Router and table with 1/2" collet

Woodshop
#1

Hey gang…I need a recommendation on a router and table combo with a 1/2" collet that I can order from Amazon, or pick up locally at Woodcraft or a big box store. Let’s say $500 or less.

I embarked on a project with an upcoming deliverable date where I need to use a 1/2" shank bit in a size not available in 1/4" shank. I have a 15-year-old Ryobi table/router combo that was given to me and assumed I could just mount another router to it. So I bought a bigger router and figured out the Ryobi has specific mounting holes pre-drilled, and I will not be able to mount another router to the table.

Your recommendations would be great. I can get the job done without the table, but it significantly will cut my processing time if I can use a table. Thanks for your feedback.

#2

Why not use the one in the woodshop?

I have a really old dewalt 1 3/4 router (no trouble, knock on wood) and an incra lift.

I would take the bigger router you got down to Rocker or Woodcraft and see if they have a plate (~$60) that fits the router. Hopefully the new plate fits your old ryobi router table top. But worst case you replace the ryobi router table with a new ~$100 router table top. A router table lift is awesome! But good ones are a bit pricey.

In case you didn’t know, you get 10% off on non-sale items (not including power tools) at rocker and woodcraft for being a DMS member. They call it a “guild” discount.

1 Like
#3

I need to be able to work from home on this one. And an adapter plate won’t work because the table doesn’t have a plate, it has pre-drilled mounting holes for only the proprietary base on the router. I would just use it if I didn’t need a 1.5" template cutting bit, which I cannot find in a 1/4" shank.

I’ll likely just pick up the Skill combo table from Woodcraft, but am hoping there is a better option before pick it up. It’ll hold me over until I can build one for my home garage shop.

1 Like
#4

Don’t get the skill one. I grabbed one at a garage sale (why not right?). The plastic base is trash and so is the fence. I literally threw it away (its best use is as landfill).

However, I do have one of these for my “throw in the truck” tables.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-Fixed-Corded-Router-with-Table-Included/1000318615

Not fancy, but it has held up really well for light flipping jobs.

#5

Unfortunately, I had to pull the trigger and get going, and I ended up with the SKill table/router combo. Worked fine. I was able to put 1" radius corners on 6" blanks cut from 2x8’s using a 2" template bit and it worked fine. Dust collection was fantastic with the shop vac. The fence is probably crap, but I can’t imagine a kit fence at this price not being crap…but for now it got the job done (42 pieces). So I’m all set now…

Next, now that I’ve rounded the corners and beveled the edges, I’m taking the blanks to my FILs garage to cut slots with his table saw…if you’ve got a recommendation on how to round off the edges of a 1/8" (4mm) wide, 7.5" long slot, I would appreciate the thoughts…yes, I can use sandpaper, but I’ll now have to do 336 edges (42 x 8). Would prefer to use my trim router or the table to get the job…unless someone has a nice, simple technique…

IMG_6082-2
IMG_6082-21920×2564 317 KB

#6

https://www.rockler.com/rockler-convertible-benchtop-router-table

https://www.rockler.com/triton-3-1-4-hp-dual-mode-plunge-router-bdl

This setup is right at $500 and a great starting point…

#7

Unfortunately, I’ve already made the purchase and use it to make 42 pieces. But thank you for the recommendation.

#8

I found a bit in my collection that would work - see picture - don;t know what this is called, it’s a 1/2 shank - and it’s probably a bit to aggressive of a curve for your application - but someone probably makes a smaller radius version, You would have to line things up perfectly, but it could save considerable time over hand sanding.

IMG20240218185131
IMG202402181851311872×4160 153 KB

#9

I am not 100% sure what you are trying to end up with, but…it may make more sense to use a roundover bit like dwolf has depicted above 1st to make all of the cuts you have in mind, leaving rounded grooves/channels, and then cut the slots you are wanting on a table saw by lining blade up with existing grooves/channels. Either way, it will be tedious. Maybe think about fashioning some sort of longish (length determined by your piece dimensions and need) sanding wedge, i.e. a wedge with sand paper folded around it.

They (e.g. 3M) also make sanding sponges in rectangular shape that have 4 right angle corners that may make it easier if all you are trying to do is relieve the corners a bit.

Not helpful comments, but anyhoo: 1) this is really a CNC router oriented task. You probably already knew that. And 2) Since you are using table saw, I would have done all of that before rounding off outside edges to preserve as much flat reference surface for table and fence as possible.

#10

Does it have to actually be round or could it be a small bevel cut?

#11

So, task is done. I ended up using a table saw to cut the 4mm slots by adding painters tape to the fence to push it out a smidge on a 2nd pass, and then just used a dado stack to do the wider slots.

I was hoping to find a way to bevel the inside edges of the slots… not necessary, but would have been cool if I could have figured out how to get it into the workflow.

But nonetheless, thanks for the replies. 42 of these are done…and now I get to clean up the garage :wink:

IMG_6093
IMG_60931920×2560 303 KB

1 Like
#12

So, I went to use the router again, and the micro-adjust mechanism was already broken…at least it got me through the project…Woodcraft nicely took it back…so, unless I need a table before I buy my tablesaw, I’ll just build my next router table…

1 Like