Tricked-out overarm pin router

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reible
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Re: Tricked-out overarm pin router

Post by reible »

Got the stop collar on order over at Amazon, last one they had in stock. Didn't try to price around as I had several things I needed from Amazon anyway. Should have it Tuesday unless it heads to some far off place first.

How did the angle iron work for you? I've tried to do similar thing and have not been pleased with the results. My unit came with the top damaged, perhaps fell or something and the edge was damaged. I redid it with epoxy but found a newer top in much better condition so I replaced it. It seemed quite flat at least at that time but it has been a number of years ago. I need to check again I guess.

Ed
{Knight of the Shopsmith} [Hero's don't wear capes, they wear dog tags]
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BuckeyeDennis
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Re: Tricked-out overarm pin router

Post by BuckeyeDennis »

reible wrote:Got the stop collar on order over at Amazon, last one they had in stock. Didn't try to price around as I had several things I needed from Amazon anyway. Should have it Tuesday unless it heads to some far off place first.

How did the angle iron work for you? I've tried to do similar thing and have not been pleased with the results. My unit came with the top damaged, perhaps fell or something and the edge was damaged. I redid it with epoxy but found a newer top in much better condition so I replaced it. It seemed quite flat at least at that time but it has been a number of years ago. I need to check again I guess.

Ed
The angle iron worked well. It wasn't perfectly straight, so I built up the low spots with a strip or two of tape. On the trial installation, it got the table flat to about 0.005". Took it back off, added another strip of tape beneath the low spot in the table, reinstalled, and the table was now flat to 0.002. Plenty good enough ... I sometimes even use it to check freshly jointed edges.
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beeg
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Re: Tricked-out overarm pin router

Post by beeg »

NICE fix there BD, BUT consider installing two bolts in the middle of the iron. Where the router is.
SS 500(09/1980), DC3300, jointer, bandsaw, belt sander, Strip Sander, drum sanders,molder, dado, biscuit joiner, universal lathe tool rest, Oneway talon chuck, router bits & chucks and a De Walt 735 planer,a #5,#6, block planes. ALL in a 100 square foot shop.
.
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Bob
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BuckeyeDennis
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Re: Tricked-out overarm pin router

Post by BuckeyeDennis »

beeg wrote:NICE fix there BD, BUT consider installing two bolts in the middle of the iron. Where the router is.
My original plan was to fasten the iron from underneath with wood screws or threaded inserts, and use a lot of fasteners down the length of the iron. But after experimenting on some melamine-coverd particle-board shelf scrap, I decided that I didn't trust the tabletop to hold threaded fasteners torqued down hard enough to straighten it.

So then, after I decided to use through bolts, I realized that that gravity would always be pulling down on the table at the center of the angle iron, and that bolts there wouldn't serve any purpose. The iron works like a bridge, anchored at both ends, and holding up the center of the table. The ends are very near the under-table T-track that mounts the top to the steel base, so that area of the table makes a good anchor point.
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BuckeyeDennis
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Bad tool day

Post by BuckeyeDennis »

I had a bad tool day yesterday.

First, when I was installing a 1/4" blade on my bandsaw to cut a pattern for butterfly inlays, I discovered that the lower backup bearing had literally fallen apart. The outer race was completely off of the inner race, with a shield dangling from the mounting bolt and a few balls scattered about. I had replaced all the bearings with a new set from the mothership when I first got the saw about three years ago, and it's only had intermittent weekend use since. So much for Chinese bearings. :( Fortunately, I had saved some of the original bearing that were still in good shape, and so it was back in operation in just a few minutes.

Then a little while later, as I was routing the pocket in an butterfly template with the overarm router, something started sounding rough, and a couple seconds later black plastic bits started falling onto my workpiece. WTH? I shut the router off as fast as I could find the switch, and it took a loooooong time to spin down. Not good. This was a PC 6902 motor from a Type 2 PC 690 I had bought on Craigslist a while back. It had sounded fine on test spins, but I had never really used it before. After I pulled it out of the OPR, I could see that the internal cooling fan had disentegrated. All the little black plastic fan blades were broken off. :( :( :(

So I checked on the availability of replacement fans, and it turns out that they only come as part of a complete armature assembly. Probably because it all has to be dynamically balanced as an assembly. But get this. A replacement armature assembly costs almost $200. Or I can buy an entire replacement motor for $128. Or I can buy a brand new PC 690, with motor, fixed base, collets and wrenches for $123. WTH? :confused:

As it happens, I have another (newer) PC 690, and so the OPR is back up and running this evening. But I'm now without a decent router for hand-held use.

Reible, do you still recommend the Hitachi routers? The price is certainly attractive. Variable speed with both a fixed and plunge base for only $25 more than the fixed-speed fixed-base Porter Cable. And I do need a decent plunge router. Most of the reviews on Amazon were very good, but a significant minority either got a lemon, or don't know how to change bits properly.
Last edited by BuckeyeDennis on Mon Jun 06, 2016 5:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
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reible
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Re: Tricked-out overarm pin router

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Well my shop plans didn't go far today either. We lost power so no lights or AC or computer we decided to go off on an adventure which turned out to be a fun time so all ended well but I got nothing done today in the shop.

I have two PC690's both are the older ones with single speed, one is a polished up anniversary model. I have a base mounted on my Joint-Matic, I have another standard base, a plunge base and a D-handle. The other is in a box as I hate to use it too much.... For the overarm router I have a Hitachi on both the top and bottom. I have another mount in my router workshop table and another base for the Jointech table. I have one of the Hitachi routers I can then use either place. The forth one I keep in the case with at plunge and normal base so I can travel with it but most often now just pull it out for hand held work.

Yes I really like the Hitachi router, and that is why I have 4 of them. The only problem I had was with a 1/4" collet that came with one of them, it was defective and would not release the bit.... they sent me a new one and it was fine. I had a heck of a time getting the bit out but finally managed. I was dumb enough to keep it and try again and the same thing happened so it was time to trash it.

The hole pattern is the same as the PC but different screw size, nice since it fits anywhere the PC does. Same for other attachments like the edge guide and guide bushings.

They are still the most used routers in my shop and along with the Dewalt 611, love that size router for a lot of jobs.

Ed
{Knight of the Shopsmith} [Hero's don't wear capes, they wear dog tags]
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reible
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Re: Tricked-out overarm pin router

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I got my column size stop collar and that thing is huge! Well it has to be I guess as it real uses would require it.

Now this improvement I think needs another minor improvement. I was looking for some inside projects for today and one of them was to make an equally large washer to put between the arm and the stop collar.

As I have shown in the past the cutting boards from Sam's Club have a lot of uses. Today's use was to make a large washer.
IMG_2315sc.jpg
IMG_2315sc.jpg (87.65 KiB) Viewed 183363 times
The inside hole should fit the column and the outside is about 4" and it is as thick as the cutting board. I have yet to put it on but I'm off on other projects now and wanted to post the idea and let those who might be interested think some more about it. After it is installed and I get to try it out I'll let you know how I feel about it.

Ed
{Knight of the Shopsmith} [Hero's don't wear capes, they wear dog tags]
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BuckeyeDennis
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Re: Tricked-out overarm pin router

Post by BuckeyeDennis »

reible wrote:I got my column size stop collar and that thing is huge! Well it has to be I guess as it real uses would require it.

Now this improvement I think needs another minor improvement. I was looking for some inside projects for today and one of them was to make an equally large washer to put between the arm and the stop collar.

As I have shown in the past the cutting boards from Sam's Club have a lot of uses. Today's use was to make a large washer.
IMG_2315sc.jpg
The inside hole should fit the column and the outside is about 4" and it is as thick as the cutting board. I have yet to put it on but I'm off on other projects now and wanted to post the idea and let those who might be interested think some more about it. After it is installed and I get to try it out I'll let you know how I feel about it.

Ed
I like that washer, Ed! Except that it might be a little too thick. If you decide to resaw it in half, I'll gladly PM you my snail-mail address for free disposal of the surplus half. :D

BTW, I almost pulled the trigger on the Hitachi combo router, but then realized that dust-collection capability was a key requirement for my basement shop. So after considerable research, I settled on a Dewalt DWP611PK combo router, plus the optional (and inexpensive) dust-collection shrouds for both bases. The router motor is only 1-1/4 hp, and is limited to 1/4" bits. But the reviews at Amazon were the most positive I've ever seen. After giving it some thought, I decided that liked the idea of a small router for handheld use, to complement my surviving mid-size PC and my monster under-table Triton.

So I ordered one from Amazon for $168 less a $20 promo discount, and got to use it some last weekend. As predicted by the Amazon reviews, it is an absolute gem. Quiet running, smooth plunging, variable speed, great ergonomics, and dust collection that was 100% efficient for milling butterfly-inlay pockets with a 1/8" spiral upcut bit. And I do mean 100% efficient. If a single speck of dust escaped, I didn't see it.

The only problem is that it seems I pulled the trigger a week too soon. Checking just now, the price has dropped to $159, and the promo has increased to $25, through June 19. :rolleyes: All the better for the rest of you guys, though! :)
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reible
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Re: Tricked-out overarm pin router

Post by reible »

Finally got around to adding the stop collar and the plastic insert to my OPR today. Works slick!
IMG_2714sc.jpg
IMG_2714sc.jpg (471.33 KiB) Viewed 183168 times
Ed
{Knight of the Shopsmith} [Hero's don't wear capes, they wear dog tags]
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BuckeyeDennis
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Re: Tricked-out overarm pin router

Post by BuckeyeDennis »

reible wrote:Finally got around to adding the stop collar and the plastic insert to my OPR today. Works slick!

IMG_2714sc.jpg

Ed
Is that a motorcycle wheel behind your OPR?
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