The results were very good for the pretty simple route, resulting in a smooth, uniform cut. Making Simple Edge Molding: Finally, we decided to try our hand at putting a simple Ogee edge on a piece of 5 ft. Smoothness was not perfect however, that has much to do with the bits we employed. We were pleased with the results, which were very uniform. piece of maple several times to see how complicated of a look we could create with a few simple edge and channel routes. Trying Various Edge and Channel Routes Together – We swapped bits in and out and turned a 5 ft. Had we been working a real project instead of a test, we certainly would have done this. To gain better results, we could install the horizontal guides. That said, we saw sway of about 1/32″ in some places, and the edges were not smooth. The 1/4″ channel was uniform throughout most of the board. The RAS900 includes vertical and horizontal guides that ensure the wood is held tightly in place.įor our first route, we held the board only vertically and had acceptable results. We set up the table to cut a channel using a 1/4 inch straight flute routing bit. Performing a Channel Route – From opening the box to performing our first route took about 45 minutes. Some more expensive tables include an automatic lift mechanism, which is a nice feature but costs hundreds more. The SKIL fixed-base router includes both a rough and fine adjustment mechanism to get the bit to the correct height. Installing and removing bits requires the router to be removed from the table due to the plastic and metal skirting, so the quick-change mechanism is much appreciated.Īdjusting Router Height – Once the router is in place, the height of the router bit is adjusted using the router itself (rather than the tabl). Once you get the hang of router installation and removal, the task can be accomplished in under 10 seconds. The picture sequence below shows the mounting plate on the router and the quick clamp bracket on the underside of the table. Mounting a router: To mount a router, the table features a quick clamp mount and mounting plate designed to be compatible with all major routers (we used a 1-3/4 HP fixed-base SKIL Router). The first major step after unpacking: mount the router. Total setup time was about 30 minutes, and most of that time was spent understanding all of the components that ship with the table and how they work together to perform various routing tasks. Getting started with SKIL’s RAS900 table was a pretty simple task. As a bonus, for those of us without much tool storage space, both tables fold to less than 10 inches high and store neatly on a workbench or garage shelf. It’s so smart, in fact, that it made us feel a little more like professional carpenters even though we don’t do woodworking jobs on a regular basis.īoth of SKIL’s router tables were designed for the junior and mid-level woodworker–someone who wants the capabilities of a router table without the usual $300-500+ price tag. After using the tool for one Sunday afternoon, we think their design is, indeed, smart. SKIL let us test drive the nicer of the two tables, the RAS900. On the heels of their recent lithium ion drill driver combo release, SKIL is back at it with two brand new offerings in the woodworking / capentry department: the RAS800 and RAS900 Smart Design Router Tables ( official site).
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