Published on: WOODSHOPNEWS.COM
The strongest way to join two parts is with a mortise and tenon, but traditional methods using the table saw, router table and bandsaw require multiple setups and allow unnecessary room for error. They’re also slow and often not easily repeatable.
There’s a better option. Actually, a much better way…
A competing joinery machine moves the table holding the workpiece to the router and then moves the workpiece back and forth, which makes longer, angled or compound-angled joinery difficult. The PantoRouter moves the router to the workpiece, which is secured to a stationary table. This is a huge advantage for accuracy and safety.
The PantoRouter’s clamping table is the largest in its category, with ten full-width T-slots. Some other machines have bench-dog holes at fixed positions on a smaller table, limiting clamping options. Three types of clamps are available for the PantoRouter, including air-operated clamps and two types of manual lever clamps.
The PantoRouter uses a patented template system to dial in tenons to their mortise perfectly. Other machines use different-sized templates (sold separately) for a tighter or looser joint, but they come in increments that often don’t make a perfect fit. The PantoRouter templates allow much finer adjustment, and once the fit is achieved, it can be locked so it’s highly repeatable.
One of the PantoRouter template systems lets the woodworker make up to 156 different sizes of mortise and tenons, all of which automatically center on the template holder, so setup could not be easier.
The PantoRouter’s dust collection is by far the best in class. A patented hood opens without tools for easy access to change bits, and unlike other joinery machines, the router doesn’t need to be removed from the machine for bit or collet changes. The router is not enclosed in a box where dust is blown through the motor windings, as with other joinery machines.
The PantoRouter also makes quick work of box/finger joints and dovetails, and set-up takes just a couple of minutes. A fully illustrated How-To Guide and online instructional videos walk the woodworker through the process. Simple and compound angles are easy to set up on the big table with numerous clamping options. Several accessories, jigs and fixtures are also available, and videos showing how many other woodworking operations are made faster, easier, and safer than with other shop tools.
Many highly regarded woodworkers have discovered the PantoRouter over the years and rely on it for creating even the most complex furniture. Professional furniture makers appreciate the PantoRouter’s speed, accuracy and reliability to improve profit and deliver jobs in a timely fashion. Serious hobbyists improve their projects by adding strong and durable joinery, and schools appreciate the ease of use and safety of the PantoRouter, which is sold factory-direct from the website. Also rare in our industry is the PantoRouter’s excellent customer support. Customers can call and talk live to an experienced woodworker with questions or ideas.