Unilift

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Waka

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The first thing that strikes you when you take the unilift out of the box is the shear quaility of the produce.

There are two positions on the top for raising the router and a locking device so that no movement of the hieght when in operation.

Unilift-001.jpg




Unilift-002.jpg


The underside which shows the main lifting mechanism is very study and well engineered, this model has four pillars as opposed to the other Woodpecker Lifts which IMHO makes it more robust, especially when using a router of some considerable weight.
The chain mechanism is really good and ensures that both sides of the lift come up together.

The attachment plate for the router has a number of holes to suit a variety of routers.

Unilift-003.jpg


I was very impressed with the insert rings, it comes with three sizes and these lock into position, it wouls appear that there is very little chamnce of these coming loose while in operation. It comes with two handles for raising and lowering the mechanism, shown in the photois the shorter. These are again well made and the operation is very smooth, having said that I haven't used it in the table yet.

Unilift-004.jpg


My router of choice is the PC 7539, I have reviewed a lot of threads talking about routers and even went into detail on the Triton which is compatible with the unilift, sorry Titon lovers, but having some PC tools already I thought I'd stick to PC. No review on the \pc 7539 as this has already been done.

Unilift-005.jpg


Another thing for the Incra lovers is that its the same colour, so when mounted in the table with the Incra it looks like a complete package.

I'll not go into the Incra because its not rigged up and there have already been reviews on the.

My over all opinion is that this is far superior to other lifts sold by Axminster or Rutland. the price was £170 which included everything.

I hope to get started on the router table next week. The unilift will fit into a phanelic top measuring 27" x 43", this will give enough room for the Incra.

I would certainly recommend the Unilift to anyone going down the lift road.
 
Waka

That is one seriously gorgeous piece of engineering :shock: Get it mounted and let us see it in action :wink:

By the way, excellent gloat :lol:
 
bl**dy nice

I want one too, How much and from whom. that will fit nicely in the xtension table of my ts.

that is sheer quality man 8)
 
Guys.

Damn quick response , I went in to review and oushed submit before \i'd finished, the complete review is noe posted.
 
It really is stunning engineering - what a fabulous table you will have with the combination of the PC, Unilift & Incra :shock: 8)

Looking forward to pics of the finished table...

Neil
 
Ah yes, so important to have co-ordinating tools, don't you find...? :wink: Looking forward to part two. :D

Cheers, Alf
 
OK OK OK , I have been looking at this unilift now the whole damm day :twisted:

and I have decided

I WANT ONE TOO, :D

The only thing i want to know waka, what is the diameter between the clamps, or in other words, what is the maximum base plate of the router that will fit this lift

Thanks

McLuma
 
McLuma

The only thing i want to know waka, what is the diameter between the clamps, or in other words, what is the maximum base plate of the router that will fit this lift

I don't think its a matter of the distance to see if a particular router base will fit. The holes have been pre-drilled to fit certain routers, thus ensuring that the router is dead central to the lift. below is a list of routers that the unilift will take.

Porter-Cable 690, 7529, 890, 8529, 7518, 7536, 7539
Bosch 1613, 1615, 1617, 1618
Fein RT1800
Hitachi M12V
Makita 3612C, 1101
DeWalt 621, 625, 6184, 610
Freud FT2000
Triton TRC-001
Milwaukee 5619, 5625

For more information go to the Woodpeckers website, I found thuis very useful.
For buying the kit in the UK there is only one supplier and that is Woodworkers Workshop, plug that into google and it will give you the address.
 
Very useful info :lol:

As I have a bosch GOF 1300 CE, but i want a dedicated machine in the base, (like you did)

So Yesterday i did some looking on e-bay for a nice cheap named/branded 1/2" collect router

But now i know which will fit, i can continue with the bidding

Thanks

McLuma
 
If you want to dedicate a router, may I suggest the Hitachi? Simple, strong, accurate, bomb proof,cnot ideal as a hand held but perfect for this application.
John
 
He Waka,

Before I buy one, I would like to know, how easy is the fine adjustment, like if I do the rail and styl sets, it is sometimes a matter of mils to get the right hight, so how is the Unilift dealing with THAT

Thanks
McLuma
 
Mcluma":1dzxukfb said:
Before I buy one, I would like to know, how easy is the fine adjustment, like if I do the rail and styl sets, it is sometimes a matter of mils to get the right hight, so how is the Unilift dealing with THAT

Thanks
McLuma

The rise and fall of the Unilift is , as the photo shows done by turning the handle, one revolutionof the handle is equal to 1/32" or in real money 1mm. Not sure you could ask for better than fine adjustment than that.

The only problem I ca see is if you are not used to working in the imperial system, although a ready reckoner conversion chart solves that problem.

I think that Roger from Woodworkers Workshop is going to be at the Ally Pally next weekend. If you are planing to go then it might be worth having a hands on session before you buy.

Good luck and let us know how you get on. If you do buy then another review of the kit would be welcome, always best to have someone elses view.
 
Couple of points on the Woodpecker Unilift.

Maximum diameter of router base should not exceed 7" or 178 mm, and no the big B&Q will not fit!

The UniLift I sell in the UK is the 1/32 " per revolution or 0.8 mm or 0.7938 mm to be metal working precise model. I decided that rather than stock the 1/16th & 1/32nd models I would just go 1/32nd because what are we out for, fine adjustment.

Both dials are divided into 32 segments or 0.0250 mm which should be fine enough for woodworking.

With the current state of the dollar the next shipment due in will be £165.00 including VAT & delivery in mainland UK.

[email protected]
 
Waka

In the American Woodworker March 2005 edition they review a number of router lifts and for the Unilift one of their 'cons' is that above-the-table changes are only possible with a set of offset wrenches.

Would you be able to comment further on this? Are above-the-table changes possible?

How long does it take to wind the router up to do a bit change?

many thanks

Roger
 
The UniLift travels 3.75" or 120 1/32 nds, so it is up to you to decide how fast you turn the handle.

A time saver is to use an Xtreme Xtension, remember you loose about 9/16s of plunge depth with a UniLift so this gives you back that plus another 11/16s together with the QUICK RELEASE feature.

I reckon to change most cutters when using an Xtreme Xtension within 30 seconds and I need no other tools, I may need to remove the ring on the UniLift but that is all. But I do not claim that you do not have to wind the handle.

You can buy both for £220.00 including VAT and delivery, UK mainland only within that price, with delivery being scheduled for June 23rd.
 
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