Is the COMPASS worth it over a cheaper router table?

If you cut raised panels, dados or repeated lengths and need the fence to return to the same setting, the cast iron top and dual fine-tuning justify the price. For occasional hobby work, a lighter table costs far less.

Do I need to buy the table, fence and cabinet separately?

Harvey lists the RT-800 table, RF-36 fence and RT-DC cabinet as components, so confirm which parts a given listing includes. The fence alone does not make a working table.

Does it come with a router plate or a router?

No. The router mounting plate is not included, and neither is a router. The table is compatible with router lifts, so budget for a lift or plate plus your router.

What dust collection do I need?

The cabinet has a 4 in (100 mm) port and the fence has a 2-1/2 in (63.5 mm) upper port. A shop dust collector with a 4 in hose covers the cabinet; a shop vac can handle the fence port.

Metric or imperial fence?

Both versions exist. The metric fence adjusts in 1 mm knob steps with a 0.02 mm scale; the imperial fence uses 1/20 in knob steps with a 0.001 in scale. Pick the one that matches your other tools and plans.

Harvey runs periodic sales and bundles, and the full system costs less than buying the table, fence and cabinet separately. Check the price history before buying.

What do buyers say about the COMPASS Router Table System?

Rated 4.9 out of 5 from 109 ratings. Buyers like: Very heavy and made very well; Solid build, easy to install; Fence is the best in the industry once past the learning curve. Common complaints: Fence has a learning curve; Quite costly.

COMPASS Router Table System

4.9

Last price we saw

$699.00at Harvey Woodworking, last seen Oct 30

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Our take on the COMPASS Router Table System

The COMPASS is Harvey's three-part router table system: the RT-800 stainless cast iron table, the RF-36 aluminum fence, and the RT-DC dust collection cabinet. The fence is the headline part, with a dual fine-tuning mechanism that adjusts fence in-line position and outfeed face offset separately, plus two flip stops and a laser-etched scale. The table is 31-1/2 in wide and 1-3/4 in thick, and the cabinet carries a 4 in dust port. It is a premium, heavy setup (about 11 kg for the fence assembly alone) aimed at serious woodworkers, and it is priced accordingly.

Best for

What reviewers say

Rated 4.9 out of 5 from 109 ratings, owners mostly call the build quality excellent and the fence the best they have used. The common gripes are cost, weight and a fence learning curve.

Pros

Very heavy and very well made
Fence is the best in the industry once you learn it
Table is first class and dust collection works well
Packaging and customer service are top notch

Cons

Fence has a learning curve
Quite costly
Very heavy

About the COMPASS Router Table System

IN STOCK

For a Router Table system, a solid Cast lron Table, an accurate and versatile Fence System, and an efficient dust collection setup are the four most important parts to ensure pleasant operations. After decade of research and development, Harvey is excited to introduce the new COMPASS Router Table System, which is composed of a heavy-duty Cast Iron Table, an innovative Fence System and a well-thought-out dust collection cabinet.

Especially, the Harvey COMPASS RF-36 Router Table Fence is dedicatedly designed to solve the most popular issues with the existing fences in the market. RF-36 fence is built with a special "Dual Fine-Tuning" Mechanism to allow for fine adjustments of Fence In-line Position and Out feed Fence Face Offset Position with high accuracy and ease. The design will tremendously increase the efficiency of a router table tuning and the accuracy of your works. In addition, the RF-36 fence is equipped with two flip stops for your multiple cutting length control. The dust port is aerodynamically optimized for the best dust collection efficiency.

Like every other Harvey products, the COMPASS Router Table System is built with the highest possible materials, accuracy and craftsmanship. We sincerely hope the COMPASS Router Table System will help you to raise your woodworking to a next level.

Enjoy your woodworking!

RF-36 COMPASS Router Table Fence

* RF-36 COMPASS Router Table Fence can be purchased separately.

Featuring the unique Dual Fine -tuning Mechanism, an aerodynamically designed dust port, flip stops and laser etched scale, this fence made of anodized aircraft- grade aluminum will greatly improve your efficiency and expand your working capacity to a new notch.

The router fence is available in metric and imperial versions.

Dual Fine-tuning Mechanism

Zero Clearance Fine-tuning Mechanism of Main Fence

The main fence is designed with a zero clearance fine-tuning mechanism.

Double brass nuts structure with a strong spring ensure the zero clearance of the fine-tuning mechanism.

The lateral play can be easily eliminated by adjusting the two set screws on the guide bar, which presents a much high adjusting accuracy of the whole Fence. The two ball bearings ensure the smoothness while sliding the whole Fence.

For metric version, the increment of a full turn of the micro-adjustment knob is 1mm, and the increment for each turn of one grid in the scale ring is 0.02mm; for imperial version, the increment of a full turn of the micro-adjustment knob is 1/20", and the increment for each turn of one grid in the scale ring is 0.001"

Zero Clearance Fine-tuning Mechanism of Fence Face

The outfeed fence face can also be adjusted separately with a Fine-tuning Mechanism.

What buyers say

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