Hi all-
I'm new to this NG, and have read many great posts in the past month or so
of lurking.
I have a PC 8529 router and have had nothing but great success with it in
hand-held freehand situations.
I have a need (read Honey-Do) to make several (200 or so BF) of moldings
for several rooms of the house, plus I've promised a cabinet project for
our sunroom.
I find myself in need of a router table.
I thought of building a table of my own design, but I really don't know my
needs will be in the future. I'd like to have a table with a proven track
record and go from there. I just don't know if there is anything available
in this table's price range that'll offer as many features as the Rockler.
BTW, I would also purchase the accessory kit with featherboards, dust
collector and bit guard bringing the total price to ~$225.
Any 'Pros and Cons' of this table (and router combo), or other viable
alternatives would be appreciated.
Thanks-
--
KayCee
North Alabama Woodchipper
I'll take it if you still have it.
Jim
"Richard Zellmer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> If you or someone else wanted to make there own I have a brand new in the
> bag rocker router plate. The blue plate that is in that picture. I think
> the rockler plate costs $50.00 I bought it and the decided to buy a new
> table saw which had a mount for the router built in to the table. It is
> still in the bag.
> Rockler says that they take returns up to 30 or maybe 60 days out and
it
> was about 90 before I made this decision. If anyone here wants it I could
> sell it at a discount.
>
> Email me at r_zellmer at hotmail dot com if interested
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "KayCee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Hi all-
> >
> > I'm new to this NG, and have read many great posts in the past month or
so
> > of lurking.
> >
> > I have a PC 8529 router and have had nothing but great success with it
in
> > hand-held freehand situations.
> >
> > I have a need (read Honey-Do) to make several (200 or so BF) of moldings
> > for several rooms of the house, plus I've promised a cabinet project for
> > our sunroom.
> >
> > I find myself in need of a router table.
> >
> > I thought of building a table of my own design, but I really don't know
my
> > needs will be in the future. I'd like to have a table with a proven
track
> > record and go from there. I just don't know if there is anything
> available
> > in this table's price range that'll offer as many features as the
Rockler.
> > BTW, I would also purchase the accessory kit with featherboards, dust
> > collector and bit guard bringing the total price to ~$225.
> >
> > Any 'Pros and Cons' of this table (and router combo), or other viable
> > alternatives would be appreciated.
> >
> > Thanks-
> > --
> > KayCee
> > North Alabama Woodchipper
> >
> >
> >
>
>
Bought that kit and it was decent: The table was flat (which is a
good thing in routerdom), the 0.25" aluminum plate was very strong.
All and all a good starter system, and excellently priced if you look
at similar offerings from competitors.
The only caveat being that is you decide to upgrade it later, you may
end up having to buy a bigger table (for example if you buy an Incra
fence for it, you will need a longer table... this happened to me).
Its thick, so attaching extension tables (either your home-made ones
or Rockler's) is not a daunting task.
If you or someone else wanted to make there own I have a brand new in the
bag rocker router plate. The blue plate that is in that picture. I think
the rockler plate costs $50.00 I bought it and the decided to buy a new
table saw which had a mount for the router built in to the table. It is
still in the bag.
Rockler says that they take returns up to 30 or maybe 60 days out and it
was about 90 before I made this decision. If anyone here wants it I could
sell it at a discount.
Email me at r_zellmer at hotmail dot com if interested
"KayCee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi all-
>
> I'm new to this NG, and have read many great posts in the past month or so
> of lurking.
>
> I have a PC 8529 router and have had nothing but great success with it in
> hand-held freehand situations.
>
> I have a need (read Honey-Do) to make several (200 or so BF) of moldings
> for several rooms of the house, plus I've promised a cabinet project for
> our sunroom.
>
> I find myself in need of a router table.
>
> I thought of building a table of my own design, but I really don't know my
> needs will be in the future. I'd like to have a table with a proven track
> record and go from there. I just don't know if there is anything
available
> in this table's price range that'll offer as many features as the Rockler.
> BTW, I would also purchase the accessory kit with featherboards, dust
> collector and bit guard bringing the total price to ~$225.
>
> Any 'Pros and Cons' of this table (and router combo), or other viable
> alternatives would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks-
> --
> KayCee
> North Alabama Woodchipper
>
>
>
Thanks for all the posts on this subject. The end result is that I bought
the Rockler table with the accessory kit for my PC router. It arrived a
few days ago and I must say I'm quite impressed with the overall quality of
the table and its parts. I have been practicing cuts in many situations
with scrap wood and so far all is well. I did make one modification--I
added a higher fence to the table. I can now safely rout panels on-edge
such as when using a vertical panel bit. All things considered I think the
table will serve me well in the future.
Thanks again-
--
KayCee
North Alabama Woodchipper
I wrote:
> I find myself in need of a router table.
> I thought of building a table of my own design, but I really don't know
my
> needs will be in the future. I'd like to have a table with a proven
track
> record and go from there. I just don't know if there is anything
available
> in this table's price range that'll offer as many features as the
Rockler.
> BTW, I would also purchase the accessory kit with featherboards, dust
> collector and bit guard bringing the total price to ~$225.
> Any 'Pros and Cons' of this table (and router combo), or other viable
> alternatives would be appreciated.
I recently bought the Rockler table kit along with a stand for it. All in
all, I'm not all that thrilled with it and am thinking that it's reputation
is pretty over-blown. Now mind you, I do think that the table is "OK" --
but it's nothing to brag about. It's also light weight and far from the
most solid feeling table I've seen or used -- and that doesn't inspire a
great deal of confidence in itself.
The fence itself is gludgy and it is taking me a while to get used to it.
That orange bit guard they have for the table is a worthless nuisance as
well -- it sits so close to the work that it blocks the push stick from
doing any pushing and it's too darned dark to see through. I am also not
convinced that 'dead center in the table top' is the best place for the
router to be. (I'd rather have the tool offset toward the back of the
table.)
IMHO the Rockler #1 Router Table is just plain severely over-priced. (But
then, almost all router tables and components are way over-priced in my
book. It strikes me as a "captive audience" thing. I'm not sure where you'd
'go' to get more 'bang for your buck'. )
BTW, here's where I'm coming from... about three years ago I got the
Porter+Cable Router Table Kit (complete with 690 router) at Lowes for
$139.00. I never liked the little aluminum table top very well, so I went
whole-hog and blew a whopping $10.50 on a piece of melamine and made myself
a new top and fence for the old PC frame and stand. You can see that at
www.ApacheTrail.com/ww/RT/index.html . It's very solid and has worked well
for me, but I did want a better mounting plate and fancier fence than I had.
I had been considering the Sears Professional Router Table and fence as well
at the time I bought the Rockler table. I'm just not at all convinced that I
made the better choice.
--
Steve
www.ApacheTrail.com/ww/
Mesa, AZ
Penury Is the Mother of Invention
"KayCee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
: Hi all-
:
: I'm new to this NG, and have read many great posts in the past month or so
: of lurking.
:
: I have a PC 8529 router and have had nothing but great success with it in
: hand-held freehand situations.
:
: I have a need (read Honey-Do) to make several (200 or so BF) of moldings
: for several rooms of the house, plus I've promised a cabinet project for
: our sunroom.
:
: I find myself in need of a router table.
:
: I thought of building a table of my own design, but I really don't know my
: needs will be in the future. I'd like to have a table with a proven track
: record and go from there. I just don't know if there is anything
available
: in this table's price range that'll offer as many features as the Rockler.
: BTW, I would also purchase the accessory kit with featherboards, dust
: collector and bit guard bringing the total price to ~$225.
:
: Any 'Pros and Cons' of this table (and router combo), or other viable
: alternatives would be appreciated.
:
: Thanks-
: --
: KayCee
: North Alabama Woodchipper
:
:
: