Router table: Corian + Axminster lift

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condeesteso

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A little update. I had fancied a Corian top for a router table for quite a while, and a fellow-member here kindly gave me a large 'off-cut' a month ago. (Yes, MT, I am greatly in your debt and working on it!)
So I scrapped the current top (a crazy mix of cement sheet, mdf, ply, UHDPE...) - it worked very well but this might be even better.
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Corian - odd to work if you aren't used to it. I put an old blade in the Tsaw, the dust is messy, it stinks, and it takes the edge off tools so just use the knackered ones :lol: :lol:
BUT, dense, super-flat, tough, low friction, can be machined to within a thou and stay there (unlike wood).
2 sheets of 12mm mdf under, with 12mm ply between. And I stuck the Corian to the mdf with polyurethane. Did a scrap test first and it was good, and the top isn't really under load anyway (I mean the bond isn't).

Very pleased with this one, and I would recommend Corian to anyone fancying a new router top (but it's expensive stuff so hunt around).

The Axminster lift has been well-used now. Highly recommended. It's so quick to change cutters, and set precisely. Minor issues have been the allen key hole under where the adjuster goes - fills with dust (but quite easy to clear), and the adjuster port is where the fence tends to be. The key will fit but the round scale may not. Neither of these bother me. Overall, it is very well made, easy to fit and use. I would not like to go back to an under-table screw adjuster. At £175 (when I last checked) it's a bit of a luxury, but worth it.
 

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condeesteso":2lme3lr0 said:
The Axminster lift has been well-used now. Highly recommended. It's so quick to change cutters, and set precisely. Minor issues have been the allen key hole under where the adjuster goes - fills with dust (but quite easy to clear), and the adjuster port is where the fence tends to be. The key will fit but the round scale may not. Neither of these bother me. Overall, it is very well made, easy to fit and use. I would not like to go back to an under-table screw adjuster. At £175 (when I last checked) it's a bit of a luxury, but worth it.

Just about to go up to £217 in a few days.

Mick
 
Crikey - that's inflation then. I'm sure it was £175 about 5 months ago. +24%... enough to give Mervyn King the heebies.
 
Useful stuff, Corian. I have a few sharpening stone sized blanks which I use with various grades of diamond paste to sharpen some super hard powder technology blades that my waterstones won't touch. The diamonds embed so it dishes very slowly but can be flattened with a coarse diamond plate.

Jim
 
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