Because I like to stir the pot...

[Gerald]

You may notice that this poll offers no neutral or "other" choice.  I'm looking for some real disagreement here, maybe even a good old fashioned fist fight to keep things interesting.

 

[Mark Bortner]

I wish you would have posted this under General Discussion. I think alot of members might never read this if they're from another chapter! I'm curious too, but don't want to encourage bloodshed!

 

[klkirkman]

I hate the router; at least the old fashioned hand held version - but I am learning to love the router with all of the new jigs and fixtures, etc, that are being made for it - It is beginning to be more like a shaper these days.

My biggest complaint is still the slippage of bits which seems an inevitabel result of the collet systems.

Karl

 

[Mark Bortner]

Karl, if the bits are slipping look at 4 main things: bad router, cheap bits, running the bits at the wrong speed for their diameter or just plain not tightening enough.  The new "quick change" thingy a few mfgs have come up with is about the dumbest idea imaginable! Instead of closing concentricaly all around the bit the way a proper collet should they jam it to one side of the hole! Works about as well as a setscrew would!

 

[Walt Segl]

Karl,  One thing to add. You might want to make sure the collet is clean, a quick blast of compressed air works great.  Dust and chips can keep a collet from completely tightening.  Also you never want to insert a bit till it bottoms out, always leave 1-2mm of headspace between the bit shank and collet bottom. Not sure why this is but since I started doing it I have never had a bit "walk" out of a collet.  Good Luck!

 

[msiemsen]

Bottoming the bit in a collet causes it to slip because when collets tighten they pull in. If the bit is at the bottom of the hole it cannot pull in effectively so it is not completely tightened and the bit slips.
Mike

 

[Mark Arnold]

Gerald,

I'm Jekyll and Hyde on this one. I use my four routers quite often, but I don't consider them precision machines--at least not in my hands--and for that reason I hate them. I hate the noise. I hate the fine dust. Yet I can't see myself doing without them, especially for inlay work, so I love them. See what I mean?

Aside from running small moldings and other profiles, I use them more for rough stock removal in advance of handtools. I stopped using them for panel-raising long ago--too much fuss and dust.  I think the answer to your poll depends on what folks are doing with their routers. And today you can do quite a bit. Anymore, there is a jig to accomplish just about every imaginable task with a router. My jigs are very low-tech and all shop-made. Making jigs is a chore because it seems each job requires something a little different, so maybe I'm not a fan of the router afterall...

 

[CBWW]

Slippage of the bit can occur from taking to heavy a cut.  You can hear a noise/pitch change when you are doing it. 

Routers, laminate trimmers, and especially an inverted pneumatic pin router has put ALOT of money in my pocket.  Wouldnt want to be without them. 

 

[Jeff Saylor]

As Mark pointed out, cheap bits can be a problem in the collet.  I once bought a handful of new, carbide tipped router bits (no manufacture name) at a flea market for about $2 each.  The first one I put in the router broke my collet!  They were .009 undersize at the shanks and the hardened collet jaws couldn't flex in that much without breaking.  HECK OF A DEAL!