Router Speed Control

[Dave Novak]

I have a PC 7518 mounted in a woodpecker PRL. Fantastic setup, but to adjust the speed I almost have to lay on my back. Even turning it on/off is cumbersome, and potentially dangerous vs. a front mounted switch. Ideally, I'd mount an aftermarket switch and speed control to the front of the table, located kind of like one a table saw. However, in searching online, as well as forums here, I haven't found a switch/speed control that works with a variable speed/soft start router. Anyone know if such a beast exists? I know the 7518 is a very popular router, so I'm guessing someone has figured out a way to avoid getting on their hands and knees to operate the control switches. Thanks!

[Chris Padilla]

Dave,

I think that is a cool idea! What you really want to do is to yank the switch mounted on the router off, add some length of wire, and mount the new switch wherever you want.

I can't offer any advice about this because I'd have to take the switch apart on the motor and see what could be done about remotely mounting it. If you are comfy, I suggest going that route and doing some investigation. Good luck and post back on your findings. Take some pics...we'll see if we can help further.

[Mike Marcade]

How about this one (it just controls power though, not vs)

http://www.benchdog.com/images/productshots/powerloc.jpg

http://www.benchdog.com/powerloc.htm

[Dave Novak]

It doesn't apppear to double as a speed control. Am I missing something? Edit: nevermind, you mentioned that.

The switch seems simple enough, I probobly would have just made one, but i like the t-track feature of this one. The more I think about it, the less likely it seems that I'll be able to control speed on a 7518 remotely.

[Mike Marcade]

Like you I have yet to see a speed control that works with the soft start circuitry.

[Jim Becker]

I use this switch in my setup and am very pleased with it. (With a PC7518) But there is no external speed control you can use with the system that I'm aware of that will work with the PC7518. One must reach into the cabinet. But there are only five clicks...as long as you remember which direction is which, it's easy to adjust without even looking... ;)


How about this one (it just controls power though, not vs)

http://www.benchdog.com/images/productshots/powerloc.jpg

http://www.benchdog.com/powerloc.htm

[John Michael]

One thing I imagine may work is a variac as long as you start the router at 120 volts, then you could turn it down. If I have a chance in the next couple days I will try starting one of my Festool routers, which also have soft-start, off a variac.

EDIT:

Well I had ten minutes waiting for a phone call, so I went out and tried a Festool 1400 as well as a Porter Cable 7518 (forgot I still owned it in the original response) and both routers fired up fine, even set at 60% voltage, boy you should've heard that 7518 scream when running OV at 140v.

[Randy Redding]

Rockler has a router speed control for about $40, and there are others out there. But there's a catch. They will only work on a router that does not have speed control/soft start unless you are willing to bypass the internal controls. I don't think the Rockler one has soft start. My PC router is 100% dedicated to the table so that's how I did it.

I would only suggest it for people that are comfortable with electric power / soldering iron and if you don't mind voiding the PC warranty.

The actual bypassing is fairly easy though and you can save the control and solder it back in later if you want. As far as soft start, I just start the router on a slow setting and turn it up to speed. I can help with details if you want to do the surgery.

[Jim Becker]

Randy, the PC7518 has circuitry that helps to keep the speed steady under load. The electronic speed control is one of the main features of this device, IMHO. For some reason, I'm suspicious that it would be a good candidate for the "bypass surgery", although it certainly may be possible.

[Don Morris]

Boy, and I thought I was the only one with dust on my knees doing the 7518 dance. And another thing about the 7518 that gets my nanny is that I have to raise my 7518 to the top to change the bit every time I change the bit (I've got a Bench Dog Pro-lift, that helps some). Ever watch Marc Sommerfeld just reach in and release the bit and change it with one twist of his offset wrench? Well, I keep telling myself, yeh, but he doesn't have a 7518. Doesn't help. I too count the clics. Once in a while I have to look to make sure which way is the slow and count from there. PITA, but it works well.

[Jim McFarland]

I'm more forgetful in my old age as well so I added labels on the DC shroud to remind me how many "clicks" to select the desired speed (sorry for the poor photo quality). I, too, use the Bench Dog remote switch. I also added an access door to the DC shroud to gain easier access to the speed control and the column lock on the Bench Dog Pro Lift. I don't use the column lock often but do (per lift instructions) when long routing sessions and when doing rail/stile cuts. I posted the DC shroud earlier but the access door and labels are recent mods.

[glenn bradley]

I think Jim beat me to it but the 7518 has a circuit similar to my Mil 5625 that maintains torque and speed under load (or some such voodoo). This is one of the things that sold me on the Mil. I would be reluctant to mess with it on the 7518.

Any chance of altering the mounting position to get the control in a better position? Modify your cabinet maybe? I guess I should be happy my control is on top and therefor right on the bottom when table mounted. Never gave it much thought which doesn't help you a bit . . . I'm rambling, sorry.

[Jim O'Dell]

I guess this is another thing that doing the dust collection on my router table as an updraft setup helps with. The power switch on my 7518 is an easy reach through the opening in the bottom of the router chamber if I just kneel down. I do have to remember which way the clicks go though. Rig up a remote cable to operate the speed control? :D Could make it a 5 speed shifter on the outside of the cabinet, ala Time "The Toolman" Taylor!!:rolleyes:
Oh, and I wired in a light switch that controls an outlet on the inside of the cabinet away from the dust, that I can turn the router on and off with. Seems to work fine. I can plug the shop vac in to run the fence port on the Incra system too...all comes on and off with one switch. Jim.

[Bruce Wrenn]

If you look at the parts diagram for a 7518, and the single speed twin, you will notice that speed control is only part different in electrical circuit. Switch, brushes, armature, and field are the same. Either remotely locate speed control, or remove it and use an after market speed control which includes off/ on function. Any tool that is a PITA to use needs something done to fix it.

[Dick Bringhurst]

I'm with Jim McFarland. I wrote the speed position on the inside of the door. Now I just count the clicks. Dick B.

[Mike Cutler]

Dave

I have one of those $40.00, externally mounted, Router Speed control units. Don't buy one. They are a total waste of money.
They do not keep the speed of the router constant. The router speed lopes at setting. The device cannot be mounted to the router table either. The vibration of the router cutting material is enough to vibrate the knob on the unit and change the speed of the router during use.
It also comes with a belt clip:confused: Any bit large enough to need to be operated at slow speeds would be in a table, not in your hand.
They will work with a soft start unit, but not very well. Mine barely worked with a non-soft start router. I only used mine for about one day, and bought a new router with speed control. PC 8529.

You can have mine for the postage if you would still like to try one. No way I could in all good consciense sell it. It's junk.

[Dave Novak]

As always thanks for all your thoughts. It appears I'll have to attack a different problem this weekend as this one is either unfixable or out of my league.

[Randy Redding]

Sorry for the apparent bad advice on the $40 control. It isn't the one I use, just one I saw.

The one I use may have a current-feedback based speed control built in. I'm not sure because I got it from a surplus-electronics web site and only had info. of where the inputs and outputs connected. I know it works though. If I can find the details again, I'll post them. You do have to bypass the internal control though.

[Lee Schierer]

I don't have a 7518, but I do have a soft start router with VS built in Freud FT-2000. Since you don't need to change speeds that often, I leave my router switch in the on position at all times and have the plug, plugged into a switched outlet on the front of my router table. When I need to change bits, I can pull the plug and not worry about accidental start ups. I can also turn it on and off and get the benefit of the soft start and the last speed setting using the switched outlet. If I do need to adjust speed, then it takes a bit of time bent over, but then the speed is set for that operation.

[Mike Cutler]

Sorry for the apparent bad advice on the $40 control. It isn't the one I use, just one I saw.

The one I use may have a current-feedback based speed control built in. I'm not sure because I got it from a surplus-electronics web site and only had info. of where the inputs and outputs connected. I know it works though. If I can find the details again, I'll post them. You do have to bypass the internal control though.

I'd like to know which model you use Randy. They still would be a very convenient item to have connected to a router table.
Unfortunately the one I have just didn't work well at all. I was pretty disappointed.

[Randy Redding]

Mike - I searched my usual surplus dot-coms and didn't come up with anything. I bought mine more than a year ago and these things come and go. I took mine apart to look for markings but it is basically a black box. It has "0984" printed on it but that is it. I think that means 9th week of 1984, no help. I recall it was rated 20Amps, 120VAC. I'm going to keep looking. I want a spare and want one for another application too. I'll post if I find something.

[Ken Garlock]

Hi Dave. While your desire to move the speed control to a more convenient spot is a nice idea, I don't see the need.:confused: I have the same setup as you, with a dust collection box surrounding it. That box has a "front" door that allows me to access the entire 7518. The only time I change my router speed is when I install large diameter panel raising bits. I just squat down, open the door, and fumble for the speed control. For me it is a simple case of either high speed or low speed, so I just push the control from one end of the slot to the other.

[John Michael]

I second what both Ken and Lee said.

My router table I built had the same setup with a router compartment that contained an electrical socket controlled by a switch on the front, along with a door to access the router while mounted in the table. I too ran any profile 1" and under at top speed and would only slow for the larger winged cutters.

However if you want an infinitely variable speed control you can pick up a properly sized variac, as I mentioned earlier, off eBay for under $100. Some models have a power switch built in as well. Search under "Staco" and "Variac"

[Bob Feeser]

I use a glorified on off switch with a 1 foot cord/plug coming out of it, and has 2 grounded outlets coming out of it. It has a larger safety flap that sits on the smaller rocker on off switch, so to turn it on, you lift the safety flap, turn on the rocker switch, then gravity makes the safety flap sit on the switch. The safety flap is larger, and if you hit it intentionally, it will shut off the juice.
The advantage of using this switch is that I hook up a shop vac, and the router to the same switch, since there are 2 grounded switched outlets. It is nice going over the router, clicking on one switch, and both vac and router go on. With a 5hp whisper quiet Sears vac, that has something like a .5 micron filter. Since a router creates very little debris, no use hooking a massive system up to it, to have a 4 or 6 inch system, having to drink through a 2 inch straw for a router. Let alone having to go over and turn it on and off for the big system.
The switch I use is the one that came with a elcheapo Sears router table. They sell it separately for about 20 bucks. It is a plastic housing, and has a double hole side plate that makes it nice for mounting on the side of a router table.
Pertaining to the speed change, get used to going under the table to make a change. Overwhelmingly, the big change is turning it on or off. Changing speeds is far more infrequent.
One last note is that don't even think about buying the TimWhongFo switch from harbor freight for router speeds. I bought one of them, and my router would not go over about 400 rpms. To be fair they gave me a no hassle return/credit on it.
For the infrequent speed changes for the router, your local home and garden department have knee pads, which are hard foam that makes it easy on the knees, and thin enough to ignore, plus they are easy to clean the dust off of. To be honest with you, I never gave an above table speed change a second thought, but you may have a new idea, that there would be a large demand for. Any electronics experts that want to market a new device? What no tip? :D

[Bob Feeser]

I use a glorified on off switch with a 1 foot cord/plug coming out of it, and has 2 grounded outlets coming out of it. It has a larger safety flap that sits on the smaller rocker on off switch, so to turn it on, you lift the safety flap, turn on the rocker switch, then gravity makes the safety flap sit on the switch. The safety flap is larger, and if you hit it intentionally, it will shut off the juice.
The advantage of using this switch is that I hook up a shop vac, and the router to the same switch, since there are 2 grounded switched outlets. It is nice going over the router, clicking on one switch, and both vac and router go on. With a 5hp whisper quiet Sears vac, that has something like a .5 micron filter. Since a router creates very little debris, no use hooking a massive system up to it, to have a 4 or 6 inch system, having to drink through a 2 inch straw for a router. Let alone having to go over and turn it on and off for the big system.
The switch I use is the one that came with a elcheapo Sears router table. They sell it separately for about 20 bucks. It is a plastic housing, and has a double hole side plate that makes it nice for mounting on the side of a router table.
Pertaining to the speed change, get used to going under the table to make a change. Overwhelmingly, the big change is turning it on or off. Changing speeds is far more infrequent.
One last note is that don't even think about buying the TimWhongFo switch from harbor freight for router speeds. I bought one of them, and my router would not go over about 400 rpms. To be fair they gave me a no hassle return/credit on it.
For the infrequent speed changes for the router, your local home and garden department have knee pads, which are hard foam that makes it easy on the knees, and thin enough to ignore, plus they are easy to clean the dust off of. To be honest with you, I never gave an above table speed change a second thought, but you may have a new idea, that there would be a large demand for. Any electronics experts that want to market a new device? What no tip? :D
I wanted to correct my comments about the electronic experts market a new device for a speed switch. I see that several people carry them. They note that they do not work with some types of routers, I think they mentioned routers that are already variable speed.