Anyone have one, what are you running?

I picked up a NIB, never opened Kreg Bench/tabletop for my Bosch 1617evs for like a hundred bucks local, the guy said he ordered it, sat on it for a bit and bought something bigger.

I guess its sturdy, but I hate the router plate, that you mount your router too and how it does or doesn't adjust.
I'm probably going to buy a router lift here soon.

It nothing serious, just a toy to see what I can make...

I have a Porter Cable that adjusts from a hole in the table top.  It is also mounted in a plate.  Why do you hate the plate?


If you are serious, get a shaper.  I did a 8 oak raised panel doors and a lot of trim with my router.  If I did it more often, I would buy a shaper in a heartbeat.

Is your Porter Cable a Plunge or Fixed base?

I didn't like that I have to drill the holes, to mount the router to the plate's bottom, then counter sink them for the screw heads to fit flush. I guess if you have a tiny lightweight router, its no big deal.  After I bought the bench (hind sights is always 20/20) started reading how if you leave the router mounted to it, the weight will cause the panel to warp or bow downwards.  
Also, there is not much for threads that reach though the panel into the router and not a lot of material around each screw after you drill and counter sink.

I just feel like the weight of the router, the lack of threads and thin plastic is going to be problematic.
I though they came pre-drilled for several popular (Bosh, Skill, Dewalt, etc) routers and had a metal inserts that the screws screwed into.
Bad on me for impulse buying because of the discounted price from new, vs figuring out what I really wanted.

Damn that Shaper looks pretty neat....  Super Spendy for me, but neat!!!!

I'll mostly be making trays, crosses and hearts, stuff for the wife and daughters, then custom consoles, speaker pods and trim rings for car audio and custom truck stuff for myself.

Nothing really big.

I used the Porter Cable router that you could adjust with the allen key for quite a while, but eventually got the Kreg lifter which works more smoothly and consistently.

I always save a cut off from my stiles or rails so I can match it back exactly when I need to make more.

I just finished putting together my table combination.  What a journey that was.

I ended up with a Rockler table (HPL top, steel base, Rockler Pro Fence) using an Incra lift.  I tried the Rockler lift, but since changed because the Incra has positive lock and is just more "beefy"

I also moved away from my Dewalt 618 router as it introduced too much vibration into the table (I think I damaged it during a project a while back) and purchased the Triton 3.5 hp router based on the Porter Cable design.

So far everything is running great and I am finding I use it more and more of so many things.

Porter Cable 7518(I think) in a Jessem lift

Attached File

Nice, looks like I am using the same lift as you.

I've got a Kreg router table with a 3-1/4 horse Porter Cable router. The lift is an older Kreg lift that was actually made for them by Woodpeckers.

Jessem lift, woodpecker fence, Hitachi router.

Attached File

I have a jessem lift, and a 3-1/2hp router body they sell.  The table is just an extension off my table saw, with a dust collection hood i put on long after I originally set up the router table

I used to have a PC 3-1/2hp plunge router on some woodhaven(?) plate.   It could be raised or lowered with a crank handle from the top (i had to modify the olunge router), but to change bits I had to take the router and plate out of the table .  No need to do all that with the jessem.   No regrets getting it.
The woodpeckers mounting plate may be similar, but don't know.  But all the woodpecker stuff I have is good, so no reason to see why theirs wouldnt also be a good choice.

I ended up getting a Kreg, which is supposedly made by some Canadian company called Jessem.
I think I saw a few of you post that name in a couple of posts above.

I hope to get a chance to put it together tonight and play with it a bit.  I have a few things in mind I want to try.
By the time I get done with cutting the lawn and other wifey to do crap, it'll prolly be to late...