Router: simple or plunge type?
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Phil Pascoe
Established Member
I have used a router for decades - I cannot think of any way a fixed base can be of any advantage.
For slotting use a router table, pushing a workpiece against a fence would probably be more accurate.
To follow a profile again a bearing guided cutter in a table may be easier.
To answer your question directly, a fixed depth router has the cutter exposed the whole time, a stand is needed to allow you to put the router down without leaving the cutting edge exposed i.e. standing up, small fixed base routers are good for repetitive work on something like a dovetail jig where you don't want the depth of cut to change or slip, small light work etc, but are a hassle if you have not made a stand for it.
A plunge router does just that plunges to a fixed depth, most bases have a three position stop to allow a gradual increase in depth of cut without excessive trouble, a great benefit if the eventual depth of cut is over say 5mm, you can set the depth stops to any depth, say 4mm, 8mm and 8.5mm to clean up the bottom of the slot.
And lets not forget you can buy a fixed base router with a plunge base as an accessory and if you fit the fixed base into a router table its easy to just slip the motor out of the fixed base/router table and put it into the plunge base for use outside the table, but would be an absolute pain to adjust for height whilst in the table.
The above is not an extensive list of the difference's, but will give you an idea.
Mike
EDIT: I have a couple of these: http://www.supremeplumb.com/cgi-bin/DMd ... item=00078 I can't think the last time I used either of them in a plunge base, but I did buy them because of the low C of G to use on my Leigh dovetail jig, for which they are perfect, look around you can get them a lot cheaper.
To follow a profile again a bearing guided cutter in a table may be easier.
To answer your question directly, a fixed depth router has the cutter exposed the whole time, a stand is needed to allow you to put the router down without leaving the cutting edge exposed i.e. standing up, small fixed base routers are good for repetitive work on something like a dovetail jig where you don't want the depth of cut to change or slip, small light work etc, but are a hassle if you have not made a stand for it.
A plunge router does just that plunges to a fixed depth, most bases have a three position stop to allow a gradual increase in depth of cut without excessive trouble, a great benefit if the eventual depth of cut is over say 5mm, you can set the depth stops to any depth, say 4mm, 8mm and 8.5mm to clean up the bottom of the slot.
And lets not forget you can buy a fixed base router with a plunge base as an accessory and if you fit the fixed base into a router table its easy to just slip the motor out of the fixed base/router table and put it into the plunge base for use outside the table, but would be an absolute pain to adjust for height whilst in the table.
The above is not an extensive list of the difference's, but will give you an idea.
Mike
EDIT: I have a couple of these: http://www.supremeplumb.com/cgi-bin/DMd ... item=00078 I can't think the last time I used either of them in a plunge base, but I did buy them because of the low C of G to use on my Leigh dovetail jig, for which they are perfect, look around you can get them a lot cheaper.
If I had to only have one router (NO, please no!) I would have a 1/2" plunge.
Once you start using routers you find more and more things you can do with it to save you time and effort, and the 1/2" plunge gives you maximum adaptability.
Its very rare that a 1/2" is too big for a job, its very common to want to be able to do more if you only have a 1/4".
Bigger really is better.
I now have 5 (3 second hand), and they all get used at one time or another
Once you start using routers you find more and more things you can do with it to save you time and effort, and the 1/2" plunge gives you maximum adaptability.
Its very rare that a 1/2" is too big for a job, its very common to want to be able to do more if you only have a 1/4".
Bigger really is better.
I now have 5 (3 second hand), and they all get used at one time or another
curtisrider
Established Member
phil.p":1bht1s5h said:
Edge routing with a fixed base 1/4" router is so much easier than using a plunge as it's smaller, lighter and able to be used easily one handed, apart from that I agree! I have a Makita 1/2" fixed base and I can't really fathom out what it it's for but it only cost me a tenner...
One of my used routers is a makita edge trimmer in 1/4"
Fixed base, its brilliant for just rounding over edges on a lot of wood with the same dimensions, cant fault it. But a plunge router can be set up for that as well as doing so much more.
Of course you cant beat a router table for all routing jobs other than actual on site stuff like kitchen worksurfaces..
Fixed base, its brilliant for just rounding over edges on a lot of wood with the same dimensions, cant fault it. But a plunge router can be set up for that as well as doing so much more.
Of course you cant beat a router table for all routing jobs other than actual on site stuff like kitchen worksurfaces..
curtisrider":1q8rcsbr said:
I disagree/... i have two 1/2 plunge routers and two 1/4 plunge routers. i use both of the 1/4s to do simple trim work, plunged to depth and locked and use either of them one handed - its really barely heavier than a fixed base.
It does depend on what you want to do. I'm not building staircases and kitchen worktops so a 1/4" plunge is my most used. Noticeably lighter than the 1/2" router it can handle profiling and grooving on smaller stock and you can cut a useful sized slot by taking a few passes. There are tasks in the middle where either size machine will do, but 1/2" machines cut much deeper if you want to fit door locks or rout mortices but are cumbersome for cutting small workpieces.
Plunge is the most valuable feature on a router IMO. Variable speed is important.
Routers beg to be used with jigs. Jigs including router tables extend their versatility a great deal. So give a thought to how the router base can be mounted to things. Bolts through the baseplate are important but there's a defacto standard that began with Elu and continued through dewalt and trend of using two fence rods for attaching accessories. 8mm rods on for the 1/4" routers, 10mm rods for the 1/2" machines. I think there's value in making sure you have a compatible machine whatever you buy. So check the size and distance between the fence rods.
I don't own a trim router like you pictured. I'm sure it is the most comfortable and easy to handle for edging, but I can do all of that and much much more with a 1/4" plunge. I'm sure that the folk who prefer a 1/2" will say that about their favorites
Go handle them all and decide what weight you are happy with using.
Cheers
Plunge is the most valuable feature on a router IMO. Variable speed is important.
Routers beg to be used with jigs. Jigs including router tables extend their versatility a great deal. So give a thought to how the router base can be mounted to things. Bolts through the baseplate are important but there's a defacto standard that began with Elu and continued through dewalt and trend of using two fence rods for attaching accessories. 8mm rods on for the 1/4" routers, 10mm rods for the 1/2" machines. I think there's value in making sure you have a compatible machine whatever you buy. So check the size and distance between the fence rods.
I don't own a trim router like you pictured. I'm sure it is the most comfortable and easy to handle for edging, but I can do all of that and much much more with a 1/4" plunge. I'm sure that the folk who prefer a 1/2" will say that about their favorites
Go handle them all and decide what weight you are happy with using.Cheers
woodywoodwood
Established Member
I find my fixed base routers also have a lower center of gravity. This allows more accurate use easier. But at last count I think I had 20 odd routers, and only 3 or 4 of them were fixed base, so usually a plunge is used.
If I only was allowed one (she doesn't know so it'll never happen) it would be the elu 177, or the festool of1400. Maybe the big aeg.
The triton tra001 is so top heavy it is almost unusable free hand, for me anyway. So I do think fixed base have a use.
Www
If I only was allowed one (she doesn't know so it'll never happen) it would be the elu 177, or the festool of1400. Maybe the big aeg.
The triton tra001 is so top heavy it is almost unusable free hand, for me anyway. So I do think fixed base have a use.
Www
novocaine
Established Member
I have 3, a 1/2 plunge an old 1/4 plunge and katsu 1/4 with fixed base.
the one I reach for the most is the katsu, because it's on the bench and most of my work is rounding over edges and such or cleaning out the bottoms of rebates on small projects or following patterns with a guide, as soon as I move up to bigger stuff the 1/2 comes out, things like cutting circles, tongue and grove etc. are all done with the bigger machine. I don't
I used the katsu for cutting out destroyed hinge rebates on the door frames in our house fairly recently (because I don't like 3 tons of filler as a suitable medium to fit hinges too, previous owners were cowboys) no way could I have done that with either of the other 2, they are too big and would have been rather dangerous working vertically like that, but this is a very specific task that most people aren't going to be doing.
for me I'd look to find something that's 30 quid below what I want to spend in 1/2 size then pick up a katsu too for smaller work. they both have there place.
the one I reach for the most is the katsu, because it's on the bench and most of my work is rounding over edges and such or cleaning out the bottoms of rebates on small projects or following patterns with a guide, as soon as I move up to bigger stuff the 1/2 comes out, things like cutting circles, tongue and grove etc. are all done with the bigger machine. I don't
I used the katsu for cutting out destroyed hinge rebates on the door frames in our house fairly recently (because I don't like 3 tons of filler as a suitable medium to fit hinges too, previous owners were cowboys) no way could I have done that with either of the other 2, they are too big and would have been rather dangerous working vertically like that, but this is a very specific task that most people aren't going to be doing.
for me I'd look to find something that's 30 quid below what I want to spend in 1/2 size then pick up a katsu too for smaller work. they both have there place.
Mark A
Established Member
For someone starting off I think they couldn't go wrong with a Katsu 1/4" fixed base router with the plunge base accessory from Aim Tools. It's cheap, and with both bases, versatile.
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Phil Pascoe
Established Member
I have a 1/4" and a 1/2" and wouldn't be without either, but if I were starting from scratch I'd buy a 1/2" first. The small one will only do a fraction of what the large one will, but a large one will do most of what a small one does.
custard
Established Member
Brandlin":u60ak49n said:
I'm with curtisrider on this one.
The big advantages of a 1/4" non plunging router are small size, lightness, and cutter visibility. For hogging out the waste freehand in hinge mortices or dovetails a non plunging 1/4" router wins hands down, that's why every professional furniture workshop I know uses both.
