I tried to use my Porter Cable 89* plunge router to make soss hinge
mortices today, with very dissapointing results. I have alot of WWing
experience (25+ years), but I do not have much experience with plunge
routers. These results were totally unacceptable.
Too much slop in the plunge base. These hinges are 1/2" X 2 3/8".
I was using a 1/2" bit with a 3/4" guide in an mdf template.
I ended up using the fixed base with the same template, plunging it
farmer style. The 24 mortices came out perfect.
I guess theres a reason the plunge base has been in a drawer the 2
years Ive owned this tool. The horrid thing wont see daylight again
for a long time in my shop.

wrote:
I tried to use my Porter Cable 89* plunge router to make soss hinge
mortices today, with very dissapointing results. I have alot of
WWing experience (25+ years), but I do not have much experience
with plunge routers. These results were totally unacceptable.
Too much slop in the plunge base. These hinges are 1/2" X 2 3/8".
I was using a 1/2" bit with a 3/4" guide in an mdf template.
I ended up using the fixed base with the same template, plunging it
farmer style. The 24 mortices came out perfect.
I guess theres a reason the plunge base has been in a drawer the 2
years Ive owned this tool. The horrid thing wont see daylight again
for a long time in my shop.

It would have worked better with a 3/8" bit.


--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

wrote:
On Sep 30, 7:43 am, "dadiOH" wrote:
wrote:
I tried to use my Porter Cable 89* plunge router to make soss
hinge mortices today, with very dissapointing results. I have
alot of WWing experience (25+ years), but I do not have much
experience with plunge routers. These results were totally
unacceptable.
Too much slop in the plunge base. These hinges are 1/2" X 2 3/8".
I was using a 1/2" bit with a 3/4" guide in an mdf template.
I ended up using the fixed base with the same template, plunging
it farmer style. The 24 mortices came out perfect.
I guess theres a reason the plunge base has been in a drawer the 2
years Ive owned this tool. The horrid thing wont see daylight
again for a long time in my shop.

It would have worked better with a 3/8" bit.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it athttp://mysite.verizon.net/xico

My initial setup was a 3/8"bit with a 5/8" guide in a template made
using a 3/4" forstner bit, but the slop in the porter cable's plunge
base produced crappy mortices, That is, an intended 1/2" mortice
would actually end up at about 17/32" wide and slightly uneven,
which in this project is unacceptable.
The final setup I used the 1/2" bit so I would not need the radius
on my template.
This enabled me to glue up the template using several mdf blocks
accurately cut to index both of the mortices the required distance
from the top and bottom of doors and stiles.
I started the thread hoping to get feedback on the overall accuracy
of the Porter Cable 89* plunge base compared to other models. I
wonder if this application is just too much to expect from any
plunge based router.

I use two plunge routers...a Bosch 1611 1/2" and a Porter Cable base
for 890 routers used with an old Black & Decker/Dewalt 1/4" router
motor. I cut all manner of things with both and have not had any
problem with deflection.



--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

On Oct 1, 7:08 am, "dadiOH" wrote:

I use two plunge routers...a Bosch 1611 1/2" and a Porter Cable base for 890 routers used with an old Black & Decker/Dewalt 1/4" router motor. I cut all manner of things with both and have not had any
problem with deflection.

One thing that PC seems to make that is a good qualtiy product is
their line of routers. Seems like they have to recall them a lot
(including the 890) but in the end they get them right.

I would think that your setup is out of whack someway. I use an old
Porter Cable plunger that I have had for years to mortise door hinges
all the time as part of my business. I also have a DeWalt (Elu) 625
plunger that is a as sturdy as a rock. Your 890 is a nice router,
well made and sturdy.

If you were able to cut the mortises with our other setup in a
satisfatory manner it would seem you have your technique down solid,
so it would seem to leave the router. Is there anything in the
collet? Are the slides moving freely? Is the plunge base attached
properly?

Robert

On Oct 1, 12:04 pm, "
wrote:
On Oct 1, 7:08 am, "dadiOH" wrote:

I use two plunge routers...a Bosch 1611 1/2" and a Porter Cable base for 890 routers used with an old Black & Decker/Dewalt 1/4" router motor. I cut all manner of things with both and have not had any
problem with deflection.

One thing that PC seems to make that is a good qualtiy product is
their line of routers. Seems like they have to recall them a lot
(including the 890) but in the end they get them right.

I would think that your setup is out of whack someway. I use an old
Porter Cable plunger that I have had for years to mortise door hinges
all the time as part of my business. I also have a DeWalt (Elu) 625
plunger that is a as sturdy as a rock. Your 890 is a nice router,
well made and sturdy.

If you were able to cut the mortises with our other setup in a
satisfatory manner it would seem you have your technique down solid,
so it would seem to leave the router. Is there anything in the
collet? Are the slides moving freely? Is the plunge base attached
properly?

Robert

Everything is fine except the secondary bore on the plunge base there
is slop. It appears to have a plastic bushing. The primary bore is
bushed with bronze and is alot tighter. Ive worked in wood shops most
of my life, and never gave much thought to plunge routers. The few
times I have used them, I just kind of took them for granted, picked
them up and went to work, and never experienced a problem. Usually
though, it was an operation where this degree of accurqacy was not
required, such as butt hinges in a household door.