Click
for revue of JessEm's Rout-R-Lift FX in The Woodworker's Journal
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As
many woodworkers already know, multi-base router kits are becoming
extremely popular today. Now the traditional fixed base router with
a removeable motor has evolved into various kit options that include
an interchangeable router motor, a fixed base, a plunge base and
some manufacturers have also added a "D" base option.
The
JessEm Mast-R-Lift was originally designed
to be used with the removeable 3HP motor from a fixed base Porter
Cable 7518. Then we offered adapter collars for the smaller 2HP
motor diameters to fit our Mast-R-Lift's
carriage.
The
problem for many 2HP router users has been the cost of a Mast-R-Lift
plus the adapter collar exceeds the price of their 2HP router.
As
much as they wanted to experience the benefits of a precision height
adjustment system they could not justify the price.
Now
we have come up with a great solution, the all new Rout-R-Lift
FX for 2HP fixed base router motors! Now you get all the
great benefits of a Mast-R-Lift at
a 2HP price!
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The Rout-R-Lift
FX offers above the table height adjustment and bit changes
as well as the unsurpassed accuracy of a JessEm
Lift. The Rout-R-Lift FX offers
comparable quality and performance at a very affordable price. Our
New Cam-Lock Clamp design works great for quick and easy Plug'N'Rout
motor changes, the Rout-R-Lift FX is
fast becoming the "Ultimate Base" for interchangeable
2HP router motors!
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New
Cam-Lock Clamp Design
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Designed
for 1-3/4HP to 2-1/2HP Fixed Base Router Motors
Above
the Table Top Height Adjustment and Bit Changes
9-1/4"
x 11-3/4" Top Plate is Machined From 3/4" Thick
Solid Phenolic
Quick
Change Motor Installation with New Cam-Lock Clamp Design
8
Position Set Screw Plate Leveling
Includes
1-1/2" Tab-Loc Insert Ring, Insert Ring Wrench, Starter
Pin, Hex Key and Hardware
(
Will Not Fit 3+HP Porter Cable 7518, Milwaukee 5625 or Plunge
Routers. )
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| MODEL# |
DESCRIPTION |
| 02302 |
FITS
PORTER CABLE 690 & 890 SERIES, BOSCH 1617 & 1618 SERIES,
DEWALT 610, 616 & 618 SERIES. |
| 02303 |
FITS
MAKITA 1101 SERIES. |
| 02304 |
FITS
MILWAUKEE 5615, 5616 & 5619 SERIES. |
| 03004 |
MAST-R-TOP
FOR ROUT-R-LIFT FX 32" x 24" WITH 9-3/4" x 11-3/4"
HOLE FOR INSERT PLATE |
| 03003 |
TEMPLATE
FOR ROUTING A HOLE FOR A ROUT-R-LIFT FX
IN A CUSTOM TABLE. |
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Tool Preview
The
JessEm Rout-R-Lift FX
By
Rob
Johnstone
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I remember clearly the first time I saw a JessEm
router lift demonstrated at a national woodworking show. At
shows such as the AWFS, I am generally confronted by so much
information and so many folks trying to get my attention, that
I seldom pause during the day. But the JessEm
product, being demonstrated in the basement of the convention
center, made me stop and say "wow!" Accurate above the router
table adjustments made easy, that was something I've always
wanted. It was a sure winner in my mind.
My opinion
has not changed much during the ensuing years.That first lift,
and those that followed, were designed to handle large routers
and specifically the Porter Cable 7518 3hp fixed base model.
Adapter collars (reducers) for the up-and-coming group of
2 1/2hp routers (pioneered by Bosch (their 1617) and Makita
(the 1101)) were developed and worked well, but the collars
were an additional cost.
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As was
to be expected, I was not the only person to see that the
above the table router adjustment was a big thing. There are
now many different systems and even routers with built-in,
above the table adjustment. And the prices vary across the
board. Again, it is no surprise that adjustment accuracy and
quality varies across the board as well.
Late last
year JessEm introduced
their Rout-R-Lift FX.
Designed to work with the still popular 2 1/2hp routers, it
continues the Jess Em
tradition of exceptional quality (it's my opinion that if
the folks at JessEm had
built the Titanic, the movie would have been even more boring!),
and remarkable accuracy in its adjustments.
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I found
the Rout-R-Lift FX available
at two different web sites for $179.99 (U.S.D). This
puts great quality and JessEm
accuracy into the average shop person's hands for well under
200 bucks. Only the individual woodworker can know if they
need the level of quality a tool like the Rout-R-Lift
FX provides. But as Dan Sherman, Sales and Marketing
Director at Jess Em
said to me recently, "In the end, some woodworkers will find
out the hard way that they may not have purchased the level
of accuracy they had anticipated in the lower cost alternatives.
In the long run, you always get what you pay for".
JessEm
offers a full line of router lifts and tables. The Rout-R-Lift
FX would be a great addition to my shop (I hope
my wife reads my stories!) and to most woodworker's shops
that I've visited. Check them out and see what you think.
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