Triton MOF 001 height adjustment advice in table mode.

[Brandlin]

Hi,

I have a Triton MOF001 hung on a Kreg plate in a home made table. I love it.

However, I have a problem with height adjustment. I've removed the spring, put it in the correct plunge mode and the micro adjuster above table adjuster works great. BUT in use, the router tends to drop as, i suspect, vibration affects the plunge mechanism. I prevent this by locking the plunge in place as i normally would when using the router in my hands. However if i want to adjust the height of the cutter, say after a test cut to dial in the height accurately, i have to release the lock, and the router immediately drops a few mm.

This is such a well regarded tool and I've not seen this issue noted anywhere before. Is it something I'm doing wrong or not doing but should?

Currently i'm making lock mitre joints and its almost impossible to set the cutter accurately when you cant incrementally approach the right height setting, but have to take a stab at the final position each time.

Help please.

 

[SteveF]

is this a new router?
I had exactly the same issue with a TRa001
did u remove the base and all the screws from base
loosen the mounting screws to plate and re-tighten
make sure the depth pillar is free
I almost gave up with mine, suddenly it played nicely

Steve

 

[Richard S]

I can't see why Triton are well regarded as a power tool manufacturer, in my experience their tools are poor quality. I had the misfortune to own a TRA 001 a few years ago and found it to be very poor. A couple of interesting design features but definitely not what I would call professional or trade quality. In particular the height adjustment was very notchy, not at all smooth and refused to stay set. I would raise the bit using the course adjuster to approximate position and then when I swapped to the fine adjuster it would drop a few mm and I always felt like I was over stressing it and the adjuster was about to break. I preserved with it for a while then sold it in frustration. Interestingly I have never seen a Triton router used on a site. Given the companies heritage with the work centre etc I believe their target market is more the serious DIYer, I also believe that they where probably much better quality back in the day. Personally, never again.

 

[Brandlin]

is this a new router?
I had exactly the same issue with a TRa001
did u remove the base and all the screws from base
loosen the mounting screws to plate and re-tighten
make sure the depth pillar is free
I almost gave up with mine, suddenly it played nicely

Steve

Hi Steve S - It's not new couple of years old, but not had serious use. I'm a weekend amateur, and occasional at that.
Not sure why you suggest the base screws? I'm confident it's fixed to the plate properly. It's not the base connection that moves, it feels like its backlash in the plunge mechanism. Any idea what changed with yours would be really helpful. Thanks.

Richard S - not sure how any of that is helpful.

 

[Richard S]

Probably not to you, but to anyone considering buying a Triton router and searching the forum for info it may be.
I hope you get to the bottom of your problem, unfortunately I never did.

 

[Brandlin]

Sorry for the bump - but i'm still stuck on this and i know there are a number of triton router users out there in forum land and i'd really like some help.

Or, if there is a TRA001 or MOF001 owner out there who DOES NOT have this problem - would they mind chatting privately so i can compare setup and operation to see if i can fault find my problem???

thank you for your patience.

 

[Richard S]

I don't know if it will be any help for your model but there is, somewhere on the forum a very in depth article on the TRA001 variant, it was written a number of years ago by a member called Argee who was if I recall correctly one of the original Triton demonstrators who used to tours shows and clubs and the like demonstrating Triton products . Have a search for it it may through up something helpful.
I know it's not really what you want to hear but I believe a lot of the kind of issues you are having ( and I had ) are the result of a change of manufacturing spec, principally replacing metal gears with plastic / nylon which I think may also have coincided with the moving of manufacturing to the Far East.
I hope you get it sorted, unfortunately I ran out of patience before I could.

 

[Brandlin]

Thanks richard. Do you mean this article? http://www.raygirling.co.uk/triton.htm
If so I'm familiar with it but it says nothing about table operation of the router.

The more i look at my problem its something like backlash in the rack and pinion plunge that 'moves' in use and is released when the plunge stop is used. If this was the case then i can absolutely believe that plastic gears are worse than metal... but i have very little use on this router, and if it was merely this problem, then i'd expect it to be a feature of the design affecting everyone....

 

[SteveF]

Have you tried refitting the plastic base between router and your plate?
I know it sounds alien but I am sure I read somewhere that it was Tritons "fix"

Steve

 

[Brandlin]

SteveF:Do you mean the black plastic base plate that the router would ride on when used hand held?
If so i dont understand how that would make a difference to the plunge action. But no. the router is mounted with the Kreg insert plate screwed directly into the triton aluminium base casting.

Can you explain why this would make a difference please?

 

[MattRoberts]

I have the tra001 in a kreg plate and don't have this problem. I don't need to lock the height, I simply adjust the height using the adjustment tool.

Happy to help troubleshoot

 

[porker]

I have a TRA001 in a table and I find I need to lock off every time I make a cut or it can move. I adjust from underneath on the fine adjuster and lock so can make the fine adjustments OK before I lock. When I unlock it though it usually drops a few mm. It's an OK router with a few good features but the plunge mechanism looks and feels like it was made by a toy company.

 

[Brandlin]

I have a TRA001 in a table and I find I need to lock off every time I make a cut or it can move. I adjust from underneath on the fine adjuster and lock so can make the fine adjustments OK before I lock. When I unlock it though it usually drops a few mm. It's an OK router with a few good features but the plunge mechanism looks and feels like it was made by a toy company.

That's EXACTLY the problem I am having!
I've rationalised it as backlash in the plunge mechanism on the the rack and pinion coupled with the vibration of cutting settling the plunge mechanism.

What i can't figure out is why most users dont have the problem ...

Have you found a workaround/cure?

I have the tra001 in a kreg plate and don't have this problem. I don't need to lock the height, I simply adjust the height using the adjustment tool.

Happy to help troubleshoot

Excellent - thank you PM - inbound - after dinner.

 

[stuartpaul]

I have a similar problem and to be honest I’ve just learned to cope with it. In any case I always lock the adjuster before a cut and always have. By holding the coarse adjustment knob you can flick the locking lever off and gently tweak the height. Not as good as the fine adjuster but adequate for the majority of what I do.

It is worth following Ray’s dismantling advice and giving everything a good clean, something I need to do sooner rather than later.

Interested to hear how you get on.

 

[Brandlin]

I have a similar problem and to be honest I’ve just learned to cope with it. In any case I always lock the adjuster before a cut and always have. By holding the coarse adjustment knob you can flick the locking lever off and gently tweak the height. Not as good as the fine adjuster but adequate for the majority of what I do.

Until i had the router in a table this is, I think, what I was doing. But it's now a major problem in a table when you are trying to set the depth, make a test cut THEN fine adjust and sneak up on an accurate depth. I think it is emphasised because gravity is now pulling the router body away from the sole plate, not towards it.

It is worth following Ray’s dismantling advice and giving everything a good clean, something I need to do sooner rather than later.

Interested to hear how you get on.

Do you have a link to this dismantling advise?

 

[MattRoberts]

Why are you adjusting using the knobs when it's under the table? You shouldn't touch them, you should be using the adjustment winding arm, and the adjustment knob should be unlocked

 

[Brandlin]

Why are you adjusting using the knobs when it's under the table? You shouldn't touch them, you should be using the adjustment winding arm, and the adjustment knob should be unlocked

I'm not.

I've taken the spring out, and the plunge control is in rack and pinion mode.
I use the winder above the table to set a height.
I then use the lock/clamp to hold that height (because the depth moves under vibration from the cut if i dont).
When I then release the lock, the whole body of the router drops 3-4 mm.
I think it drops to take up slack . backlash in the rack and pinion plunge mechanism.

 

[Richard S]

That review looks familiar but I don't know if that is it. I think the guy has answered dozens of questions regarding this kind of thing if I recall correctly. I'm still coming to terms with the sites new layout but Imthink this is a link to some of the threads, post793931.html#p793931
Alternatively I believe he is still a current member, drop him a pm as he may not have seen this thread, l recall he was always very generous with his advice

 

[user 26031]

I have a Triton TRA001 in a table and a MOF001 for hand routing. I have had both change depth during a cut if unlocked so I always lock before a cut - no great hardship really. In the table, I don't experience the drop when unlocking.

I don't find I need to sneak up on a final depth because I set the depth with a digital depth gauge, lock the depth then take the cut.

Out of interest, I always locked-off my old ELU routers (several models) too.

 

[MattRoberts]

I've taken the spring out, and the plunge control is in rack and pinion mode.
I use the winder above the table to set a height.
I then use the lock/clamp to hold that height (because the depth moves under vibration from the cut if i dont).
When I then release the lock, the whole body of the router drops 3-4 mm.
I think it drops to take up slack . backlash in the rack and pinion plunge mechanism.

I've not been able to run through your pm yet, but I'll look at it this weekend.

However, you shouldn't need to lock it after adjusting the height with the winder - that's what's causing it to drop 3-4mm. The locking mechanism locks to the nearest detent, and when it's released out of that detent it falls back into line with the screw.

A couple of questions - is the circular button in the knob pressed in or out? And are you able to adjust the height under the table by rotating the knob?