Argos have a cheap Challenge router on sale for £10 (half price)
I was wondering if anyone had used this model? Is it suitable for table
mounting.

I realise that it's not going to be great, but I just wanted to try making a
basic router table rather than clamping my current router upside down in my
workmate.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

"jg" wrote in message
...
Argos have a cheap Challenge router on sale for £10 (half price)
I was wondering if anyone had used this model? Is it suitable for table
mounting.

I realise that it's not going to be great, but I just wanted to try making
a
basic router table rather than clamping my current router upside down in
my
workmate.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

I've heard from a couple of friends that they are good for the DIYer, but I
haven't tried them myself so can't be to sure on how they actually feel in
use.

"jg" wrote in message
...
Argos have a cheap Challenge router on sale for £10 (half price)
I was wondering if anyone had used this model? Is it suitable for table
mounting.

I realise that it's not going to be great, but I just wanted to try making
a basic router table rather than clamping my current router upside down in
my workmate.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated



Make sure the switch can be locked on - it seems that a trend (no pun
intended!) in the lower-end routers is for non-locking switches, which IMHO
actually makes the tool more dangerous for handheld use (you can end up in
contortions trying to hold the switch down whilst working round a piece) and
also makes it pretty damned useless for mounting in a table.

--

Richard Sampson

mail me at
richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk

On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 12:32:54 +0100, "RichardS"
wrote:



"jg" wrote in message
...
Argos have a cheap Challenge router on sale for £10 (half price)
I was wondering if anyone had used this model? Is it suitable for table
mounting.

I realise that it's not going to be great, but I just wanted to try making
a basic router table rather than clamping my current router upside down in
my workmate.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated



Make sure the switch can be locked on - it seems that a trend (no pun
intended!) in the lower-end routers is for non-locking switches, which IMHO
actually makes the tool more dangerous for handheld use (you can end up in
contortions trying to hold the switch down whilst working round a piece) and
also makes it pretty damned useless for mounting in a table.

I've a feeling that all routers now have to have a non-locking switch
as a result of our benefactors in Brussels. I agree with you though,
it does make them inherently more dangerous IMHO.


For table use, it should be possible to get around that issue with use
of a Ty-rap and then to mount a no-volt switch somewhere convenient.





--

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

The information contained in this post is copyright the
poster, and specifically may not be published in, or used by
http://www.diybanter.com

On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 16:11:12 +0100, Andy Hall
wrote:

I've a feeling that all routers now have to have a non-locking switch
as a result of our benefactors in Brussels. I agree with you though,
it does make them inherently more dangerous IMHO.

Yes, I believe any power tool with a 'blade' must be non-locking.

sponix

In article ,
Andy Hall wrote:
I've a feeling that all routers now have to have a non-locking switch
as a result of our benefactors in Brussels. I agree with you though,
it does make them inherently more dangerous IMHO.


For table use, it should be possible to get around that issue with use
of a Ty-rap and then to mount a no-volt switch somewhere convenient.

At 10 quid I think I'd just bypass the switch and sod the warranty.
With an external no volt switch, of course.

--
*Just remember...if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"RichardS" wrote
Make sure the switch can be locked on - it seems that a trend (no pun
intended!) in the lower-end routers is for non-locking switches, which
IMHO actually makes the tool more dangerous for handheld use (you can end
up in contortions trying to hold the switch down whilst working round a
piece) and also makes it pretty damned useless for mounting in a table.

EN50144-2-17 - particular requirements for Router
20.11 A router that is fitted with either:
- a spring loaded base which protects the cutten when not in use, or
- a self-closing guard which is not lockable in the open position,
may have a mains switch which is lockable in the "ON" position.

All other routers shall be fitted with a mains switch which switches off
automatically when the operating means is released.


Some brands (eg Bosch) get around this by supplying a U shape metal clip
that will fit over the switch and lock it on for use when mounted on a
table (with NVR switch). Doubt the Challenge one has such a clip - you may
find a cable tie or a jubilee clip does an adequate DIY job. this would be
more sensible than opening the tool and rewiring to bypass the switch.

On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 10:41:05 +0100, "jg" wrote:

Argos have a cheap Challenge router on sale for £10 (half price)
I was wondering if anyone had used this model? Is it suitable for table
mounting.

I realise that it's not going to be great, but I just wanted to try making a
basic router table rather than clamping my current router upside down in my
workmate.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated


It depends really on what you want to achieve.

Normally in a router table if you want to do anything of note, a
12.7mm router is needed and with a motor rating of at least 1500W
efficiently delivered. Sadly, the low end 12.7mm routers, although
they have claimed power levels of 1800-2000W, have such poor motors
that they perform very badly under load. To that point, 12.7mm routers
start to become decent at around the £160-170 price point with
products like Freud.

A router with 6.5 and 8mm collets is really a 6.5mm router in terms of
power and although I don't have direct experience of this particular
model, I suspect that it is going to be very underpowered even
compared with a decent 6.5mm router like a Trend T5.

However, to put it nto perspective, if you are looking for something
to try out for little cost and are looking to make smallish things
like bits for doll's houses, then this could be worth trying out.
Don't think in terms of large cutters and panel raising, though. This
is simply not going to do that, or for that matter anything else too
much larger than model stuff.

At £10, it might be worth a try as long as you don't mind writing off
£10. If you decide that you want to get into using a router table
seriously, then it becomes about a £250 investment for a decent router
plus a reasonable insert and mechanics that you could put into your
own home made table.

However, even though this is an entry level type of solution that you
are thinking about, please implement it safely because it will still
be quite enough to mangle your hands or other bits badly.





--

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

The information contained in this post is copyright the
poster, and specifically may not be published in, or used by
http://www.diybanter.com

jg wrote in message
...
Argos have a cheap Challenge router on sale for £10 (half price)
I was wondering if anyone had used this model? Is it suitable for table
mounting.

I realise that it's not going to be great, but I just wanted to try making
a
basic router table rather than clamping my current router upside down in
my
workmate.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Well I reserved one last night on the web, when I picked it up today and
unpacked it I had one of these
http://tinyurl.com/bo3qk
don't know if that was a store or web up-cock, but for under £10 im happy.
:-)

Which store

"Mark" wrote in message
...

jg wrote in message
...
Argos have a cheap Challenge router on sale for £10 (half price)
I was wondering if anyone had used this model? Is it suitable for table
mounting.

I realise that it's not going to be great, but I just wanted to try
making
a
basic router table rather than clamping my current router upside down in
my
workmate.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Well I reserved one last night on the web, when I picked it up today and
unpacked it I had one of these
http://tinyurl.com/bo3qk
don't know if that was a store or web up-cock, but for under £10 im happy.
:-)

On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 10:41:05 +0100, "jg" wrote:

Argos have a cheap Challenge router on sale for £10 (half price)
I was wondering if anyone had used this model? Is it suitable for table
mounting.

I realise that it's not going to be great, but I just wanted to try making a
basic router table rather than clamping my current router upside down in my
workmate.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated


A router spins at a very fast rate, should it go wrong, something may
fly off and cause the opperator some pain.

R U really going to trust someting that you know is probably junk when
you buy it ?

Rick