jbg230
Member
It all started with what I thought was going to be a simple task. Cutting some staggered, 1/4" notches within a wood blank in order to epoxy in a piece of Corian. Actually the notch needs to be just under 1/4", but Rocker sells some undersize router bits that seem like they would work. The notch would extend about 5/8" into the blank. Since I'm still learning, I came up with three alternatives for the notching: 1) Bandsaw/scroll saw (or table saw) and then chisel. Doesn't seem accurate enough to be reproducible, multiple times. 2) Mortise drill bit. I'd have to buy a mortise attachment thing for my drill press. The correct size bit is probably not made and the whole set-up seems really inconvenient. 3) Router. The issues I'm learning about in terms of a router is that in order to create a square notch, I'd really need to do this with a router table and it would probably be best to incrementally increase the bit depth to the 5/8" mark so the wood doesn't burn. (at least that's what I was told). So the plan would be to make a short cut for all the notches, then set the final bit depth and make the final cuts so all notches are the same length.
And herein lies the problem...well, the discovery. A router table with lift mechanism or bit depth control is expensive! Especially the aftermarket router lifts. Then there's the cost of the router itself. I found the Kobalt router table (by Lowes) that comes with the router. It has an aluminum table and depth control from the top, but the reviews are sketchy. The rack & pinion mechanism sticks and you have to fiddle with it under table, which defeats the whole purpose of creating the feature of table top adjustment in the first place! Then I read- and realized- there is no ideal router table!
Looking at the Ryobis and Skils of the world, it's confusing as to what is worth spending money on and what's not. I definitely see the benefit of having a router in my small, hobby kind of a shop, even if it's to just help make quality jigs and continue to enjoy the endless varieties of segmenting and inlays. And I'm sure it's one of those things where, once you have the tool, you'll find applications for it. I like to have quality stuff, I'm just not sure where to draw the line in this instance.
Any advice from the experienced out there is certainly welcome. Thanks!
And herein lies the problem...well, the discovery. A router table with lift mechanism or bit depth control is expensive! Especially the aftermarket router lifts. Then there's the cost of the router itself. I found the Kobalt router table (by Lowes) that comes with the router. It has an aluminum table and depth control from the top, but the reviews are sketchy. The rack & pinion mechanism sticks and you have to fiddle with it under table, which defeats the whole purpose of creating the feature of table top adjustment in the first place! Then I read- and realized- there is no ideal router table!
Looking at the Ryobis and Skils of the world, it's confusing as to what is worth spending money on and what's not. I definitely see the benefit of having a router in my small, hobby kind of a shop, even if it's to just help make quality jigs and continue to enjoy the endless varieties of segmenting and inlays. And I'm sure it's one of those things where, once you have the tool, you'll find applications for it. I like to have quality stuff, I'm just not sure where to draw the line in this instance.
Any advice from the experienced out there is certainly welcome. Thanks!