Ryobi router mounting screw question

[oldpops]

Hello all! After an hour of my time was wasted with the RYOBI customer chat line, I thought I would come here and see if anyone here knows the answer. I have a RYOBI router, model R163G, and I need to know the size & type of the 3 screws that are used to hold the router to the bottom of the router table. There are 3 threaded screws and none of the screws I have work. The guy from Pakistan or India on the chat line just referred me to the parts list, which I have, and it doesn't show those 3 screws. They tried their best but they were of no help. ** Also, there is a hole for an ALLEN/HEX tool to reach down and adjust the router up or down (through a hole in the router table and router base). Does anyone here know the size and where we can get such a tool? Everyone here in the past has been great so I am hoping for some more magic! Thanks in advance for all who offer help and advice!

 

[kaymccampbell]

It's gonna be metric. When I installed my metric Bosch router in a table, I just retapped it in imperial machine screw sizes. Solved all my problems, cause I could fish in the bolt bucket for what I needed.

As for the allen wrench, you do what I did, and poke in the hole with metric Allen wrenches until I found the right size. Then I bought a cheapie T-handle set from HF, picked out the one I wanted, and put that with the router.

 

[no704]

Screw w wooden pin into the hole, then measure the results.

 

[The Cobbler]

yes, very likely metric. take a screw to a real hardware store & match it up . and the hex will be metric too.

 

[oldpops]

That's the thing, I don't have any screw to fit the router (none came with it, and the RYOBI customer service chat line was useless). Was hoping somebody here had some experience with RYOBI routers and knew what size it was

 

[dogdog]

The guy on the call is just a level 1 phone answering service, they don’t have any more info than you do off what ever website they are provided. Probably a contract services as well.

Just take the base to Lowe’s or HD they have a wide selection of it. Not 100% sure about Royabi.
It’s either m8x1.0 or 10-32 should be common among all routers with just two specs. I think lowes is where I got mine for the craftsman pro ones I have.

Just check your base and see if you needed pan head or counter sunk ones. It will be pretty obvious.

 

[dogdog]

Maybe m6x1.0 the point is the base is removable you should be able to just take it there and fit one, it’s not a rare unobtainium that is only available from Royabi

 

[ez-duzit]

This is all stuff you can easily do yourself. Use your metric taps to determine the thread size. Try your Allen wrenches until you find the right fit.

 

[nadogail]

I have come to the conclusion that Royobi power tools and I are mutually incompatible.

They might be OK for a hobby shop, but they have let me down too often.

 

[Garcky]

Take your router to a hardware store and head for the fastener section. Look in the drawers for metric screws. Try 6mm and 8mm ones. If it's a Ryobi, the screws will be metric, and those are the two common sizes. When you find the screw that fits, buy as many as you need in the right length and head design.

That's the easy way to figure this out. Shouldn't take more than five minutes, once you get to the hardware store.

 

[oldpops]

Thanks everybody!

 

[duneslider]

I do have to say that this is super lame that there isn't just a standard for this. There is no reason there needs to be a bunch of different sizes and number of holes.

 

[Garcky]

I do have to say that this is super lame that there isn't just a standard for this. There is no reason there needs to be a bunch of different sizes and number of holes.

Who would set the standards? Every company designs its own tools. For routers, every maker of routers also makes router tables, which it sells as accessories for its routers. So, every router base is different, in size, placement of attachment holes, etc. Again, who would set such standards?

 

[lilredex]

Why fool around screwing it up to the underside? Make your own base and drop it in from the top.


Found a parts list for that and #1 screws are 10-32 X 1/4", so who knows...

https://www.partswarehouse.com/Ryobi-R163G-Double-Insulated-Fixed-Base-Router-s/11347.htm

 

[duneslider]

Who would set the standards? Every company designs its own tools. For routers, every maker of routers also makes router tables, which it sells as accessories for its routers. So, every router base is different, in size, placement of attachment holes, etc. Again, who would set such standards?

Who set the standard that collets would be 1/4" and 1/2"? The industry got together and decided that those would be the standard sizes, I have no clue how exactly that happened but it clearly did happen.

Very few router manufacturers make their own router tables. Most router tables are made by 3rd parties. Sure, Ryobi, skill and Bosch make a cheap router table (they all look the same, so probably all made by the same chinese company).

And yes, I am sure they all do it to make it harder for various accessories they make but its not like any couldn't go out and just make one with the same hole pattern. It would be cool if they focused on making quality accessories instead of focusing on making **** that is exclusive to their router. We are talking about a hole pattern and size to mount to a router table here not some proprietary trade secret they spend R&D dollars on.

 

[Garcky]

Who set the standard that collets would be 1/4" and 1/2"? The industry got together and decided that those would be the standard sizes, I have no clue how exactly that happened but it clearly did happen.

Very few router manufacturers make their own router tables. Most router tables are made by 3rd parties. Sure, Ryobi, skill and Bosch make a cheap router table (they all look the same, so probably all made by the same chinese company).

And yes, I am sure they all do it to make it harder for various accessories they make but its not like any couldn't go out and just make one with the same hole pattern. It would be cool if they focused on making quality accessories instead of focusing on making **** that is exclusive to their router. We are talking about a hole pattern and size to mount to a router table here not some proprietary trade secret they spend R&D dollars on.

I'm pretty sure those collet sizes were more or less standards before anyone made routers.

Looking around, it appears that there are many "universal" base plates designed for routers to be attached to router tables. They have holes in them where the routers have holes. In this case, it's just a matter for the person asking the question of what size and thread pitch the screws used are. My original suggestion was to take that router to the hardware store and find some suitable screws that fit. Seems pretty simple to me.

With the model number of the router, no doubt you could use Google to find out what size of screws are needed, but you'd still have to go to the hardware store, so no time would be saved. I can't count how many times I've gone to such a store with the thing that needed a screw in hand, if I couldn't find an appropriate one in my very full box of miscellaneous fasteners. It hasn't taken me very long to find what I needed and get back to the job at hand on any of those trips.

 

[tsondie21]

Just in case anyone else is looking for the actual answer - the screws are 5/16 - 18 . Length will depend on the thickness of what you’re mounting it too.

 

[neophyte]

Who would set the standards? Every company designs its own tools. For routers, every maker of routers also makes router tables, which it sells as accessories for its routers. So, every router base is different, in size, placement of attachment holes, etc. Again, who would set such standards?

Not all routers are completely different.
The edge guides for some Dewalt routers actually fit some Bosch routers.
The collects used for the Dewalt DW625 routers were used by several different manufacturers as well.
Screws can be somewhat problematic, because older routers from manufacturers might have been designed to use metric or US standard fasteners depending on when and where the routers were designed and manufactured.
The above Dewalt router was originally an Elu design, that was first manufactured in Germany, then Switzerland, and only got rebranded yo Dewalt later.
Bosch purchased Stanley's power tool division decades ago, so it’s possible some Bosch tools may use Inch sizing, but I’m not sure.
Usually over time, standards do emerge, and get used by other manufacturers, but it takes a while.
The Porter Cable router guide bushings became so standard, that even Bosch and Festool make adapters to use the guides, even though both manufacturers have their own guide bushing systems.
The Bosch 1617 series of routers originally also would fit porter cable bases, until Bosch needed to switch the motor housing to aluminum due to corrosion issues with the original Magnesium design, and the motor housings became slightly larger.
Screws are usually just one of those things manufacturers don’t think about in a lot of cases.

 

[neophyte]

Who set the standard that collets would be 1/4" and 1/2"? The industry got together and decided that those would be the standard sizes, I have no clue how exactly that happened but it clearly did happen.

Very few router manufacturers make their own router tables. Most router tables are made by 3rd parties. Sure, Ryobi, skill and Bosch make a cheap router table (they all look the same, so probably all made by the same chinese company).

And yes, I am sure they all do it to make it harder for various accessories they make but its not like any couldn't go out and just make one with the same hole pattern. It would be cool if they focused on making quality accessories instead of focusing on making **** that is exclusive to their router. We are talking about a hole pattern and size to mount to a router table here not some proprietary trade secret they spend R&D dollars on.

Standard for collets aren’t just 1/4” and 1/2”.
Those are the most common standards for collets in the USA.
Dewalt and Bosch, and maybe other USA based manufacturers used to offer 3/8” as a standard collet size on their “flagship” router models.
5/16” may also have been a standard.
I presume these may have been made for 3/8” shank spiral bits, since those are the only bits I’ve commonly seen with 3/8” or 5/16” shanks, usually when the bit is only slightly smaller or larger than 3/8” or 5/16”.
8mm has also become a sort of standard in the USA, but the bits with 8mm shanks are harder to find, and available thru less manufacturers.
The 8mm standard shank design comes from Europe, and became standard because routers from certain European manufacturers, like Festool, offered 8mm as the maximum shank size, and 8mm offered extra stiffness over 1/4” router bit shanks.
Bosch also sold 8mm collects as a standard extra for routers for the past 30 years.
In Europe, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, and 12mm, are all common standard for bit shanks.