All,
I am looking at trim routers for setting hinge plates on some new doors, among other “trim” uses. I wanted to see if anyone had good/bad feedback on the BOSCH PR20EVSK, variable speed palm grip router. Any other recommendations are appreciated as well.
Thank you.
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Replies
Wood Magazine just did a review on the trim routers and I believe that the Bosch did very well. That's the one I've got my eye on. Last I checked, Amazon had the best price.
John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.
I have the Bosch. It works pretty good. The other day, I used it with a 3/8" roundover bit on some solid oak shelving, and it didn't struggle.
I don't like the depth of cut adjustment. It doesn't seem to lock in tightly.
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It's only satisfying if you eat it.
I have the Bosch PR20EVSK as well, I wish the visibility was a little better for freehand work. So far, it's relatively quiet and well behaved. I paid $109 at a local woodworking show.
The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.
- Fyodor Dostoyevski
I would guess most would say the Porter Cable 310 is still on the top of this particular heap of routers:
(Amazon) http://tinyurl.com/7fmqy
Visibility is not terrific though, which is also the case with other palm routers.
Pat Warner sells a clear base for the 310 which might help.
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"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Porter-Cable 310. Why? Compact size, low center of gravity, solid base, precise depth control. 40-50 year-old design. I'm waiting to see one better. Maybe Festool will do something.
Bill
Its the only laminate trimmer with a good depth adjuster
i've used a couple of makita laminate trimmers for small router jobs including hinge and latch plate mortices many times
only down fall is that generally bushings for the bases are not available, so i score lines with a utility knife and router freehand
The boys are right about the Porter-Cable 310 as a laminate trimmer, but I have have a couple of Porter-cable model 100 ( black or chrome dome top) routers for hinges and hardware mortising. Not as small as the laminate trimmers, yet smaller than the 1 1/2HP models. They're very handy and the depth adjustments are as good as the 310. They are just small enough to hold pretty comfortably with one hand when you wish, but usually two hands are best when doing hinges, especially if depth is 1/8" for commercial or Hager 4"x4".
Also depending how true your hinge-template is using a butt-mortise plane is very, very trick. They used to be made by a guy who sold them in Fine Woodworking. He must have been bought out (or something anyway) by Lie-Nielsen, because they make them now. Their blades are some of the best made, and are light years ahead of the original blades the guy supplied.
If you use this plane every mortise is true and it does help. First, after your routing is done, you score the top and bottom end of your mortise with a utility knife. This lets whatever shavings you plane fall loose. Start planing in a direction (with the grain, if it tears, reverse your direction) for the long run. Then reverse directions for the short and finishing clean-out cut.
If you truly want to make this a pleasurable, easy process, take your front and rear knobs off of the plane and countersink the screw hole till, when you put the knobs back, and tighten the screws back they just let the knobs swivel free. This is fantastic if you are doing door pre-hang prep milling operations. The man I learned this from and first saw his process, had his done like this. I bought one, and after trying his a few times, it makes all the difference. It sweetened the whole process.
This plane is also GREAT if you want to "tune" a single mortise on a door or jamb without hassling with chisel depth and works for strikes in deadbolt, too.
ALSO.....with any router or plane...minwax finishing wax the bottoms of them and you will gliding on air, so to speak, SOOOO much less effort.
Edited 2/9/2006 10:50 pm ET by zorrosdens
I've got the Porter cable 310 and it has definately served me well. No frills, solid unit.
However, my next one will definately be the Bosch. Why? I think the Bosch (I think it is called the Pony) has a seperate foot attachment that will allow you to run an edge on an installed counter right up to the wall. A big plus.
--Andy
AAA,I own a Bosch laminate trimmer with the offset base myself. When I was looking to buy a trimmer, PC had just discontinued the 310 offset base. It, like the router, was the best one out there. It is the only one I ever saw that can be run continuously without overheating and breaking belts. It cost more, not a lot were being sold, so PC pulled it from their line. I talked to a guy at a trade show who had a few and wanted $200 each for just the offset base! Bummer.At least with the Versaplane the hue and cry led to its reintroduction. Think Coke Classic.Bill