I see that the Rigid is the recommended router. Good router, good price. That may also be the consensus based on experience. But maybe not. Basically just looking for opinions.
Seems like it would be useful to have a router that also comes with a plunge base so you could use it off the CNC without using a screwdriver.
It also seems like a 3 1/4 hp might be better.
Something you could attach a vac hose to seems like a good idea.
Just wondering.
@fshanno
Welcome to our group. Is this the sort of router you are suggesting?
http://www.rockler.com/triton-3-1-4-hp-dual-mode-plunge-router
Thank you
3hp is Overkill. I get that being able to detach it more easily is a good thing, but that’s got nothing to do with router sizing, it’d be easy to purchase a 2nd base for ‘off sled’ use. As for the router @bee linked, its also 2x the weight of the Ridgid Router…
Maslow doesnt move through material nearly fast enough to justify a large plunge router like that, nor would a plunge router be the best option if maslow was fast enough to use all that power. All research indicates that a spindle with lower rpm range (~5-12k) would be better suited, but the Ridgid is the best ‘off the shelf’ option. (cost, availability, etc)
I guess I mean to say, don’t overthink it,
good luck!
Admittedly, I have no experience with a Maslow yet, but I do have a 3-1/4 HP router, the Hitachi M12V. It’s a beast. It’s heavy, tall and super powerful. The soft start is a nice feature since it’s got a lot of torque. It’s specifically built for 1/2" shank bits. I don’t know if any of these things lend itself to a Maslow setup.
I have not found this to be the case for the Ridgid router. Do you have a source?
looks like you’re right, its listed as ‘discontinued’ by all the parts suppliers.
bummer.
Still tho, a 2nd router is less than the link above. .
Yeah, I went the route of a refurbished Ryobi for $35. So far it is fitting the bill.
What I’m hearing is that a 3.25 is really not required.
My thing is that I don’t have a big router and I want one but have never been able yet to completely justify it. Adding the Maslow to the equation takes care of that. I can’t use my midsize, it’s a Festool 1400 and I’m not hooking it up to anything. I use it on the guide rail and for the Festool LR 32 cabinet hole drilling system. So I’ll have to buy something. Though it will spend probably over 95% of its time in the CNC it could be used when needed for other tasks.
Ideally I’d like something that works well in the Maslow but also works hand held, in a portable router table and on my Festool guide rail. The one router that fits that bill the best seems to be the Triton TRA001. It’s doesn’t have a separate base, it’s dual mode, flip a lever and it’s a plunge. It has a sled for a Festool style guide rail.
I want to go the exact opposite way. I’m working on a mount to work with the Z-axis of a Bosch trim router. Izzy Swan uses this router for many purposes that are very similar to how Maslow operates.
Welcome!
I’m happy to share my opinion, purely based on observing experience on this side of the globe.
I had to go with a to heavy, to high, to wide, bulky router ~2.6 hp because it was the only thing I could find to mount the z-motor. (The RIDGID R22002 has ~2 hp)
If my ‘sled 2.0’ will ever be built, it will have a Makita RT0700C 1-1/4 Horsepower.
The attempt here will be to bring the centre of gravity on z-axis as close to the sheet as possible.
Triangular kits have given us a challenge to balance the sled. Instead of stacking a tower with the z-motor, I will follow this beautiful concept
Prototype Sled
by @MeticulousMaynard
Let me factor this in. I’d like to do some work on large 3/4" thick hardwood glue ups. 30x60 perhaps. Table tops. Maybe even try to flatten warped boards. I’m thinking I’m going to need some real power for this kind of thing. As well as very sharp tooling.
Or is this idea of hardwood outside the performance envelop of this configuration?
Not saying you cant do it, but I cant think of a way. For this type of work a jointer and box planer are the most common tools used.
As for a 3hp router I think the power would be wasted. The ridgid in the maslow makes the 5th router I own. Routers can get dangerous fast. Always best to use the right one for the job.
Routing in hardwood, with a good sharp bit and some experimenting with feedrate and rpm sounds very doable. But because the sled rides on the surface it is cutting, flattening boards could be a tough one to accomplish…
Ways to handle the flatten chore would probably be better to take up in another thread. But I’ve been thinking about it and there might be some things. Basically I’m thinking about a very large router sled concept with skateboard wheels to decrease friction. The stepper motors and chains become my arms. I can walk away and not get covered with chips.
I don’t know. It could very well be that a big router would not be necessary even for that because I’m talking about taking less than 1/8" with a pass.
If you want to flatten, you need a very different machine than a maslow, because
the maslow depends on riding on the surface of the material being cut and Z=0 is
defined as the surface.
To flatten things, you need a way to support the router at a constant height, no
matter what the surface of the material is doing. so you need the router to be
riding on rails (aka a gantry of some sort)
Right now the router rides on the workpiece but what if the router carriage was riding on a low friction X Y sled just above the work piece? The chains still pull it around. You would loose some accuracy because the sled won’t be friction free but X-Y accuracy is not important for flattening. Just make sure it goes past the edges.
And actually the Z could also be a little sloppy. You always have a lot of cleanup when surfacing with a router. Basically the idea is to have a method, maybe a little clumsy, to deal with stuff is too big for any jointer. Like a 30x60 table top.
Sounds like an interesting experiment. A plywood router sled riding on skateboard wheels.
Right now the router rides on the workpiece but what if the router carriage
was riding on a low friction X Y sled just above the work piece?
what is holding the sled up?
You end up needing some rail arrangement to support the sled, and once you do
that, it’s better to build a coreXY machine instead of a maslow hanging machine.
Sounds like an interesting experiment. A plywood router sled riding on skateboard wheels.
what do the skateboard wheels ride on?
On tracks like a panel saw. Probably wouldn’t work because the force vectors are in the direction of the steppers at the top corners. The sled would have to pull everything around and the angles could be so severe that there would be racking and too much friction. Just a what if.
Found a video on youtube that deals with routers for the Maslow.
I guess they knew what they were doing with they picked the R22002. I can’t find anything that is quite as nicely made to fit this configuration.
Once you add the Z-Axis option it’s not convenient to remove the router anyway. So I’ll suppose I’ll stick with the program.