Router or something else? Semiprofessional use.

[heimlaga]

A customer asked me if I could build the stairs they need for their house. 90cm wide stairs that turn 180 degrees. Nothing fancy but they want good quality woodwork.

This means that I have to cut housings in the sides for the ends of the steps. I could do it by hand with stair saw and router plane but I wonder if it woluld be worth the money to buy a router to speed things up. Is there any other efficient way to do it?
So far my spindle moulder and router plane and moulding planes have fullfilled my needs and I have never before needed a router.

I know very litte about routers and last time I used one was in 1999 I think. It was an Elu probably from the eighties.

Any thoughts?

 

[Dibs-h]

I did my 1st set of stairs with a cheap 1/4" router from B&Q. Just meant more passes that's all.

A cheapo 1/2" would do the job perfectly well and would allow you to "dip" your toes back in the "game".

I have many routers - cheapy ones and 1 not so very cheap one. I suppose bit like handplanes - you can never have enough! LOL!

HIH

Dibs

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

Yeah lots of routers here.

I would go the router route. It will speed up your project and with the aid of a jig you will always get perfect results every joint.

 

[Webby]

screwfix at the mo ...is offereing a Erbaur for £99 its half inch
just got one lol

 

[MARK.B.]

Buy a cheepo from Aldi around 25 quid add that to the price of the job, a router will most certainly speed things up and as time = money a router has to be the way to go imo.

 

[heimlaga]

If I have to buy a router I will buy a decent one. Once bought tools tend to find uses and every supercheap tool I have ever bought has had to be replaced with a better one later on. The super-cheap one has essentially been wasted money every time.

My reasoning continues like this:
I already have a full size spindle moulder which is a part of my combination machine. We are talking about a monster weighing over 1500 kilos and having a 30 mm spindle with a 2,2kW 3 phase motor. Industrial size and quality.
Therefore it is rather unlikely that my router will have to do any greater amount of work mounted under a router table. All the hard work is done on she spindle moulder. On the other hand I want a router that will last long before it wears out.

Any ideas about what size and which feratures I should look for?

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

1/2" collect
Micro adjustment in height and fence

If your not putting it in a table ever (and there are a few things a router in a table can do what a spindle moulder can't) then just about all decent routers will have all the other possible features.

 

[LBCarpentry]

I'm amazed your a woodworker and don't have a router. How have you got by??! Its the most versatile tool in the whole of woodworking you can do pretty much everything with a router. Get a good one. As you say, buy cheap buy twice. It's essential you get a good quality router.

 

[cerdeira]

Hi

if you're planning to use the router mainly hand held, i think you'll be better off if you choose a lighter weight model. I like the bosch gmf1400 (i think it now has been upgraded to the gmf1600), it takes 12mm or 1/2" bits, comes with interchangeable bases (a fixed and a plunge one) and is powerful enough for most uses
they're quite pricey but i think they're on a league of their own. most other 1/2" routers out there are extremely heavy and clumsy to use for detail work

 

[marcros]

could you tell me, what is the benefit of a fixed base?

 

[vally bar]

Make sure you glue the wedges.

 

[RogerBoyle]

could you tell me, what is the benefit of a fixed base?

There is an explanation on here http://www.toolstop.co.uk/3-reasons-to- ... uter-a1208
But for me I prefer the Plunge type routers as their are more versatile

Roger

 

[heimlaga]

I will take a look at that Bosch if it is sold in Finland. I realized that I must go through the local hardware stores and take a look at what the different brands have to offer. Bosch's blue series and Makita and Metabo and Milwaukee and DeWalt are what I have to choose between.

Apparently my router knowledge is a bit outdated. Not because of my age (I am 31) but because the routers I have used were rather old. The only routers I knew about were fixed base routers. Please tell me how a plunge router works!

 

[neilyweely]

I would suggest that a 1/4 inch would maybe be the first router to buy. It will do most jobs required of it, maybe needing more passes, but easier to use. And if you are a relative newcomer to routing it would be good to start with a 1/4".
The sad truth is you need both.A 1/4" and a 1/2". Or 10 really. :lol:
I would say look online for a Bosch POF500. If you look on this forum you will see some good reviews of them; I have one and it is my go to router.
If you were to go for just one router then you might want to look at the new (ish) DeWalt DW622. I have the 621 which is the same, with a smaller motor and only 1/4" capacity. I bought the 621 recently, it is a copy of an old Elu model, which most will agree is a good thing, and it really is a good router for all round use. If I am going to a job where I may need a router, or may not, then this is the one I take. It is small enough for freehand use, but still meaty enough to do most jobs. If it had a 1/2" collet I would fancy it for kitchen worktops!
Anyway, I hope this helps. The POF500 can still be had for a bargan price on ebay, but it is creeping up as more and more people find out what a great tool it is. I am not sure they are all 'Scintilla' made, but that is the one you want. Scintilla is Swiss, and they really are very good motors. Mine was the first router I bought, second hand, 15 years ago. As I said it is still in tip top condition and you'd have to pay me good money to make me part with it.

HTH

Neil