Do-it-yourself milling table for a manual router. DIY milling elevator Car jack option

Every woodworker knows how inconvenient and how many unnecessary actions have to be done to set the desired cutter height, when working on a hand router, or to replace one cutter with another. To do this, you even have to remove the router from the table.

In order to significantly facilitate this task, a special device, called a milling elevator, has long been invented, which is, in fact, the “third hand of the master”, which helps to regulate this process.

Currently on sale there are a large number of a wide variety of milling elevator models. The best elevators are made in the USA and are quite expensive.

Not so long ago, in one of the magazines dedicated to woodworking, the design of a homemade elevator designed for a hand router was shown. This design will allow you to fairly accurately adjust the height of the cutter, and make it yourself for good master will not be difficult. In addition, there is detailed photo with detailed description the whole process of making such a model.

First of all, you need to make a disc 18 mm thick, on which the router will be mounted. Now, using a Forstner drill with a diameter of 20 mm, drill a 13 mm deep counterbore in the center of the disk, then through hole with a diameter of 10 mm.

We install an M10 threaded rod in the hole that we drilled and fix it with two nuts and washers. Select the length of the stud so that the vertical travel of the router is about 5 cm. Slightly above the middle of the stud, we install the flywheel wheel for adjustment, for fastening we use a nut with a washer and a flange nut. We will attach the flange nut to the stud using epoxy glue.

Finally, place the plywood bottom in the table, positioning it at a height of about 75 mm from the lower ends of the legs, insert the flange nut into it and screw the lower end of the stud into it. Now, when the flywheel rotates, the entire structure will rise or fall relative to the flange nut fixed in the bottom. In the case of using a standard M10 stud with a thread pitch of 1.5 mm, when the wheel is turned one turn, the cutter movement will be 1.5 mm, half a turn - 0.75 mm, etc.

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Accessories for hand router

Clamp router lift

If you regularly use a router installed in a router, you know how difficult it is to adjust and adjust the height of a router in a router. There are milling lifts for lifting the router, but they are usually quite expensive. So I created a simple homemade router elevator from the materials available. This elevator saves a lot of time and I find all the adjustments with the router much easier to do without effort using the elevator installed under the router table.

For the manufacture of the elevator, I took steel pipe 3/4? (the length of the nipple will depend on the size of your router), then did an angle box and a second 3/4 nipple? connected to the flange (the length of the nipple will also depend on the size of your milling table) as shown in the drawing below.

Then did wooden base to support the router. I drilled a 3/4 hole in the base. This hole is used to smoothly slide the base over the nipple. The clamp is screwed to the base and serves as an adjustment mechanism. Then I installed the router lift under the router table (see photo).

For maximum adjustment, be sure to set the router lift to the lowest position. The curved clamp handle makes it easy to adjust the router and move up and down the steel nipple. This makes it easy to adjust the router to whatever position you need.

Candle Key Router Lift

The router lift is an extremely important and useful tool. It's fast and convenient way adjust the cutting height at the cutter.

Diy milling table elevator: design and assembly

Correct installation the depth of cut will not only create an accurate cut, but also simplify the adjustment of the product's joints.

I made the elevator for the router out of an ordinary candle key for a car and a nut of a suitable size. The nut must comply with external dimension spark plug wrench, and the inner diameter of the nut - for the size of the bolt used.

Using nylon or other soft material, drive the nut into the bottom of the wrench. I made the handle on the back of the spark plug wrench for ease of adjustment. A nylon retaining ring between the nut and router base will help prevent spontaneous free rotation during operation.

This router lift can be used on various hand-held routers such as Hitachi, Festos, Mafells, Dewalt, as well as small Bosch models.

An essential requirement is that you need to consider the location of the bolt on the base of the hand router, its length and easy access during operation.

Note: The easiest way is to use a nylon insert nut inside the wrench.

Compiled by. Patlakh V.V.
http://patlah.ru

To make an elevator for a router with your own hands, or buy a ready-made one? We answer this question.

When using a manual router installed in a stationary table, two questions arise:

How to adjust the depth of immersion (overhang) of the cutter.
How to quickly change replacement tips.

It is too troublesome to unscrew the tool from the insert every time. In addition, the stationary router only works at a fixed depth in the workpiece.

This task is solved by installing a suspension with an adjustable height on the router. And as soon as you were able to make a full-fledged milling table, it is not difficult to install an elevator of your own design. In addition, a self-made device is developed taking into account all the requirements of the master, even those that are not provided for by a factory device.

What is a milling table elevator for, and can you do without it?

it useful device called the third hand of the master. Those who have tried a milling cutter with a microlift find all new options for it:

Maintenance of the power tool is not difficult, as is the prompt change of cutters.
You can change the height of the cutter overhang in a matter of seconds, and most importantly, it is safe.
The immersion depth can be changed "in dynamics", simultaneously with the movement of the workpiece on the table. This expands the possibilities for creativity.
By eliminating the need to regularly remove the tool for maintenance, the plate and its fasteners are subject to less wear.

Buy or make yourself?

There is a wide range of offers on the power tool market. Industrial microlifts look soundly, work flawlessly, but their cost is the same as that of a new milling cutter. True, the device is quite well equipped. The kit includes rings for copying sleeves and a very high quality mounting plate.

Industrial microlift for a router with a set of copying rings

It remains to electrify the device - and you can get a CNC machine. There is only one drawback, but it outweighs all the advantages - the price itself. Therefore, for periodic home use it is an impermissible luxury. So our kulibins are doing, who is in what is great. However, they have a lot to learn.

There are fairly primitive lever-type constructions.

Homemade construction link elevator

This technique even allows the use of a "foot" drive. It is not suitable for precise setting of the departure, however, with the help of such a mechanism, you can raise the router to the working position in one motion, and just as simply lower it to change the nozzle or service. This elevator has a sufficiently long stroke, it does not allow for adjustable milling. Materials for manufacturing literally lie underfoot, the cost tends to zero.

Using a screw adjuster

Another example of a homemade router elevator

The design is more advanced and allows for relatively precise adjustment of the outreach. However, it is inconvenient to use such a microlift; to rotate the handle, you need to climb under the table, and then make a control measurement of the cutter height. But the reliability is at a height, and expensive materials are not required for manufacturing. Such an elevator can be made "by eye" without using drawings.

The following flywheel design not only makes it possible to fine-tune the overhang in small steps within 50 mm, but is also quite comfortable.

Lifting structure with flywheel

It will take more time to make, but the result is worth it. The handwheel allows you to adjust the height of the cutter, while visually controlling it over work surface... In principle, it is already possible to dynamically change the cutter overhang.

The main advantage is the still low cost of components for manufacturing, with increased functionality. Instead of a flywheel, you can install a gear and a motor with a gearbox. But this will require additional costs.

Car jack option

Quite expensive, since at least you need to purchase a jack.

ELEVATOR FOR MILL. ANYONE. WITH EXPLOSION DIAGRAM using the example of festool 1400 (ROUTER LIFT)

Diamond designs are ideal.

The use of a screw jack as a lift for a router is also possible.

Such a lift for microlift is reliable, and thanks to the handle located parallel to the table top, it is convenient and quite accurate.

Positioning the mount is easy. It is enough to install a sturdy shelf parallel to the worktop.
Option with an electric drive is possible.

Then, in general, you can install a foot pedal, and free both hands. And if you attach a programmer to all this - here's a homemade CNC router for you.
However, this comes out of the concept of an economy class device.

Option from an advanced master

Since the possibilities of a craftsman are endless, you can find completely unexpected designs. This microlift is made using the same router for which it is intended.

Original design elevator hand made

The design assumes not only precise adjustment of the overhang, but also a change in the angle of inclination of the router axis. With this potential, it is possible to significantly expand the tasks performed in woodworking.
The drive of the pin worm gear - the height adjuster - was originally solved.

Cogwheels (gears) are made according to the spike method " dovetail". This allows the gears to be brought out of the mechanism, eliminates the need for lubrication, and makes the adjustment soft.
The material used is moisture resistant plywood 20-25 mm thick. The microlift is made with such high quality - that I would like to suggest the author to organize industrial production.
Of course, a preliminary drawing is required for such a design.

3D assembly drawing for microlift

Moreover, it was made using a three-dimensional modeling program. Making such a device is painstaking work. But the financial side of the issue is the cost of a sheet of plywood and a screw hairpin. When performing custom work, such a design will quickly pay off.

The verdict on this topic is as follows - when using a homemade milling table, you cannot do without a microlift. Other designs, such as a quick-release plate for a router or a folding table top, are only suitable for servicing a power tool. And for precise positioning of the cutter over the table, you need a microlift.

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Any master will say that the quality of the final product depends not only on the fidelity of the hand, but also on the precision of the instrument.

The lift is designed to raise and lower the working cutter.

The hand router is especially vulnerable in this sense. To ensure a clearly oriented fixation of the working element in relation to the workpiece being processed, different variants stationary devices with movable cutters. But factory milling tables are not cheap. Therefore, many private craftsmen prefer to make an elevator for a router with their own hands.

Why does a router need an elevator?

A device for raising and lowering the working cutting head (milling cutter) on a woodworking machine is not some nice optional gadget, but an absolutely necessary element. Moreover, on the milling table, he is the main element. For example, the production of decorative finishes for furniture panels or various technological grooves and lugs on wooden products, which are so popular today, depends on the accuracy of its settings and the degree of stability.

When using a hand router without an appropriate stationary device, the worker's hands quickly get tired. And this is quite understandable, since the weight of not the heaviest of these devices reaches 5 kg. But another problem associated with manual operation of this unit is even more serious. No matter how firm the performer's hand is, it cannot be compared with the accuracy of a router installed on a special table.

Availability of a wide range of manufactured items, types of decorative finishes and technological treatments wood products has led to the need to ensure the mobility of the cutting element. So the idea of a special lift was added to the upside down router, which is able to quickly raise or lower the milling head, as well as hold it above the table surface at a given level.

Moreover, thanks to the specified device, there is no need to remove and then re-install the manual router on the table every time. There is probably no need to say how much it speeds up and simplifies the production process.

Back to the table of contents

Milling elevator: principle of operation and technical requirements

The elevator for the milling cutter is convenient in that the movement of the working cutting part is carried out without direct contact with the power tool by a person. To set the device in motion, either a knob, a lever, or another method is used. This technology allows not only to smoothly and accurately set the dimensions of the cut grooves and other relief grooves on wood blanks, but also to quickly and easily change cutters.

Figure 1. From the bottom to the table top of the milling table, a base-support is attached, which is a box made of plywood or chipboard.

Schematically, without detailing the design of this or that elevator, the principle of its operation is as follows. On the lower plane of the tabletop, a support plate of metal or textolite is mounted of the corresponding dimensions, to which two parallel posts are attached. The mobile carriage moves freely up and down along them. A manual router is attached to the carriage. The translational movement to the carriage and to the entire elevator is transmitted from the pushing device.

When starting to manufacture this device, you should take into account the requirements for milling elevators.

First of all, the entire structure of such a device must be sufficiently rigid, which is extremely necessary not only for the accuracy of material processing, the absence of errors in calculations, but also for the safety of the operator.

The lifting system should be designed to ensure quick removal and installation of power milling tools and replacement of milling heads. It is also worth designing a mechanism with a relatively small lift stroke (usually, to perform most milling operations, a movement of the router within 50 mm is sufficient). Finally, in the manufacture of the device, it is necessary to provide that the router is rigidly fixed in a given position during operation.

Back to the table of contents

Materials and tools for the production of the hoist

manual router (without handles);
electric drill;
standard auto-jack (for an elevator structure based on a jack);
square wooden blocks;
metal plate (PCB);
plywood sheets and chipboard;
aluminum profile;
a set of metal guides;
threaded rod;
a set of flat and Phillips screwdrivers;
wrenches;
pliers;
drill;
epoxy adhesive;
nuts, bolts, washers;
measuring tape (ruler, square).

Back to the table of contents

DIY router lift: product examples

DIYers who regularly milling wooden surfaces, have developed a lot of milling elevators, different in size, weight and functioning. However, it is almost impossible to describe all of them, so we will focus on two examples based on the most commonly used operating principles.

The first option is a milling elevator using a car jack. Its action is based on the fact that the milling machine by twisting the collar (pumping with a lever) on a jack raises or lowers the tip of the milling cutter with a cutting head.

Schematically, the process of making a hoist for a hand-held milling cutter with your own hands (Fig. 1) is as follows. An additional base-support is attached to the bottom of the table top of the milling table, which is a kind of box, in the manufacture of which fragments of 15 mm plywood or chipboard are used.

Figure 2. The device of the elevator for the router

Two long fragments, located parallel to each other, are attached with their ends to the lower surface of the tabletop by means of metal corners and screws. A horizontal base is rigidly attached between them from below, to which the support heel of the jack will subsequently be screwed. The dimensions of the specified box are determined in such a way that, as a result, a hand-held milling cutter and a car jack, selected in advance, fit inside it in height.

Then the manual router with its working (front) side through a special metal base is bolted to the inner surface of the table top. This attachment is made in such a way that the router can move up and down freely.

With its lower (rear) part, the router rests on a metal (or textolite) support plate of the carriage, which moves up and down along two side metal struts. Racks-guides are installed in place beforehand removed pens milling cutter. For more reliable stability of the unit during operation, it is recommended to install thrust springs on the stands.

The second version of the milling elevator is based on the use of a support disk, an axial threaded rod and a flywheel disk (Fig. 2).

To create this design, you first need to cut out a wooden circle, which will later rest on the bottom of the hand router. A workpiece with a thickness of 18-20 mm will be used for its manufacture. In the center of the disc, using a Forstner furniture drill with a diameter of 20 mm, counterbore (partial drilling) with a depth of 12 mm is performed. After that, a through central hole is drilled, the diameter of which is 10 mm.

When the platter preparation is complete, a threaded rod of the same diameter as the hole is inserted into its center hole and secured with a pair of nuts and washers. It is worth noting that the hairpin must be of such a length that it provides the router with a free play of at least 50 mm.

After that, a flywheel disk is attached to the hairpin using a flange and an ordinary nut with a washer. Moreover, it should be located just above the middle of the axle pin.

From below, the pin will rest on the plywood bottom, which should be mounted between the table legs at a height of 75-80 mm from the floor. A flange nut built into the plywood will serve as a retainer for the lower end of the stud. With respect to this nut, subsequently, when the handwheel is rotated in one direction or another, the pin will move up or down, moving the hand router.

Using the above, as well as other options for the elevator, you can start almost serial production of wood products, decorated with various relief cutouts.

1 What is a milling table elevator for, and can you do without it?
2 Buy or make yourself?
3 There are fairly primitive lever-type designs
4 Using the screw adjuster
5 Car jack option
6 Option from an advanced master

How to adjust the depth of immersion (overhang) of the cutter.

How to quickly change replacement tips.

It is too troublesome to unscrew the tool from the insert every time. In addition, the stationary router only works at a fixed depth in the workpiece.

What is a milling table elevator for, and can you do without it?

This useful device is called the third hand of the master. Those who have tried a milling cutter with a microlift find all new options for it:

Maintenance of the power tool is not difficult, as is the prompt change of cutters.
You can change the height of the cutter overhang in a matter of seconds, and most importantly, it is safe.
The immersion depth can be changed "in dynamics", simultaneously with the movement of the workpiece on the table. This expands the possibilities for creativity.
By eliminating the need to regularly remove the tool for maintenance, the plate and its fasteners are subject to less wear.

Buy or make yourself?

Industrial microlift for a router with a set of copying rings

It remains to electrify the device - and you can get a CNC machine. There is only one drawback, but it outweighs all the advantages - the price itself. Therefore, for occasional home use, this is an unaffordable luxury. So our kulibins are doing, who is in what is great. However, they have a lot to learn.

There are fairly primitive lever-type constructions.

Homemade lift linkage construction

Using a screw adjuster

Another example of a homemade router elevator

The following flywheel design not only makes it possible to fine-tune the overhang in small steps within 50 mm, but is also quite comfortable.

Lift structure with handwheel

It will take more time to make, but the result is worth it. The handwheel allows you to adjust the height of the cutter while visually controlling it above the work surface. In principle, it is already possible to dynamically change the cutter overhang.

Car jack option

Quite expensive, since at least you need to purchase a jack. Diamond designs are ideal.

The use of a screw jack as a lift for a router is also possible.

Such a lift for microlift is reliable, and thanks to the handle located parallel to the table top, it is convenient and quite accurate. Positioning the mount is easy. It is enough to install a sturdy shelf parallel to the worktop.
Option with an electric drive is possible.

Option from an advanced master

Since the possibilities of a craftsman are endless, you can find completely unexpected designs. This microlift is made using the same router for which it is intended.

The original design of the elevator made by hand

Cogwheels (gears) are made according to the dovetail spike method. This allows the gears to be brought out of the mechanism, eliminates the need for lubrication, and makes the adjustment soft.
The material used is moisture resistant plywood 20-25 mm thick. The microlift is made with such high quality - that I would like to suggest the author to organize industrial production.
Of course, a preliminary drawing is required for such a design.

3D assembly drawing for microlift

Using the milling table, you can perform professional processing wood. Connections, end profiling, door and window frames, skirting boards, frames for photos and paintings are made on the table neatly and conveniently. A factory-made table can cost a pretty penny if the quality is dubious. Why not make it yourself? Moreover, the design is not at all complicated, further the drawings will be disassembled in detail.

The main parts of the milling table

homemade milling table

There are many options for milling tables. As a rule, craftsmen create unique blueprints to fit your needs. But the basic design is the same regardless of the size of the machine. Here is a table 90 x 48 x 30 cm, a table top and supports from plywood No. 27, legs of a workbench are welded from a steel corner.

The main elements of the table for a hand router, the quality and design of which will determine the convenience and functionality.

First, you need to decide on the type of future machine:

If you plan to work on the road, a drawing of a small portable structure will do. For constant work in the workshop, a reliable and powerful stationary table will be convenient. It can be installed on casters and moved around the room. And for a small workshop, the modular version is good, it is an extension of the tabletop of the sawing machine or its rotary version.

Cover material

The most practical countertops are made of chipboard, pasted over with thin plastic or MDF with a melamine layer. Such material is very easy to cut with a jigsaw, and it will last a long time.

Pressed worktops are not suitable for work in damp rooms and outdoors! To prevent them from swelling, all edges will have to be carefully processed and compacted.

Homemade plastic sheet countertops are very good. They are smooth, even, easy to process. Such a machine can be used in any conditions.

Metal countertops are harder to make and are heavy. And aluminum sheets must be additionally clad - covered with a layer that prevents contamination of parts.

Stop groove

Typically, a milling table is used to machine longitudinal edges. So that you can process the cross ends, when creating homemade machine you need to provide a movable stop that moves in the groove. The built-in groove is also used for fixing the hold-down devices.

Fixing the router

There are two options for attaching the hand router to the table:

directly to the bottom surface of the countertop;
to the removable assembly platform.

When making a milling table with your own hands, they often use the first method, as the simpler one. But the mounting plate hardware has a number of operational advantages:

frees up to 1 cm depth of part processing;
the router is easier to remove to replace the cutters.

Therefore, we recommend tinkering a little longer and equipping the mounting plate. It must be flush with the surface of the countertop, otherwise the workpiece will touch the protrusions. Even more convenience is provided by the elevator for the cutter, the design of which will be discussed in detail below.

Longitudinal stop

It serves as a guide for the part, so it should be flat. You can make a stop with a T-slot, into which pressure devices and other devices are inserted to facilitate work.

Homemade table

The most primitive drawing homemade table for a router, this is an MDF tabletop, in which a hole is made for the cutter to pass and a guide ruler is attached - an evenly planed board. This tabletop can be placed between two workbenches or installed on its own legs. Its advantages are in the simplest and quickly manufactured design. Such a device is unlikely to allow performing serious work on wood. Consider more functional options, including rotary.

Small milling table

neat and small table

A tabletop model for a hand router that you can make yourself in a few evenings. The design is light and mobile, fits on a shelf, takes up little space, and its drawings are simple.

The work surface and side posts are made of thick film faced plywood No. 15. The size of the table top is 40 x 60 cm, the height without corner stop is 35 cm, the height of the stop is 10 cm. Three grooves are selected in the surface of the work table for installing the rails. Various auxiliary devices are installed here and moved along the tabletop.
To make the structure stable, the legs are made of chipboard or MDF No. 22. The legs are placed with a slight indentation, leaving a little space for attaching templates, clamps with clamps.
To cover the mechanism, a front panel made of plywood or chipboard is installed from below.
For the side stop, there are grooves along which it moves. Locks in place with wing nuts. The stop can be dismantled and installed on the vacant space with any convenient device.
A branch pipe is connected to the stop for removing chips, which are released in abundance during operation. The cutter and table shavings are connected through plastic corrugations from the sewer siphons with a splitter for the water supply. A hose from a household vacuum cleaner is attached to it on a clamp. It turns out very efficient system removal of shavings, it practically does not scatter around the room.
Since the machine is designed for a hand router, a special on / off switch is not required.
The stop consists of two parts that move closer or closer depending on the diameter of the working body. A wing nut is provided for fastening the sash. The offered model is good in that the tool can be easily removed from the bed to replace the cutters.
The mounting platform for the router is made of PCB or plexiglass. The plastic platform from the router kit is preliminarily dismantled. The recesses for the mounting platform are selected with a milling cutter, and the hole is cut with an electric jigsaw. When the hole is ready, the plexiglass is adjusted to its size and shape. It should fit tightly and without protrusions into the window.

You can make several mounting pads of the same size with holes for different cutter diameters.

This option is convenient for little ones hand tools... If a stationary table is being made for a large router, insert rings are attached to one assembly site for different cutter diameters.

To make the workpiece move smoothly, movement stops are installed on the side stop. Clamps are also attached to the side stop, which hold the part near the cutter during operation. Additional convenience is provided by a slide along which the workpiece moves at right angles. And to make the work safe, pushers are made.

The table is ready to use, its disadvantage is the lack of adjustment of the working depth. This is done manually by applying pressure to the tool. It is impossible to "get" to the required depth the first time. Therefore, we recommend equipping the table with an elevator.

A hole must be made in the bed, where an adjusting bolt with a wing nut is inserted. The milling depth is smoothly changed by twisting the thumbscrew.

Some craftsmen adapt old car jacks for an elevator for a powerful milling cutter. The device is attached under the router, a hole is made in the side wall to bring the jack handle out. The handle of the jack can be bent at the desired angle; when rotating, the router smoothly moves up and down with a step of 2 mm.

Another model of a homemade milling table for a router in the video:

Examples of designs of milling tables and their drawings

Construction 1

Construction 2 with drawings

Lifting mechanism for manual router

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For the manufacture of the elevator, I took a 3/4 diameter steel pipe? (the length of the nipple will depend on the size of your router), then did an angle box and a second 3/4 nipple? flanged (the length of the nipple will also depend on the size of your milling table) as shown in the drawing below.

Then I made a wooden base to support the router. Drilled a 3/4 hole in the base. This hole is used to smoothly slide the base over the nipple. The clamp is screwed to the base and serves as an adjustment mechanism. Then I installed the router lift under the router table (see photo).

Candle Key Router Lift

The router lift is an extremely important and useful tool. This is a quick and convenient way to adjust the cutting height at the cutter. The correct setting of the depth of cut will not only create an accurate cut, but also make it easier to fit the product joints.

I made the elevator for the router out of an ordinary candle key for a car and a nut of a suitable size. The nut must match the outer size of the spark plug wrench, and the inner diameter of the nut must match the size of the bolt used.

Using nylon or other soft material, drive a nut into the bottom of the wrench. I made the handle on the back of the spark plug wrench for ease of adjustment. A nylon retaining ring between the nut and router base will help prevent spontaneous free rotation during operation.

This router lift can be used on various hand-held routers such as Hitachi, Festos, Mafells, Dewalt, as well as small Bosch models.

An essential requirement is that you need to consider the location of the bolt on the base of the hand router, its length and easy access during operation.

Note: The easiest way is to use a nylon insert nut inside the wrench.

To make an elevator for a router with your own hands, or buy a ready-made one? We answer this question.

When using a manual router installed in a stationary table, two questions arise:

How to adjust the depth of immersion (overhang) of the cutter.
How to quickly change replacement tips.

It is too troublesome to unscrew the tool from the insert every time. In addition, the stationary router only works at a fixed depth in the workpiece.

What is a milling table elevator for, and can you do without it?

This useful device is called the third hand of the master. Those who have tried a milling cutter with a microlift find all new options for it:

Maintenance of the power tool is not difficult, as is the prompt change of cutters.
You can change the height of the cutter overhang in a matter of seconds, and most importantly, it is safe.
The immersion depth can be changed "in dynamics", simultaneously with the movement of the workpiece on the table. This expands the possibilities for creativity.
By eliminating the need to regularly remove the tool for maintenance, the plate and its fasteners are subject to less wear.

Buy or make yourself?

Industrial microlift for a router with a set of copying rings

There are fairly primitive lever-type constructions.

Homemade lift linkage construction

Using a screw adjuster

Another example of a homemade router elevator

The following flywheel design not only makes it possible to fine-tune the overhang in small steps within 50 mm, but is also quite comfortable.

Lift structure with handwheel

Car jack option

Quite expensive, since at least you need to purchase a jack. Diamond designs are ideal.

The use of a screw jack as a lift for a router is also possible.

Option from an advanced master

Since the possibilities of a craftsman are endless, you can find completely unexpected designs. This microlift is made using the same router for which it is intended.

The original design of the elevator made by hand

3D assembly drawing for microlift

Milling elevator: several DIY options

An elevator for a router, which can be purchased in serial production or made by hand, is a device that allows you to improve both the quality and accuracy of processing performed with a hand-held power tool. The results of the latter strongly depend on how accurately and confidently the user manipulates such a device. In order to minimize the influence of the human factor on the results of processing carried out by a hand-held milling cutter, special devices have been developed.

Homemade elevator for a hand router, made of plywood and timber

One of them is mechanized lifting device for a milling power tool, which, in full accordance with its functionality, is called an elevator. As mentioned above, such a device can be purchased in serial production, but it will not be cheap, so many home craftsmen successfully make it with their own hands.

What is such a device for?

The elevator for the milling cutter, with the help of which it is possible to accurately move the hand-held power tool attached to it in the vertical plane, is necessary in many situations. Such situations, in which the quality and accuracy of processing wood products are not of last importance, include the decorative finishing of furniture panels, the implementation of technological grooves and lugs on the elements furniture designs... The quality of processing in such cases will depend not on the experience of the master performing it and the hardness of his hands, but only on the accuracy of the settings of the device and the degree of its stability.

Even a person with good physical fitness, when working with a hand router, the weight of which can be 5 kg or even more, gets tired hands. This directly affects the accuracy and quality of the work. In addition, the accuracy of processing that a manual router installed on an elevator can provide when manually manipulating a power tool cannot be obtained.

For most milling cutters, standard adjustment when installing the tool in the table simply becomes inconvenient.

The need to invent such useful tool, what is the elevator for the router, has led to the fact that the variety of types decorative finishing wood products has expanded significantly, technological methods of processing have become more complicated of this material, as well as increased requirements for the accuracy of its implementation. All of the above factors require that in manual milling electrical equipment the high mobility of its working body, as well as the accuracy of the movements it makes, are combined. It is precisely these requirements that the elevator for the router fully meets, with the help of which the used power tool quickly rises and falls to the required height above the working table, and is also held at a given level for the required amount of time.

The convenience of using the milling elevator also lies in the fact that every time you do not need to install a power tool on such a device. This contributes to both simplifying the production process and increasing its productivity.

What is the principle of the elevator for the router

In order to raise or lower the hand router using the milling lift, you can use a crank, lever or any other suitable lifting mechanism. Such functionality, which the elevator for the router possesses, is provided by:

fast and accurate setting of the dimensions of grooves and other relief elements cut on the surface of a wooden blank;
the ability to quickly replace the tool in the milling cutter chuck.

To summarize the options structural performance the most used models of milling elevators, then the principle of operation of such a device can be described as follows:

A base plate for a router is mounted on a desktop or workbench, which is made of a sheet of metal or PCB.
On the base plate, two posts are fixed, arranged in parallel.
The manual cutter itself is installed on a special carriage, which has the ability to move freely up and down along the racks installed on the base plate.
The carriage with a milling power tool installed on it and the entire elevator move to the required distance due to the fact that a special pusher device acts on them.

The use of metal parts in the construction will significantly increase the accuracy of the homemade milling elevator

Consider the basic requirements that should be adhered to when planning to modernize the router with your own hands using an elevator.

The frame for accommodating the router and all other structural elements of such a device must have high rigidity. Compliance with this requirement will not only improve the accuracy of processing, but also make the user's work safer.
The lifting system with which such a device is equipped must be designed in such a way that it can provide not only quick removal and installation of the used router, but also the prompt replacement of the milling heads on it.
The working stroke of the milling elevator should not be made too large, it is quite enough if the working head of the power tool moves within 50 mm. This is quite enough for the high-quality performance of most technological operations.
When developing the drawings, it should be provided that the working head of the power tool used can be rigidly fixed in a given spatial position.

The simplest milling lift can be made from a jack or a tubular clamp

What is required to make a milling elevator

In order to make your own milling elevator, you must prepare the following set Supplies, tools and technical devices:

directly the manual router itself, from which it is necessary to dismantle the handles;
electric drill;
standard car jack (if the lifting mechanism of the device is of the jack type);
sheet of metal or PCB;
wooden square bars;
aluminum profile;
plywood and chipboard sheets;
guides made of metal;
threaded rod;
screwdriwer set of various types and size, spanners and pliers;
drills of various diameters;
bolts, screws, nuts and washers of various sizes;
epoxy adhesive;
square, ruler, measuring tape.

In general, only the motor and stands can be used from the router, especially if the tool does not differ in high accuracy of movement along telescopic guides

Possible device design options

To date, home craftsmen have developed many designs of milling elevators, but the most popular and, accordingly, noteworthy are two options for manufacturing such a device:

a lift for a hand router, powered by a car jack;
device, structural elements which are the support disc, the threaded rod and the flywheel disc.

Option one. Jack elevator

The principle of operation of the jack milling elevator is based on the fact that the working head of the manual milling cutter, fixed on the base plate, is raised and lowered due to the control of the jack built into the structure.

Milling table with jack lift

A do-it-yourself jack router is made as follows:

A box made of 15 mm plywood or chipboard is attached to the bottom of the desktop, which will simultaneously serve as a support device and a protective casing for the entire device.
In interior such a box, the dimensions of which should be calculated in advance, accommodates both a jack and a hand-held milling cutter connected to its moving part. The jack, when placed in the box, is screwed with its sole to the underside of the support casing, and the hand router through a special metal sole is connected with its upper part to inner surface workbench countertops. In this case, a through hole is made in the tabletop through which the working head of the router with the tool fixed in it must pass freely.
A sheet of textolite or metal of the appropriate size is used as a support plate for installing the router, which, under the influence of the force from the jack, moves in the vertical direction along two fixed racks.

Option two. Threaded rod elevator

The scheme for manufacturing a fixture using a support disk, threaded rod and flywheel is as follows:

A circle is cut out of a board with a thickness of 18–20 mm, which will act as a support platform for a hand router.
A hole with a diameter of 10 mm is drilled in the central part of the platter, into which a threaded rod of the same diameter is inserted. The length of the stud, which is connected to the support platform by means of two nuts and washers, must be selected in such a way as to provide the router with a working stroke of at least 50 mm.
The lower part of the pin, passed through the plywood bottom, fixed between the legs of the work table, is connected to the disk flywheel. It should be borne in mind that a flange nut must be built into the hole in the bottom through which the lower part of the stud will be passed. She will ensure the operability of the lifting mechanism.

Elevator diagram for a router using a threaded rod

Homemade threaded rod elevator option

Using milling lifts in conjunction with mechanisms that will additionally provide lateral movement of the power tool, you can make an even more functional device that turns your hand equipment into a full-fledged 3D milling cutter.

Option three. Chain elevator

This milling elevator will take much longer to manufacture, but the result will be a well-functioning tool raising and lowering system.

Chain driven milling elevator

PCB sprocket Mounting plate Chain drive
Chain tensioner OEM switch pusher Power button lever

Design this option milling elevator is discussed in detail in the video review below.

The milling elevator that Victor Travelller uses in his, as I understand it, the end table. So to speak, newest model... The milling cutter uses the same long-suffering interskol FM32.

The most interesting aspect of this lift is the ability to adjust the position of the router without bending over or getting under the table. This is done with an imbus key directly from the tabletop.

The entire block, together with the router, can be easily dismantled and replaced with a circular one. Let's take a closer look at the device of this lift.

The lift itself consists of two U-shaped halves that move relative to each other. One is fixed relative to the base of the router, the other is movable (it pushes the head of the router up)

They are connected to each other (that is, a bolt with a hexagon head with a hairpin of the corresponding diameter) using a pair of nuts (main and locking, In this case, the hexagon bolt remains on top, flush with the table surface. Through a wide nut, rotation is transmitted to the hairpin, with which, respectively, onto the cut-in nut in the lower half of the slide, which, due to rotation, are pulled up.

Do-it-yourself milling table for a manual router. DIY milling elevator Car jack option

Diy milling table elevator: design and assembly

What is a milling table elevator for, and can you do without it?

Buy or make yourself?

There are fairly primitive lever-type constructions.

Using a screw adjuster

Car jack option

ELEVATOR FOR MILL. ANYONE. WITH EXPLOSION DIAGRAM using the example of festool 1400 (ROUTER LIFT)

Option from an advanced master

Articles on the topic of your interest

Why does a router need an elevator?

Milling elevator: principle of operation and technical requirements

Materials and tools for the production of the hoist

DIY router lift: product examples

What is a milling table elevator for, and can you do without it?

Buy or make yourself?

There are fairly primitive lever-type constructions.

Using a screw adjuster

Car jack option

Option from an advanced master

The main parts of the milling table

Cover material

Stop groove

Fixing the router

Longitudinal stop

Homemade table

Small milling table

Examples of designs of milling tables and their drawings

Construction 1

Construction 2 with drawings

Lifting mechanism for manual router

Popular:

To make an elevator for a router with your own hands, or buy a ready-made one? We answer this question.

What is a milling table elevator for, and can you do without it?

Buy or make yourself?

There are fairly primitive lever-type constructions.

Using a screw adjuster

Car jack option

Option from an advanced master

Milling elevator: several DIY options

What is such a device for?

What is the principle of the elevator for the router

What is required to make a milling elevator

Possible device design options

Option one. Jack elevator

Option two. Threaded rod elevator

Option three. Chain elevator