PSA: Bosch GKF600 router, £99 at Screwfix

randella

I recently made a Strat body from a nice plank of Swamp Ash. Used a cheap router to make the master templates from some 'nearly' templates I found on EBay. Then used the router to finish the outline of the body, and cut the pickup and neck routs. 

Despite my best efforts at truing up the router base, it was still off-kilter and, to add insult to injury, there was a bit of runout in the collet. Not much, but enough to add considerably to the work required in getting the body just-so, and taking the pleasure out of the whole thing as a result. 

Anyway, I figured that this hobby has legs so I'm attempting to make a neck, and bought the Bosch router. I fashioned a router table from a sheet of acrylic, some MDF, and a Screwfix knockoff Black and Decker Workmate (£19, another hidden gem).

The result: clean, precise 90 degree cuts. With an Axminster top-bearing pattern follower bit, it went through 19mm MDF like cheese and, using an aluminium straight-edge as a guide, cut arrow-straight too. Genius. Can't wait to use it handheld. 

What at a lovely bit of kit, worlds apart from the cheapo one. In some cases, you really do get what you pay for. 

JD50

You have to buy the plunge base £75 so works out £175

https://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-gkf600-600w-palm-router-240v/68002

Axeminster looks a better deal at £149 incl 3 bases

http://www.axminster.co.uk/bosch-gkf-600-palm-router-kit-1-4-ax781470

Been looking at one of these myself, seem to get good reviews

https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-erb380rou-2100w-router-230-240v/81664#product_additional_details_container

JD50

Any chance of a pic of your router table?

I have one of those screwfix workmates, bargain.

Sporky

I have one of these - I don't think you need the plunge base. If you're doing that sort of routing then you're better off with something bigger anyway, more stability.

It's a very handy tool though, especially for stuff that'd be fiddly with a big router.

WezV

I have one and love it.  I use the plunge base fairly regularly 

Nomad

I got the Makita kit a while ago...

http://www.axminster.co.uk/makita-rt0700cx2-router-trimmer-1-4-ax875577

...and I'm well pleased with it. I find I use the fixed and plunge bases about the same amount - depends on what I'm doing. The fixed one can be used one-handed for working against guides or templates, while the plunge has two-handed control and good depth fine adjustment. The kit also comes with a usable fence and some kind of edge follower thing that I haven't used. I used the tilting base as a mounting for the motor in a home-brew router table (checked for square with a long 1/4" brass rod in the chuck, and then done up damn tight). It's always fitted to the table - I'm very unlikely to use it otherwise.

I had looked at the Bosch, but reckoned it was getting pricey to add the bits in to match the Makita kit, especially when I realised I could make a little router table around the tilting base. Adding the table to the set of accessories really made a big difference to the overall usefulness of the kit - it gets more use than the two freehand bases combined.

randella

@JD50 ;; - a bit like @Sporky I wasn't that bothered about the plunge base. My other big router has one and, because it isn't particularly accurate, I never got in to the habit of using it.  I preferred to use a drill to hog out the waste and clean up with the router. 

Horses for courses really, I just wanted the bare router and Screwfix was the cheapest out of Axminster, Toolstop, Amazon and the rest by about 30 quid.  If you want the plunge base then it starts to stack up a bit and the Makita tool might be a better bet - the Bosch tool is a lovely bit of kit mind.

randella

The router table is trivially, almost embarrassingly simple.  I don't have the room to have anything permanently installed so this was a temporary experiment that works pretty well so far.  Four screws through a piece of acrylic with the screw heads recessed.  Bit of straight scrap MDF to keep it flat.  All secured in the Workmate effort.