CONTROLLING ROUTER SPEEDS

Have you tried a rheostat dimmer switch?

-- Pretzel L8agn

I have successfully overcome this on ALL of my routers that I might put in the router table—I REMOVE the little bugger. If you’re not afraid to crack open your machine, you’ll find the little b_stard. It’s like a small box with a couple of leads that go between the switch and the motor. Remove it and straight wire the switch, button her back up and now you can use the aftermarket speed controller. DONE. This truly is the only way to overcome the “soft start” mechanism. Anything else will most likely ruin your motor.

As a caveat, if you do perform this modification you will void any and all warranties. I don’t care so I do it anyway. I’m crazy like that. Actually, I just put the “thing” in a baggie and save it till the warranty runs out then I toss it, but not until I drive a 10p nail through its tiny little dark heart.

always,
J.C.
aka The other white meat

-- "Imagination is more important than knowledge" -- Albert Einstein

So, J.C., are you saying you don’t like the soft start feature? ;-)

-- Mark

Mark, soft start is okay until it gets in your way, then it has to be adios you little encumbrance to my forward progress. ;-)

always,
J.C.

-- "Imagination is more important than knowledge" -- Albert Einstein

I kinda like the soft start.

-- Maplewood, MN

I wholly agree JC.

Norm.

” Exceptions to the rule should not become the rule”

I feel the same way—- in part—- rikkor,

The design option certainly has it’s use; but that feature also places a major limitation on results , due to being restricted to a constant speed.
This does not pose a problem when running smaller sized bits, but unless you have an unending sand paper supply, time, and or a wood stove, you will not want to run large bits in this fashion.

Norm.

best answer, buy a new tool, works every time. Proudly own 3 routers now

-- Pretzel L8agn

I’m sure a second switch could be installed that would allow you to select either use the soft start or apply power directly to the motor. That would be my solution if I had a router with soft-start, but then I have worked with electronics for 25+ years. If I knew how the little box was wired into the circuit, I could make a diagram of how to set this up for you but, since my router is older without the soft start feature, I’d just be guessing.

Jim

Your right Jim there are several ways to do this including adding a switch. A double pole double throw switch installed downstream of the softstart capacitor with one set of poles fed from the softstart output and the other set of poles fed from the power supply upstream of the softstart.

Of course fitting all of this into your existing router is another callenge.

As mentioned above, the most logical options are to bypass the softstart (JC’s idea) or bit the bullet and add another power tool the ever expanding toolbox.

-- I can so I wood but why are my learning curves always circles

The proper way to vary the output speed is with a variable frequecy drive or a variable output transformer. Both are expensive and probably more than what you can get on craigslist for a second router.

I have a Bosch 1617? that has soft start and variable speed. Solves all these problems and costs a little over $200 with two bases.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

Thanks Tpastore,

I remember seeing such an animal in my search for a after market control, and you are spot on regarding the price.

Way out of my reach at present , but I can appreciate the value of such an addition.

Norm.

Bosch 1617:

Thanks for the heads up.
I am partial to Porta-cable, but will research the 1617 before I commit, always like to hear from satisfied users.

Norm.

I have a reostat for my flex shaft, with a foot switch that is variable speed. ..... but with the pedal all the way down it only goes as fast as the reostat allows it ?

Dave

-- Dave Leitem,Butler,Pa.,http://dlcarver.etsy.com

I’ve got that same Bosch kit and I love it. Great for table and hand-held.

-- Check out my new website! http://www.theeasellife.com

Good to know Blake,

I have made a notation on the 1617 and will research it.

Thanks, Norm.

Very interesting Dave,

Perhaps the solution to the problem may be a simple fix: try tapping down on the pedal once like you would in a car, it may just help it to change the gear ratio , and speed things up !

Bye the by if you have the time , look up the Austrian stock exchange, I understand that they are featuring a bumper crop of # 2 spaghetti and the stock can be had at the cheap !

As simple solutions seem to work the best I thought that I might pass this along also:

I just today helped out a fellow having low pressure problems with his tires.

The fix in this case was to simply take out the winter air, and replace it with summer air !

As he was a fellow tradesman, I related to him how benifical I found the the Lumberjocks site , and suggested that he give it a try.

” the exception to the rule, should not become the rule “

Norm.

Jcees:

Einstein was a brilliant man true enough, and that fact shines through in any number of his quotations.
What made him so, and what set him apart from the status quo, was that he dared to read beyond line 3 !
I.e., he was a risk taker of the highest order, and it was common place for him to think and act outside the box. W. Wordsworth also spoke to imagination , and ends one verse in saying that it is ” Reason in her most exalted mood ” .

I plan on doing ” the by-pass ” soon.

” exceptions to the rule, should not become the rule ”

Norm.