Gloat: Additions to My Router Collection

[Hoa Dinh]

I'd been wanting a small plunge router with good dust collection dedicated to the EZ Smart kit. The only handheld plunger I had was a PC7529, about which I have no complain, but I feel it too big for the EZ Smart base. I had a PC690VS 3-base kit but didn't like the plunge base. It is crude and has no dust colection. I sold it on eBay.

When Chris Padilla posted a for sale ad for his friend. I saw a DW618 3-base kit and jumped on it. That evening, I was $200 poorer and 3 routers richer.

In photo 1, you see the router line up: the plunge base dedicated to the EZ Smart, the D-handle for handheld routing and the fixed base dedicated to the flush-trim jig. The flush-trim jig can be an offset base if the lower sub-base is removed (4 small screws).

I have an Accurate Dado jig for PC690. The jig has two "spare" tapped holes that match the holes on the DW bases for the edge guide perfectly. All I needed to add was two 3/8" bolts with their heads cut off. You see the set up in photo 2. The two posts next to the jig are the ones supplied.

The deal from Chris's friend includes a DW edge guide. But I prefer the one from PC (it's more "refined" and can be used as a circle cutting guide). So I drilled and tapped two holes in the bar of the PC guide to fit the DW base (photo 3).

The DW edge guide includes a cup for dust collection in edge routing. The PC edge guide does not have that. Dust collection is important to me so I drilled and tapped holes in the shop-made offset sub-base for the PC dust collection cup that came with my PC7529 (photo 4).

Thanks for reading my gloat

[Jim Dunn]

That's a real impressive bunch of additions. Did you or Chris make the thick bases or are they standard??

[Corey Hallagan]

Wow, nice gloat for sure. The DW618 PK is a great router set up, I love mine!

Corey

[Jim Becker]

Good choice, Hoa! Despite how much I like my Festool routers, my DW618 kit (with the three bases) gets a lot of use. I really like it a lot and having the ability to choose the best "hand holding" format for a particular job is great. There are any number of operations that are easier and safer to do with a fixed (or D-Handle) base due to the lower center of gravity (like dovetailing) and I also find "fine" height adjustments quicker and easier...for me...with these bases, too. Sounds like the price was right for you too!!

[Hoa Dinh]

Did you or Chris make the thick bases or are they standard??

I made them in the shop. The materials are $2/lb, from the scrap bin of a local plastics store.