Excalibur Cast Iron Router Table

[Clay Fails]

Anyone have any experience with the Excalibur (General International) cast iron router table, model 40-200c? It got a good review in one of the magazines recently. The lift mechanism looks pretty robust. Just wondered if anyone has yet used it. thanks

[Jamie Buxton]

The price seems to be $1100, and you still have to pay for a router to go in it. In my town, less money will get you a used 3 hp shaper. For instance, you can buy a Delta 3 hp Heavy Duty Shaper. It is like the Unisaw. Delta produced it for 30-40 years. It was a staple of small cabinet shops. In my area, they go for $600-$800. A power feeder adds a few hundred bucks. A shaper like that is lots more machine than a router table. The Philadelphia Craigslist shows a half dozen of them for prices between $500 and $800.

[Keith Hankins]

I took a good look at it at the local Woodcraft store and its well made no doubt. However for that price, I'd build a good cabinet make your own table and put a good lift in for less than half that. JM2CW.

[Rod Sheridan]

As a shaper owner, I would suggest a nice used shaper instead of a router table.

Buy a 40mm Euro block head, then you buy knives for $20 to $30 per pair, very cost effective and far better performance than router bits. (Of course that's for solid wood, if you want to use man made material you'll need carbide).

The shaper has a lot of advantages, I would research that first..................Rod.

[Clay Fails]

As a shaper owner, I would suggest a nice used shaper instead of a router table.

Buy a 40mm Euro block head, then you buy knives for $20 to $30 per pair, very cost effective and far better performance than router bits. (Of course that's for solid wood, if you want to use man made material you'll need carbide).

The shaper has a lot of advantages, I would research that first..................Rod.

Thanks to all for the input!

[Jim Foster]

Another + for the shaper solution over a router table.

[Clay Fails]

Another + for the shaper solution over a router table.

I've heard the recommendations for a shaper over a router table, but am I the only one who sees a place for both in the modern shop? I see advantages of both, but if i could only have one it would be a router fir the way i work. Then a shaper for larger bits and larger runs. Why not have both?

[Prashun Patel]

Knives can get expensive vs even the best router bits. If you are an occasional user and arent doing heavy ops often, then a decent table, even at $1100 might be more economical and appropriate in the long term.