In 20 years working as a finish
carpenter and cabinetmaker, I’ve
acquired a lot of tools, but the most
versatile is the plunge router. I’ve
used it to make moldings, do sink
cutouts, cut curved casings, and mortise
door hardware. You can do many of
these things with a fixed-base router, but
not as safely or easily as with a plunge
router. With a fixed-base router, depth
settings are a one-shot deal. Each time
you release the lock, the setting is gone
for good. But plunge routers have stops
that allow you to change the depth of
cut without losing the original setting.
Advantages of
Plunge Routers
It might sound strange, but there
are good reasons for changing