From: bennett@adobe.com(Bennett Leeds)
Subject: Re: Bosch Router
Reply-To: bennett@adobe.com
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 17:53:19 GMT

John O'Brien writes
> I have been looking at the new Bosch 1613EVS 2 hp plunge router for
> use primarily in a router table. The micro adjustment control seems
> like an excellent choice for use under a router table. I spoke to my
> local woodworking tool dealer about my concerns of mounting a plunge
> router upside down in a table and he said that the micro adjustment
> control helps to aleviate these problems.

Wrong.

I own this router, and I find it to be a great handheld router (the best for
my needs I could find), but I expect to buy another router for table mounted 
use.

The Bosch's micro-adjust facility has the great feature that you can adjust
the depth up or down in accurately measured amounts without releasing the 
plunge lock lever. However, its range is only 5/8". If you need to adjust 
beyond this range you have to press the plunge lock lever (which is spring 
loaded, so you have to keep a hand there) and slide the router up or down to 
get a position close to the desired one, and release the lever. Then, you can 
use the micro-adjust to set the final depth accurately.

Doing the gross adjustment with the router inverted is a two-handed operation 
due to the spring loaded lock lever, or a three-handed operation if you have a 
Woodhaven-style router table setup (the router's subase supports the router in 
a recess without any screws) because pushing up on the router will pop the base 
out of the table. Spring loading the lock lever is great for hand-held use, but 
a real drag for under table use.

Plunge routers, in general (IMHO), are not well-suited for under-table use, and 
this router is even worse. All other plunge router designs have a threaded rod 
that you can put a long threaded knob on. You can use this knob to adjust the 
depth across the entire plunge range of the router. If the router's plunge lock 
lever isn't spring loaded, you can simply open the lock, twist the knob to get 
to the desired depth (although that could entail a lot of twisting), and then 
lock the lever. The Bosch has no such threaded rod - it's built-in micro-adjust 
alleviates the need for one when hand-held.

Now, if you have the Woodhaven-style router table setup it's not a big deal to 
pop the router out of the table to adjust the bit depth, then pop it back in 
and micro-adjust from there if needed. I've done this a few times (my current 
router for table mounting is an old Sears 1/4" shank job), and it's not too 
bad, especially if you're popping the router out to change bits anyway, but 
it's certainly not ideal.

It is true that if the depth adjustment you need is within the range of the 
micro-adjust, the Bosch performs admirably in a table (perhaps better than 
any other router since you don't have any lock/unlock sequence to perform, 
just a knob twist - and the knob has 1/256" gradations on it). But, I think 
you'll find the need to adjust beyond this range often.

Finally, the 1613's base (not just the sub-base, but the metal base itself) has
an opening that is about 1.75" diameter - so you can't run bits whose diameter 
is larger than than (except a slotting type bit where the larger diameter is
always below the base's bottom). They did this so that templet guides just 
snap in.


> Do you think that the 2hp model is enough power for most all
> routing jobs including the new vertivle panel raising bits?

For most routing jobs, 2 HP is enough. The EVS works well also.


> I am
> looking for the best router to fit into a custom router table and am
> having troubles finding the best one for the job. Could the Bosch
> 1613evs be it?????


No. IMHO the best router for a table is something like the PC 7518 5 speed 15 
amp EVS non-plunge router. The motor turns in an enclosed spiral, making depth 
adjustment upside down pretty straightforward (a one-handed operation). My only 
concern is that the spiral groove's pitch is too steep to enable fine-tuning of 
the bit's depth in accurately controlled amounts.

- Bennett Leeds
bennett@adobe.com

"And remember this - there's no more important safety rule than to wear these:  
safety glasses."
Newsgroups: rec.woodworking