Bosch Router and the 21829

[balzac.thegreat]

Hey guys...

I just picked up this Bosch router kit at Rockler today.
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...3&filter=bosch

It's my first router, but I'd figure I'd go for something nice, and boy is it ever. Anyways, I would like the option of mounting it to my 21829, but it doesn't fit on the router table/accy table. Has anybody drilled into their accessory table to fit this router? Anything I should know before I do it. Thought I read something in some other threads about people doing this to fit whatever router they get, but I can't find that anymore.

Thanks in advance!

[LCHIEN]

with the older BT3 models (BT3000, BT3100, Sears 22811) the router mounting table used a plate which was 1/4" thick and easily mounted any router by drilling appropriate holes.

With the 21829, they included router capability with the saw (no longer an optional kit) but they cheapened it by doing away with the mounting plate and placing the mounting holes directly into the router table. The problem is that they used cast bosses where the router holes were, but only for the Ryobi/Sears routers. So there's little material, I think, to support other routers with holes in different places. (Countersunk holes are required to keep the mounting screws below the table surface, but the material is real thin, too thin for flat head screws). I don't have a 21829, but thats what I have heard and seen.

[balzac.thegreat]

with the older BT3 models (BT3000, BT3100, Sears 22811) the router mounting table used a plate which was 1/4" thick and easily mounted any router by drilling appropriate holes.

With the 21829, they included router capability with the saw (no longer an optional kit) but they cheapened it by doing away with the mounting plate and placing the mounting holes directly into the router table. The problem is that they used cast bosses where the router holes were, but only for the Ryobi/Sears routers. So there's little material, I think, to support other routers with holes in different places. (Countersunk holes are required to keep the mounting screws below the table surface, but the material is real thin, too thin for flat head screws). I don't have a 21829, but thats what I have heard and seen.

Yes...Your assessment of the 21829 table is correct and I suspected that it might be a problem. The holes are "punched down" rather than countersunk into thick material. I suppose I could mount a layer of ply/MDF over top of the table and get around it that way. You think that would work?

[drumpriest]

That would work to get the router mounted, but will cause the router to be higher than the rest of the table saw bed, thus keeping you from using the full rip capacity of the saw.

You could put a piece between the router and the table, though it would limit your bit height.

[JimD]

I would make an accessory table and mount the router in that. I did not like a router in the aluminum table of my BT3100 anyway. The opening is also too small for large panel raising bits. I cannot tell if the tables of the current Craftsman are aluminum or plastic. If the latter, they should not bang around like the aluminum does (unless you wedge it). I wanted more table surface anyway and an accessory table gives you more surface plus a better place to mount the router.

All I did was thin the 3/4 melamine I used for the accessory table to 3/8 in the shape of the router base and then attach it with flathead screws through the melamine. No plate. Works fine.

Jim

[balzac.thegreat]

I would make an accessory table and mount the router in that. I did not like a router in the aluminum table of my BT3100 anyway. The opening is also too small for large panel raising bits. I cannot tell if the tables of the current Craftsman are aluminum or plastic. If the latter, they should not bang around like the aluminum does (unless you wedge it). I wanted more table surface anyway and an accessory table gives you more surface plus a better place to mount the router.

All I did was thin the 3/4 melamine I used for the accessory table to 3/8 in the shape of the router base and then attach it with flathead screws through the melamine. No plate. Works fine.

Jim

That's a good idea. Do you have a picture of your setup?

[LCHIEN]

jim and keith make good points,
the only thing that makes much sense (if you wish to use that table for a router) is to provide a thicker platform to screw the router to. Maybe one of these ideas would work:

1. Take a piece of 1/4" aluminum, phenolic, lexan, or even plywood and make a adapter plate similar to the BT3000 that fits into the recess (round?) of the 21829 table, fasten the router to the bottom of the adapter using the routers holes and holes you drill in the plate.

attach the plate and router to the router table by means of the provided holes and matching threaded holes in the adapter.

This would leave the router hanging a bit low by the thickness of the bosses, but not too low to use for most ops.

2. Fill the back space of the table... if the table just has four bosses, you can cut a piece of 1/4" plywood with oversized holes to fit around the bosses and glue it flush to the bottom of the table providing material which to countersink and support the router.
If the table has a web of stiffeneing material, then perhaps making a dam and filling the bottom of the table (while inverted, of course) with epoxy or other filler material would make a thicker top.

[pelligrini]

When I first got my 21829 my Dwalt wouldn't bolt up either. I made a mounting plate from some 1/2" mdf and attached the fixed base to it, then attached the plate to the accessory table. It worked, but I still couldn't use my cabinet bits in the 21829 table.

Shortly afterwards I made a larger accessory table from some phenolic coated plywood from woodcraft and put in a jessem router lift fx. That lift was one of the best things I've done.

[balzac.thegreat]

Excellent ideas guys! I have no immediate or future need to make raised panels so I think a reduction in cutting height in any of these scenarios won't be an issue at all.

A few ways to skin this cat...need to start drawing.

[drumpriest]

Here's an image of my old setup from my bt days. All I did was make a frame, the front and back of the frame bolted to the rails of the saw via T-bolts from here...

http://www.t-nuts.com/

Then I just used a plywood top, and a rout-r-lift fx from Rockler for my setup. This is with the Bosch 1617. You could use any router plate and mortise it in like I did. Rockler has all kinda stuff to do this for their plates. Or you could just bolt the router to the bottom of the plywood, or you could route a recess so that you don't lose the entire 3/4".

[Bill in Buena Park]

jim and keith make good points,
the only thing that makes much sense (if you wish to use that table for a router) is to provide a thicker platform to screw the router to. Maybe one of these ideas would work:

1. Take a piece of 1/4" aluminum, phenolic, lexan, or even plywood and make a adapter plate similar to the BT3000 that fits into the recess (round?) of the 21829 table, fasten the router to the bottom of the adapter using the routers holes and holes you drill in the plate.

attach the plate and router to the router table by means of the provided holes and matching threaded holes in the adapter.

This would leave the router hanging a bit low by the thickness of the bosses, but not too low to use for most ops.

2. Fill the back space of the table... if the table just has four bosses, you can cut a piece of 1/4" plywood with oversized holes to fit around the bosses and glue it flush to the bottom of the table providing material which to countersink and support the router.
If the table has a web of stiffeneing material, then perhaps making a dam and filling the bottom of the table (while inverted, of course) with epoxy or other filler material would make a thicker top.

I'd go with the first approach of making an adapter plate - but you might need to countersink the holes for the bolts used to fasten the plate to the router, so the screw/bolt heads don't interfere with mounting the plate to the table. Also, a Lexan approach may require a bolt/nut combo over threading the lexan holes and not using a nut; I think the Lexan would not provide the strength to support the router without nuts.

[steve-norrell]

I used the Bosch 1617 router on the BT3100 accessory table, but I had to drill and counter sink mounting holes for the router base. I also had to drill a hole through the accessory table to gain access to the 'through the table' height adjustment.

In the attached photos, the holes for attaching the router base as circled in blue and the hole for the height adjustment is hightlighted with the blue arrows.

Although this worked satisfactorily for me for a while, I eventually built a router table. As suggested in other posts, I think you will find that to be the best long-term solution.

Good luck, Steve

[9johnny5]

You're not alone...

I too, bought that same router kit from Lowe's last weekend. I had been saving my Lowe's gift cards for the last year or so, and finally decided to ca$h them in. (My oldest daughter works at Lowe's, so that's what I get for Father's Day/b-day/Christmas.) It came with the $80 router guide kit, but I haven't used it yet.

I have currently a B&D 1.75 HP plunge router in the BT, and that's worked ok so far, but I knew I needed to upgrade routers, it was just a question of when. I had to drill the holes for it into the 1/4" alum plate from the mounting kit, so I figured that it was going to be the much the same story for the Bosch. Eventually, I will upgrade to a full router table and do like (I believe) LarryG said in another post, just keep the B&D w/ 1/8" roundover bit permanently chucked up.

So, thanks Steve, for doing the dirty work for me and showing us the placement of the holes, incl. the lift access hole.

Johnny C.

[LCHIEN]

mounting a router 1617 or any to a 21829 - option 3

If you have a 21829 and want to mount a router that doesn't have holes that align with the mounting bosses on the 21829 router table which is different than the BT3100/BT3000 router/aux table, here's the third option: Buy a used/parted out BT3100 router table and use the mounting plate the way Steve Norrel and countless other BT3100 owners have used as illustrated two posts above.

Should be able to pick one up for around... $25 or less?

[steve-norrell]

PLEEEEZZZZZE NOTE:

Allow me to state the obvious: The position of the screw holes and 'through-the-table' access in my photos a few posts up should be considered as examples only and NOT actual locations. The router base will be mounted differently with each individual's application.

Regards, Steve