At first glance the Bosch RA 1054 looks unwieldy, complicated and maybe even fragile with multiple poles, thumbsrews, springs and a large dial in the rear. But I must admit that after a thorough review of the owners manual and little pre-marking of my project the performace thus far has been pretty good. I used the guide to cut six mortises in solid maple 3x3 stock for a bed project I'm working on. To be honest, I completely skipped the use of the set-up dial by pre-marking all my mortises directly on the stock, then simply lining up the cuts based on the width of the router bit I was using. During use the guide is stable, with a large and stout edge that worked well with the stock I was routing. Smaller stock may present a different complication. The guide was cake to set up in both the plunge and fixed bases of the Bosch 1617pk I was using (which by the way works like a dream - if only I had gotten the variable speed model!). Downsides so far...no carrying case for the guide which I predict will lead to damage ultimately (remember all the poles, springs dials etc...protruding out) and despite the ample space in the case of the 1617pk router, the guide doesn't fit in there either. Additionally, the guide makes placing the router when not in use a real trick. Due to its size the guide tends to pull the router over if left inverted on the workbench, and tips it forward even if place bit side down. My solution so far is to rest the non-guide half of the entire setup on a piece of 1x stock which works pretty well. Time will tell how well the guide ultimately works with small stock, precise setup requiring the setup dials and the durability of the thing. But for now, it's all I was able to find to work with. Folks at Bosh need to take a look at the new Porter Cable guide. That things looks like a steel I beam, seems simple to use, has one-piece design and appears to be quite sturdy. If Bosch doesn't come to the table with one, maybe an aftermarket maker will. A router the quality of the 1617pk deserves to have accessories of the same quality and build. Overall this is an acceptable edge guide that could be sturdier, simpler and come with a carrying case. Good wood working everyone! Bosch RA1054 Deluxe Router Edge Guide With Dust Extraction Hood & Vacuum Hose Adapter
The unit attaches easily and the micro adjust ( the same as on their 1617EVS router) allow you to get extremely accurate adjustments. It lives up to the High quality of all the other Bosch products I've owned.
Just made a large fluted column with the guide, and it worked very well. The tool has a very large adjustable edge guide for stable contact with the wood edge. The micro-adjustment feature worked very well. Rods are lengthy, so cuts can be made a long distance from the wood edge. With the router attached, it is quite top heavy. I place a wood spacer under the rods when at rest, or else the router will tip over if placed upright. Save the box and use for a case, no case is supplied. Material used could be a little more solid, considering the fairly hefty price.
this little guy is a work horse, it gets used almost every day, very precise. i wish it only came w/ different widths of plastic guide plates the stock ones are too thick for some jobs. it would cut down on the amount of clamping and re-clamping
This product is big and was easy to setup and was a joy to use. We are remodeling our house, I bought this guide to make fluted columns. They turn out beautiful. Anyone who has a Bosch Router has to buy this product. Dennis Hammonds of Dennis Hammonds const.
I have only had a chance to use this edge guide a couple of times, but so far I'm very happy with it. I particularly like the micro-adjust feature, which should come in handy when using bits without bearings. The dust collection seems to work about as well as you can expect it to.
One word of warning ... there are lots of wing screws to tighten before you're ready to tear into your workpiece. I left some loose after an adjustment, and the router predictably went astray, marring the scrap piece I was playing with.
This isn't an inexpensive accessory, but it is full featured, and I feel like I got my money's worth in that it expands the usefulness of my router.
Finally got around to trying this guide out by making some slots for t-track. I maxed out the extension on the guide, the worst case scenario for poor tracking. I was expecting it to rack or twist. I was pleasantly surprised when it just worked. The plastic glides slid smoothly on the edge, the bars didn't rack or twist, it was just smooth sailing. The micro adjust works the same as the base adjustment on my 1617. Only disappointment is the max dept from the edge. I don't know that any of the other guides are better fwiw. - Tools - Woodworking - Bosch - Router'
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