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Thread: Warning about Routers

  1. #46
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Upland CA
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    5,547
    Just curious, does my PC 7518 with the 5 speed switch have this speed up problem? Only problem I have had is once when it wouldn't turn on, and I opened up the switch and blew the sawdust out. Then it worked fine.
    Rick Potter

    DIY journeyman,
    FWW wannabe.
    AKA Village Idiot.

  2. #47
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Modesto, CA, USA
    Posts
    9,876
    I often use a loggers helmet when using power tools. It has a face screen, not shield, so it does not fog up and earmuffs. Great for mowing the lawn and planer, shaper, tablesaw use.

  3. #48
    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Dufour View Post
    I often use a loggers helmet when using power tools. It has a face screen, not shield, so it does not fog up and earmuffs. Great for mowing the lawn and planer, shaper, tablesaw use.
    Bill, I would be interested in seeing the helmet that works for you. Looks like there are a few different types - can you post a picture or link to yours?

    Thank you.
    Fred
    "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

    “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

  4. #49
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Inkerman, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    1,389
    A general guideline for safe maximum operating speed from an article from the Rockler website Printed on January 17 2019

    https://www.rockler.com/learn/router-bit-speed/

    Manufacturers don't always agree on top speeds for router bits of a given diameter, and as mentioned above, there are other factors to consider. For a rough guide, here's a typical maximum router bit speed chart:

    Router Bit Diameter....Maximum Speed

    Up to 1"........................22,000 - 24,000 rpm
    1" to 2".........................
    18,000 - 22,000 rpm
    2" to 2-1/2"
    ..................12,000 - 16,000 rpm
    2-1/2" to 3-1/2"............
    8,000 - 12,000 rpm

    Remember, that's just a reference; Always follow manufacturers recommendations and the sage advice that if something doesn't feel like it's working right, there's a good chance that it isn't. Better yet, pick up a Router Book and get to know your router inside and out.




  5. #50
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Princeton, NJ
    Posts
    7,252
    Blog Entries
    7
    I usually err on the slower side since my router is loud and slowing it down really helps in that regard and seems to do very little to reduce the quality of cut. I run router bits in a knee mill at 3000 rpms and never get chip outs, poor cut, burning or poor chip evacuation. Come to find out, after speaking with Whiteside they actually test their bits using knee mills.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  6. #51
    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Hennebury View Post
    Thanks guys, i am doing well, a little shaken as i have about a dozen routers, all electronic speed control, and will now be a little nervous using them. Everything in my shop is dangerous and can seriously hurt you; i am okay with danger as long as long as it is predictable, this caught me by surprise.
    The funny thing is i saw this video a month ago.

    https://www.facebook.com/Dandjprecis...=2&theater
    Holy $#!^ that counter weight took off like a missile.
    Super lucky.

  7. #52
    Yeah that is just crazy.

    Those of us that use machinery daily to make a living probably take quite a bit for granted.

  8. #53
    Sorry to hear about your accident and thanks for the cautionary tale. Best of luck with the recovery.

  9. #54
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Coquitlam
    Posts
    394
    kind of related:

    I have a DeWalt and Bosch router.

    DeWalt has switch on the top and I have to extend my fingers to reach it. It always made me a little nervous when switching router on/off - as it compromises the grip on knobs/handle. Now this router stays in router table and I use paddle switch with it.

    Bosch (mr23) has on/off switch on handle. This despite being heavy feels more safe.

  10. #55
    A truly terrible accident. I wish you a speedy recovery.

  11. #56
    Mark, just read the whole post. I guess I guessed it was the end of a finger. Some of us will now be using full face shields.
    Thanks for reinforcing safety by relating what must be a most painful and complex injury. "Rule number 1....Obey all rules!" And that applies to Doctor's instructions. But I believe
    in demanding good pain killers ! Wishing you a full and speedy return to full health and confidence in the future.

  12. #57
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Posts
    868
    I contacted the vendor where I usually buy my router bits, specifically expressing my concern about what might happen if I had a 3.5” raised panel bit in my router and the speed control failed full on. Looks like the bits, regardless of size, are rated for 25,000 rpm and will stay intact if the router speed control fails.

    Our bits are designed to perform balanced at speeds up to 25,000 rpm. That being said, the larger bits are not recommended to be used at that high of an rpm due to high velocity tip speed generated as the cutter gets wider. For that reason, a 3-1/2" bit is recommended to be used at a speed somewhere between 12,000 to 14,000 rpm. At the same time several shallow, incremental depth passes are suggested rather than a single hog out attempt be made.
    Too much to do...Not enough time...life is too short!

  13. #58
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,675
    Bill, the big thing with swinging the larger bits with high speeds is the force they generate when they contact the material. So while the cutter might be perfectly fine at the high speed relative to strength and staying together, the effect when/if it grabs a piece of material could have an impact on how many changes of underwear you need to make that day... ...or worse. That's yet another reason why the big cutters must/should be used in a table situation and not with a hand-held router.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  14. #59
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Tucson, Arizona
    Posts
    1,204
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    Bill, the big thing with swinging the larger bits with high speeds is the force they generate when they contact the material. So while the cutter might be perfectly fine at the high speed relative to strength and staying together, the effect when/if it grabs a piece of material could have an impact on how many changes of underwear you need to make that day... ...or worse. That's yet another reason why the big cutters must/should be used in a table situation and not with a hand-held router.
    So the key thing here is the router bit tip surface speed at a particular RPM. Here is a video that explains this in detail. I have also added a router bit speed chart that lists the maximum safe operating speeds for different router bit diameters. I hope that some find this useful.
    David


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOUF2Cmq2ws

    Router Bit Speeds.jpg router speed chart.jpg

  15. #60
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Cincinnati, Ohio - north
    Posts
    110
    This is just to confirm that switches do sometimes have a mind of their own and are not to be trusted.

    Fortunately my experiences were nowhere near as catastrophic as Mark's, but they are a lesson to be learned. I had my DeWalt RO Sander turn itself on at least twice before I learned to pull the plug whenever I am not standing right by it. On one occasion I turned my back and it started, wearing rings in the plastic surface where it was sitting. Another time it turned itself on while I was on vacation - bounced off the counter, landed upright on the floor, and skittered for some time, leaving worn rings in my concrete floor before somehow turning itself off again. Shame on me, but things do have a way of their own sometimes.

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