Router Lifts

6375 Views 23 Replies 15 Participants Last post by CygnusX2112, Apr 16, 2012

DaveD

Discussion Starter · Oct 28, 2004

I'm planning on building/buying a rew router table and would appreciate some advise on which router lift to buy? Is one better than another for bit change, that sort of thing. Is there one which should be avoided? I plan to use a 2-3 hp router dedicated to this purpose which means that ease of changeout of the router shouldn't be too much of an issue.

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JohnH

· #2 · Oct 28, 2004

This is the router lift that I use.The attached picture is the top of my router table.You can see a small hole in the router plate that is used to raise or lower the router.I use a M12v..

http://shop.woodcraft.com/Woodcraft...alse&mscssid=B099BB8321CE462FB11D783BA6C569EE

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JimInWoodstock

· #3 · Mar 15, 2012

I am impressed with the woodpecker's Precision router lift V2. It has a very sophisticated design. The only disadvantage is the high price of $349.00.

Chris Curl

· #4 · Mar 15, 2012 (Edited)

Another option is to build your own lift.

I am a new woodworker and I made my own lift with above table height control / adjustment and bit changing. It was easy to do.

http://www.routerforums.com/project-plans-how/33666-diy-router-table.html

The best part was the cost, and the experience I got from making it myself.

Slomoe

· #5 · Mar 16, 2012

Lifts are nice but I can think of a lot better place to spend money on woodworking. I put them in the same category as a HumVee to go to the grocery store. I use a Bosch 1617, very easy to adjust. Flip one lever, press one lever and turn dial. I set height with a dial indicator in a hat section and log each bits desired height for a specific profile cut. Dial is always at “0” to the table. Just crank it up to height required - lock router down and cut – bingo right on the money every time.
I don’t use one of those fancy enclosed, dust collecting, hard to work in hot box enclosures either. I like my router in a cool fresh air environment. – I use a vac thru the fence channel to an enclosed area around the bit and pull off 90% of the dust – the balance gets blown out in the driveway – free mulch.

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downhill

· #6 · Mar 16, 2012

Since you are building a new table and indicate you would also be buying a new router, consider just buying one with a built in lift. There are quite a few of them for sale anymore.

Chris Curl

· #7 · Mar 16, 2012

Slomoe said:
Lifts are nice but I can think of a lot better place to spend money on woodworking. I put them in the same category as a HumVee to go to the grocery store. I use a Bosch 1617, very easy to adjust. Flip one lever, press one lever and turn dial. I set height with a dial indicator in a hat section and log each bits desired height for a specific profile cut. Dial is always at “0” to the table. Just crank it up to height required - lock router down and cut – bingo right on the money every time.
I don’t use one of those fancy enclosed, dust collecting, hard to work in hot box enclosures either. I like my router in a cool fresh air environment. – I use a vac thru the fence channel to an enclosed area around the bit and pull off 90% of the dust – the balance gets blown out in the driveway – free mulch.

that fence must weigh 50 pounds!

Mike

· #8 · Mar 16, 2012

Chris, the Incra fence is anodized aluminum.

Jerry Bowen

· #9 · Mar 26, 2012 (Edited)

I'm going to suggest that you look at the Incra Mast R lift. This is an expensive lift too at about $350, but is worth it to me anyway. My mistakw when buying a router was that I bought the PC 893Pk, which in itself is a good router, but it is not a good router to mount in a router table. The dust from routing gets in between the motor and the base that the motor movees up and down in for height adjustment. The motor quickly binds in the base, not a good arrangement, but when mounted in in the Incra lift, the set up is a dream to use. The bits are easily changed from above the table, the adjustments are accurate and easy to use. Adjustments as fine .001" can be made very easily. I really like the lift, and by the way I do use and appreciate a down draft dust collection system. The through the fence dust collection system worked farily wee for me before I got the down draft arrangement set up but was not effective for cuts like dovetails where the bit is not close to the fence. Anyway, I hope that you will let us know what you finally decide on.

Jerry
Colorado City, TX

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Chris Curl

· #10 · Mar 26, 2012

Jerry Bowen said:
I'm going to suggest that you look at the Incra Mast R lift. This is an expensive lift too at about $350, but is worth it to me anyway. ...

$350? ouch. mine cost me about $20. I could never justify an add on that cost 6 times more than the item the add-on is for.

HOBBYHEAD

· #11 · Mar 27, 2012

I am relatively new to routing having purchased a router and table at gerage sales, cheep. I have a model 315.17421 1.5 HP Craftsman router and model 171.25444 router table. I mounted the table on 3/4 inch plywood with a 2 x 4 runner on the bottom side so it could be mounted on my Workmate work bench. It turned out the router was missing the clamping wing nut, it had been replaced with a hex nut requireing a wrench, explains cheep. This was replaced with a homemade wing nut.
I soon realized that precisely adjusting the the height of the router was a real chore.
A means of lifting the router easily and accurately was needed. Also the clamping wing nut was inconvenient to use. To solve the lifting problem a lever fabricated from an eight inch long 1 x 4 with a hinge at one end and an adjusting screw at the other was installed under the router. A 1/4 X 20 threaded insert was installed in the underside of the lever to accept the adjusting screw. A four inch round head machine screw and a fabricated wing nut is used for adjusting the router height. One turn moves the router aproximately 1/64 of an inch. the amount of movement changes slightly as the angle of the lever changes. However this system allows for very precise adjustment of the router. To make the clamping nut more convient to use a bracket was attached to the side of the table and a metal tube was passed through the bracket and over a length of 1/4 x 20 all thread. The tubes buts up to the clamp on the router. Now I can easily loosen the clamp, turn the adjusting screw to raise or lower the router and tighten the clamp, all while standing up at the side of router table. Photos are included to clarify what I have described.

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Jerry Bowen

· #12 · Mar 27, 2012

I understand that some very talented woodworkers never spend a dime more than they have to because they are so skilled at knowing how to do things for themselves. Then there are those like myself that do not have that natural skill, but really like nice tools and gadgets that work. I have a neighbor that is an old time woodworker that has those speciial talents and skills, and I do admire him, I have to admeit that I suspect that he thinks that I do go overboard a bit with my acquisitions of tools and gadgets, but so much of my newly found interest in woodworked is using my new tools and gadgets.

Jerry Bowen
Colorado City, TX

Jerry Bowen

· #13 · Mar 27, 2012

I understand that some very talented woodworkers never spend a dime more than they have to because they are so skilled at knowing how to do things for themselves. Then there are those like myself that do not have that natural skill, but really like nice tools and gadgets that work. I have a neighbor that is an old time woodworker that has those speciial talents and skills, and I do admire him, I have to admeit that I suspect that he thinks that I do go overboard a bit with my acquisitions of tools and gadgets, but so much of my newly found interest in woodworked is using my new tools and gadgets.

Jerry Bowen
Colorado City, TX

Jerry Bowen

· #14 · Mar 27, 2012

You are a classic example of somebody with that special talent to create ways to accomplish well working modificions and/or other ways to skin a cat. I really admire folks like you, sounds like you are going to enjoy woodworking along with your special talents.

Jerry Bowen
Colorado City, Texas

Jerry Bowen

· #15 · Mar 27, 2012

Good Tools, really nice ones, always cost money, but since you are like myself, you must really like nice tools. These niceities are not as important to some folks as they are to others.

Jerry Bowen
Colorado City, TX

dick in ia

· #16 · Mar 27, 2012

One more for the Incra Mast R lift. Even though it is on the expensive side, mine has been used for 6+ years and has always worked flawlessly.

DaninVan

· #17 · Mar 27, 2012

"I could never justify an add on that cost 6 times more than the item the add-on is for."
Not married then, Chris?

DaninVan

· #18 · Mar 27, 2012

John H suggests 'Woodcraft' ...this relates to the ongoing discussion here:
http://www.routerforums.com/routerforums-com-news-feedback/33730-international-shipping.html

From Woodcraft's 'site:
"This product ships direct from the manufacturer:

Your order will ship in approximately 7-10 business days.
This product is considered special order. Your account will be charged when you place your order.
Express or overnight shipping is not available for this product.
Ships by Ground to the 48 contiguous states. Cannot ship to Alaska, Hawaii, PO Boxes, APOs, US Territories, Canada or other foreign countries.":nono:

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Chris Curl

· #19 · Mar 27, 2012

DaninVan said:
"I could never justify an add on that cost 6 times more than the item the add-on is for."
Not married then, Chris?

I laughed out loud at this one!

Yes, I am married ... now that you mention it, maybe "never" is not accurate!

tt1106

· #20 · Mar 27, 2012

Bought the JessEm. I love it.

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