A week or so ago while trying to finish a few cutting boards for Christmas gifts I had one of my routers to just stop working. It is a Craftsman that I have had about five years or so. At one time I had it in my router table but replaced it with the Bosch. I have been just keeping a 1/4" round over in it and using it for the cutting boards. It has the slow start feature and variable speed. 

 

So I was routing around a cutting board, turned it off to flip the board and when I reach for it to do the other side I got nothing. It doesn't hum, grunt or even respond to flipping the switch. Tried it in a different outlet and still nothing. I got another router out and set it aside.

 

So I need to decide if it is repairable or just replaceable.

 

Any ideas?

I'd check the switch.

pull the screws out of the handle get out your multi meter and see if there is continuity through the switch when it's on. If you don't use the variable speed in it a simple toggle switch may cure your problems. if it's more than that you may want to consider a new unit.

Some of the computer controlled ones have overload protectors on them so check those to reset and see if you have one in the power bar? it might be hooked to.

 

Then do as John said.

I bought a cheap router table with a router installed at a pawn shop once upon a time.  They threw the router (a Craftsman) in for free because it wouldn't work.  This particular model had a spindle lock that aided in bit changes.  If the spindle was locked it disabled the power switch.  I wiggled the spindle lock a few times and the router spun up.  I used that router for another 10 years.

 

If it were my router I would used compressed air to blow out every nook and cranny I could find.  If that didn't help I would check the main switch.  The electronic part is out of my intelligence level so unless it was something obvious I wouldn't mess with it.  

 

Repair or replace?  I would check the service center for a quote then go from there.

I'll start there John. I thought it might be in the switch, but at the time just didn't have time to take a look. There was no smoke or hot motor, so it sounds reasonable that it might be the switch.

 

Thanks for your suggestion.

 

John Hechel said:

I'd check the switch.

pull the screws out of the handle get out your multi meter and see if there is continuity through the switch when it's on. If you don't use the variable speed in it a simple toggle switch may cure your problems. if it's more than that you may want to consider a new unit.

Mike, I will look for that, I didn't really notice a reset on the router and I tried it in a different outlet on a different circuit in the shop.

 

Thanks for the help.

 

dragon1 said:

Some of the computer controlled ones have overload protectors on them so check those to reset and see if you have one in the power bar? it might be hooked to.

 

Then do as John said.

Greg, I didn't even look at the spindle lock to see if it somehow got pushed in. That is a great suggestion. I'll blow it all out and check the switch, spindle lock and then go from there. I don't mind replacing it, but why spend the money if this one will still work.

 

Thanks again.

 

Greg Coleman said:

I bought a cheap router table with a router installed at a pawn shop once upon a time.  They threw the router (a Craftsman) in for free because it wouldn't work.  This particular model had a spindle lock that aided in bit changes.  If the spindle was locked it disabled the power switch.  I wiggled the spindle lock a few times and the router spun up.  I used that router for another 10 years.

 

If it were my router I would used compressed air to blow out every nook and cranny I could find.  If that didn't help I would check the main switch.  The electronic part is out of my intelligence level so unless it was something obvious I wouldn't mess with it.  

 

Repair or replace?  I would check the service center for a quote then go from there.

Finally got a little time tonight to check out that router. I took the handle apart, blew it out with the compressor and it fired right up. Looks like I don't get to purchase a new router.

 

I guess I didn't need a new one right now anyway. I am glad that one is back in service.

 

Thanks to all of you for you help.

 

John

 

www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

That'll teach you to ask for help.  You got it and now you don't get to go shopping.

John Moody said:

Finally got a little time tonight to check out that router. I took the handle apart, blew it out with the compressor and it fired right up. Looks like I don't get to purchase a new router.

 

I guess I didn't need a new one right now anyway. I am glad that one is back in service.

 

Thanks to all of you for you help.

 

John

 

www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

Your so right. I was already picking out a new router. Now I don't have an excuse. LOML was in the shop with me when it started up. I knew I should have locked the door.

Ron Dudelston said:

That'll teach you to ask for help.  You got it and now you don't get to go shopping.

John Moody said:

Finally got a little time tonight to check out that router. I took the handle apart, blew it out with the compressor and it fired right up. Looks like I don't get to purchase a new router.

 

I guess I didn't need a new one right now anyway. I am glad that one is back in service.

 

Thanks to all of you for you help.

 

John

 

www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

And you've been married HOW many years???????  That's part of marriage 101. 

John Moody said:

Your so right. I was already picking out a new router. Now I don't have an excuse.

LOML

was in the shop with me when it started up. I knew I should have locked the door.

Ron Dudelston said:

That'll teach you to ask for help.  You got it and now you don't get to go shopping.

John Moody said:

Finally got a little time tonight to check out that router. I took the handle apart, blew it out with the compressor and it fired right up. Looks like I don't get to purchase a new router.

 

I guess I didn't need a new one right now anyway. I am glad that one is back in service.

 

Thanks to all of you for you help.

 

John

 

www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

There must be a way to make it quite working again.  If you pulled out a brush would she think to check that?

I like your thinking Roy.

 

We may be on to something.

 

Roy Boomershine said:

There must be a way to make it quite working again.  If you pulled out a brush would she think to check that?

It would be sort of amazing if a week or two after a new router showed that darn old one just started working again.  Stranger things have happened.

do do do do. Stranger things have happened. I am afraid one day she is going to start opening cabinet doors.

 

Actually she is very supportive of what I have in the shop. She even goes shopping with me a lot. I had told her about it dying and that I was going to replace it. She just laughed when it started up after blowing out the switch.

 

But, I do have a few items on the todo list she wants built, so I may still work one in.

Aw...go out and buy a Festool router anyways....I would. hehe

 

 

Keedy

You have to set it up the right way.

 

Hack up the edge of a board with a chisel (or goudge is prefered), then take a old bit and break it on the shank or bend it.

 

plug it into an extension cord and bury the plug end under something heavy or tie it under the bench where it can't be pulled out.

 

Place the broken shaft in the router and tighten.

 

Now here comes the tricky part.

 

You need to pick your time when she's in earshot, throw the piece of wood into something that will make a lot of noise.

 

When she comes running, be looking at your fingers and trying to get the router to start (which won't cause it ain't plugged in) and show her the router and the bit.

 

Proclaim the bit busted and the router done in.

 

Done deal, go shopping!!!

 

Then start cursing, pick up the wood, the rest of the bit

That extra drama should clinch the deal, but my wife is a nurse so she'd have to see some blood to go along with it  and I'm not sure I want that much drama.

dragon1 said:

You have to set it up the right way.

 

Hack up the edge of a board with a chisel (or goudge is prefered), then take a old bit and break it on the shank or bend it.

 

plug it into an extension cord and bury the plug end under something heavy or tie it under the bench where it can't be pulled out.

 

Place the broken shaft in the router and tighten.

 

Now here comes the tricky part.

 

You need to pick your time when she's in earshot, throw the piece of wood into something that will make a lot of noise.

 

When she comes running, be looking at your fingers and trying to get the router to start (which won't cause it ain't plugged in) and show her the router and the bit.

 

Proclaim the bit busted and the router done in.

 

Done deal, go shopping!!!

 

Then start cursing, pick up the wood, the rest of the bit

Not that I wouldn't love to have one, but my pocket book is not that deep right now. Maybe one day we will have some green in the shop. Right now there is a lot of orange and gray.

 

Gary Keedwell said:

Aw...go out and buy a Festool router anyways....I would. hehe

 

 

Keedy

Mike, you ought to write TV show scripts. That has a lot of drama in it.

 

I love the plot though. I am going to have to think on that one a bit.

 

dragon1 said:

You have to set it up the right way.

 

Hack up the edge of a board with a chisel (or goudge is prefered), then take a old bit and break it on the shank or bend it.

 

plug it into an extension cord and bury the plug end under something heavy or tie it under the bench where it can't be pulled out.

 

Place the broken shaft in the router and tighten.

 

Now here comes the tricky part.

 

You need to pick your time when she's in earshot, throw the piece of wood into something that will make a lot of noise.

 

When she comes running, be looking at your fingers and trying to get the router to start (which won't cause it ain't plugged in) and show her the router and the bit.

 

Proclaim the bit busted and the router done in.

 

Done deal, go shopping!!!

 

Then start cursing, pick up the wood, the rest of the bit