Official Luthiers Forum!

I know people can get carried away at auctions but I think this person took it a little too far. One of my favorite routers is the Rockwell model 64 and it's iterations. It was originally sold as a homeowner handyman tool and eventually morphed into the PC309. I can usually find them in very good condition (because they were homeowner tools and little used) for $15 - $30. They have very good air flow and run fairly cool which helps them last. I have about a dozen of them, so I have to listen to the wife say "do you really need another router" when I find another one at a good price. They used two different bases. One was two handled and the other was more geared to laminate trimming (like the one in the eBay auction). They used a depth adjustment system similar to the 310, but they are slightly larger and hold up better.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Unused-Vintage ... 47675.l255

One of mine with the other base:

Hey, worth a shot...

I think I bought one a year ago for less than $50 in great shape. Yeah, $192 is kind of insane-o! I hope the buyer isn't anyone here.

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John Lewis
Wannabe builder owned by 2 crazy dachshunds

And with the way ebay's bidding works, there must have been at least two people willing to pay that much. Might as well list one of yours and see if you can get in on that

A couple of the ones I have bought still have the original box (and to a collector the box is worth more than the tool )They are about as nice as that one appears to be, but people's moments of insanity are generally few and far between. And besides, I'm still trying to make it a Baker's dozen!
I do have several other trimmers - 4 PC7310's, an old PC155, a Bosch 1600 series, and a Virutex that runs on 220v. I have used a number of other brands and models over the years. It seems like the newer products have become "consumer grade", unlike the older units, where some "consumer grade" were on a par with today's professional quality tools. Perhaps I'm being an old fuddy duddy... "why back in my day....."

12 routers?

Your wife is right!

I like this line, "The tool shows no indication that it was ever used, but it does have some minor scuffing wear on the plastic and the base sides. "

Ummm you mean it looks like it's been used?

"12 routers?
Your wife is right! "

Actually if I add the "big ones" to the small ones I have a little over two dozen. (do they have a 12 step program for routers? )
I used to use them quite a bit, and now that I have retired I hope to use them more frequently.

I'm with you Clay although I only have about 8 routers. I hate re-configuring routers for different jobs so I have one dedicated for rosettes, one for binding, one for saddle slots, one for general use, one for ......

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

It is funny how differently we all approach our work. I am still using my HF trim router (somehow I got a decent one that is aligned and hasn't blown up) for my bindings. I don't really use it that much beyond that. A few years ago I got a used full sized router for almost nothing but have never used it. Someday, I'll want to make a new mold and it will come in handy

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

I bought this Porter Cable brand version of that router about 40 years ago and have been using it ever since....



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The 309's also push a lot of air through them and I think that makes a difference in how well they last. The bases are interchangeable with the Rockwell 64s so if you want a two handled base with better visibility you may occasionally find one on eBay.
The 310's , being smaller and billed as "professional" probably had more use and abuse and were replaced by the much maligned 7310, a router that was bigger and more powerful than the 310 but a bit persnickety to adjust the depth on.

Clay

The one on ebay has a longer cord then yours - that must be the difference

A collector friend's motto: "never park all your tractors in a row"

Ed

I’m with you Clay, over a dozen. No way you can have too many.
What has really surprised me me was how nice the little rigid trimmer is. Never thought I would say that.
I believe I own at least one each of the more popular brands. 4 PC, 3 Dewalt, 2 freud, 2 bosch, 1 rigid,
I Hitachi, 1 Makita, 1 festool. The rigid is as good or better than all the small units.

B

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My memory is so good, sometimes I remember things that never happened.

I'm only up to 10 but I'd love more.

"The one on ebay has a longer cord then yours - that must be the difference"

Yeah, some came with long cords and some came with short cords. I wonder if that is a way to date them?
I bought two routers, one listed as running and one for parts - missing a cord. I put a new cord on it and it ran fine. One source for cords I have found are the printer cords that get tossed with the old printers. The 16 AWG will handle up to 9 amps @120 volts (maybe a little more because they are stranded) so work o.k for many handheld power tools. Some are 18AWG which should still work for trimmers.