# Are router edge guides universal?



## Larry Gill (Apr 25, 2014)

Greetings everyone,

I'm new to the router community. I started a new hobby, making acrylic chess sets and other goodies. I'm 68, retired and living on a fixed income. However, I've managed to accumulate several good hobby tools and machines. I want to get a router, and I'm looking at the Dewalt DWP616PK and the Bosch RA1181 bench-top router table. I want get an edge guide and need to know if I have to go with the Dewalt edge guides or are some of them universal?:help::help:


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

Hi Larry, glad to see you join our community


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Hi Larry. Welcome to the forum. I wouldn't want to assume that they are universal. The holes they mount into have to be the same size as well as the same distance apart. My Hitachis have 12mm holes and I would imagine that some routers are 3/8 or 1/2" and there are probably other sizes.


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## BCK (Feb 23, 2014)

welcome aboard...alot of routers come with a basic edge guide and bits with bearings are also available, depending on the type of edging and uses you want...enjoy the forums


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## Quillman (Aug 16, 2010)

Some guides are mfg sensitive, some are not.
E.g. there are matches/crossovers within DeWalt and Bosch.
And PC, Makita, and Milwaukee!
= Not Universal.


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Welcome to the forum Larry.


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## IC31 (Nov 16, 2012)

Welcome to the Forum

As far as edge guides being universal - as said above, some may be. I have a Porter Cable with one - and have to say that it is dedicated to that brand and if I recall, only that series as well. Look at some of the packages being offered as occasionally they come with added 'gadgets' as an enticement to buy and why I have one. It probably hasn't been used more then a very few times.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

IC31 said:


> Welcome to the Forum
> Look at some of the packages being offered as occasionally they come with added 'gadgets' as an enticement to buy and why I have one. It probably hasn't been used more then a very few times.


Mine mostly collects dust too. The problem with edge guides is when you start and finish only one end is on the edge which usually causes a dig into the edge. A router table or straightedge to follow usually works better.


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## IC31 (Nov 16, 2012)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> Mine mostly collects dust too. The problem with edge guides is when you start and finish only one end is on the edge which usually causes a dig into the edge. A router table or straightedge to follow usually works better.


Yep - or it catches somewhere along the edge making for a less the straight cut with a few interesting squiggles. 

A note to the OP - a table works the best and if living on a strict fixed income, a workable version is real easy to build out of not much more then scrap if necessary


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## Gerry Kiernan (Jul 19, 2007)

I have Craftsman routers, and the edge guides will probably only fit Craftsman. You would have to compare the size of holes and the spacing of the holes, for the guide bars, to the edge guide you are looking at.


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## Blackronin (Mar 24, 2014)

Larry Gill said:


> Greetings everyone,
> 
> I'm new to the router community. I started a new hobby, making acrylic chess sets and other goodies. I'm 68, retired and living on a fixed income. However, I've managed to accumulate several good hobby tools and machines. I want to get a router, and I'm looking at the Dewalt DWP616PK and the Bosch RA1181 bench-top router table. I want get an edge guide and need to know if I have to go with the Dewalt edge guides or are some of them universal?:help::help:


Larry,
Welcome. I suspect that like other comments here, that edge guides from one brand will not necessarily fit another, indeed I have found that that is the case even between different models within the same brand. There are aftermarket versions that are adjustable to fit a wide variety of routers. One such, and the most interesting that I've seen to date was reviewed favourably in the last issue of Wood shop Magazine(#134). It's called the CRB7 by a company called M.Power and is available with an edge guide option. You can find it on line. I currently have a simple edge guide and when I consider what I paid for it (& it's limited use) I'm sorry I didn't know I didn't put out a little more and get something I might actually use moe often. I want to be clear though, I'm not promoting this particular unit, just showing options
Best of luck,
Fred


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## Larry Gill (Apr 25, 2014)

Thank you guys. I'll wait until I buy the Dewalt router before buying an edge guide. That way I can make measurements and decide better.


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## FCarvi (Mar 5, 2014)

Welcome to the Forum


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Check the box before you buy an edge guide Larry. Several of my routers came with edge guides.


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## jldmor (Mar 5, 2014)

Hi Larry, I too am fairly new at this and just wanted to pass on that I too purchased the Bosch Ra 1181 table. Seems great so far and so far I've had luck with it. The one "duh" moment I had was it's advertised as a "bench top" table. Well, the unit is about 14 1/2 inches tall, which at least in my case precludes mounting it to a bench top that's normally around 32 or 33 inches high, and at 14 1/2 inches it's too low to use on the floor. So, the first I had to do was build a "short" bench to mount it on.


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## papasombre (Sep 22, 2011)

Welcome to the forum, lawrence.

It would be interseting to see some pictures about your acrilic chess sets. Enjoy your hobbies.


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