Hi,
Good point.
If you have a large router and or what to use a plunge router or some lift system and you want to have the table go as low as it can you might want to add that information on handle position into account as far as going between the tubes. As far as I know this can be an issue with one of the big Porter Cable routers... forgot the model??? I have also heard that some lift systems don't work well at all... I do not know this as fact.
Most fixed base routers are designed with the handles very low... that is close to the base, as can be seen in the router I have pictured. What is more critical to me is that I want to be able to pop the router out to change bits and do the course/fine bit height adjustments. Getting the router in and out of the opening then becomes the major issue you design for. In some cases it might be easy to remove the handles for a bit more space. If you are someone who doesn't do it this way you will have your own preferences.
Certainly everyone should look at there own preferences and equipment to judge how they want to do the mounting. And how they will deal with changing bits and making adjustments. There are a lot of router models, with more to come in the future... so if you are getting a new router think about how you might mount it when you buy it. Nothing beats planning except good luck.
If you have to deal with a really tall router you can position the router table out board on the shopsmith or behind as I have shown. In fact if you want the table even lower then it can be with the main table in place that too can be done. If you can't figure out how to do that wait until spring and I'll post pictures.
I hope everyone here knows enough to look at what I post as how I did it, do not blindly follow me if common sense says otherwise. All the information I give is free and you DO get what you pay for.
Ed
jgrounds wrote:I would think better fit depends on whether the handles or in some cases the router its self will fit through the ways. Also cord issues if it interferes with raising and lowering the table. Do the handles in your setup fit throught the ways when the table is all the way down? When I made a router table for my 510 about five years ago the I made sure the handles fit between the ways. Also, I had to deal with a pre drilled router plate which presented a few additional challenges.
John
