviously) isn't a lot of fun; I'd rather use my 1619 or the old Craftsman, both of which have ergonomic grips.

I solved that issue by removing them. :surprise: The knobs are in a drawer somewhere. That is because the fixed base is mounted under the router table. I use the plunge base for all hand held operations.

Reactions: 2

DaninVan

· #14 · Jan 6, 2018

That's right, Mike, rub it in...

(still waiting for my plunge base...and waiting...and waiting)

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Reactions: 1

woodknots

· #15 · Jan 6, 2018

MT Stringer said:
Welcome aboard, Jim.

Some of us use the Bosch 1617. I own two of the kits (1617EVSPK) and have been happy with both of them. One is currently mounted in my CNC and gets a workout. The other is currently mounted under my work table in the fixed mount. If I need it, I can easily remove it and put the motor in the plunge base for hand held operations.

Welcome to the forum. There are a lot of threads dealing with routers of all types.

Note: I have several others ranging from an old Craftsman (90's era) to a newer DeWalt compact DW-611pk.
Mike

What!!!! No picture of that little prize you won a while ago?? You didn't even mention it in your listing. Hmmmmmm????
@jhursh - Jim: I've got the 1617EVSPK as well, and bought it at CPO (check @Stick486 's link). I have the fixed base set up in a table and couldn't be happier.

Reactions: 2

MT Stringer

· #16 · Jan 6, 2018

What!!!! No picture of that little prize you won a while ago?? You didn't even mention it in your listing. Hmmmmmm????

Vince, I actually have two of the Tritons. I already had one mounted in the router table, and then I won the give-away on here. I have used the new one a couple of times to flatten some boards that were too big to fit through my planer.

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old55

· #17 · Jan 6, 2018

Welcome to the forum Jim.

jhursh

Discussion Starter · #18 · Jan 6, 2018

wow that is a lot of routers..... I am re-thinking the 1617 as I may get a deal on a woodpecker table w/lift and it fits.....

Reactions: 1

MT Stringer

· #19 · Jan 6, 2018

jhursh said:
wow that is a lot of routers..... I am re-thinking the 1617 as I may get a deal on a woodpecker table w/lift and it fits.....

Just an FYI,

The "EVS" part of the model number stands for "Electronic Variable Speed". In plain layman's terms, that means there is a dial on the motor that allows you to increase/decrease the router speed throughout it's operating rpm range. There may be times when you are using a large cutter like a raised panel cutter and you would want to slow the rpms. Other times, you might want to have the rpm's high for other operations.

JOAT

· #20 · Jan 6, 2018

jhursh said:
wow that is a lot of routers..

If you haven't got more than one router you aren't really routing.

Reactions: 2

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