Beware of Unwinding Router!
I have a Porter Cable 7518 3 1/4 router mounted in my table. Sweet
machine. Last night I had just changed bits and was raising the bit to final height when I accidently hit the On switch. Even with the soft-start feature, the starting torque wrenched the motor from my hands and started unscrewing it from the base. And it happened FAST. I just managed to stop it before it came free of the base and fell to the floor with a spinning bit. I shudder to think of the possibilities. Now I know why they say always UNPLUG the tool before making adjustments. But how many of us really do that? Unplugging is a hassle, but I'll at least install a switch in the incoming line that I can turn off. DonkeyHody |
Beware of Unwinding Router!
"DonkeyHody" wrote in message I have a Porter Cable 7518 3 1/4 router mounted in my table. Sweet machine. Last night I had just changed bits and was raising the bit to final height when I accidently hit the On switch. I wired/mounted a switched wall receptacle to the side of my router table and plug the router into it. Besides being able to turn the router on/off with the switch, it is also very convenient to unplug, so encourages doing so. -- www.e-woodshop.net Last update: 5/15/04 |
Beware of Unwinding Router!
LRod writes:
[...] You trust a switch? Unplugging or installing and using a physical disconnect is the only sure way (or popping the breaker at the panel). The breaker is *also* a switch, albeit it should be a more trusty one than an ordinary switch, with a larger distance between the contacts in the off state. Switches come in a number of patterns, which are more or less safe, i _guess_, that those whicl allow you to apply a padlock are a safe to use in such a case. Read in any case the specifications of the switch, if it doesn't have any desist from using it: It will be crap. -- Dr. Juergen Hannappel http://lisa2.physik.uni-bonn.de/~hannappe Phone: +49 228 73 2447 FAX ... 7869 Physikalisches Institut der Uni Bonn Nussallee 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany CERN: Phone: +412276 76461 Fax: ..77930 Bat. 892-R-A13 CH-1211 Geneve 23 |
Beware of Unwinding Router!
When I made my router table I installed a switched receptacle right =
there so that unplugging the router becomes second nature. I am not what = some would call a safety freak but I am not going to adjust a router or = a table saw without a fail safe. Puff "DonkeyHody" wrote in message = m... I have a Porter Cable 7518 3 1/4 router mounted in my table. Sweet machine. Last night I had just changed bits and was raising the bit to final height when I accidently hit the On switch. Even with the soft-start feature, the starting torque wrenched the motor from my hands and started unscrewing it from the base. And it happened FAST.=20 I just managed to stop it before it came free of the base and fell to the floor with a spinning bit. I shudder to think of the possibilities. Now I know why they say always UNPLUG the tool before making adjustments. But how many of us really do that? Unplugging is a hassle, but I'll at least install a switch in the incoming line that I can turn off. =20 DonkeyHody |
Beware of Unwinding Router!
I don't unplug mine but I have a magnetic switch that has a cover you have
to lift to get to the switch and a block under the router that prevents it from coming out (guess who forgot to tighten the clamp before starting?) "DonkeyHody" wrote in message m... I have a Porter Cable 7518 3 1/4 router mounted in my table. Sweet machine. Last night I had just changed bits and was raising the bit to final height when I accidently hit the On switch. Even with the soft-start feature, the starting torque wrenched the motor from my hands and started unscrewing it from the base. And it happened FAST. I just managed to stop it before it came free of the base and fell to the floor with a spinning bit. I shudder to think of the possibilities. Now I know why they say always UNPLUG the tool before making adjustments. But how many of us really do that? Unplugging is a hassle, but I'll at least install a switch in the incoming line that I can turn off. DonkeyHody |
Beware of Unwinding Router!
Router and tablesaw always get unplugged when handling blades bits.
Just the thought of the tablesaw starting as I put on or remove the arbor nut is enough for me. Same with the router and all the other meat-eating tools in my shop. "DonkeyHody" wrote in message m... I have a Porter Cable 7518 3 1/4 router mounted in my table. Sweet machine. Last night I had just changed bits and was raising the bit to final height when I accidently hit the On switch. Even with the soft-start feature, the starting torque wrenched the motor from my hands and started unscrewing it from the base. And it happened FAST. I just managed to stop it before it came free of the base and fell to the floor with a spinning bit. I shudder to think of the possibilities. Now I know why they say always UNPLUG the tool before making adjustments. But how many of us really do that? Unplugging is a hassle, but I'll at least install a switch in the incoming line that I can turn off. DonkeyHody |
Beware of Unwinding Router!
|
Beware of Unwinding Router!
Bill Rogers writes:
On 16 May 2004 06:08:41 -0700, (DonkeyHody) [...] Now I know why they say always UNPLUG the tool before making adjustments. I'm here to tell you that's the best advice you'll get in many a year. I always inform people to do the same, but neglected ..once... myself. I now have a thumb, first, and second finger to keep me reminded. Thats luck. You could have ebded without a thumb, first, and second finger to keep you reminded. -- Dr. Juergen Hannappel http://lisa2.physik.uni-bonn.de/~hannappe Phone: +49 228 73 2447 FAX ... 7869 Physikalisches Institut der Uni Bonn Nussallee 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany CERN: Phone: +412276 76461 Fax: ..77930 Bat. 892-R-A13 CH-1211 Geneve 23 |
Beware of Unwinding Router!
No doubt about, routers are dangerous, and if fired accidentally they
can fly out of their castings and eat you. Notwithstanding, plugs & sockets are not switches. I do not unplug my routers to change bits. I might change cutters 10 or 20 x/day. I do have a tight check list I go through every time I use the buggers tho. Would I advocate you adopt my check list for yours? Hell no. You just have to keep on top of this 100% of the time, ain't no safe woodworking tools. http://www.patwarner.com (Routers) ************************************************** ***************** I have a Porter Cable 7518 3 1/4 router mounted in my table. Sweet machine. Last night I had just changed bits and was raising the bit to final height when I accidently hit the On switch. Even with the soft-start feature, the starting torque wrenched the motor from my hands and started unscrewing it from the base. And it happened FAST. I just managed to stop it before it came free of the base and fell to the floor with a spinning bit. I shudder to think of the possibilities. Now I know why they say always UNPLUG the tool before making adjustments. But how many of us really do that? Unplugging is a hassle, but I'll at least install a switch in the incoming line that I can turn off. DonkeyHody |
Beware of Unwinding Router!
|
Beware of Unwinding Router!
|
Beware of Unwinding Router!
|
Beware of Unwinding Router!
Now I know why they say always UNPLUG the tool before
making adjustments. Tie the routers wrench to plug so that you have to unplug to change bits. It works |
Beware of Unwinding Router!
On 16-May-2004, Andy Dingley wrote:
two switches at least a foot apart both turned off I like this idea. I don't like the idea of having to plug/unplug all the time, but a double switch sounds like a solution. Safer than a single and potentially easier than some other ideas I've considered. I'm also looking at some sort of light that warns me power is on in my "someday to be finished" router table. I'm thinking of a teensy LED in the table top next to the router. May sound silly to some, but I'm rather shy of power tools (a neander at heart, but I like how fast I get things done otherwise). Mike |
Beware of Unwinding Router!
"Swingman" wrote in
: "DonkeyHody" wrote in message I have a Porter Cable 7518 3 1/4 router mounted in my table. Sweet machine. Last night I had just changed bits and was raising the bit to final height when I accidently hit the On switch. I wired/mounted a switched wall receptacle to the side of my router table and plug the router into it. Besides being able to turn the router on/off with the switch, it is also very convenient to unplug, so encourages doing so. See, I have this problem with making certain that my mind doesn't wander, even when I'm in theraphy^H^H^H^H^Hthe shop. SEEING that the plug is physically seperate from the power source means that the electrons can't as easily do nasty things to me. I just get interrupted far too often to rely on my memory of switch settings. If I were the seasoned pro that Pat Warner is, maybe it would be different. But I'm not, so I have to do things differently. And, given my mind's propensity to wander, more simply. Seems to carry over to driving these days, too. ;-) Patriarch |
Beware of Unwinding Router!
"Michael Daly" wrote in message ...
On 16-May-2004, Andy Dingley wrote: two switches at least a foot apart both turned off I like this idea. Strictly, they should also be the right sort of switch. I forget the name, but they're designed in such a way that a broken switch can't accidentally short together inside. Big cam isolators do it, recycled light switches don't. And if your isolator is there as an _isolator_ too (i.e. electrical isolation, not just cutting the mechanical power) then make sure it's a double pole (for single phase). |
Beware of Unwinding Router!
"Rick Nelson" wrote in message ... Back on the issue of routers, I'm also in the group that unplugs it anytime I change bits. I've had my table mounted router fire up by accident once when I bumped the power switch while I was lifting it up to blow some dust out from under the base plate. Not a real dangerous situation because both of my hands were on the body of the router, but it was a strong reminder that power tools can come on when you don't expect it. My girlfriend's brother is a carpenter, and about 6 months ago he nearly lost all his fingers from a table saw. He slipped, and the saw cut his thumb off, and as he fell faint, his hand landed on the saw blade and mangled the rest of the fingers. After numerous operations, he again has a thumb and the fingers are healing. It looks like he will regain use of the hand and all fingers, but it has been a long road to recovery, not to mention the lost income. Think twice! dwhite |
Beware of Unwinding Router!
Howard wrote:
The most important goal of any project is to end up with the same number of fingers and eyes I start with. Well said. In fact, I have the chuck key taped to the cord about 3 inches from the plug just so I can't get lax about it. As a young kid, I almost launched the key through my Dad's head one time when I left it in the chuck and turned the press on. When he gave me the drill press a few years ago, the first order of business was to paint the key flourescent orange. Now, I never turn on the drill press before visually locating the key. Back on the issue of routers, I'm also in the group that unplugs it anytime I change bits. I've had my table mounted router fire up by accident once when I bumped the power switch while I was lifting it up to blow some dust out from under the base plate. Not a real dangerous situation because both of my hands were on the body of the router, but it was a strong reminder that power tools can come on when you don't expect it. -Rick |
Beware of Unwinding Router!
....guess that explains why PC has changed the switch from my old 690
(toggle) to the one on the newer 691(plastic enclosed rocker)...the latter is not nearly as easy to use but I could see a replay of your incident on the former. "DonkeyHody" wrote in message m... I have a Porter Cable 7518 3 1/4 router mounted in my table. Sweet machine. Last night I had just changed bits and was raising the bit to final height when I accidently hit the On switch. Even with the soft-start feature, the starting torque wrenched the motor from my hands and started unscrewing it from the base. And it happened FAST. I just managed to stop it before it came free of the base and fell to the floor with a spinning bit. I shudder to think of the possibilities. Now I know why they say always UNPLUG the tool before making adjustments. But how many of us really do that? Unplugging is a hassle, but I'll at least install a switch in the incoming line that I can turn off. DonkeyHody |
Beware of Unwinding Router!
Update:
I put a surface-mount box on the front of my router table with a 20 amp rated switch that controls the receptacle the router is plugged into. Then I went to Home Depot and found a clear plastic hinged dome to cover the switch. It's really meant for outdoor locations to rainproof a receptacle while cords are plugged into it. I cut an oblong hole in the center of the dome so you can stick a finger inside to flick the switch without having to open the cover. There's no way to accidently bump the switch because it's completely protected by the dome. I'm not suggesting anyone else should take this route because the owner's manual clearly states that you should always unplug the router before you change bits or adjust the height. But I found the protected switch to be just the right balance of safety and convenience - for me. It's much easier to find than the switch on the router because it's always in the same place. I don't have to grope around under the router, feeling for a switch that moves to a new location every time I adjust the bit height. And I feel safe enough with the protected switch without unplugging each time. DonkeyHody " We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it - and stop there; lest we be like the cat that sits down on a hot stove-lid. She will never sit down on a hot stove-lid again---and that is well; but also she will never sit down on a cold one anymore." - Mark Twain (DonkeyHody) wrote in message om... I have a Porter Cable 7518 3 1/4 router mounted in my table. Sweet machine. Last night I had just changed bits and was raising the bit to final height when I accidently hit the On switch. Even with the soft-start feature, the starting torque wrenched the motor from my hands and started unscrewing it from the base. And it happened FAST. I just managed to stop it before it came free of the base and fell to the floor with a spinning bit. I shudder to think of the possibilities. Now I know why they say always UNPLUG the tool before making adjustments. But how many of us really do that? Unplugging is a hassle, but I'll at least install a switch in the incoming line that I can turn off. DonkeyHody |
Beware of Unwinding Router!
DonkeyHody wrote:
[snip of switch description] I installed an "in-line" switch for my router table as well. In addition, I have an outlet in the side of the router table that I use to plug my shop-vac into. This way, when I flip the switch, both the vac and the router start up at the same time. Very convenient. Because I have young kids I also ceiling mounted two switches for both my table saw and dust collector. It was my solution for a "remote start" dust collector. When standing in front of the saw I merely reach up and flip the switch for the dust collector. I'm also pretty careful about keeping the switches off for the table saw so my kids can't turn the saw on with the big pretty button on the saw base. ;) Mark |
Beware of Unwinding Router!
|
All times are GMT +1. The time now is 10:05 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2014 DIYbanter