Table for Makita DRT50ZJ Router Trimmer

[dpm_dpmartin]

Hi all,

I have this trim router - battery powered, tiny - and I thought it would be helpful to me to mount it upside down on a table so I can move the wood around the bit, rather than the item around the piece of wood. Plenty of tables out there... nothing from Makita that I can see. Plenty of DIY tables being demonstrated on YouTube - but I'd like to buy something that's ready to go.

But I don't know what will suit. The tables I see do seem to be geared towards bigger routers and definitely those that are mains powered, as they have the big ON and OFF buttons inbuilt. Is there a table I could purchase for this router? Maybe there isn't, because turning it on and off will actually be a slight pain, with the only option being the router's own switch (which will be kinda inaccessible if mounted)... but I'm hoping there is something.

Just really wanting to know if anyone has done similar already and I can piggyback off that. My research hasn't provided me with any obvious candidates and I don't really know much about the quality of the brands.

Thanks in advance.

 

[dpm_dpmartin]

P.S. - my high-level research led me here - https://www.rockler.com/trim-router-table - a brand I've simply never heard of in my life. But even this seems like it's kind of half-house... yes, it's a table, but one that bolts onto something else. I'm looking for a proper table table... a table, not a mount (unless told differently).

And the advertised price of this item £66.02 almost doubles when you ask for it to be shipped to the UK - £108.54.

 

[dpm_dpmartin]

This item has obviously got a trim router attached... https://www.amazon.co.uk/TOOGOO-Universal-Aluminum-Trimming-Woodworking/dp/B07WCW5KPR ...but I did want an all-in solution if possible.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

First thing I'll say is that it is just downright dangerous to use any static machine (e.g.table saw band saw, router table, etc) without a clearly accessible start/stop button(s) and any form of emergency stop. You are probably unaware that even a small router can do a considerable amount of damage in the event of you having an accident (and bring unable to switch off promptly because the buttons are inaccessible), which is maybe why nobody in Europe offers one. By all means import an item from the USA, but be aware that Americans have a rather cavalier attitude towards safety - they even think guns are safe....

I have a DRT50 for site use and TBH even the corded version (the RT0700) is not an ideal router table router. This is because the plunge base lacks any form of fine adjuster accessory, either from the OEM or third parties (such as Trend), whilst the fixed base has somewhat clunky depth adjustment which would be a nuisance for under table use. You can however, get a very nice cast and ground aluminium router table insert from several sellers on eBay, although that does mean making your own table

For a router table router I'd recommend choosing an alternative, mains powered model and ensuring that your router table has a proper switching mechanism.

BTW if you want a cheap corded trim router which shares the same bases as the RT0700 and DRT50 take a look at the Katsu router from Aim Tools in London. This is a close copy of the Makita RT0700 and even uses the same brushes

 

[dpm_dpmartin]

I hear what you're saying - I suppose a trim router, battery-powered even more so, is designed to be handheld and kind of mobile... but I just thought it'd be even safer if I could bolt it to the underside of a table - not less safe. I hear what you say about the big OFF button too... but I wouldn't have that facility ever (table-mounted or not). It's not like my angle grinder, either, where you have to keep the trigger depressed, otherwise it stops... the trim router obviously keeps on going until you turn it off.

I'm invested in the battery technology of Makita, really, so I am quite against buying either another brand or anything corded... I've spent the last 3 years replacing various of my Makita tools with the LXT alternative (often better in my opinion, much more convenience - even though I'm now being contradictory by saying I'd like the facility to lock my LXT trim router in place). Lastly, a problem of mine is limited space, so something that I could potentially fold-up and get out when needed was going to be ideal.

I think I really wanted a table option because while it may lack some features and fine-adjustment I strongly felt it would be safer moving the wood around the bit rather than the other way.

You're probably right in that if it's not obviously available already... there's probably a good reason.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

The thing about routers and safety is that plunge routers are safer than fixed base routers, partly because you generally need to hold them with two hands and partly because if you accidentally drop one when making a cut it automatically retracts the cutter into the base (assuming you haven't locked it at plunge depth). Router tables safer? Sorry, but I think its six of one and half a dozen of the other with both approaches having plusses and minuses

 

[dpm_dpmartin]

This seems like the business... https://www.axminstertools.com/ujk-technology-otoro-compact-palm-router-table-ax978206 ...but is more than twice the cost of my router.