Home DIY

Contemplating buying a router. I'm not sure I need a router or how much use it would get, so looking at the lower end of the scale.

Is a Bosch POF1200 worth the extra £30 over something like this previously mentioned cheap Makita knock off.

Or should I just spend a bit more and get something like the Bosch GKF600, which might hold its value better if I do decide I don't actually need it and want to sell it on (I'm a hoarder so chances of this happening are slim to none.)

Whatcha going to use it for?

Well, this is the question! I have grand plans of getting a bit more into building bits and bobs like picture frames and possibly the odd box/cabinet type thing. Looking for something to make cutting grooves/rebates/dados, vs current technique of making multiple passes with a circular saw or mitre saw at a shallow cut depth

Those little palm routers should be fine for that, just make sure you go slow and don’t try and remove too much material in one pass. I liked the look of that Bosch when I was shopping a few years ago. Got the DeWalt combi in the end but that’s probably a bit much for very occasional use.

Didn’t Nef and co have bad experiences with the makita knock off?

Sounds like the Bosch would be a better bet, but based on your OG brief I'd get the cheap one then upgrade once you know your real use.

Those wee ones are totally fine. You can even get the Makita collar which makes them even better (suck a knock off they are exactly the same size). Get a nice-ish set of 1/4" bits and you're flying.

I did 3/4" wide and 1/4" deep dados in one pass no problem with mine.

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What clamps are those?

Wolfcraft

Is there a hack for what to do when your disc is too thick for the key to reach the lock nut on a grinder?

Cheers

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Turn it around?

(ninja edit as I misread)

Tried that, but it's still a bit short.

I might grab a flap disc as that should be skimmer.

What about the nut: reversible?

...or I could read the manual properly and discover that:

Wish I'd have known that as I'd have picked the accessory up. I've seen QR locknuts, so temped to get one of those instead so sanding use.

It is reversible, but that doesn't give enough extra for these pads.

Times like this when I dream of a pillar drill and lathe so I could mod the tool to have extra long pins on the other end.

TBH if Mikita's kit comes with a rubber pad I wonder if it should then be used with it. I'll do some proper searching.

I use a angle grinder almost every day, never tighten with a tool. Hand tight is fine, it’ll only ever tighten in use.

Occasionally a cutting disc will grab and tighten enough to require the tool to take it off, but it’s rare.

Ah.

Not seen that before.

Glhf

Yeah I have the Milwaukee with the hand tightener too and dont even need to make it tight for the disc to be held fine

Cheers.

It's not the tightening I'm worried about. It's getting the disc off.

Although thinking about it, this pad will get worn down with use so that should create enough space to undo it if it gets stuck.

In any event I've ordered the Milwaukee QR nut as it's half the price of the Makita sanding lock nut and I don't have to wait for it to come from Poland, Latvia, or the US.

Anyway, ill mum and under the weather baby has kiboshed plans to finish off clean the paint from the porch during the lunch nap.

Tried to find a photo of needle nose plier / adjustable spanner combo for undoing that locknut. No joy, but I did come across nail pulling pliers, which I now want.

It's not the tightening I'm worried about. It's getting the disc off.

Difficult to describe, but imagine swinging the grinder forward in such a way as to just clip the edge of the disc on the floor or the edge of something, so that you suddenly apply a shock to the wheel in the reverse direction of the grinder's travel.

Practice on some of those diamond discs.

These do the same job but the engineering seems a bit more elegant. Main problem with the knipex ones is the blades are so sharp they can easily cut the nail instead.

https://www.knipex.com/products/carpenters%27-pincers/carpenters%27-pincers/carpenters-pincers/5001210?v=&sku=

I have a pair of those - really nice tool but your right, they nip the nail a bit too often.

For what it's worth, Aldi are reducing their powertools.