Woodworking machine tools and methods

Sporky

Jimbro66 said:

I've noticed that the T11EK is supplied with a 1/2" collett and that a 1/4" collett is an optional extra. Any comments on what I should get? My old Bosch is 1/4" only.

You'll want the 1/4. 1/2 is useful for bigger bits (planer bits in particular), and 8mm can be handy for intermediate sizes.

WezV said:

At the lower, less industrial, end of the market I really like the Bosch palm router... GFK600 or something like that.

I have one of those and two of the GMF1400CEs - the palm router is really, really neat. Plenty of power as you say, and a lot easier to manoeuvrer than the big stuff.

Roland

You can love this place for this level of advice and experience.

Jimbro66

Roland said:

You can love this place for this level of advice and experience.

You certainly can

Thanks for your additional comments today @WezV and @Sporky. All helpful stuff.

I'm beginning to see how it works now: I came on here needing a replacement router and now I'm convinced I need at least two different types and, of course, an essential pin router. MAS (machine aquisition syndrome) is setting in and ultimately will lead to lusting after the sort of workshop that @Sporky is building at present. Oh dear. I'm going to cover my ears now.......

Sporky

I could be wrong, but I've always seen the pin router as being of most benefit in a production environment where you can work from templates. GSP can turn stuff out at a very high quality level very quickly fer instance.

If you're making more one-off stuff I'm not sure it offers as big an advantage - but one of the chaps who use one can probably clarify.

Danielsguitars

I use a pin router for one offs too

I like the fact I don't have to route hand held, I just had enough of it tbh

You can just tape a template underneath to ride on the pin anyway

The other thing I like is being able to do pickup cavities on a neck plane after the neck and fretboard is on and i can place my pickup cavities where I want them

I rebuilt a guitar I built years ago and did scratch my head before doing p90 routes, i repurposed a carrier board i already had, you can see where your cutting and i wrap tape around the pin to make the cut smaller and just peel the tape off bit by bit to get a perfect fit

Worked perfectly 

I have got a Bosch gkf600 coming for small stuff, fretboard radius jig, truss rod channels with a jig and binding channel jig

octatonic

I use the GKF600 for routing truss rod channels, binding channels too.
A fingerbord radius jig is the next thing to build.

martinw

Jimbro66 said:

Thanks for your input Martin. Was the fine height adjuster a Trend accessory or something you fabricated?

It's a Trend accessory. £14.95 at Axminster.

octatonic

martinw said:

Jimbro66 said:

Thanks for your input Martin. Was the fine height adjuster a Trend accessory or something you fabricated?

It's a Trend accessory. £14.95 at Axminster.

Assuming this is the same adjuster- I've used a Torq bit screwdriver to do this in the router table.
I ended up going back to using the supplied 12mm socket adjusteronce I drilled the right sized hole in the aluminium table insert.

martinw

octatonic said:

martinw said:

Jimbro66 said:

Thanks for your input Martin. Was the fine height adjuster a Trend accessory or something you fabricated?

It's a Trend accessory. £14.95 at Axminster.

Assuming this is the same adjuster- I've used a Torq bit screwdriver to do this in the router table.
I ended up going back to using the supplied 12mm socket adjusteronce I drilled the right sized hole in the aluminium table insert.

That doesn't make any sense to me, so I'm assuming it's not the same thing!

This replaces the simple marked rod that is usually supplied, which you manually move up and down a hole in the chassis, then tighten up a locknut.

You pass this through the same hole, then screw it onto the longer of the 3 x M5 adjustable stops on the turret. it's threaded internally.

The brass part is clamped/retained in the boss where the old plain rod fitted.

Danielsguitars

No this turns the adjuster from above the router when  it's in a table

octatonic

This is the hole my router table for the 12mm socket adjuster- the hole for it is larger- 17mm.
It is a bit dirty & greasy now but when it is clean you can see the torq hole in the middle more easily.

Before I drilled the hole (17mm) you see in the orange aluminium insert I had a much smaller hole that I could get a torq screwdriver into to raise and lower the router in the table.

It wasn't very secure though and the torq bit started to thread the internal bit of the adjuster so I had to drill a larger hold to allow the 12mm adjuster to get in there.

GSPBASSES

A little bit off-topic, but as it was mentioned about jigs used for putting a rad on fingerboards, I thought I'd show you how I radius my fingerboards. The big advantage with this system, I can quickly change to different radius and produce compound radius fingerboards. Although the compound radius fingerboard now seems to be a little bit out of fashion, and being replaced with constant radius, but with the end of the fingerboard, say from about the fifteenth fret dropping away. And obviously the big advantage is how fast you can radius a fingerboard, the video is in real-time, and you can see how long it takes from putting  the neck onto the jig, radiusing the fingerboard and removing the neck. Obviously, some work has to be done to the fingerboard when it comes off the machine as I use a 80 grit belts.

Danielsguitars

GSPBASSES said:

A little bit off-topic, but as it was mentioned about jigs used for putting a rad on fingerboards, I thought I'd show you how I radius my fingerboards. The big advantage with this system, I can quickly change to different radius and produce compound radius fingerboards. Although the compound radius fingerboard now seems to be a little bit out of fashion, and being replaced with constant radius, but with the end of the fingerboard, say from about the fifteenth fret dropping away. And obviously the big advantage is how fast you can radius a fingerboard, the video is in real-time, and you can see how long it takes from putting  the neck onto the jig, radiusing the fingerboard and removing the neck. Obviously, some work has to be done to the fingerboard when it comes off the machine as I use a 80 grit belts.

love that jig Graham, I've gone for a simple 12" and a compound 12-16 as that's mostly what I use, I use a Palm router going with the grain

I like the idea of all the other radius available though

Can you show us how it works, I'm sure others would be interested too

Jimbro66

GSPBASSES said:

A little bit off-topic...........

No problem with that. I already have the advice I came here for so if this thread morphs into our skilled and knowledgable guitar makers discussing and comparing building methods and techniques, particularly with video demos, it is going to make very interesting and enlightening reading. I'm all for that.

Jimbro66

Seeing the way this thread has been progressing I have renamed it to be more representative of what it covers whilst still encompassing my original router query. I hope that is OK mods?

Nomad

I would keep it about routers - the new subject line is far too vast for one thread.

streethawk

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Triton-MOF001-Precision-Plunge-Router/dp/B002QS1LPM

I use one of these mounted in a table, it has a proper on/off switch which is helpful (as opposed to handle triggered like a lot of the competition, which makes things awkward for a table!). I believe Kreg make inserts that are predrilled for Triton.

Also comes with the winder handle for above table adjustment. UK company too I believe.

I've a cheap makita laminate router copy for light overhead routing.