I have my eye on the 18V battery Makita - finally I have several jobs
that I need a router for.

The instructions say "3mm plunge max"

Just wondered for 1/4 or 3/8 (it will take either collet plus metric)
what the biggest practical bit size is likely to be?

Also, for side on cuts, is the 3mm limit (per pass) likely to be similar
here?

It's not a problem making multiple passes - I'm not running a factory
operation - and in many other ways a small light machine would be more
useful.

On 21/09/2018 20:01, Tim Watts wrote:

I have my eye on the 18V battery Makita - finally I have several jobs
that I need a router for.

I have seen some quite favourable reviews on that. There are a couple of
decent ones on youtube IIRC.

The instructions say "3mm plunge max"

Just wondered for 1/4 or 3/8 (it will take either collet plus metric)
what the biggest practical bit size is likely to be?

What in diameter? Whatever fits through the base plate really... With
large cutters you may need to take shallower passes.

Also, for side on cuts, is the 3mm limit (per pass) likely to be similar
here?

You can probably take a cut the full depth of the bit or if not that
much at least 1/2" - but then you limit the lateral depth of cut when
you set the fence. Basically you need to learn the volume of wood it
will remove in a pass - and that volume will come from a depth / width
trade off. Also the type of timber matters - some woods are much easier
to route than others.

(although good dense hard woods give very fine results with a router -
nice crisp clean cuts etc. Pine etc can be a bit more woolly!)

It's not a problem making multiple passes - I'm not running a factory
operation - and in many other ways a small light machine would be more
useful.

The small machines can be surprisingly capable - at least up to a size
of cutter where you probably ought to be looking at table mounting
anyway. They are going to struggle making a worktop joint or cutting the
strings for a flight of steps, for for smaller joints, and lots of edge
detailing and moulding jobs they work fine. I do quite a bit with my
small Bosch 600W palm router these days. Having said that, keep in mind
that I also have a 2kW 1/2" router in a table to pick up jobs at the
other end of the spectrum.

Usually I would advice a "first" router to be something like the
original 1/4" Elu - a modern clone of which would be the Trend T5 -
that's middle sized and around 1kW.




--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On 21/09/18 21:26, John Rumm wrote:
On 21/09/2018 20:01, Tim Watts wrote:

I have my eye on the 18V battery Makita - finally I have several jobs
that I need a router for.

I have seen some quite favourable reviews on that. There are a couple of
decent ones on youtube IIRC.

The instructions say "3mm plunge max"

Just wondered for 1/4 or 3/8 (it will take either collet plus metric)
what the biggest practical bit size is likely to be?

What in diameter? Whatever fits through the base plate really... With
large cutters you may need to take shallower passes.

Also, for side on cuts, is the 3mm limit (per pass) likely to be
similar here?

You can probably take a cut the full depth of the bit or if not that
much at least 1/2" - but then you limit the lateral depth of cut when
you set the fence. Basically you need to learn the volume of wood it
will remove in a pass - and that volume will come from a depth / width
trade off. Also the type of timber matters - some woods are much easier
to route than others.

(although good dense hard woods give very fine results with a router -
nice crisp clean cuts etc. Pine etc can be a bit more woolly!)

It's not a problem making multiple passes - I'm not running a factory
operation - and in many other ways a small light machine would be more
useful.

The small machines can be surprisingly capable - at least up to a size
of cutter where you probably ought to be looking at table mounting
anyway. They are going to struggle making a worktop joint or cutting the
strings for a flight of steps, for for smaller joints, and lots of edge
detailing and moulding jobs they work fine. I do quite a bit with my
small Bosch 600W palm router these days. Having said that, keep in mind
that I also have a 2kW 1/2" router in a table to pick up jobs at the
other end of the spectrum.

Usually I would advice a "first" router to be something like the
original 1/4" Elu - a modern clone of which would be the Trend T5 -
that's middle sized and around 1kW.

Thanks John - lots to think about.

On 21/09/18 21:26, John Rumm wrote:
On 21/09/2018 20:01, Tim Watts wrote:

I have my eye on the 18V battery Makita - finally I have several jobs
that I need a router for.

I have seen some quite favourable reviews on that. There are a couple of
decent ones on youtube IIRC.

I'm going to watch some now - might give me some answers as to what it
can usefully do.

The instructions say "3mm plunge max"

Just wondered for 1/4 or 3/8 (it will take either collet plus metric)
what the biggest practical bit size is likely to be?

What in diameter? Whatever fits through the base plate really... With
large cutters you may need to take shallower passes.

I have seen some 20mm dia bits sold in 1/4"...

Also, for side on cuts, is the 3mm limit (per pass) likely to be
similar here?

You can probably take a cut the full depth of the bit or if not that
much at least 1/2" - but then you limit the lateral depth of cut when
you set the fence. Basically you need to learn the volume of wood it
will remove in a pass - and that volume will come from a depth / width
trade off. Also the type of timber matters - some woods are much easier
to route than others.

(although good dense hard woods give very fine results with a router -
nice crisp clean cuts etc. Pine etc can be a bit more woolly!)

That makes sense.

It's not a problem making multiple passes - I'm not running a factory
operation - and in many other ways a small light machine would be more
useful.

The small machines can be surprisingly capable - at least up to a size
of cutter where you probably ought to be looking at table mounting
anyway. They are going to struggle making a worktop joint or cutting the
strings for a flight of steps, for for smaller joints, and lots of edge
detailing and moulding jobs they work fine. I do quite a bit with my
small Bosch 600W palm router these days. Having said that, keep in mind
that I also have a 2kW 1/2" router in a table to pick up jobs at the
other end of the spectrum.

Usually I would advice a "first" router to be something like the
original 1/4" Elu - a modern clone of which would be the Trend T5 -
that's middle sized and around 1kW.

I've very taken with the battery element - no cord to get in the way,
use anywhere I don't mind buying into Makita's 18V battery ecosystem
as there seems to be a lot of tools in the range. I'm on 36V Bosch for
gardening tools and 10.8V Bosch for a mini driver/impact driver. I have
nothing in the mid sized tool range.

The jobs I have a

1) Buy a ready made laminated ash shelf (I don't have clamps or a flat
surface or thicknesser to go glueing up my own panels) but finish the
edges and route a slot in two side battens which will fix to the wall
allowing the shelf to slide out (for maintenance access to boiler behind
- shelf is over a washing machine).


2) Put a very find pencil round or bevel on my upstairs floorboards
prior to final fix. We planed a slight bevel on first lay, but I still
find it annoying in bare feet and a few bits are splintering as boards do).

3) Make a printer dolly for my laser printer so it can be pushed around
on rubber castors. Will start with a pre-made laminated board in a
cheaper wood, and finish all the edges and cut some radiuses on the corners.


All very easy stuff, seems like trivial first jobs to learn the tool.

On 22/09/2018 11:40, Tim Watts wrote:
On 21/09/18 21:26, John Rumm wrote:
On 21/09/2018 20:01, Tim Watts wrote:

I have my eye on the 18V battery Makita - finally I have several jobs
that I need a router for.

I have seen some quite favourable reviews on that. There are a couple
of decent ones on youtube IIRC.

I'm going to watch some now - might give me some answers as to what it
can usefully do.

The instructions say "3mm plunge max"

Just wondered for 1/4 or 3/8 (it will take either collet plus metric)
what the biggest practical bit size is likely to be?

What in diameter? Whatever fits through the base plate really... With
large cutters you may need to take shallower passes.

I have seen some 20mm dia bits sold in 1/4"...

You can find larger cutters if the machine will take an 8mm collet,
although the range of cutters in that size is smaller.

Usually I would advice a "first" router to be something like the
original 1/4" Elu - a modern clone of which would be the Trend T5 -
that's middle sized and around 1kW.

I've very taken with the battery element - no cord to get in the way,
use anywhere I don't mind buying into Makita's 18V battery ecosystem
as there seems to be a lot of tools in the range. I'm on 36V Bosch for
gardening tools and 10.8V Bosch for a mini driver/impact driver. I have
nothing in the mid sized tool range.

Yup the tool range is good, and the batteries and charger are well
thought out (things like active cooling in the chargers).

The jobs I have a

1) Buy a ready made laminated ash shelf (I don't have clamps or a flat
surface or thicknesser to go glueing up my own panels) but finish the
edges and route a slot in two side battens which will fix to the wall
allowing the shelf to slide out (for maintenance access to boiler behind
- shelf is over a washing machine).


2) Put a very find pencil round or bevel on my upstairs floorboards
prior to final fix. We planed a slight bevel on first lay, but I still
find it annoying in bare feet and a few bits are splintering as boards do).

3) Make a printer dolly for my laser printer so it can be pushed around
on rubber castors. Will start with a pre-made laminated board in a
cheaper wood, and finish all the edges and cut some radiuses on the
corners.


All very easy stuff, seems like trivial first jobs to learn the tool.

Yup, all plausible sounding jobs. It will also get you a few "go to"
cutters for future jobs... (IME its normally better to buy the cutters
you want, rather than sets of them. Otherwise you find you end up with
loads of cutters you never use).


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/