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Independent Review of the Xtreme Xtension
© John Bullar 2004
previously published in The Router magazine
Extension collets tackle the problem of insufficient shaft length on router bits when using a router table. Router bits usually have short shafts to avoid vibration. Extenders give the extra length we need, but moving the forces on the bit away from the bearings increases the risk of whip and vibration - a heavy half-inch bit vibrating out of balance at speed is a scary thing. The most notable features of the Xtreme Xtension, or XX, are its weight and its quality. This seriously heavy-duty 30mm extender is machined from high-grade steel to a standard that would look more at home in an aircraft works than a woodwork shop. Even so, for price of it you could buy a basic router, so is it worth it?
One look at the XX tells you it is totally rigid and the device itself cannot whip. The heavy body acts as a flywheel to balance against the force of cutting and the makers have drilled one side for dynamic balance.
Instead of holding the bit with a compression nut and split collar like other extenders, the bit shaft slides into a fine tolerance bore in the extender body. A side bolt then slides a wedge against the shaft to grip it.
I always thought fitting the bit in a table-mounted router was a task better suited to an octopus than a woodworker! You reach underneath to lock the shaft, locate the bit from above, tighten with a spanner from the side while trying to prevent the collet adapter dropping into oblivion. However, with XX clamped in the router, changing bits is a piece of cake. There is no need to lock the rotation, the Allen key supplied slides in the side bolt to do the tightening without turning the router. Everything is done above table level.
You need patience to adjust the XX mounting in the existing router collet for vibration- free cutting with large bits. I took several attempts to get the balance right for bearing-guided cutters, but the end results were excellent. The short 1/4 inch adaptor supplied with XX jammed and I had a job removing it – after that I used the longer adaptor that came with my router, so I could pull it out.
Simple in concept, well thought out and beautifully manufactured, if you are prepared to pay the price of this quality component and set it up carefully in a half inch table-mounted router, Xtreme Xtension will reward you with an extended range of routing possibilities.
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