Bosch Colt Router Question

[harpone]

I have never operated a router. For Christmas I got a Bosch PR20EVSK to use on craft projects. I make scroll saw collapsible baskets, scroll sawed bowls, trivets, boxes (recipe box, small bandsaw boxes), Christmas ornaments, etc. and an occasional whirligig for family members. I don't think I have worked with any wood longer than 18". Is it worth investing in a plunge base for the work I do?

 

[patlaw]

At the risk of putting words in Joe Scharle's mouth, I believe he would suggest getting the plunge base just for the handles, if nothing else. He is adamantly opposed to using any router without handles. His wife is a retired ER doctor. She has seen many handle-less router injuries that result from the router falling out of the user's hand followed by the bit contacting the user's other body parts. He convinced me.

 

[ehpoole]

In fairness, the primary way of holding the Colt for most routing is to grasp either the motor or the base, 3/4 of which has no opening to a bit, which allows for plenty of room to grasp the router without coming anywhere near the bit.

The only time one might typically find themselves handling the Colt in a less ideal manner is if one is trying to use it for edge routing with the standard square subbase (there are larger bases available) because this is the one instance where you may have to move fingers in closer to place pressure on the base to keep the router from tipping during edge routing. Fortunately larger subbases are readily available, or you can make your own offset base with auxiliary handle (my personal favorite when using any router for extensive edge routing).

That said, the Colt has a very small base opening so it is not really intended for any significant edge routing work (i.e. most edge routing bits are piloted and too large to fit the opening) -- it's more of a detail type router that one uses when extra control and/or feedback is important.

All of which is why many of us have something of a Router Disease where we may easily own 4 or 5 different routers for different task -- including one that is typically dedicated to a router table. It may seem silly at first but if you use routers much then you'll come to understand in time!

However, a plunge base for the Colt does greatly extend its capabilities with respect to detail work since you will then be able to do plunge work in addition to fixed base work.

 

[golfdad]

I have the colt and have had it for about 4 years.....love it....I edge rout all the time with 1/8 to 1/4 round over or chamfer bits. Like Ethan said there is plenty of mass to hold onto and its very controllable. I am looking hard at getting the plunge base though as I think it will add many tasks to an already great tool

 

[tryingtokeepmyfingers]

well if you want to do plunge cuts then you might need the plunge base but there was not a factory plunge base for the router for a long time... here was on of the alternitives http://microfence.com/portable-threeaxis-mill-p-29.html

I have the colt but when I wanted the plunge base I bought this instead
http://www.dewalt.com/tools/woodworking-routers-dw616pk.aspx
because it seemed more flexible the spending the money for the bosch base

since you are new to routing I would not run out and by the other base unless you found you needed it..

 

[Matt Furjanic]

I think Joes advice is credible; however, I used mine for several years without handles. I now have mine in the Microfence plunge base, but you have to justify a lot of routing work to buy the $400 Microfence plunge base. Using it with the standard base is fine if you are careful and don't do a bunch of routing. What I really like about it, is it is very small and fits my hand nicely, and it can run all day without getting hot. The new Bosch plunge base is nice and worth the $$$. Matt...

 

[Matt Furjanic]

http://youtu.be/gFeT2ss1t28

here's a link to a You Tube video test on the Bosch Plunge base I did a while back to show how to inlay a banding with the base...

 

[tryingtokeepmyfingers]

The new Bosch plunge base is nice and worth the $$$. Matt...

did you have the dewalt 616 also ???

 

[harpone]

Thanks. I hadn't consider inlays before but you made it look pretty simple………….

http://youtu.be/gFeT2ss1t28

here's a link to a You Tube video test on the Bosch Plunge base I did a while back to show how to inlay a banding with the base...

 

[jazzflute]

It's definitely one of my nine absolutely essential routers that I own. I use it for trimming edge banding. Joe would not like the way I hold it, and come to think of it, I have had a couple awkward moments with it. The sad part is that I think I own the extended base that Ethan was talking about. I should really look into using that... Hmm.

Anyway, it's a real good small router. I also have the DeWalt 618, which is a really good, slightly larger router that has a built-in LED, which is how I rationalized that one...

K