Router Lift & Base Plate for Round Body Routers: Take The Guesswork out of Height Adjustment
Routing can bring high-level machining accuracy to any woodworking project. Even the slightest unsightly gap can create a lot more hard work fixing the problem, or end up wasting valuable material. The Sherwood Router Lift fixes one axis of adjustment by bringing perfect accuracy to bit height adjustment.
The 298 x 235mm top mounting plate is identical to the standard aluminium router mounting plates- milled and CNC-machined from 6mm-thick aluminium plate. Over and above the standard mounting plate, a few extra holes are machined to mount the lift assembly underneath. The aluminium is anodized and then checked for flatness after this important step. Where necessary, each plate is checked and adjusted for flatness for a perfect smooth surface closest to the bit - where it matters most.
There are six grub screws installed along the edges of the mount plate to ensure a perfectly level fit on the lip of the router table underneath it.
The insert ring spanner comes standard with the mount plate as well as a starter pin and two holes to mount it either to the left or the right of the bit.
Four Pillar Design.
This lift has four pillars at each extremity of the lift - all threaded so that when the cradle is adjusted - they all act in unison to keep the cradle perfectly parallel to the top plate. The threaded rod is dead-straight, heavy-duty hardened black steel that will last a lifetime.
The pitch of the thread has been set so that a full revolution of the winder handle results in exactly 2.00mm of height adjustment - a quarter turn is exactly 0.5mm and even the positive action of one graduation is as fine as 0.1mm. There is minimal backlash so you have certainty that you can make these fine adjustments and rely on their accuracy.
Each post has sealed long-life bearings along with automotive-grade sprockets and drive chains. Two extra floating sprockets allows for smooth chain adjustment that virtually eliminates the backlash, providing those most accurate of height adjustments.
Heavy-Duty Support.
The cradle is a huge piece of cast aluminium. Vibration is the enemy of routing - it can cause chattering on the work piece and even worse - ruin router bits and router shafts and bearings. Vibration is absorbed through this massive reinforced cradle. All the important parts are machined multiple times so that the mounting system mates perfectly square with the mounting plate above it.
In North America - 4.2in (106.7mm) diameter fixed-base routers are the industry-standard. With the fixed base removed, the motor body is a perfect companion to a router lift - allowing for mounting so that the collet can be near or even sit above the table when fully wound up, making bit changes much easier.
This lift has a billet aluminium machined clamp that holds this round-body motor in place. A six-point mounting system secures it to the aluminium cradle with a huge M12 clamping bolt to secure the body in place.
Supercharge Your Lift.
Now available is the Sherwood Round Body Router Motor - the perfect companion for your router table when paired with this lift.
With 2400W (3 1/4HP) input and 1800W (almost 2 1/2HP) output, this router motor is perfect in virtually every way for router table applications. It is the standard 106.7mm (4.2in) diameter - the exact same diameter required for the Sherwood Router Lift.
It runs on standard 240V with a 10-amp ANZ plug and can be mounted perfectly in the lift in a matter of a few minutes and gives you everything you need in a table motor without forcing you to pay for extras that you will never use (like the plunge bases integral to most Australian-sold routers)!
Make no mistake about it, this is an industrial grade motor that gives you a continuously adjustable variable speed that allows you to reach 10,000-22,000 RPM and everywhere in between. You have a dial that is a marked improvement from the preset positions found on the typical 5 speed switch from the Porter Cable motor.
The ability to maintain speed under constant load speaks volumes to how well this motor is engineered. Not to mention that we went the extra mile to seal out dust from this variable speed dial.
It comes standard with a dedicated 1/2in and 1/4in chuck plus the two spanners that enable above-table bit changes with ease.
Industrial Power.
Fixed base router motors are not commonly available in Australia with 240V power, however Sherwood have delivered a water-cooled CNC spindle with an adapter to mount in this lift - an Australian first.
The CNC spindle body is 80mm and doesn't have any mounting grooves for the base like the routers in North America. For extra safety, a groove is machined into the spindle body and a spring washer is installed. A matching groove is machined into the adapter so that when combined with the spring washer on the spindle, it locks the spindle in place inside the adapter. This extra safety step means that no matter what vertical pressure is placed on the spindle - it is held captive in the adapter.
The adapter is available for purchase separately from the drop-down list.
The benefits of pairing a Sherwood water-cooled CNC spindle are many...
- All brush-type routers are designed for a normal lifespan of approximately 1,000 working hours. CNC spindles are designed for a lifespan of 10,000 working hours before a major overhaul or replacement is required.
- Even the quietest of standard routers is noisy, a CNC spindle on the other hand runs whisper quiet. The most noise is generated only when the bit engages with the work piece.
- It comes standard with an external inverter - you can turn it on and off and adjust the speed remotely as standard.
- The inverter converts standard single-phase 240V to three-phase 415V 2.2kW power - to handle ANY routing cut.
- The electronic inverter maintains maximum torque literally from 0 - 24,000rpm.
- The spindle uses industry-standard ER20 collets, so with a full collet set, you can run any bit with a shank size 2 - 13mm. The spindle comes standard with 12-13mm collet to run normal 1/2in shank bits.
- The spindle is water-cooled - meaning it can run all-day, every day without variation, regardless of ambient temperature.
- The collet sits a comfortable distance to ensure above-table bit changes straight out of the box.
You can either choose to buy the lift on its own if you have the ability to run a fixed base router or buy it bundled with the Round Body Motor or CNC Spindle Kit.