Routers are the bomb

[soslo]

Just thought I'd share with the class.

I got the cheap craftsman router and a 3/32 3 wing slot cutter bit...putting t-molding in took seconds instead of hours with the dremel and carbide bit...plus the but was a lot neater.

It was really, really, rediculously easy and I slap myself for spening $40 in dremel bits and $30 for the dremel router attachment when I could have spent $60 for a router and $17 for the bit in the first place.

[papaschtroumpf]

Amen.
I pointed this out in the past. You can buy a cheap router for around $50 or $60 and it'll work great for occasional use like cab building.

[JackTucky]

Screwdrivers rule too.

Art

[djbriane]

Kind of off topic, but has anyone tried the new Dremel Advantage Rotary Saw for routing? I dont think they have released the plunge router attachment just yet but with 4.5 amps and 35,000 rpms it seems like it could do the job of a router among other things.

http://www.dremel.com/productdisplay/tool_template2.asp?SKU=9000-04&Color=99CCFF

I personally don't have much need for a router beyond some small projects around the house and building a cabinet. This tool sounds like it'd be pretty handy at a bunch of different things.

Brian

[Jakobud]

Hmmm thats the first time i have heard of someone use a slot cutting bit of anything but 1/16" size.  Does the t-molding fit snuggly?

[JoeB]

I second that..

dremel blows big time for stuff like this... they're very high RPM and almost no torque!

What you need for 99% of the work you do is lower RPM but good amount of torque! I also can't believe the cost of bits for my dremel! And to top it off, they burn & break so easily!

What a piece of junk..

[djbriane]

I would tend agree although I dont have much experience with either. Even with that Dremel rotary saw its still only 4.5 amps in comparison to the ~9 amps that most routers are.

Still a hell of a lot more power than a standard dremel which are only around 1 amp.

Brian

[eightbit]

Kind of off topic, but has anyone tried the new Dremel Advantage Rotary Saw for routing? I dont think they have released the plunge router attachment just yet but with 4.5 amps and 35,000 rpms it seems like it could do the job of a router among other things.

http://www.dremel.com/productdisplay/tool_template2.asp?SKU=9000-04&Color=99CCFF

I personally don't have much need for a router beyond some small projects around the house and building a cabinet. This tool sounds like it'd be pretty handy at a bunch of different things.

Brian

Sears cheap router is usually $39. The rotozip or dremel rotary saws cost more than that and the bit to fit it will probably cost more than the equivalent router bit.

I second that..

dremel blows big time for stuff like this... they're very high RPM and almost no torque!

What you need for 99% of the work you do is lower RPM but good amount of torque! I also can't believe the cost of bits for my dremel! And to top it off, they burn & break so easily!

What a piece of junk..

When people say dremel they usually mean the small handheld pencil grinder type tool. What they were talking about in the previous post was the rotary saw or rotozip clone type tool. The rotary saw is a much better tool for this type of work and is kind of similar to a router. Though a cheap router will cost you less and can do almost everything the rotary saw tool can do.

Here is a pic of a dremel on the left and the rotary saw on the right.

[soslo]

Hmmm thats the first time i have heard of someone use a slot cutting bit of anything but 1/16" size.  Does the t-molding fit snuggly?

Fits perfectly!

[Tilzs]

I don't think the point is that the rotary dremel or router is better.

I think the point more that if one is going to buy a tool and has limited use for a router, might as well get one that may have more uses. The Dremel Rotary saw has a 1/4" collet so I imagine it can accept normal router bits.

Cheapest Sears router that I have seen is $60 anyhow. That is kind of expensive for a one time or once in a blue moon use. If one is into doing a bunch of woodworking then yes I'd say go with the router.

[djbriane]

Thanks for the info!

I'd agree the router seems like the tool of choice for this type of thing. For myself, I dont really have any tools apart from the standard stuff (jigsaw, circle saw, drill) and the rotary saw might fill a few different roles even if it does cost a bit more than just the regular router.

No one carries the plunge router attachment for the dremel saw yet tho, so I suppose if its $50 might as well just get a router.

Brian

[JustMichael]

The rotozip is great for cutting holes in drywall...  

[TalkingOctopus]

I believe the width of the "teeth" of most T-molding is 7/64 of an inch.  So I would imagine that any slot smaller than that would work perfectly.

[soslo]

I don't think the point is that the rotary dremel or router is better.

I think the point more that if one is going to buy a tool and has limited use for a router, might as well get one that may have more uses. The Dremel Rotary saw has a 1/4" collet so I imagine it can accept normal router bits.

Cheapest Sears router that I have seen is $60 anyhow. That is kind of expensive for a one time or once in a blue moon use. If one is into doing a bunch of woodworking then yes I'd say go with the router.

Even if you aren't doing a bunch of woodworking - the point is that I feel as though I wasted $70 in bits/attachments for the dremel (crafstman 35k rotarty actually), when I should have just bought a router. I burned up 2 of the rotary tools in the process. They just can't handle the t-molding job effectively. If you baby them and spend hours then it is possible...but it literally takes seconds to do a perfect (and effortless) job with the router.

[HaRuMaN]

...but it literally takes seconds to do a perfect (and effortless) job with the router.

Yeah, no kidding.  I was fortunate enought to get a nice Ryobi router for my last birthday.  It makes these kind of projects a breeze...

[Cisco Kid]

I got a DeWalt DW618PK 2-1/4 hp Router Kit (standard and plunge base) ....  its definitely the bomb (my favorite hand tool   )

[atog]

Cisco, I just got the exact same router for a wedding gift.  I haven't taken it out of the box yet, I need to get router bits.  It looks like it will accept up to a 1/2" shank.  These bits are EXPENSIVE!!!

What did you do for bits?

[mastahkaz]

I was thinking about getting a router for t-molding, i already blew out one dremel and it takes FOREVER to cut.  Do you have a link to the slot cutting bit that works with t-molding?

[Cisco Kid]

Cisco, I just got the exact same router for a wedding gift.  I haven't taken it out of the box yet, I need to get router bits.  It looks like it will accept up to a 1/2" shank.  These bits are EXPENSIVE!!!

What did you do for bits?

yup they sure are expensive ... especially the Freud bits ... I think my flush trim bit was $27.60 + shipping ... luckily I ended up getting two of them for the price of one ... hehe (they forgot to bill me then when they did ... they shipped me another one ... lol)

After forking out that kind of money for one bit I went with the 20 piece 1/2" shank kit from Woodcraft for $139 :
Woodcraft Anti-Kickback Router Bit Sets

... definitely a good set and not a wallet buster  

(Moderator shrunk link to make the page easier to read. The link is still clickable)

[eightbit]

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/

They have quality bits and some good reasonable priced sets. They also have a 1/16" slot cutting bit with arbor and bearing for $16 in either a 1/4" or 1/2" shank.

Edit: They have a 30 peice set in a wooden box for $99. I have this set and have been very happy with it.
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/set30pc.html

[soslo]

I bought the 3/32 slot bit from MLCS for $17 (including free shipping) - works great.