ON TEST
October 2019 The Woodworker & Good Woodworking 21Trend R/POD/A Universal Safety Router Stand
TREND ROUTER POD
Designed for use with jigs and templates
when a guide bush is fitted to the router
base, Phil Davy discovers more about
the new Router Pod from Trend
Cutter change
Blades are a standard 82mm in length and have
reversible edges. To change them a wrench is
provided, which is stored in a recess towards
the back of the tool. Each blade is secured with
three bolts, which are slackened off to free them.
It’s then advisable to push each blade outwards
with a block of wood as they’re a tight fit and
obviously pretty sharp.In use
This tool is a good weight without being too
heavy. Easy to control, the blades produced
an excellent finish in both softwood and oak,
but ideally you need to hook up an extractor
to keep your work area relatively clean. Don’t
expect this tool to cut delicate chamfers, however.It’s then advisable to push each blade outwards with
a block of wood as they’re a tight fit and obviously
pretty sharp
Easy to control, the blades produced an excellent
finish in both softwood and oak, but ideally you
need to hook up an extractor to keep your work
area relatively cleanDesigned primarily for routers
fitted with protruding guide
bushes, the Pod is just as
handy for any portable router
with a cutter installedThe base on my biggest^1 ⁄ 2 in router
is about 180mm across, which sat
firmly on the Pod with no difficultyFour rubber feet prevent it sliding
across a surface and there are
matching recesses in the top so
you can stack another Pod aboveO
ften the most basic tools work best,
where there’s very little to go wrong.
This is true of Trend’s new Router Pod,
a simple solution to avoid damaging
a bench top or work surface when placing a router
down after use. Sometimes it’s annoying having
to retract a plunge router at the end of each
operation when you’ve a quantity of cutting work
to do. Designed primarily for routers fitted with
protruding guide bushes, the Pod is just as handy
for any portable router with a cutter installed,
no matter what the size.
Lightweight but strong
Made from ABS plastic, the D-shaped Pod
is lightweight but strong. Measuring 173mm
across and 153mm from front to back, the flat
top is textured, rather than completely smooth.
Four rubber feet prevent it sliding across a surface
and there are matching recesses in the top so you
can stack another Pod above. This is useful when
you’re using a big router with a deep cutter. Each
Pod stands about 45mm high, so a pair should
accommodate the longest bit. The aperture is
65mm across, so there’s plenty of room for a large
SPECIFICATION
Input: 710W
Planing depth: 2mm
Rebating depth: 8mm
No-load speed: 16,000rpm
Weight: 2.6kg
Voltage: 220-240V
Sound pressure level: 88,0 dB(A)Typical price: £60
Web: http://www.skil.com; http://www.diy.comSPECIFICATION
Internal diameter: 65mm
Height: 45mm
Size: 173 × 153mmTypical price: £9.95
Web: http://www.trend-uk.comTHE VERDICT
PROS
(^) Excellent finish; reversible blades
CONS
(^) Don’t expect to cut narrow chamfers
RATING: 4 out of 5
THE VERDICT
PROS
(^) Cheap; stackable; increases router safety
CONS
(^) You may want more than one...
RATING: 5 out of 5
Even with the depth knob set at zero, the planer
produced a 7mm wide chamfer.
Conclusion
As a DIY power tool the SKIL is actually pretty
good. There’s not much that can go wrong with
a planer, and at £60 it represents good value.
Replacement blades are easy to source when
you need them.
diameter cutter. The base on my biggest
(^1) ⁄ 2 in router is about 180mm across, which
sat firmly on the Pod with no difficulty.
there’s a parking foot at the rear, so you can put
the tool down without fear of dinging a surface
with cutters that haven’t quite reached standstill.
A plastic stop is provided for rebating and
is simply screwed to the side of the tool, giving
a maximum depth of 8mm. A steel fence is also
included, which you’ll need to get a straight
rebate. This screws to the opposite side and
is adjustable for width.
The lightweight, rather flimsy fabric dustbag
can be attached to either side of the tool.
Depending on what side you want the chips
ejected you turn a central selector lever, which
moves a baffle to left or right. During testing a
fair amount of chips were ejected from beneath
the planer, though hooked up to a powerful dust
extractor these were almost nonexistent.
Conclusion
You could make something similar for your router
from offcuts, but most of the time we prefer to
be getting on with a project rather than building
accessories. And if space is tight in your workshop,
the Router Pod hardly takes up any extra room
as you can store a router on top.