David,
Don't believe that even with a 1/2" collet this same thing can't and doesn't happen. I think it has a lot to do with the twist of the cutter and if you can always use a cutter that would push the cutter up instead of pulling it out. I have seen this even with a straight edge cutting insert is you have enough depth of cut or put enough pressure on the cutter. I use to have to make template cut pieces of wood for a project, a couple hundred boards a day in a cutting fixture and this was just something to watch out for.
Don't believe that even with a 1/2" collet this same thing can't and doesn't happen. I think it has a lot to do with the twist of the cutter and if you can always use a cutter that would push the cutter up instead of pulling it out. I have seen this even with a straight edge cutting insert is you have enough depth of cut or put enough pressure on the cutter. I use to have to make template cut pieces of wood for a project, a couple hundred boards a day in a cutting fixture and this was just something to watch out for.
A good discussion on router safety. It is always a good idea to set the bit all the way in, not always possible though.
A lot of the new routers have variable speed, that's really nice, i.e. start slow and turn up speed; turn up the RPM until it starts to vibrate, then turn back down a pinch.
A lot of the new routers have variable speed, that's really nice, i.e. start slow and turn up speed; turn up the RPM until it starts to vibrate, then turn back down a pinch.
No it's not, even for that. Use a real chain lube.
Prolink is excellent. And just to stay on topic, it makes an excellent thread lube for tools.
Best wishes
David
WD-40, don't think fish oil is in it.
51% Stoddard solvent
25% liquefied petroleum gas (presumably as a propellant; carbon dioxide is now used instead to reduce WD-40's considerable flammability)
15+% mineral oil (light lubricating oil)
10-% inert ingredients
The German version of the mandatory EU safety sheet lists the following safety-relevant ingredients:
60–80% heavy naphtha (petroleum product), hydrogen treated
1–5% carbon dioxide
51% Stoddard solvent
25% liquefied petroleum gas (presumably as a propellant; carbon dioxide is now used instead to reduce WD-40's considerable flammability)
15+% mineral oil (light lubricating oil)
10-% inert ingredients
The German version of the mandatory EU safety sheet lists the following safety-relevant ingredients:
60–80% heavy naphtha (petroleum product), hydrogen treated
1–5% carbon dioxide
A shaft driven cutting tool will have problems with deflection ... and therefore vibration as a result of the rotating forces. Extending the cut (as is required in thicker material) will exaggerate the effect(s). Cutter chatter, slipping bits, worn bearings will result. Can't escape the physical limitations of a tool.
In defense of Craftsman tools . . . my first router (late 1970's) was a Sears Craftsman. I bought it on an impulse because it was dirt cheap - it looked like a dozen of the things had been stored in a leaky warehouse, which ruined the packaging but the tools were still brand-new. It's probably the only tool I can say that I legitimately wore out. Over the next year I used it on a bunch of projects, learned a LOT from it, did a few things I shouldn't have, but was extremely impressed by the versatility of the thing. That was the era when the "router table" concept was just starting to be explored and refined.
So when the bearings got loose and the brushes started throwing a lot of sparks after a year or two I didn't hesitate to buy essentially the same model (on sale, of course). I already had several jigs and fixtures, both Sears and home built, that fit the machine and didn't want to abandon the investment. It wasn't long before I realized the new tool was going down the same path. What REALLY caught my attention was a demonstration at a commercial woodworking show - it was VERY obvious that I needed a machine with a 1/2" collet. That turned out to be a Porter Cable 690, which I still use about 30 years later. That's probably NOT the machine I'd buy today - there are others much better suited for use under a router table.
Many years ago an old machinist told me that "Only a poor craftsman blames his tools.". At the time I thought he was simply reminding me to take responsibility for my own work, but since then I've come to realize it's an admonishment to know what you're capable of doing with the tools and resources on-hand - and don't take on something that's beyond your means. My Craftsman routers were good tools, gave good service, and offered excellent value within their capabilities. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them as a starting point for developing skills and discovering the features and capabilities you really want in a router. Just last week I saw a new Craftsman router sitting on my son-in-law's bench. "Got it for half price!", he said . . . .
Getting the "right" tools can become a lifetime quest. I don't recall ANY situation, at home or at work, where I thought the tool I was using was "too good" for the task I put it to. As soon as I get a tool that makes a difficult task easy, or adds a significant new capability to my shop, I find myself looking for some task or project that the new tool can NOT do - so I can justify yet another tool. (My wife says her NEXT husband won't be that way . . . I doubt it.)
In addition to my PC 690 (and 693 plunge base) I have an old Black and Decker professional router (possibly model 444 if I remember correctly). I got it about 20 years ago at an auction for a cabinet shop going out of business. It was very cheap but very used - the power switch was broken and wired-around, and the cord had gotten tangled with a sawblade or router bit a few times. After clean-up and repairs, it worked well. I also noted that bearings and brushes are readily replaceable, in contrast to many "hobby and homeowner" tools. It isn't as tight, precise, capable, or convenient as the PC but it can turn lumber into a lot of sawdust in a very short time! It's what I use for heavy cuts - a single-pass cutout in 3/4" particleboard that makes the PC say "I think I'm gonna die!", has the B&D saying "I want MORE of that!". I'm sure it would be outside a hobbyist's budget as a new tool but you may find something similar if you watch industrial surplus sales and auctions, or possibly on Craigslist from a small-time cabinetmaker.
Dale
So when the bearings got loose and the brushes started throwing a lot of sparks after a year or two I didn't hesitate to buy essentially the same model (on sale, of course). I already had several jigs and fixtures, both Sears and home built, that fit the machine and didn't want to abandon the investment. It wasn't long before I realized the new tool was going down the same path. What REALLY caught my attention was a demonstration at a commercial woodworking show - it was VERY obvious that I needed a machine with a 1/2" collet. That turned out to be a Porter Cable 690, which I still use about 30 years later. That's probably NOT the machine I'd buy today - there are others much better suited for use under a router table.
Many years ago an old machinist told me that "Only a poor craftsman blames his tools.". At the time I thought he was simply reminding me to take responsibility for my own work, but since then I've come to realize it's an admonishment to know what you're capable of doing with the tools and resources on-hand - and don't take on something that's beyond your means. My Craftsman routers were good tools, gave good service, and offered excellent value within their capabilities. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them as a starting point for developing skills and discovering the features and capabilities you really want in a router. Just last week I saw a new Craftsman router sitting on my son-in-law's bench. "Got it for half price!", he said . . . .
Getting the "right" tools can become a lifetime quest. I don't recall ANY situation, at home or at work, where I thought the tool I was using was "too good" for the task I put it to. As soon as I get a tool that makes a difficult task easy, or adds a significant new capability to my shop, I find myself looking for some task or project that the new tool can NOT do - so I can justify yet another tool. (My wife says her NEXT husband won't be that way . . . I doubt it.)
In addition to my PC 690 (and 693 plunge base) I have an old Black and Decker professional router (possibly model 444 if I remember correctly). I got it about 20 years ago at an auction for a cabinet shop going out of business. It was very cheap but very used - the power switch was broken and wired-around, and the cord had gotten tangled with a sawblade or router bit a few times. After clean-up and repairs, it worked well. I also noted that bearings and brushes are readily replaceable, in contrast to many "hobby and homeowner" tools. It isn't as tight, precise, capable, or convenient as the PC but it can turn lumber into a lot of sawdust in a very short time! It's what I use for heavy cuts - a single-pass cutout in 3/4" particleboard that makes the PC say "I think I'm gonna die!", has the B&D saying "I want MORE of that!". I'm sure it would be outside a hobbyist's budget as a new tool but you may find something similar if you watch industrial surplus sales and auctions, or possibly on Craigslist from a small-time cabinetmaker.
Dale
Dale, a nice little piece of writing there. Seriously, I enjoyed reading that, and I agree with you. Do you do any free-lance writing? You could.
My aging Craftsman router is now doing for me what I need it to do.
David
I bought a Porter Cable for $99 at home depot. It came with a 1/4" and a 1/2" collet. I agree with the above. MDF is very dense and 1/4 bits bend really easily as they heat up. And they heat up very fast when dull. And MDF dulls bits really fast. I'm a professional mechanic and in my opinion Craftsmen tools are for amateurs who occasionally play in the garage.
And it is not a lubricant, it is a WD, as in Water Displacer. It will gum up. Not a bad glue remover though. On threads, you want a lube that handles pressure, so it will have a high metal content, zink. copper, moly etc. Of course, as we are woodworkers, we don't want silicone in the same room, let alone on our tools.
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