# Will this router work in a table



## Mickeyt (Nov 12, 2012)

I have a Chicago Electric 3 HP 19 AMP plunge router Model 37793 with an electric brake, I believe it came from Harbor Freight. I do not think it is one of the better plunge routers out there, it appears to me to be cheaply made.
I have not used it on wood but when I try to plunge it on the work bench it is not very smooth , the 3 depth stop thingies do not look like the best. I got this free from my Father in Law before he passed away. As a newbie to routing I feel it is to big and heavy for me to use with out a table.
So the question is this, Can I use this as a table mounted router that would be any good or worth it? What do you all think about this?
Any ideas or thoughts would help
Thanks in advance
Mick


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## JCJCJC (May 15, 2012)

Post a pic, Mick?

JC


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## williamm (Oct 10, 2011)

*Sounds like mine*

I am not sure about the power of mine, but from your description it sounds like the one I purchased from HF a few years ago.
I have mounted mine to a home-made table top because I figured that is all it was good for. I did remove the springs to make adjustment easier and I could not find a table insert that was drilled to fit so I modified a Woodpecker insert because I like the fast change rings that don't have mounting screws. I also purchased a 1/4 inch collet from a different manufacture which has been working flawlessly for me.
I do not use my table router often but it does what I need it to do even though I don't have the easiest setup procedures around.
I did purchase myself a new Craftsman router with two bases about a year ago and love it for free hand work. Because it came with a wrench to adjust the height from above a table, I have thought about putting it into the table top, but then I don't know what I would do with the Chicago "boat anchor".


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## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

Yes it can be used on a table. As Bill mentioned take out the springs that will make it much easier to adjust. I seldom use a hand held router because a table makes it a lot easier and less chance of messing edges up because you can hold things tight to the bit with featherboards. IMHO


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## gwizz (Mar 3, 2012)

I puchased a cheap plunge router a couple of years ago from Princess Auto ( Canada's equivilent to Harbour Feight ) as I wanted to take apart the plunge mechanism and adapt it to bottom adjustalbe for my router table and didn't have the courage to attempt it with a $300.00 or so router. It worked with the help of a welder fiend of mine but the router didn't make 1 1/2yrs before the cuts ( slots etc. ) were wandering and it was not sounding the healtiest. I trashed it then but I did get a year or so out of it and fun converting it to bottom ( top in my router table ) adjustable. 

Have fun with it but don't build your shop around it.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

williamm said:


> but then I don't know what I would do with the Chicago "boat anchor".


You'd send it to me, of course.


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## greenacres2 (Dec 23, 2011)

gwizz said:


> I puchased a cheap plunge router a couple of years ago from Princess Auto ( Canada's equivilent to Harbour Feight ) as I wanted to take apart the plunge mechanism and adapt it to bottom adjustalbe for my router table and didn't have the courage to attempt it with a $300.00 or so router. It worked with the help of a welder fiend of mine but the router didn't make 1 1/2yrs before the cuts ( slots etc. ) were wandering and it was not sounding the healtiest. I trashed it then but I did get a year or so out of it and fun converting it to bottom ( top in my router table ) adjustable.
> 
> Have fun with it but don't build your shop around it.


It's always good to know a welder fiend. 

Sorry Richard, i'm home sick and just couldn't pass up the moment. Much more fun than daytime TV.


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## Mickeyt (Nov 12, 2012)

JCJCJC said:


> Post a pic, Mick?
> 
> JC


Hi John.
I did not have time today to take any photo's of the router, I will try to get a few tomorow or the next day.

Thanks
Mick


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## Mickeyt (Nov 12, 2012)

williamm said:


> I am not sure about the power of mine, but from your description it sounds like the one I purchased from HF a few years ago.
> I have mounted mine to a home-made table top because I figured that is all it was good for. I did remove the springs to make adjustment easier and I could not find a table insert that was drilled to fit so I modified a Woodpecker insert because I like the fast change rings that don't have mounting screws. I also purchased a 1/4 inch collet from a different manufacture which has been working flawlessly for me.
> I do not use my table router often but it does what I need it to do even though I don't have the easiest setup procedures around.
> I did purchase myself a new Craftsman router with two bases about a year ago and love it for free hand work. Because it came with a wrench to adjust the height from above a table, I have thought about putting it into the table top, but then I don't know what I would do with the Chicago "boat anchor".



Hi Bill,
Thanks for the information. Could you give a little more information on the plate from Woodpecker and what you had to do to make it fit? Also could you explain more about the rings? Hate to ask all these questions but I am a newbie on the router stuff. 
I think mine has an additional ¼ cullet, I need to check and see for sure.
You also say yours is “not easiest to use”, what makes it hard to use?
Since I do not have a boat I can not use mine as a boat anchor! LOL

Thanks for taking the time to help me.
Mick


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## Mickeyt (Nov 12, 2012)

mgmine said:


> Yes it can be used on a table. As Bill mentioned take out the springs that will make it much easier to adjust. I seldom use a hand held router because a table makes it a lot easier and less chance of messing edges up because you can hold things tight to the bit with featherboards. IMHO


Hi Art,
Thanks for taking the time to help with the information. I’m totally new to routers but does seem that a table mounted router is the better way to go.
There’s a lot of information here on this site, so much so that I have been staying up until 3 AM reading all I can and learning a bunch.
Thanks again
Mick


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## Mickeyt (Nov 12, 2012)

gwizz said:


> I puchased a cheap plunge router a couple of years ago from Princess Auto ( Canada's equivilent to Harbour Feight ) as I wanted to take apart the plunge mechanism and adapt it to bottom adjustalbe for my router table and didn't have the courage to attempt it with a $300.00 or so router. It worked with the help of a welder fiend of mine but the router didn't make 1 1/2yrs before the cuts ( slots etc. ) were wandering and it was not sounding the healtiest. I trashed it then but I did get a year or so out of it and fun converting it to bottom ( top in my router table ) adjustable.
> 
> Have fun with it but don't build your shop around it.


Hi Richard, thanks for the information. 
I did look at some reviews on this router a few months ago, it appears that there may be a problem with it not running true to some degree, but I guess it just comes down too you get what you pay for.
I believe when my Father in Law bought it, it was only about $100.00, sometime around 2004 or 2005. I know for him it seemed like a good deal, lots of Hp with the plunge feature and he never intended for it to be an everyday user.
What did your welder friend help you make so you could place it in a table, just wondering if I will have to do the same.
Thanks again
Mick


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## gwizz (Mar 3, 2012)

*Welder Friend*



greenacres2 said:


> It's always good to know a welder fiend.
> 
> Sorry Richard, i'm home sick and just couldn't pass up the moment. Much more fun than daytime TV.


Hey Life would be intolerable if you don't know a Welder Friend 
* cut and weld hex screw driver bit to end of worm gear on router - Welder Friend
* 13" x 5/16" bolts for TV Stand project - Welder Friend
* alum mount for Satellite dish to father's 12th story railing balcony - Welder Friend
* reinforce grandson's bent E-bike kick stand frame - Welder Friend
* etc. etc. etc etc.

The best Welder Friends work for a Beer and a half hour what's you been up to chat.

:yes4: :yes4:


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

If you are in need of a simple router lift that is infinitely adjustable, take a look at the one I made for my Harbor Freight router/table combo. I simply loosen the clamp, adjust the bit height by turning the homemade hand wheel and then tighten the clamp and I am ready to route. These days, I keep a 3/8 round-over bit in this router dedicated for the the projects I am working on.

Good luck.
Hope this helps.
Mike

Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket


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## Mickeyt (Nov 12, 2012)

MT Stringer said:


> If you are in need of a simple router lift that is infinitely adjustable, take a look at the one I made for my Harbor Freight router/table combo. I simply loosen the clamp, adjust the bit height by turning the homemade hand wheel and then tighten the clamp and I am ready to route. These days, I keep a 3/8 round-over bit in this router dedicated for the the projects I am working on.
> 
> Good luck.
> Hope this helps.
> ...




Hi Mike,
I could not get the photo's to open. This is something I would really be interested in, I'll try again later as there may have been some problem with photobucket.

Thanks 
Mick


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

Thanks for the note, Mick. I have been having my share of problems with Photobucket lately.

Let me try another one.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

MT Stringer said:


> Thanks for the note, Mick. I have been having my share of problems with Photobucket lately.
> 
> Let me try another one.



Simple and effective. This method has been mentioned constantly and seems ideal for a bench top router table.

PS: I have lens envy. I only have a Sigma 120 - 400.


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## williamm (Oct 10, 2011)

Mickeyt said:


> Hi Bill,
> Thanks for the information. Could you give a little more information on the plate from Woodpecker and what you had to do to make it fit? Also could you explain more about the rings? Hate to ask all these questions but I am a newbie on the router stuff.
> I think mine has an additional ¼ cullet, I need to check and see for sure.
> You also say yours is “not easiest to use”, what makes it hard to use?
> ...


Hi Mick,
What I did to mount the Chicago to the Woodpecker was to remove the base plate from the routher and carefully align it to the Woodpecker plate to see if any of the holes ligned up. Of course they didn't. So I chose a place on the Woodpecker that was far enough away from existing holes as to not weaken the plate. I centered the center hole on the plate and marked where the new holes should go. Then I drilled the mounting holes (4) and counter sunk them for the screw heads.
The rings I was talking about are the ones that change the size of the cutter opening. I didn't want rings that I had to change with a screw driver. Just a simple twist of the ring and it comes loose. 
What I consider "not easy to use" is that I have to pull the complete router and plate out of the top to do any adjustments or change the bit. Something I am happy to live with since I didn't spend much on the top. My biggest expense was the Woodpecker plate.
Hope I answered all of the concerns I raised. Have fun.


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