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.
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 Sherwood 1800W Round Body Motor or Water-Cooled Motor Kit.