# 6 months experience with a router boss



## lking (Dec 24, 2011)

i took up woodworking 6 yrs ago when i retired -- mostly my projects revolve around making furniture for my children -- dresser, blanket chest as a toy box, lots of tables -- the router is my favorite tool -- i really enjoy doing joinery and get a thrill when the pieces fit like they should -- 
i had run the gamut of what i could do with table legs -- and was looking at lathes as the next step but was having trouble pulling the trigger because i 
wasn't sure what else i would do with a lathe and it seemed an expensive way to make better table legs -- when an email came along about this router boss with a 4th axis accessory that would allow you to turn a round leg from square stock using a plunge router -- i had actually seen the idea in a magazine and tried unsuccessfully to make a jig that would work -- product was woefully asymmetric -- so i began to look at the router boss as an alternative -- 
long story short -- bought one last august and have enjoyed it thoroughly -- it has allowed me to do things i don't think i could ever have done any other way -- i've attached a few pics from two projects to give you the flavor of what can be done -- happy to go into more detail if anyone is interested -- 

first project was a backpackers registration box for a state park in VA where i volunteer -- tried unsuccessfully to do lock miter joints on my router table on a similar long narrow box project -- easily done with the router boss -- you can clamp the workpiece so securely that the bit doesn't catch and rip like it did when i tried on the router table -- and climb cutting is readily done so the profiles are clean and precise -- all the joinery on the box -- including the knob were done on the router boss -- 

second bigger project is a desk for son-in-law -- the posts were created from 2 1/2" square stock -- perfectfully round and symmetric -- cutting mortise and tenons is a snap -- the raised panels -- once i had the setup under control -- took about 15m each -- and i think the mitered half lap joints between the rails / stiles add symmetry -- the left pedestal is pictured -- 

the underlying precision of the tool and complete control over the workpiece in all 3 dimensions is what makes the router boss so useful -- and incredibly reproducible -- all i do on my router table is edge round offs and profiling like the false fronts on the drawers -- everything else goes to the router boss -- 

customer support is excellent -- owners manual is through and well written -- been able to go from manual to implementation 95% of the time -- i'll leave it at that -- glad to amplify upon request -- 

and at this point i need to state that i am not related by blood or marriage to anyone connected with the router boss or craftsman gallery or chipsfly.com -- and i have received nada for posting this -- simply a satisfied customer wishing to share his good experience with others who enjoy the pleasures of woodworking.

many thanks for your time -- 

larry thomson


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## kywoodchopper (Jul 18, 2013)

Larry, love the writeup that you gave. I have thought of getting one. I'll pass this info on to other woodworkers.
Malcolm / Kentucky USA


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

Larry your pictures show you can make some nice wood working projects. I notice you have been a member since 2015. I hope you will post more in the future people like me can learn from you. Looking at a video of the Router Boss makes me want one. That thing is impressive.


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## lking (Dec 24, 2011)

edit -- one important aspect i failed to point out -- because the router is positioned above the workpiece -- you have complete visibility as the cut is made -- you can cut to scribe lines -- often with mortises, i will drop the bit until it just touches the wood -- crank the piece out until i can measure and confirm -- nitpick as necessary -- crank the piece back under the router and make the cut -- all without disturbing the integrity of the setup --


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

Nice work Larry. Thanks for sharing.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Nice job Larry. Thanks.


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

Appreciate the introduction to the system and look forward to future posts. Excellent work.


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Great write-up Brother Thompson!

Those are definitely well-made products!

Otis Guillebeau from Auburn, Georgia


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Great review thanks.


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## DesertWoodworker (Mar 27, 2018)

Hi Larry. I just purchased a Router Boss and would like to be setup the machine such that I may create a lock mitre joint with a single setup for both the horizontal and vertical cut. Did you do it that way? How?
Cheers,
Steve


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## lking (Dec 24, 2011)

*router boss / lock miter*

i tried several times on my router table to do lock miters and was never successful -- don't think i was
ever able to feed the stock through keeping enough steady firm pressure -- even when i did shallow cuts -- 
with the router boss -- given the ability to firmly clamp everything down -- was successful on the first try -- i sent you a private msg with contact info so we can go thru it -- be glad to post more detail on the forum if there is an interest -- the last time i was able to cut lock miters for the sides of a swing out panel for a jewelry armoire -- the long 
pieces were 2 1/2' x 1/2" x 38 1/2" -- don't believe i could do the vertical cut on a 38" piece on my router table ...
i am constantly amazed with what i can do with the router boss --


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Excellent work Larry but, in view of the fact that you can take good photographs, it would be of enormous help to members if you were to photograph each stage of the making and post them. You could perhaps do as I do and turn them into pdf's, an example is shown.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I know you can order this in several lengths. If you had it to do again, would you pop for the longest one? Is it useful to have the longer one?


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## lking (Dec 24, 2011)

harry -- many thanks for the kind words -- wold be glad to post some pics of the lock miter process -- i'm afraid, however, it won't be
until may sometime -- currently on a month long volunteer position at a state park in the FL panhandle -- escaping the cold of 
east tennessee -- yes -- i can hear the groans coming from north of the mason - dixon line -- but it is still cold to me and the older i get -- the less i like it -- 

tom -- i have the RB 470 extended -- i know of one time when i wanted to duplicate a cut in exactly the same place on 2
pieces of stock -- i was able to position them in line and reach from the left side of piece A to the right side of piece B --
and it took all the travel i had -- but being done within one setup assured that the position was identical -- having said that,
given the re-producibility of the router boss -- it is entirely possible that the same result could have been obtained 
with 2 separate setups -- the position of the cut would be held in the digital readouts coupled with mechanical stops -- you would just have to be sure you fixed the second board in the same position as #1 -- the other advantage of the 470 is the included digital 
readout -- i couldn't find it as an stand alone accessory anywhere on the site -- it is invaluable -- and allows you to return 
to a given position -- from either the left or right (positive or negative direction) -- within .002" -- that's not a spec -- that's a
result of testing how close i could return to a given position -- one may not use the extra 5" of travel much -- but when you need it -- it's there --


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## DonkeyHody (Jan 22, 2015)

I wasn't aware that the Router Boss existed. I see LOTS of uses. I want one. Thanks for posting.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

What are the differences between it and the Wood Rat? https://woodrat.com/


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