First, greetings, from an "advanced beginner" who is getting back into woodworking after several years absence. I have been refurbishing my shop and have recently added a Rockler router table which came as a package with a PC 690 basic router, which I upgraded to the variable speed LRVS.
While I have done some handheld routing with a Freud plunge router, I have not used a fixed router much less in a table, so I set about following the directions for setup.
When the instructions said to set (or zero) the tip of the cutter bit (straight 1/2 shank 3/8 dia straight) to the working surface, I discovered that if I turned the motor far enough to retract the bit to the mounting plate surface, the motor came out of the ramps in the fixed base. IOW, it was impossible to set or zero the bit edge to the baseplate. I measured some other bits I have and while some would allow zeroing, most would not as they are "too long".
Is this a design flaw in the unit? I have read the 690 is a "workhorse" of the industry and the Rockler guy said they sell 80 per month and this is the first time he has heard my complaint. He also said that no one zeros the end of the bit to the baseplate, but rather raises the bit to the desired height above the baseplate using a height gage.
While this certainly sounds logical (I even tried it), why do the instructions say to zero to the baseplate? The instructions also say (and I saw some comments on another forum confirming it) to use the ring to control the amount you raise the bit--so apparently it can be done if the bits are short enough. Seems like a design flaw to me.....
Am I looking at this incorrectly? Please comment and set me straight.
Thanks much,
Ken
While I have done some handheld routing with a Freud plunge router, I have not used a fixed router much less in a table, so I set about following the directions for setup.
When the instructions said to set (or zero) the tip of the cutter bit (straight 1/2 shank 3/8 dia straight) to the working surface, I discovered that if I turned the motor far enough to retract the bit to the mounting plate surface, the motor came out of the ramps in the fixed base. IOW, it was impossible to set or zero the bit edge to the baseplate. I measured some other bits I have and while some would allow zeroing, most would not as they are "too long".
Is this a design flaw in the unit? I have read the 690 is a "workhorse" of the industry and the Rockler guy said they sell 80 per month and this is the first time he has heard my complaint. He also said that no one zeros the end of the bit to the baseplate, but rather raises the bit to the desired height above the baseplate using a height gage.
While this certainly sounds logical (I even tried it), why do the instructions say to zero to the baseplate? The instructions also say (and I saw some comments on another forum confirming it) to use the ring to control the amount you raise the bit--so apparently it can be done if the bits are short enough. Seems like a design flaw to me.....
Am I looking at this incorrectly? Please comment and set me straight.
Thanks much,
Ken