Hello All,
This might be a bit of an odd question, but I’ll ask it anyway.
I’ve just purchased a new plunge router (Bosch 1619EVS) and was planning on storing it in a new mobile tool cabinet that I’m building. The cabinet design I’m following has roughly a 12″ high cupboard space with doors above a couple of drawers.
My question is this: My new router is considerably taller than 12″ high with the plunge mechanism fully released (between 14″ and 15″). Will I do any harm to the router by compressing the plunge mechanism to get the height down to below 12″ for for extended periods of storage (several weeks to possibly several months at a time)? I’m only a hobbyist woodworker so even though I manage to spend at least a few hours in the shop most weekends, I certainly won’t need to use my plunge router every week. Thus, it could end up staying in storage for extended periods of time.
Should I be concerned about this? If necessary, I could eliminate one of the drawers in the tool cabinet so that the cupboard space could be enlarged to accommodate the router with the plunge mechanism fully uncompressed if prolonged compression would put undesirable strain on the mechanism when the router is stored.
Any thoughts? Should I find something more important to worry about? :>)
Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide.
Dru
Replies
Not to worry.
Have many stored in all states of compression. Have replaced a lot of components (& thrown a lot out!) but never a motor head spring.
Routers
Ditto
The physical fact is that keeping a spring under compression will gradually weaken it. It takes a very long time, however. Consider springs under an automobile. They last the life of the car usually. The router mfrs aren't worried. My PC must be compressed for storage in its factory-made case. So, don't worry about the springs. They are probably too strong anyway. What bugs me is having to compress the thing to store it then release it if I want to use it. If I come up with some extra storage space, I will store mine with springs relaxed. Guess I'm lazy.Do you have something else to worry about? Be prepared.Cadiddlehopper
This topic comes up quite often in the handgun shooting sports when discussing keeping magazines loaded (comressed spring) or unloaded (uncompressed spring). The consensus is that it is a myth that keeping a spring compressed will weaken it, as long as the spring is not physically compressed more than what it was designed for. Spring weaken over time from use as they are cycled from a compressed to uncompressed state. Store your router any way you wish (I too keep mine compressed when not in use) and worry about someting else! ;)
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