Budget DIY Router Lift

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I securely mounted my Wolfcraft router table on four 3"x 3" x 9" wooden blocks fixed to an old low table, using a trolley jack, a foam pad and a few basic stop blocks I now have an easy and cheap way of moving my router accurately and easily to the exact height required. Total cost £17.50 This could be done cheaper by visiting your local scrap-yard and finding a scissor jack, Ford generally use them, mounted directly under the router. I used a trolley jack as I had one lying around doing nothing useful until now :) Once the correct height is achieved I simply lock off the router, lower the jack and get on with it.

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Joe,

a man after me own heart though I used the scissor jack method
but think the hydraulic jack u used would have finer adjustment, though ive never had a problem with my setup.

Cheers

Signal
 
Hi Joe

Welcome to the group.

Yes, you've certainly got a really simple way of adjusting the height. I'd only seen it done with a scissor jack before, but you are obviously a man of "substantial means" using a trolley jack. :wink: :wink:

Great idea, well done.

Cheers
Neil
 
I've thought a few times, that scissor jacks ought to be adaptable to making a useful clamp system, a pair of them, pushing against a solid bar ought to be able to clamp things at an angle. Hmm, not sure I explained that very well.

Anyway, do you loose your setup overnight as the ram de-pressureises?

Adam
 
Adam,

nope cos you crank the router up, lock it off then wind the jack back down

Like the :idea: about clamping, youve got the cogs turning now :)

Signal
 
Joe, the only draw back I can see is if your table insert bows a bit, when you release the jack the setting may alter. I notice you have the Axminster router installed, what do you think of it, it's on a list of possibles I have drawn up to buy
 
Jaymar,

My router top is pinched out of an el-cheapo B&Q router table Its essentialy made up of an inch thick lump of mdf which the router is fitted to. There is no insert to speak of, but there is a large hole over the router which has a series of plastic rings which fit in the hole. Each of these has a different size hole depending on the diameter router bit used.

Ive also removed the plunge springs from the router and given it a liberal coating of grease and it glides up and down nicely now. How ever if there is any deflection the router bit rides with it so it doesnt upset the adjustment at all

You should just be able to see what Im getting at from the image below.

http://groups.msn.com/ukwoodworking/sig ... hotoID=773

Signal
 
Jaymar,

I see your point about the table insert but I got around any flex problems. The Wolfcraft has a fairly well made alu table but the supplied steel plate insert that fits under the table to mount routers that the table is not pre-drilled for was too small for the Axminster router to sit comfortably. I substituted the wolfcraft insert for an 1/2" thick steel plate, welded 10mm nuts to it and re-drilled the table top to take 10mm allen bolts. To overcome the problem of not enough reach by the router collet because of the thickness of the insert plate I'm using a CMT collet extension which works well although I could buy long shanked router bits I might not be able to buy/afford the one I'm specifically wanting :wink:

As for the Axminster router, only had it a few days so it's yet to get a good seeing to, and it will, but the only minus point I can say is the business of having to manually take apart the safety switch, fiddle around with a spring, which off course flew off :roll: :D and a piece of metal that you have to turn around in order to be able to 'lock' the on/off button in the on position when using the router in a table. The supplied instructions were clear enough but showed the little piece of metal facing the opposite direction to the direction that the little piece of metal on my router was facing. Took a bit doing to get it right and fit it back onto the router. As long as you don't intend to dis-mount the router and use it off-table then you need only do this proceedure once. That really needs to be a bit simpler in my book. Other than that it's a very well made machine, solid, heavy but well balanced. Everything is easy to setup and a strong spindle lock lever allows for trouble free bit changing, however the spindle lock lever can take a bit of fiddling to get it to engage onto the spindle. These are only minor points in my book and as I get used to the machine they'll probably get easier, I hope :wink:
 
hi joe would the problem of motor over heat if the trolley jack head covers the motor air in takes

rich :D
 
If I left the jack in place it would cause the motor grill to be blocked and then problems would arise but I setup the height, lock off, then lower the jack before switching on.
 
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