router for a Porter-Cable router table?

I was silly enough to believe that the craphead salesman at the tool department of a local building superstore actually knew what he was talking about. I said I wanted a router table for home use so he sold me a Porter Cable 968 router table, a Skill 1 1/4 hp plunge router and a set of Freud bits. Well after a lot of hairpulling and two trips back to the store it has become obvious that there is absolutely no way that the router can be mounted to the table, nor can an adapter plate help, since the holes partially overlap, and there's no way to get bolt heads and nuts between the table, router base and an adapter plate.

I don't want to take this all back because actually the router is very useful as a hand tool, so I want to keep that for off-table use. The table is a precision, robust set-up and I have it solidly mounted to a base, so I want to keep that also.

My problem is to get any of these geniuses at the building centres to tell me what routers I can actually mount to the table. (It's "well maybe Fred knows but he's off today" or "I heard there's a guy at a store on the other side of town who might know"). All the routers they have on display have the same hole patterns as my Skil, that is they don't match the table.

I've been all over the Web including the Porter-Cable website and can't find anything that tells me what routers are compatible with what tables.

Given how popular router tables are I find it incredible that this should be so tricky. Any knowledgeable advice would be appreciated.

Reply to
Dave Gower
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try rec.woodworking.

i'd expect that any p-c router would fit a p-c tabletop.

Reply to
Charles Spitzer

So drill new holes. ____________

Call me a silly optimist but I'd bet Porter Cable routers will mount in existing holes in a PC table.

-- dadiOH ____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at

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Reply to
dadiOH

Reply to
nospambob

Most plung routers don't do well in a table. Fixed base is what you need as it can be adjusted proeprly, springs don't have to be removed, etc.

Since you have a PC table, why not buy a PC router for it? They make some of the best around and are sometimes consiered the "standard" of the industry as far as pre-drilled holes for mounting plates. .

In most cases, you drill the plate for the router you are using. I'm not familir with the particualr router you have or the particular table. I've mounted various routers to various table by using a drill and making the proepr holes.

Again, most are compatable with any table, but you may have to drill holes. Some plates come with templates to give the location for various models. Take a look at the Benchdog tables, mounting plates , etc. at

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If you want good router information, visit

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He is about the best around.

FWIW, that 1 1/4 HP router is a bit of a lightweight for any serious table routing. I use a 2 1/4 HP Bosch variable speed but 3 HP is not out of the question. If you intend using large bits down the road, go with a variable speed also as large bit should not be turned at 22,000 rpm. Ed

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

"Charles Spitzer" wrote

So did I. That's why I was so disappointed when the only Porter-Cable Router at my local Home Depot did not.

Reply to
Dave Gower

then i'd probably go here:

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input the model number, and read the manual to see which routers fit it.

Reply to
Charles Spitzer

What PC router did you try? Your first post claims you tried a Skill router. Skill is not PC! Any PC router should fit that table. A PC 690 series would without a doubt. Greg

Reply to
Greg O

"Greg O" wrote

The Skil was the one I was sold. The PC I looked at when I went back. I don't remember the model.

The holes definitely did not fit. The holes in the table hit the edge of the base of the router, half in and half out. I think the problem is that both routers were plunge types, as someone else said. I notice that all the routers sold as part of table kits are solid.

I thank you all for your comments. Later this week I plan to drive some distance to a serious tool store. I talked to them on the phone and they assured me they can fit a router to my table. So much for Home Depot.

Reply to
Dave Gower

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