Router Table... Yes or No

I just purchased the same set up you have.  Reading in the router forums made me believe that a router table was a better way to go as I too was thinking of a Festool set up.  Someday I will get a small Festool router.

Do your self a favor and spend $12 more and get Hylton's book on Router Tables. You feel better about your decision.

I would keep what you have.

Kevin
 
Unless you are floating in money, or get the tools for free - why on earth would you park an $800 router in a router table? (OF2200 in a table) 

Between the large Porter Cable, the Milwaukee 3525 and the Triton, surely there are much better ways to use your funds and tools.

I have the complete Jessem router table setup and wouldn't trade it for a shaper.  Who needs one?  Too much trouble and I have ONE set of bits I can use in all of my routers.  It'd drive me nuts to have to have a full different set of shaper cutters and I certainly wouldn't want to try and use a shaper only, spinning 1/2 router bits at 10K rpm.

Julian

 
I agree that a router table has its uses (for hand feeding small things)  but to build cabinets with any kind of efficiency or uniformity a router table will not come close to a shaper w/ a good feeder.  Router bits are fine for the occasional door or a piece of furniture.  But to run several kitchens worth of doors through a router table would be very counter productive.  With the used market the way it is currently even small single phase shapers w/ feeders are selling for very low prices.  I have 6 dedicated shapers: 2x 3 hp for running different stick profiles, 2x small 1/2 hp w/ sleds for coping those profiles. 1x 5 hp w/ stacked edge profiles, and a 7.5 hp for panel raising.  I am not saying that this guy needs to go out and buy a shop full of shapers.  I am stating that they are very reasonably priced now, do proffesional quality cuts with production speeds and the cut quality is only limited by how much you want to spend on the tooling.  So to answer your question " who needs one" I guess I do... Along with about every other cabinet shop that makes there own doors and moldings.
 
Wow Guys.  I was told from a customer I met at my local Woodcraft store that this was a great site to get information on Festool.  He wasn't kidding. 

Thank you all so much for your perspectives.    As one respondent commented, I was probably exploring the merits of having a full Festool shop (i.e. no stand alone router table or shaper).  I think it is clear that everyone feels that, although possible, is not advisable for several reasons, probably the most important being safety if I were to contemplate using large raised panel bits.

The second message I am hearing is perhaps I should have considered a shaper rather than a very expensive router table set up.  That is definitely something I had not even considered.  I suppose my rookie mind led me to believe that the shaper was more specialized and more production shop focused that a router table.  Perhaps that is not the case. 

I am just a hobbyist trying to acquire tools that will take up the least amount of space that allow me to do the best work I can (a compromise through and through).  As such, flexibility and tool quality is how I am approaching this… which is what let me to Festool.

Thanks again for all of your help.  I will likely keep the router setup I have.  I think it is a good one that should serve me well.  I am sure I will be back on here once I take the Festool Plunge.  That looks to be a slippery slope. [scared]
 
Hi,

A couple things on the choice between router table and shaper----

Most likely a shaper will need 220v power supply.

The right router table set up will allow for more operations  than a shaper.

If you go with a basic router table set up with a home built table it will save you a some of money compared to shaper. It will not do all that a more advanced router tabel would though.  But is a good place to start and easy to upgrade from down the road.

If you go with a shaper there will be some overlap in cutters / bits. You will need router bits for hand held use, and shaper cutters as well for some of the same profiles. If you go with a router table you can use the same bits in both.

Seth

 
Rick Christopherson said:
By the way, most good shapers have spindles with router bit collets, so you are not limited to using only shaper cutters in shapers. Most of the cutters I use in my shaper are actually router bits. The only shaper cutters I use are panel raisers and cope/stick door cutters, however, I also have router bit sets of both of these.

Rick, I think it's important to note that even though a shaper may have collets for router bits, they rarely have the ability to spin them at the proper RPM.

The larger diameter shaper cutters do a beautiful job at 9000-10,000 RPM, but most of the much smaller diameter router bits are designed to run at 20,000-22,000 RPM.

In my (humble :)) opinion there is a place for both a router table and a shaper in any shop. I can't imagine anyone ever regretting having invested in a well configured router table.
 
Gmark,

First of all welcome to the FOG.  If I could only have one, I would chose the router table setup you described over just having an OF2200.  I have quite a few routers, including OF1010 and OF1400 but not the OF2200.  If the routing can be done on a router table, then that is what I use instead of a handheld router.  I think it is safer and I have more control.  I don't have a shaper, even though I would like to have one, because I don't do production work and my Jessem router table handles my needs.  You will enjoy the Festools you described as your next purchase.

Have fun!
 
The Router Table seems to be my most used tool. I have 2 complete setups with lift and Incra Fence. In my opinion, it is much safer, much faster and much more accurate. My first one was using a Bosch EVS1617 which came with fixed and plunge bases. I used to first keep swapping between the bases and the lift but eventually dedicated that to the router table and bought some Festool routers for handheld work. When I wanted to make a lot of frame and panel doors I invested in the second setup with a Milwaukee 3.5HP router.

I would say having a router table is almost essential. You can use a non festool router for it and buy a OF1010 for handheld use.  The OF1010 is my favorite router. The cost of these 2 routers will still be less than the OF2200.
 
joraft said:
Rick, I think it's important to note that even though a shaper may have collets for router bits, they rarely have the ability to spin them at the proper RPM.

The larger diameter shaper cutters do a beautiful job at 9000-10,000 RPM, but most of the much smaller diameter router bits are designed to run at 20,000-22,000 RPM.

In my (humble :)) opinion there is a place for both a router table and a shaper in any shop. I can't imagine anyone ever regretting having invested in a well configured router table.

I disagree, to a point. That's because most router bits do not need to be run that fast. I know that contradicts a lot of speed tables, but in my experience, they are needlessly inflated. I've rarely run my routers at their full speed.

Router manufacturers keep increasing the speed of their routers because that is how they are able to over-inflate their horsepower ratings and claim you can get 3-1/4 horsepower from an outlet that cannot provide more than 1-3/4 horsepower without tripping a circuit breaker. (That's why Festool rates their routers in actual watts consumed...no game playing).

Router bit RPM is all about tip-speed, which is a function of diameter. It has been many years since I looked at those numbers, however, all but the smallest bits can operate down at the speed of a shaper and maintain adequate tip speed. More importantly, is that having too high of a tip speed is what causes burning, and most woodworkers can attest to the frequency they experience router bit burning. That's because the speed is set too high.

=================================================================
On an unrelated note, someone asked me a question about the OF2200 in a PM, so I thought I would share that in this thread. As I said above, I have not mounted an OF2200 in a table, nor have I even used it since I finished the manual. But there is a feature with the OF2200 router that would appear to be ideal for table-mounted applications.

Most table-mounted plunge routers are difficult to adjust the height because their spring base is designed to push the router away from the work surface, and the only way to set the height is to lock the plunge. The OF2200 has a "Turret Latch" which locks the depth post to the turret. This allows the depth to be set without first locking the plunge lock. You can then use the micro-adjust dial to dial in a specific depth, both up and down, before locking the plunge lock. It is kind of like a built-in router lift.

OF2200-08-lo.jpg
 
Rick Christopherson said:
Router bit RPM is all about tip-speed, which is a function of diameter. It has been many years since I looked at those numbers, however, all but the smallest bits can operate down at the speed of a shaper and maintain adequate tip speed. More importantly, is that having too high of a tip speed is what causes burning, and most woodworkers can attest to the frequency they experience router bit burning. That's because the speed is set too high.

Rick, here are the numbers I come up with, if top speed of a shaper is 9,000rpm, and the top speed of a router is 22,000rpm, consider a ½” straight bit installed in both machines to be used to cut box joints. The tip speed of the bit in the router (at 22k rpm) will be around 48 feet per second (fps), this will result in a very clean cut for the joints. The tip speed of the bit in the shaper (at 9k rpm) will only be about 19 fps, that is significantly slower than the router. The result will most likely be a lower quality cut on the joints. There is more than a feed rate issue involved here, a small diameter router bit is specifically designed to cut material at a high rotational speed, that is where the best cutting action is obtained.

On the other hand, consider a 3 ½” diameter raised panel cutter run in a router set at 9,000rpm (large diameter bits MUST be run at the slowest speed on a router, they should NEVER be run at high speed!). The tip speed is about 137fps. The same bit can be run on a shaper at 9,000rpm and the cutting action will be the same because the cutter will be turning at the speed it was originally designed to operate at. Depending upon the motor size of the shaper the overall operation may be a little better on the shaper though due to a potential significant difference in available torque.

To give an additional example, consider using the ½” diameter straight bit in a router to make a rabbet. With the router set at 22,000rpm the tip speed is about 48fps. A 4” diameter shaper cutter running at 9,000rpm has a tip speed of 157fps, at 6,000rpm it would be 105fps. Because of the tip speed, torque, and the cutting action which takes place more tangential to the stock, a higher quality cut should be the result.

And sometimes there is the cost to consider. When I ordered my Felder slider (saw/shaper combo) I was at first considering the the router spindle option. Having a "router table" with a huge sliding table would have been great. The optional spindle came with collets for router bits and increased the speed from 10,000 to 15,000 rpm. But the added cost of the option was more than that of a well equipped router table that can run at higher speeds. I felt that I would have greater versatility in having both the shaper and router table.

 
2ooladdict said:
I would say having a router table is almost essential. You can use a non festool router for it and buy a OF1010 for handheld use.  The OF1010 is my favorite router. The cost of these 2 routers will still be less than the OF2200.

As much as I like my Festool routers, I think there is no router more suited for a table than the Porter Cable 7518. Remove the base and you've got a high quality spindle. Mount that spindle to a lift specifically designed for it (like the Bench Dog) and you've got precision adjustment. Mount the whole thing to a Bench Dog cast iron table and you've got a great machine.  [smile]

7518_1.jpg

75182_1.jpg

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I'm turning my MFT into a complete routing station with my 1400. I'm using the Bench Dog 'titer miter track attached to the side rails with a pair of rockler right angle multi track brackets so it's quickly removable. I've drilled two holes in the router plate to screw the 1400 to it with a pair of M6 screws and attached the router fence to the table fence with a pair of M6 bolts and wingnuts, again for quick removal. Switching from freehand, to rails to table mounting will take about a minute or two from any other mode so it's very quick and versatile. I just need to rout out the table top and I'm all set, so this is my solution for small workshop space and maximum versatility.



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When buying the Porter Cable 7518 for a router table you can buy it with OUT the base. You will save $50!
 
Gary,

Now you'll definitely need the WCR since you'll have no room to pile up the tools on the MFT.  [smile]
 
GaryB, have you thought about buying a small portable router table from either Kreg or BenchDog?  They stow anywhere and are a lot cheaper than cutting into your MFT.
 
I already made myself small and big router tables, this is basically to get everything in one piece as well as being a workbench. I want everything in one piece and place. As to cutting a hole in the MFT, the deed is done :) It all fits and works a treat, just as planned. Now I can put all the other stuff away where it's not in the way. Extremely square as well.
 
Hi Gary,

That's what I did although I positioned the router plate on the short end so I could stand at the end of the MFT and not have to reach far.  Couldn't tell which way you were installing yours.  Mine works great and I only use the 1-1/2 HP Porter Cable.  In the past I used a 7518 and I would agree it's a beast.  That would be my choice if I didn't have an extra PC 690 laying around.  Seems to me that anything over $400 is overkill if it sits under a table all day long.  Use the extra money for more bits... [smile]

[attachimg=#]

 
All in place, just need to tweak a couple of things and I can use either of these beasties in it :)



 
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