While setting up my 3 1/4 hp PC router, mounted in a router table, I had difficultly adjusting the bit height. It would only move an up and down about a 1/2″ and would lock up. This router lives in the router table, and has not been removed for a couple of years. After a lot of frustration, and using an air hose I was able to remove the motor from the fixed base. A long string of compacted wood dust, shaped like the keyway of the fixed base fell out. I have been good about cleaning the air intake of the motor , but after this , I will take the time to clean the fixed base also.
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Replies
I try to "tune up" all equipment at the first of the year. I install a nylon screen over the motor below the collet; I use a QTip and solvents to clean the collet, and blow out dust and debris from the collet. I remove the fixed base; give it a rub with emery cloth and lubricate the same; check all wires, plugs, and switches. I replace a lot of plugs every year.
Boris
"Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934
John - I'll tell you what I did to stop that problem.
My router table is 4'x8'. Actually, my router is in the end of my rolling workbench that contains my lathe, drill press, grinder, and overhead sander.
Under the router plate I built a 12" x 12" x 12" box out of scrap 1/4" plywood. The back of the box is connected to a 4" DC pipe. I cut a 2" diameter hole in the center bottom of the box and surrounded the hole (inside) with 4" tall closed cell foam. When I place the router and plate into the opening, the bottom (top?) of the router presses into the foam cylinder. i.e. make the foam cylinder just slightly smaller than that end of your router.
When I turn on my DC, it pulls air down thru the top plate hole and up through the router windings from the bottom hole. Result? No dust in the router and a much cooler running motor. I sometimes will have my router running continuously for 30 minutes or more.
My router plate is 1/4" aluminum plate purchased off of Ebay.
Hmmm, I just realized the I been doing this every day for two years and have never checked the router brushes. Guess I better do that!!!!! (that's why I like PC tools!)
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)
PlaneWood
CJohn,I found out the hard way. I once had a Stanley router/planer combination Had it's own carrying case.
After using the brand new setup for one or two door jobs, I packed it all up along with some templates I make for routing out hinges/door pulls/lock mortises,I started up the router once again AND BLOOIE! Spat sparks screamed an oath and died.
One little 5/8" brad must have been rolling around in that box and made a home inside the air vent holes.
Had to run out and buy a new router after the tool repair guy
declared it 'Roadkill' Stein.
Thats why I cover those holes with nylon screen. It doesn't stop fine dust, but does keep wood chips and other large items out of the router.
The nylon screen is attached with epoxy.
Regards,
Boris
"Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934
Thank's for all the idea's! They will help my router enjoy a long life.
FYI - I checked my router brushes and they looked like new ones. Still 3/4" inch long.
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood
I need to check mine to.
you know it was dirty when you get done cleaning it and it is not only noticeably smoother, but lighter, too. ;-)
m
another clear case for buying a shaper instead of trying to adapt one tool to do anothers work..
Frenchy -
I have two routers. One has been used only in a table for years. It's used every day and I have not had one iota of trouble with it. Now, I bought that PC router for about $140 I think. Just a plain jane ol Porter Cable router.
Now, I could buy probably 10 of those routers for the price of one decent shaper. Sorry, but shaper economics don't add up for me.
I would like to have a shaper, but for what I'm doing right now, it probably wouldn't see much use.
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood
If you're not a tool snob, then look at Grizzley..
For less than the price of a router you can buy their bench top shaper.. It's good, Honest, decent, OK piece of equipment.The next size is still less than a router and lift will cost and that's a stand alone piece of equipment.. Designed to do what it's doing,... not adapted to doing something else..
Now I know there isn't alot of sex appeal to a Grizzley, hey the stupid things are painted green and I hate,, Repeat HATE green.
I buy them because the darn things work well. they are simple rugged machines that do a nice job.. The fact that they are much cheaper than others is only a bonus... (honest! ;-)
If there is one consistant point of iritation for me it's guys who spend their time in the shop making adaptors to make a tool that is designed to do one thing do another..
Why not instead of making a beter crosscut sled (for example) actually make something.
(sorry,, rants over)
I have both a shaper and a couple of router tables. The shaper is tops for heavy work like raised panels, and stiles and rails. I can also make my own knives for custom profiles.
But there are a lot of things a router does better. It's a lot faster and cheaper to set up for simple edge treatments. It's great for sliding dovetails and the like. And I'd much rather rout dados on a router table than with an edge guide. I'd say I use a router table about 10 times as often as the shaper, but then I 'm not doing a lot of "heavy" work right now.
Michael R.
Micheal,
I'm not suggesting that someone throw away their router. Heck I've got two of them myself.. but for something that you use a router with a lift table, the shaper is the solution. Since the price of a shaper is often close to or cheaper than what a router and a lift table is to me it's a no brainer..
On the other hand some people like to work out on a tredmill and some just like to build tools to build tools so I guess what I'm saying is if you want to waste time in the shop building a lift table for your router, go ahead.. If on the other hand you want to do some work and your choice is a lift table and router or a simple shaper. Well.....
Frenchy -
If I ever get to build my ideal shop, it will have a shaper in it. Right now, there ain't no room!
Hmmm, I guess I could set one where my table saw used to set. Gave that to my son about a year ago and don't miss it one bit!
How would you route the edges of plane handles on a shaper?? Are there any shapers that go up to 20,000 rpm and have bits with bearing guides???
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood
Planewood,
shapers come in all sizes from little benchtops which are the size of router lift tables up to the bigger 5 horsepowered units. (yeh those are the size of a table saw) (by the way I totally agree with you on the lack of value of a table saw. give me a bandsaw or evan a skil saw with a straight edge and a jointer any day!) My own shaper is a three horsepowered one. It is perfect for me but then few people use as much wood in their hobby as I do..
as for router speed, that's one of the big downfalls as I see it of a router.
20,000 rpm isn't needed to cut something (or shape it etc.) if you look the bigger more professional equipment slows things down. A ten inch tablesaw spins faster than a 12 inch one will for example. You can do that if you have the power and the result is fewer burns, easier control and smoother finish. The cutters last considerably longer than the bits for a router do evan when shaping the miles of wood that I shape.. while they are a little more expensive they last so much longer.
The reason routers spin as fast as they do is to make up for their lack of mass. they have very tiny motors for the power they put out but they get that power by spinning insane speeds.. Think of them as formula 1 race cars against a semi truck.. both will get you there but the Semi will do it for a million miles while a Formula 1 will do it for about 500 miles..
yes there are ways to set guides on shaper bits. normally you guide the wood by setting fences etc.. rather than guide the shaper.
Please understand I think that routers have their place.. I own two of them.. it's just that anything you do with a router and lift table can be done by a shaper and usually done better and faster..
as for space, my "shop" is the corner where all the tools are on wheels and I roll them out to use them and roll them in when finished.. I can't imagine what layout would work for all of the many operations that I do, and the amount of space I'd need to have the correct amount around each piece of equipment would soon run me out of the shop. I have things set so that in less than three minutes I can have any piece of equipment plugged in a running with enough space to do whatever job needs doing.. (since some of my wood is over 24 feet long that means I need at least 25 feet on either side of the machine in use)..
well if I need to make infeed tables and outfeed tables It might take me an additional three minutes..
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