ROUTING
EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE
Maintain
the router collet
The
collet is often taken for granted, but is a vital link between motor
and cutter and should be kept in good condition. If a collet becomes
scratched or corroded, consider replacing it. In the long run collets
are a consumable item, and should be replaced at regular intervals as
they are susceptible to metal fatigue even if kept scrupulously clean
The collet can be cleaned with a rag dampened with solvent followed
by PTFE spray to prevent corrosion. Fine wire brushes are available,
which can be used to clean the inside of collets; suitable brushes,
which look like miniature bottle brushes, are often available from
dentists . Whilst cleaning the collet, it is also a good time to
clean inside the tapered collet housing on the motor spindle. Do not
leave cutters in your router for long periods and never tighten the
collet nut without a cutter inserted, or the collet might become
distorted. When removing cutters from routers such as Atlas Copco,
Bosch, Elu, DeWalt, Trend etc. note that two ‘bites’ of
the spanner are required. The first apparently frees the collet nut,
which can then be turned by hand for several revolutions, but then
further resistance is encountered. A second ‘bite’ of the
spanner is required to overcome this, after which the cutter can be
removed. This two-stage removal of the cutter causes more trouble for
the beginner to routing than anything else.
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Keep
cutters clean & sharp
Cutters
should be kept clean and sharp. Cleaning is half the battle; dirty
cutters result in a build-up of heat on the cutting edges which dulls
them, resulting in a further build-up, and so on. Two types of
cleaner can be used: a solvent to remove resinous deposits and an
abrasive household cleaner to remove heavier build-up. One of the
best solvents is contact adhesive remover (although WD40 is good both
as a solvent and a lubricant, but not to be used on bearings) and the
best abrasive cleaner is “Astonish”, obtainable from the
local ironmonger. To clean your cutters (first removing the bearings
if present), brush off loose dust with an old toothbrush or soft
brass suede brush and remove gummy deposits with a rag moistened in
solvent. Do not soak the bearings in solvent. For deposits that the
solvent cannot cope with, apply the “Astonish ” with a
damp rag. Clean all parts of the cutter, minding your fingers when
cleaning the flutes. Rub with the paste until the cutter is in its
original pristine state. After cleaning, hone the flat faces of the
cutter flutes with a diamond lap. The best and most economical type
for use on router cutters is the hand lap (see our SL002) and the
best all-round grade is ‘Fine’, which is coloured red.
Our EZE-LAP hones are designed to be used dry, but note that this
does not apply to all manufacturers, with some being used with a few
drops of water on the surface. Make certain that the cutter flute is
absolutely flat on the hone and rub it firmly backwards and forwards.
Give each flute the same number of strokes. Continue until satisfied;
a little experience will teach you when to stop. Most types of cutter
can be honed but there are a few that cannot. Examples of these
include spiral cutters, very narrow straight cutters, V-grooving, and
pierce-and-trim cutters. Bearing-guided cutters present no problem
once the bearing is removed. After honing, the cutter should be given
a squirt of lubricant spray, such as a PTFE spray from the local
car-spares shop. The diamond faces on EZE-LAP products benefit from
an occasional de-clogging with soap and water and a nail brush. Hone
types that are used wet should be dried and the surface cleaned with
a plastic eraser.
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Maintain
a safe electrical supply
The
most obvious thing is that your electrical circuits should be
adequate for your power requirements and in good condition. Many
woodworkers use their garage as a workplace, using the 13 amp sockets
that are usually installed as part of the house wiring. This is
perfectly adequate as long as you do not overload the sockets with
multi-socket adapters carrying a multitude of plugs. A multi-way
extension lead is a neater way of providing several sockets and it is
a very good idea to label each plug to show which one is for which
tool. When you change a router cutter, for example, you should always
unplug the router before handling it; the labelled plugs will ensure
that you unplug the correct tool. If your main power box does not
already have circuit breakers instead of ordinary fuses, residual
current circuit breakers (RCBs) will protect you against a fault in
the wiring. Make frequent checks on the state of your plugs and their
wiring. Plugs tend to get dropped or dragged over the floor, which,
if yours is a concrete garage floor, can crack them, or pull the
wiring out. Solid rubber plugs are better than plastic, but
fortunately appliances sold for domestic use now have a moulded plug
on the end of the cable. On the subject of plugs, check that the fuse
is the correct value for the particular tool. Moulded plugs should
have a fuse to match the tool but if you buy a standard plug it is
likely to come with a 13-amp fuse. Many of your power tools will need
only a 5 or 10 amp fuse; anything more does not give you the proper
level of protection. If you are building a workshop, or having your
shed wired for power-tool work, try to arrange for the power box to
be located by the door so that you can break the main switch as you
go out, if necessary. If you are running a power cable down your
garden, make sure that it is of an approved type e.g. armoured, and
that it is run in an approved fashion. Get professional advice and
installation if in any doubt whatsoever.
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WORKSHOP
SAFETY
Have
a good layout
Overcrowded
and untidy workshops increase the risk of accidents. Good
housekeeping will improve the standard of your work as well as your
chances of escaping injury. Make sure there is a clear path to the
exit: you might want to leave in a hurry one day.
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Maintain
a clean workshop
Do
not let large quantities of shavings and dust accumulate. They not
only present a fire hazard; they also result in the loss of any small
items dropped among them. If you have a wood floor, continued walking
on the shavings will eventually buff the floor to a very slippery
surface. A slippery floor surface can be improved with the use of
rubber non-slip matting, often sold commercially for use in machine
shops, which also provides a much better surface to stand on.
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Locate
your fire extinguisher
A
fire extinguisher is an essential in the workshop. A type suitable
for electrical fires i.e. not water, is required. It should be placed
where it can be easily reached, preferably by the exit door to the
workshop. Learn how to use it and make sure you have it checked at
the specified intervals.
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SAWBLADE
SAFETY
Always
ensure the riving knife & guard are fitted
The
riving knife of the saw should be fitted and matched to the blade
being used. Always adjust the blade guard to cover the maximum part
of the blade, leaving just enough clearance for the workpiece.
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Select
the correct blade for the machine and material
Always
select the correct diameter saw specified for your machine. Use of
the wrong size will affect the peripheral speed and thus the cutting
efficiency. Select the best pitch for the material being cut: at
least one tooth should always be in contact with the material to
control the hand feed rate. Small pitches (more teeth) are essential
for thin materials whilst larger pitches (fewer teeth) are suitable
for thicker material. Always ensure the blade is up to full speed
before starting to cut.
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Always
use push sticks
Always use push sticks to keep hands away from the
blade. Take time to prepare a selection of sticks for various types
of work. Use a push block when deep cutting timber to produce thin
offcuts.
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Set
the blade height correctly
Set
the cutting height of TCT blades such that the tips project no more
than 10% of the blade diameter above the top surface of the timber
being cut. When cutting thin materials this should be reduced so that
the blade is barely projecting through.
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Maintain
a constant feed rate
Whether
hand or mechanical feeding the rate should be smooth and continuous.
Dwelling in the cut will tend to dull the teeth especially with
abrasive material.
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Keep
teeth sharp
Ensure
blades are kept sharp at all times. The teeth should be sharpened as
soon as they become dull. As TC tipped saws stay sharp for long
periods, blades are sometimes left in machines long after they should
have been removed for sharpening. This causes faster wear on the
tooth edge, which means more carbide needs to be removed during
re-sharpening. Failure to sharpen saws as soon as they become dull is
false economy. Keep the blade clean and free from sticky deposits of
resin etc.
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Protect
the teeth from damage
Tungsten
Carbide is an extremely hard but brittle material that needs to be
handled with care. Never let the teeth come into contact with any
metallic or hard surface. Even a slight tap on a metal surface, such
as the saw table, can chip or crack a tooth. Store in a cardboard
folder or wooden box when not in use, and treat with rust
preventative oil. Never store blades together where the teeth can
come into contact with each other.
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