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Not sure if this is in the right place, but here goes. I recently replaced the router in my router table, the Veritas Router System. A good brand, 1/2" capable router had been mounted in the Veritas. It was the "sleeve" type, where the router is clamped to the outer sleeve for height adjustment by a lever. It was a nightmare! It would grab pieces as I was feeding them into the cutter as well as chatter on thicker pieces. Using the table was a "white knuckle" affair. I surmise that the sleeve type router was not rigid enough for a router table. Finally I gave up on the router and bought a new Hitachi M12V2:

It was a bit tricky getting it mounted in the Veritas table because the handles are not removable. Once mounted and fired up, I could finally see the potential of this router table set-up. There is no deflection of the bit as you are cutting which means no grabbing or chatter. The variable speed is perfect for bigger cutters. It has an improved collet from its forebear, the M12V as well as a shroud that surrounds the cutter opening that can be hooked up to a shop vac. The pillars that the M12V2 ride on for height adjustment are massive and there is no play. In fact, the pillars are a larger diameter than any other plunge router I looked at, some of which cost $100 more. The appearance is odd, but kind of grows on you.
All in all, a fantastic tool at a really good price.

_________________
Stay with the happy people.
--Reynolds Large

Thanks for the info! Nice to know -- I'm thinking about getting a good plunger router in the near future. BTW, what's the maximum plunge depth? I need something that can handle 2" and yet still be stable at that extension. Looking at the photo, it looks to be able to handle it.

It does have a certain '60s SciFi look to it, doesn't it? Looks like some nefarious space creature's helmet.

Best,

Michael

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Live to Play, Play to Live

Michael,
It is listed in a catalog of having 2-9/16" maximum plunge. TRein39076.6399305556

_________________
Stay with the happy people.
--Reynolds Large

if by a "good brand" sleeve type router you are referring to a fixed base something like a pc 690, bosch 1619, etc., they are in fact more rigid than a plunge type router. not as easy to adjust in a table as a plunge but certainly rigidity is not a fault. the first router i ever mounted in a table was a rockwell/pc100, all of 7/8hp and limited to 1/4" bits, but it did a fine job as long as one worked within the operational constraints of the bits it would accept.

you mention your fixed base was 1/2" capable; were you in fact using 1/2" bits in it?

if the machine is grabbing the work you are most probably feeding the stock incorrectly. in which case adding power will only exacerbate the problem. thickness of the stock has nothing to do with it. the size of cut you are taking will, however, affect many things. for example, if you are trying to take too big a cut in coarse grained stock, the bit will cut the soft portions easily and baulk at the hard; result chatter. too big a cut with any bit will cause chatter. cuts should be limited to a max of the diameter of the shank cubed in volume. exceding this limit is very easy to do with 1/4" bits. taking too big a cut can cause the shank to flex and cause chatter as it flails about.

Crazyman,
I did not want to mention the brand name of the replaced router in order to not step on toes. As a hint, it is named after a city in Wisconsin. Yes, I was using mostly 1/2" cutters with it.
I know your comments were offered as help and I appreciate it. However, I have worked with all types of routers for 30 years, from hand-held laminate trimmers to Onsrud pin routers. I know how much to feed routers and I am very conservative not to hog out material. The previous router was not a good fit with a router table. I am doing things effortlessly with the new Hitachi that the old one skipped and shuddered through. I can only guess that deflection was the culpret, as it seemed to not have any runout to the spindle. Not sure I agree with you about the rigidity of sleeve type routers. A single point of contact around a cylinder is not a terribly effective means of immobilizing the motor. There may be some sleeve type routers out there that are rigid when clamped. There are probably some plunge routers that have some slop in the posts. The Hitachi is not one of them.

_________________
Stay with the happy people.
--Reynolds Large

sorry, didn't mean to step on any toes. i've not used the machine i think you refer to, but i have noticed good reviews of it in the past, including its suitability to table mount because of its adjustment mechanism. the point is that any tendency for the motor to move in the body should manifest itself in both hand held or table mounted applications and is a defect.

i'm not sure, however, that i understand your reference to "single point of contact". in all the fixed base routers i have used, including p-c's, dewalts, stanleys, bosches, towa/ryobis, etc., the body collar held the motor in a very rigid, broad band clamp. perhaps the machine you replaced has an atypical body clamp.

nevertheless, it is good that you have resolved the problem to your satisfaction.

best wishes