Replacement router

[Dazed]

Hello all, first post so be gentle!

I've now had two routers fail within the month, I wouldn't mind but the older is only 38 years old and the younger one about 35!
The young one was an amazing thing based on a very long fibreglass printed circuit board milling and drilling motor. High frequency inverter driven, air bearings and about 3.5kW. Top speed if not limited by an inverter setting was over 100,000rpm! Always had the inverter set to limit speed to 24000rpm. It was a pain having to run a compressor for the bearing supply, but it all ran surprisingly quietly as air consumption was minimal. It was a real powerhouse though and mounted in a custom table.
I've just replaced it with a shiny new table and AUK motor from wwworkshop so that's sorted now.

The older one was mounted in an over-arm fixture and is something like a little Bosch POF50/POF500/POF600 model. It's only a 1/4 collet and I leave it setup with a bit and fence jig for some repetitive but occasional operations. The armature is shot and I don't know whether the armature from the newer POF5/600 models will fit. I can't find one specifically for the old POF50/52 models. So I'm wondering whether to replace the router, but since the fixture uses the 43mm collar for mounting would need something similar. Given the occasional use and the expenditure on the new table, I'd be looking for something cheapish. Any ideas?

Lastly I've given up waiting on Wealden to replenish stock on certain bits so was wondering what other suppliers you favour? Template trimmers and lock mitre in particular. I've been disappointed in Trend recently, the bits don't seem as well finished or last as long as previously and the price can be very high.

Steve

 

[marcros]

Titman are good for bits. I don't buy many, so I wouldn't know pricing.

For the best of template trimmers, I would recommend radian tools. Expensive but the finish is second to none, literally.

 

[Myfordman]

A second hand bosch router will be far cheaper than an armature even if you could find one. Generally available on the usual auction sites

 

[dizjasta]

Hello all, first post so be gentle!

I've now had two routers fail within the month, I wouldn't mind but the older is only 38 years old and the younger one about 35!
The young one was an amazing thing based on a very long fibreglass printed circuit board milling and drilling motor. High frequency inverter driven, air bearings and about 3.5kW. Top speed if not limited by an inverter setting was over 100,000rpm! Always had the inverter set to limit speed to 24000rpm. It was a pain having to run a compressor for the bearing supply, but it all ran surprisingly quietly as air consumption was minimal. It was a real powerhouse though and mounted in a custom table.
I've just replaced it with a shiny new table and AUK motor from wwworkshop so that's sorted now.

The older one was mounted in an over-arm fixture and is something like a little Bosch POF50/POF500/POF600 model. It's only a 1/4 collet and I leave it setup with a bit and fence jig for some repetitive but occasional operations. The armature is shot and I don't know whether the armature from the newer POF5/600 models will fit. I can't find one specifically for the old POF50/52 models. So I'm wondering whether to replace the router, but since the fixture uses the 43mm collar for mounting would need something similar. Given the occasional use and the expenditure on the new table, I'd be looking for something cheapish. Any ideas?

Lastly I've given up waiting on Wealden to replenish stock on certain bits so was wondering what other suppliers you favour? Template trimmers and lock mitre in particular. I've been disappointed in Trend recently, the bits don't seem as well finished or last as long as previously and the price can be very high.

Steve

Hi for your overhead routing frame have a look at the Trend T4 router. The tool body has a collar fixing that can be detached from the normal plunge base.

 

[Dazed]

Titman are good for bits. I don't buy many, so I wouldn't know pricing.

For the best of template trimmers, I would recommend radian tools. Expensive but the finish is second to none, literally.

Thanks for that, I hadn't come across Radian before. A bit more expensive than most but more machining of course on 3/4 flute cutters.

 

[Dazed]

Hi for your overhead routing frame have a look at the Trend T4 router. The tool body has a collar fixing that can be detached from the normal plunge base.

Actually that's not a bad shout. At around £70 it's about a fiver more than a replacement armature for the later series of small POF routers. Thanks for that.
Have you used one?
Steve

 

[Peter Sefton]

Thanks for your business, hope you enjoy using your new router table. Cant say it would be cheap but you could look at our Mafell FM1000 this has a 43mm collar.

Cheers

Peter

 

[Dazed]

Thanks for your business, hope you enjoy using your new router table. Cant say it would be cheap but you could look at our Mafell FM1000 this has a 43mm collar.

Thanks Peter, it was a pleasure doing business with you.
I think the Mafell would be over the top for this. Am I right in thinking it only has an 8mm collet available?

Oh scrub that, I see there is a 1/4in collet listed separately.
Steve

 

[dizjasta]

Actually that's not a bad shout. At around £70 it's about a fiver more than a replacement armature for the later series of small POF routers. Thanks for that.
Have you used one?
Steve

Hi Steve I have used Trend T3 and T4 routers for about 25 years. The detachable body is ideal for hand carving work. My use is handheld or mounted in an overhead frame. The build quality is OK considering the initial cost and spares are readily available. Hope this helps.

 

[Dazed]

Hi Steve I have used Trend T3 and T4 routers for about 25 years. The detachable body is ideal for hand carving work. My use is handheld or mounted in an overhead frame. The build quality is OK considering the initial cost and spares are readily available. Hope this helps.

It does help - thanks. I may sit on doing anything about it for a while, I'm busy for a bit making some reusable display frames and screens for a ceramic artists' cooperative that conned me into making them after plying me with alcohol! At least it pays for the new RT.
But I'm now going to be working from a small workshop at home so I've got to have a clearout to make room. Most of the bigger stuff is gone, but I need to sell a RAS and sander to make more floor space.
Steve

 

[Dazed]

Now I'm really ticked off. My garage is full of stuff left over from the old workshop so there's no room to move. Was playing draughts shuffling things around to try and work on these frames and a 2m length of 50mm steel bar fell onto the overhead router fixture I used which was sitting on the floor. It's smashed the aluminium casting that anchors the motor height adjustor to the rack and pinion column.

I was in two minds to chuck the whole thing out. I'm now supposed to be retired so do I really need it anyway. I just thought it might be useful one day! I've already binned the small router leaving me with 5!

Oddly amongst those I don't have a small trimming router that I can hold in one hand. I can see that being useful and probably used a lot more often than the overhead fixture. Are those cheap Katsu ones really worth buying, I see many folks seem to like them? I've always found cheap tools to be a mistake in the past. Things like awkward adjustments, poor or sloppy parts fit, poor bearings etc.
Steve

 

[Spectric]

Lastly I've given up waiting on Wealden to replenish stock on certain bits so was wondering what other suppliers you favour?

I think these shortfalls are now very common, it seems all suppliers have stock shortages but another good supplier is infinity cutters but again they have shortages. I think at the moment the stuff still available is there because it's not everyones cup of T.