Is anyone familiar with the Veritas router metal table top and fence? The Bit Jack looks kind of interesting as well. I would be interested in hearing any comments on this setup. I was going to build my own but time seems to be an issue. Regards. -Guy
Hi Guy, I have the top, fence and right angle sled but not the bit jack. I have been very pleased with it. I have a Lee Valley in my home town and attended one of their day long seminars that gives you hands on experience with the system. So, I was able to purchase it after using it for a day. That was nice! The system comes with an over 90 minute video showing you how everything works and how to set it up. IIRC you can buy just the video first, then if you decide to buy the table, Lee Valley will refund the cost of the video.
"Keep your stick on the ice" Tony
Hi guys,
How do you guys like the crosscut fence................is it good and sturdy or is it kind of flimsy? I've seen others that are not totally accurate because of the slop in the mechanism. Regards. -Guy
"Guy LaRochelle" wrote in :
Guy:
Got the table and fences for Xmas for use with Hitachi 12mv. Works real well. I especially like the ability to quickly dismount the router. Made my own support frame out of excess oak flooring based loosely on their supplied plans and that works well also. Also thinking about the Bit Jack, but reaching inside the frame to adjust from below is real easy. Frame makes it portable and I place it on my bench. Currently making a cabinet base for storage to possibly use the Bit Jack in the future.
Jerry
The table top is second to none, the inserts are perfectly aligned, and the mounting system is fantastic.
The wooden "box" that it sits on didn't thrill me, as the holding bolts that keep it together kept loosening over time (I finally just sunk 2" screws through to hold it).
A nice upgrade is to mount hardboard on the front and back (openings) with a dust port on it. Make the hardboard removable (obviously), but if you can seal it well enough the down-suction makes it ULTRA clean to operate.
I don't have a bit jack (didn't have a compatible router until just recently), and never missed it.
It works very well. With the bit jack and the pin router arm, I have used it to make multiples copies. One project is a top of the dresser men's organizer. I start with 5/4 material (oak, ash, maple, paduak) and I round the 4 corners to a nice profile. I then rout 4 depressions in the top of the piece. One fits a wallet, 1 fits a pocket knife, 1 holds spare change, and 1 hold a set of keys. The bit jack and the pin router arm make the job pretty simple.
I have made use of the right angle arm and the fence on job sites when I did not have a table saw and I needed to cut a precise filler piece for the end of a row of cabinets.
I have the whole system except for the pin router and am very pleased with it. The bit jack is worth the price, especially with the fine adjustment. I used the crosscut sled for box joints for some jewelry boxes. It was easy to set up and it worked great. My only complaint is the small table. Fortunately, I have another router table that is larger.
Note: You might notice that the table has a slight convex crown to it. After sending one back in for a replacement, I finally talked to the engineer who helped develop the system. The crown is hand hammered into the table. The fence straightens it out when it is tightened and if you aren't using a fence, normally hand pressure straightens it out. That keeps a concave effect from happening.
Guy
No slop. It is totally adjustable. Even the fingers taht stick out for doing box joints. If you don't like it, I suspect they will give you your money back! Seriously though, it is more accurate than the effort I put into it.
Guy LaRochelle wrote:
I just thought I would check because I've seen some of these tools where they look real nice in a catalog but in reality they are kind of wimpy. You know what I mean? Regards. -Guy
Yes. What he said. It's an awesome setup. I"ve had mine for about 3 years now. No complaints at all. Make sure to get the cross sled. SH
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