Router? Mount in the BT or standalone?

**Uncle Cracker** · 01-04-2008, 02:02 AM

I have a Hitachi M12V mounted on a Woodpecker's PlungeLift plate, installed in a formica-clad table I made to sit left-side between extended rails on my BT3000. It's a perfect setup for my space, and has all the nutz I will ever need. I saved the space that a dedicated table would consume, so I have room for more tools.

**lrogers** · 01-04-2008, 05:56 AM

I also have a M12V mounted in a table I placed between the rails. I used the BT mount for a long time, but decided a bigger table was needed, so I made one. It works great for me.

**LarryG** · 01-04-2008, 07:48 AM

First of all, welcome to BTT3Central!

My experience doesn't exactly match what you're asking, so I'll just throw out what I can and let you sort it out, see if it helps.

I have the P-C 7518 in my standalone router table, mounted in a Rockler/JessEm Mast-R-Lift. I bought this combo about three years ago, I think. No complaints at all. If I had it to do over, I'd buy either the same router or the Milwaukee 5625.

Before that, I mounted my Makita 1101 in the BT accessory table, and used it as my only router table. This works extremely well as long as you have the back rail clamp installed to help tame the vibration. One minor downside is the ribs cast into the top, which can sometimes be problematic with delicate workpieces. Others have found the size of the bit hole a drawback, since it's too small for (horizontal) panel-raising bits, which I never tried to run those on this setup. The biggest problem for me was the lack of dust collection. Used as a primary router table, this setup spewed debris all over the shop from up top, and made a mess on the floor down below since there was no box around the router.

When I got my standalone router table and the 7518, I removed the Makita from the BT acc'y table and replaced it with my old one-horse Craftsman, with a 1/4" roundover bit chucked up more or less permanently. With the BT mount reduced to this limited supporting role, I found it perfectly satisfactory. It still made a mess, but I didn't use it enough for that to be a big deal.

Still later, I built the extension wing shown in this thread and mounted in it the fixed base for a newly-acquired Bosch 1617. Table-wise, this is basically the same approach that Uncle C and Larry R have. It was nicer than mounting the router in the BT's table; but for occasional use, it wasn't really necessary since the stock accy' table worked fine for that. (I built the wing more to extend the rip capacity than to end up with a nicer secondary router station.) The main advantages were that it was easier to change bits on the Bosch since the Craftsman has a non-removable base, and easier to adjust the bit height. But both of these are functions of the router, not of the way it is mounted to the saw.

So I guess what I'm saying is ... you might want to start by simply bolting your small P-C into the BT acc'y table and see if that serves your needs for those miscellaneous routing chores. If you find it lacking in any way, it'd be easy enough to fabricate a simple, infill-type router table top and mount that between the rails, as many here have done.

Hope some of that rambling helps ...

**Black wallnut** · 01-04-2008, 09:41 AM

Welcome to the forum! I also can not help you with your camparison but I have in the past mounted my PC693 router in the BT#K's acc. table with great results. I've since moved the bulk of my routing to my wide table router station but still keep an old Skil router ready to mount up in the acc. table. Since space is an issue for you the PC or Bosch maunted in the acc. table may meet your needs. Perhaps you can find a friend to loan your PC table to for a while as you try having a router mounted in your saw and see if you miss the PC table. I doubt you will as it sounds like you will still be keeping a stand alone router table for the bulk of your routing.

**LCHIEN** · 01-04-2008, 10:39 AM

I've always recommended the Aux table mounted router as a step in the path for a woodworker moving up, never had to do it for someone downsizing.

My comments are these:
Spinning big bits in the Aux table is hard to do (hole opening is small) so you don't need a really big router.
Aux table is OK for a second table for an experienced WW but not that good as a primary table unless you are starting and its your first. Its too small, you have to lock the rear and the fence setup is hokey and its inconvenient if you are switching back and forth (TS ops to router ops).
OTOH, I find it useful as a second table to do roundovers and misc ops using bearing bits, don't have to mess with a fence and or locking the rear of the aux table.

So i think you'll want to keep a dedicated table, altho I don't know how little space you will eventually wind up with.

You could always keep your bigger table and double as an assembly table/router table, possibly.

**steve-norrell** · 01-04-2008, 10:41 AM

Originally posted by brettmansdorf

Now down to a 2 1/2 garage (my wife swears some people actually place automobiles in those - I said its an election year and that is just a rumor)...

Automobiles in garages? A nation-wide scandal . . . . fortunately only in the winter (all six months of it). The workshop, aka garage, yields space to the Chevy and Toyota. (The Chevy tends toward the Repubs; the Toyota toward the Dems.)

Router table is mounted on the BT3100 rails, as is the extension table shown here.

Good luck, Steve

**brettmansdorf** · 01-04-2008, 04:47 PM

Appreciate the comments.

I've been coming here since 2002ish - just never posted. You guys are the reason I purchased the BT3000. I had a monsterous Delta before - they always wear out (precision) - or I miss something, and figured I'd give the rice burner a try from the harley (so to say)... I've never looked back.

I'm a weekend warrior - and a collector (live WAY too close to hartville hardware)... As my wife would say - I make spectacular $500 boxes: $11 in materials and $489 in equipment...

Anyways - I've liked some of the designs of add-ons for routers to the BT. I think most are overkill for what I would do with the smaller router - but perhaps something in the middle (between exotic and functional). Being one who will from time to time do quite a bit of shaping on the smaller router - the dust collection worries me... Therefore - design (aka... trail and error) will prevail.

On the other note... Anyone have suggestions between the 7518 PC and the Bosch 1619EVS... Industry standard seems to be PC - per almost every forum (same forums who were intent on justification of $500 more for a namebrand TS vs the BT - and realistically did not like it). However, I've found you guys helpful before ($1000 replacement Delta versus the $375 for the BT3K - I took a chance and won per the advise of those here), and the FACT that the difference between my Bosch 1617EVS and the PC 693 I have is night and day - and the Bosch wins hands down - precision/repeatability/adjustment - regardless of amps (12a vs. a 10a).

Any help is greatly appreciated..

Also - anyone have pictures of a less 'intense' router box/attachment for the BT3K. I love the guys in Alaska - just completely overkill in my situation - would like to have some dust reduction.

Thanx.

JR · 01-04-2008, 05:15 PM

Originally posted by brettmansdorf

Also - anyone have pictures of a less 'intense' router box/attachment for the BT3K. I love the guys in Alaska - just completely overkill in my situation - would like to have some dust reduction.

Here's one that's smaller.

Check out the thread and other pics here: http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...ghlight=router

**steve-norrell** · 01-04-2008, 06:24 PM

Originally posted by brettmansdorf

Also - anyone have pictures of a less 'intense' router box/attachment for the BT3K. I love the guys in Alaska - just completely overkill in my situation - would like to have some dust reduction.

Thanx.

Couldn't agree more. The great thing about this forum is that you get the full spectrum of ideas. There are plenty of good ideas for router set-ups that would give lots of good service.

Oh, yeah! I also love the guys in Alaska -- I think I can identify about three or four who regularly check in here.

Regards, Steve

**luteman** · 01-05-2008, 08:32 AM

I have the Freud router fence mounted to the acc. table of my BT3100. This unit is by far, the best router fence I have ever used IMHO. To mount it I drilled and tapped two holes in the acc table to make use of the two handles mounting bolts that came with the fence. Doing the mount this way, allows for quick removal of the fence when it is not needed.

**JimD** · 01-05-2008, 09:06 AM

I have both a router table setup in the accessory table of my BT3100 and a separate router table. If you have the space, I recommend the router table. If space is an issue, a setup in the accessory table works well. You can see my BT3100 setup in the articles section (you have to use the link to the older articles) - it is Spruce and Sandeply. I do not believe in router plates so my setup is pretty simple. The BT3100 setup is just a reduced thickness in the 3/4 melamine that is the top of my accessory table in the shape of a PC690 fixed base. I have a 3 1/2 inch hole so I can spin big panel raising bits. The PC690 base is screwed to the Melamine. I built a separate fence rather than use the BT3100 but it is just scrap plywood and melamine - nothing fancy. I have a box that mounts to the bottom of the accessory table so I have a connection to my DC. Simple, cheap, and works well.

My dedicated table uses a home-made router lift based upon a design published in American Woodworker several years ago. I has ground steel rods I got from McMaster Carr along with Olite bushings to support the router on the back of the cabinet so you can hinge the top for easy bit replacement. I use a piece of 3/8 threaded rod so 1 revolution is 1/16 inch up or down. Works well and parts were about $50 for the lift. A lift is really nice to have but not really necessary IMHO.

I use the motor from an old Ryobi R-500 router in my router table. It is 13.3 amps. I used my PC690s on the BT3100 to make a bunch of raised panel doors for our current house. The Ryobi has a bit more power but the only place I notice it is spinning a 3 inch plus panel raising bit. With the PC, I have to make maybe one more pass on the panel raising. With a full 15amp, maybe the difference is two passes. 2 passes to do a panel raise would be nice but also seems like it would be pushing it even for a 15amp router. For the cope and stick cuts, the PC has the power to do them in one pass (although some prefer taking multiple passes regardless of the router power available).

I made the power comment because I am not sure you really NEED a bigger router. I do not really NEED my 2 PC690s with 4 bases AND my R-500 AND my little Bosch colt trim router but that doesn't mean I do not use them and am happy to have them.

Jim

Router? Mount in the BT or standalone?

Router? Mount in the BT or standalone?

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