I own a Dewalt DW-621 router, an excellent plunge router for hand held operation. Now I'm considering trying to put it in a table and the task appears daunting. Nothing about this router says "table-friendly". I cannot seem to find any information on whether its do-able and how. Dewalt's website lists a micro-fine depth adjuster for use in a table with no instructions or hints. The part that really baffles me is what do do about the on-off switch. The switch is a dead-man's switch -- let go and it turns off.
In all honesty, you'd do better buying a fixed base for the table and keeping the plunge for other work. Taking the DW in and out will become a real PITA quickly. Ed
I agree that the DW621 is not great for table use. I use mine hand held and my porter cable plunger for the table.
I do think the switch will stay on if you push the little thumb switch while it is running. (Yup, just tested it and it stays on if you push the thumb button while it is running.)
The DW621 is such a great router hand held, I think I would find a different one for the table.
Thanks for the reply. You are absolutely right about the switch. Thanks.
I agree that I should get a fixed base router for the table. I'm kind of looking for something to get by with a little while. Other things are in the budget that have a higher yearning right now (dust collector, band saw, brad nailer).
The DW 621 is a great quite, light, fairly powerful plunge router with one of the smoothest, easiest plunge mechanisms around.
Getting use to the trigger and trigger lock on one handle and the plunge lock on the other takes very little time to get use to.
The flat sides follow a straight edge much better than a "Not Quite Round" base found on other stock bases. But the base is small and it can be tippy when working on edges.
The dust/chip collection in one of the plunge columns is great but the plastic duct collector shield's top cap gets in the way on larger diameter bits. But you can remove it.
I've got one in my router table. Because the base is not "standard" some of the mounting plates for router table inserts don't have a set of stock screw holes for it. JoinTech's does however. The plunge return spring in the 621 is essy to remove so that it doesn't work against you when upside down in a router table. I made a little DooHickey for the
621 that lets you use the 621's fine depth/height adjuster when upside down. Here's the url
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Note that if you do put the 621 in a router table be aware that you'll need a little more room around it since you have to get to one of the handles to lcck the plunge mechanism.
The 621 makes a great router table router - with the doohickey modification. BUT - as others have noted, if you have only one router taking it in and out of a router table is a PITA - for most routers. You're going to need more than one router soon anyway - "Why not get a second 621?" he said, neeneringly. "And while you're at it, get a Micro-Fence for it and do some fine inlay work?" - uttered double neeneringly.
I use my DW621 in a table and it works just fine. The micro-adjuster that I use is from Eagle America, and I think I got it from Highland Hardware a number of years ago.
As others have pointed out, switching a single router back and forth between hand-held and table use is a PITA. So one of these days I'll get a second router and I figure I'll get one of those big honkin' 3+ HP jobs for the table and keep the 621 for hand held use where its small size and light weight do the most good. But that's only because of convenience, not because the DeWalt doesn't work perfectly well.
As for the switch, I just leave it permanently ">I own a Dewalt DW-621 router, an excellent plunge router for hand held
-- jc Published e-mail address is strictly for spam collection. If e-mailing me, please use jc631 at optonline dot net
I have the same router and I have it mounted on a Lee Valley router table top that has an ingenious mounting mechanism that will adapt to pretty well any router. Once you have it mounted once and fine tune it, the next time is a cinch. I also made the table based on the LV plans and if I have any complaints about the set up it would be the height adjustment. It can be a little tricky but with practice it comes easy.
On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 15:42:13 GMT, you wrote in rec.woodworking:
Bob,
Look at
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There is also a great reference in this groups FAQ, but apparently I didn't record it in my bookmarks. I'll try to find it. Pat Warner talks a lot about router selection for hand-held and router table use. He (and most) agree that plunge routers don't make the best routers for table use (my biggest gripe is that plunge routers have too much stuff in the way for in-table bit changes, and that they don't plunge deep enough to get many profile bits through a router plate and possibly a sled and up to the bottom of the stock) -- and that the P-C 7518 is the best router table router ever built, and has been for many years.
However, having said that, Pat goes on to talk about the practicalities of limited budgets and using various plunge routers in under-table applications (like dealing with the springs now working against you, adjustment, access, keeping them clean, etc.).
Regards, Wayne
Replace "nospam" with "wcannon" for legitimate reply address.
My 621 is in a table and I love it. With a shop vac connected to the 621 and the fence there is almost no dust that escapes. My router table is fairly tall (see thread some time ago) and sitting on a folding chair is the perfect height for changing bits, setting height etc.
My 621 replaced a 1/4" only Craftsman in the router table. I had to do some modification to get the 621 to fit in the same place. Compared to the Craftsman (and anything else) the 621 works wonderfully! I have a PC 1/4" &
1/2" plunge (7829?) as well but the 621 in the router table works so well I have no intention of replacing it.
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