# NEWBIE: Craftsman Table and new Milwaukee Router



## randyn (Sep 11, 2004)

Hi, hoping someone has some suggestions for me...I have a Sears router table but have a new Milwaukee router...I'm trying to mount the router into the table, here's the fun part...Sears has a proprietary size for it's mounting plates 11" x 9", I called Oak Park praying that they had a plate of this size but alas thier's is 11" x 11". I want to be able to use the brass guides that Oak-Park has but they fit onto thier plate which won't fit into my table....any ideas?


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## Woodnut65 (Oct 11, 2004)

Is the router table New? I would return the table to sears, and get the table or table top kit from Oak Park. Sears uses standard Porter Cable size guides, Ibelieve thay are 1 3/16ths dia. Oak Park uses larger guides. If you can't return the tabe to Sears, then I suggest that you buy some Porter Cable size guides. But I would not buy
steel guides, as they loosen and can damage the bit.
Good luck. Woodnut65


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## ejant (Sep 10, 2004)

Buy the bare bones table and plate from oak park and build your system around it. Save yourself a lot of headaches.


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## randyn (Sep 11, 2004)

What happened to standardization?


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## ejant (Sep 10, 2004)

There are standards. 1/2 and 1/4 collets. lol


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## Glenmore (Sep 10, 2004)

That is standardiztion for craftsman tools I've had people warn me about buying from craftsman. Because just about every thing they make is for just there tools not for another manufacture's tools.


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## pinch (Sep 11, 2004)

I have a craftsman table as well but my husband had a buddy of his machine a new aluminum plate which I interchange to use the freud guides. It can be a bit of a pain unmounting the router to change the plates but at least I didn't need to rebuy another table.


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## Exboss (Sep 24, 2004)

*Router table*

I built a table basically the same as the one used on "The Router Workshop" for around $50 and used the Oak Park base plate. I used 1/2" 9 ply Baltic birch plywood and a sink cutout from a cabinet shop. Must say, it works fine.


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## randyn (Sep 11, 2004)

I think that I'll have to end up getting a new table...Oak-Park's looks nice...it is a pain to unmount the router to make any changes, even changing the cutters is time-consuming because you can't easily lift the router out of the table for acces...thanks all for the replies...


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## randyn (Sep 11, 2004)

I think that I'll have to end up getting a new table...Oak-Park's looks nice...it is a pain to unmount the router to make any changes, even changing the cutters is time-consuming because you can't easily lift the router out of the table for acces...thanks all for the replies...


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## randyn (Sep 11, 2004)

Just a follow-up for you guys (and gals). I went to go pick up the Porter-Cable brass guide bushings (I was told that these were correct for the Milwaukee router), lo and behold I still had to get a new base plate...so far, I am not impressed!!


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## DONALD (Sep 12, 2004)

I saw a home made router table on WoodNet.net last night and the maker used Pergo Flooring for the top. Practically indestructible and Pergo doesn't have grooves in it like some of the other floor laminates. High pressure laminate is another good choice since it't not damaged by water or heat (except for a blow torch). There is one on E-Bay with an Incra miter.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Welcome to the world of proprietary manufactured power tools. Of course Craftsman intended for you to use their routers on their tables, with their spacers and bushings. They make a complete line of accesories to provide the functions you need. Most manufacturers design their complete line of products without concern for interchangeability with other brands. The reason you find so much designed for the Porter Cable style goes back to the 50's when Rockwell was the main choice of contractors. When Rockwell split to become Delta and Porter cable the router designs didnt change so all the previous specialty items just kept getting more users. 3/8" collets were introduced to provide more beef to router bits but about the only company using them anymore is Bosch in their specialty line for the optical industry. I guess the best thing to consider before purchasing any tool is availability of accesories to perform the jobs You expect to encounter.


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## Ron Farmer (Oct 15, 2004)

*unfair*



Glenmore said:


> That is standardiztion for craftsman tools I've had people warn me about buying from craftsman. Because just about every thing they make is for just there tools not for another manufacture's tools.


This is a true statement that Craftsman tables are made to fit Craftsman routers (also the newest combo made by Bosch), but Sears also offers you an adapter plate that you can fit to any router to make it fit a Craftsman table, yes you loose a 1/4" off you router bit depth. 
As far as the rest of your statement, try putting any other router other than a Porter Cable into a table designed for a Porter Cable router, example buying a router table from Rockler & trying to mount any other router other than a Porter Cable into it.
This can also be said for a lot of other manufacturers.
I too have just purchased a Milwaukee Router & had to modify a router plate to fit my router. Milwaukee does not build a router plate or a router table.
In Sears (Craftsman's) defence, at least they have many local parts & service locations, thats more than can be said for any other manufacturer or distributor.
I personally am very pleased with, & own a lot of, Craftsman tools.


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## randyn (Sep 11, 2004)

Ron, just a question for you. When you got the new plate from Craftsman, how difficult was it to certain align the new plate when drilling?


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Randyn, you can purchase a Rousseau or other brand alignment kit for about $3 from many sources. The kits have a center plate which goes into the opening in your mounting plate, a piece of 1/4" round stock you chuck up in your router and this combination gives you a perfect alignment every time. By the way, The Porter Cable guide bushing set is considered the standard. It's not that their guide bushings are any better than other companies, its just that there are so many more of them out there. Odd's are when you go to mount your router it will have to be at an angle for the handles to fit through the mounting plate opening. Make a mark on the bottom of your mounting plate for the side which will be facing the front so your switch and adjustments are facing the front.


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