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A single-speed, 1-1/2-horsepower (1100-watt) workhorse, this little router will go on shaping edges and routing grooves and dadoes mile after mile. It features a releasing collet that prevents the bit from seizing and comes with both 1/4- and 1/2-inch (6.3- and 12.7-millimeter) collets. [The related Porter Cable 693 PK with plunge base kit is also popular. - Ed.]

Routers were first mass-produced during World War I. Carter Electric, based in Syracuse, New York, was one of the earliest manufacturers. Sold to Stanley Tools in 1929, the Carter router, by way of Stanley's improvements, also became the foundation for today's Bosch routers.

The earliest Porter-Cable router dates back to 1906, the ancestor of what was to become a long-lived dynasty. The Guild model 1100 was one of a whole line of power tools Porter-Cable produced under the Guild brand. Although its dome-topped motor housing doesn't lend itself well to bit changes - it won't stand on the bench upside down - its visual attractiveness still pleases woodworkers today in the modernized form of the Porter-Cable model 100.

In 1950, Porter-Cable introduced the Speedmatic line, which today includes the 3-1/4-horsepower (2400-watt) production workhorse found mounted under router tables across the United States.

During the 1960s, Porter-Cable was purchased by Rockwell, who continued to produce most of the tools that were in the company stable, including routers. The handsome aluminum-bodied Rockwell Speedmatic D-handled router is one of the gems produced during that period.

The Four Basic Types

The fixed-base router, the router in its most basic form, puts a universal motor in a convenient holder that allows the chuck and bit to be adjusted up and down. A flat, slick base keeps the bit square to the work and allows the router to glide with ease. The rapidly spinning bit generates amazing torque, so sturdy handles are essential to give you a good grip and to keep the router from leaping out of your hands.

While fixed-base routers aren't as versatile as plunge models, they still have plenty of utility. Smaller models are eminently portable, enabling you to do edge treatments with ease, even on assembled work. When used with specially designed jigs, fixed-base routers are great for cutting dovetails. On large projects, such as bed rails or architectural members, their portability makes them the tool of choice for joinery and decorative effects.

Plunge routers are useful for their ability to cut into the work. It is easy to set multiple depths with precision, and they're the most versatile routers for joinery.

Production routers have high horsepower for heavy work or router-table use, they offer variable speeds. Fixed-base, plunge, and pneumatic models are available, but they're heavy and clumsy for top-side routing.

Laminate trimmers are specially designed for flush trimming. They are lightweight and highly portable and can function as light-duty general routers. They are handy for small projects or fine work.

Depth-Setting Mechanisms

The way to change the cutting depth of the bit varies among different router types, makes, and models. On many fixed-base routers, such as the Porter-Cable 690 series, you rotate the entire motor housing to raise or lower the bit. To guide the motion, tabs on the cylindrical housing ride in spiraling grooves in the base.

On routers like the Ryobi RE185, the entire motor housing is threaded; turning a large ring changes the depth of cut. The D-handled Bosch 1618EVS features yet another depth-setting arrangement: the body screws up and down for coarse settings; a small knob allows incremental fine depth adjustments.

Regardless of the mechanism's design, once the depth is set, a lever or handscrew solidly locks the motor into the base. Routers like the Makita 3606 have a scale built into the base, to show how far cutting depth has been adjusted up or down.

Because their motors ride up and down on guide rods, plunge routers usually don't get set and locked at a fixed cutting depth before they're switched on (unless they're inverted and used in a router table). Instead, their depth of cut is regulated by a depth stop.

The depth-stop rod (or bar) protrudes down from the motor assembly and strikes a turret mounted to the base, thus limiting downward travel and establishing cutting depth. After switching on the router and plunging the bit to the set depth, you engage a lever or, on some models, use one of the handles to lock the carriage and maintain that cutting depth.

Most routers have an adjustable depth scale and cursor that work with the stop rod. The DeWalt DW625 and the Hitachi M12V have adjustable cursors, allowing you to accurately gauge the final plunge depth of the bit.

So that you're not limited by setting just a single cutting depth, plunge routers have another small but significant feature: an adjustable multi- position turret. Instead of just one point for the stop rod to contact, turrets on routers like the Porter-Cable 7538 and the Bosch 1613EVS have three, four, five, or more different contact points.

By setting the plunge depth with the stop rod touching the shortest turret contact point, you can reduce the plunge depth by rotating the turret so that the rod hits a taller point. This makes the routing of deep recesses easier: You remove a little wood on each pass, rather than trying to hog it all out at once.

These are just a few of the features that distinguish the different kinds of routers. The array of bits, jigs, edge guides, and other accessories is as varied and versatile as the basic router itself.

Sandor Nagyszalanczy is a furniture maker, designer, and tool expert. He is a former senior editor of Fine Woodworking magazine and author of seven books on woodworking tools and methods.

This article is excerpted from Power Tools: An Electrifying Celebration and Grounded Guide copyright © 2001. You can order the book from the publisher online at The Taunton Press or by phone at 800-888-8286. It is also available at Amazon.com.

A modern fixed-base router (foreground) and a classic from the 1970s. Photo: Sandor Nagyszalanczy A plunge router. Photo: Sandor Nagyszalanczy A heavy-duty production router. Photo: Sandor Nagyszalanczy Laminate trimmers can function as light-duty general routers. Photo: Sandor Nagyszalanczy On the Porter-Cable 690 router, you rotate the motor housing to raise or lower the bit. Photo: Sandor Nagyszalanczy The DeWalt DW625 and the Hitachi M12V have adjustable cursors, allowing you to accurately gauge the final plunge depth of the bit. Photo: Sandor Nagyszalanczy Power Tools: An Electrifying Celebration and Grounded Guide by Sandor Nagyszalanczy. Image: The Taunton Press   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.