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Craftsman Help? Shaft lock of doom?

5K views 33 replies 12 participants last post by  Knothead47 
#1 ·
Long time listener, first time caller. Have a Craftsman 315.244770 . The shaft lock has broken off. From my best googling it appears I am doomed and can't purchase a replacement? I am also stumped at tearing this down to access the switch itself. Seems I can't get there from the top - trapped by the fan. Can't find a tear down guide so it is possible I am dumb but it appears I have to split this apart from the bottom to get to the shaft lock, but is there even any point if this switch is kryptonite and can't be purchased?

Any advice appreciated. Unit functions perfectly and would hate to bin a good tool over a stupid plastic switch.
 

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#3 ·
will that router take two wrenches to change bits???
 
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#13 ·
look above the collet nut..
are there flats on the shaft???
 
#7 ·
#15 ·
I had and maybe still have one like it. There is a small Phillips head screw that holds the lock lever in place. You have to reach through the opening to access it and maybe bend the plastic a little. Once you get the lock lever out then you should be able to take the top off. At least that's how mine came apart. As for the part I'm not sure what you'll have to do about fixing it. There probably isn't one to buy. Maybe someone has one from a router that isn't usable but still has that part. The collets were also a problem and they are no longer available either.
 
#16 ·
230904:
G’day! I know - it’s an old thread. But my wife…my watch…my grandchildren & my lower back all cooperated in providing me the opportunity to go spelunking in my loft to drag that old table-mounted router out into the sun for the first time in 20 years. And I’m pretty sure it’s this same model (315.244770) None of my pics captured the top of the housing, so I can’t verify the number.

The little taillight bulb doesn’t work, but I expect to be able to find a replacement @ CTC, so that doesn’t worry me. But I’d sure like to source a new pair of acrylic windows & a new taillight lens. All 3 are damned cloudy.

Can I order stuff from Craftsman online? Or Lowes? Is there a foolproof way to I.D.the unit (aside from the label if it’s still present & readable)?
TIA
 
#22 · (Edited)
Well...some good news. The blown taillight bulb that I pulled outta the 315.244770 router was a twin-contact/single element 12V bulb which I successfully replaced with a nearly-identical one from CTC. The new one works great, but--since it's about 3/16" shorter--I had to open the grip handle & pull out the socket in order to be able to insert/twist/engage it. Fingers crossed I won't need to replace it again for awhile.

And I had decent success cleaning the 2 acrylic windows & the taillight lens with isopropyl alcohol. They were not as abraded as I thought.

Now I am wondering how to connect my ShopVac hose to the rubber sleeve at the top. I realize it is actually intended for a cloth bag, but does anyone know what is required to attach a hose instead? And...what is the purpose of the pin that is inserted across the mouth of the dust chute about 1" back from the "lip"?

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#23 ·
Old model routers are notoriously hard to find small parts for. If you're going to do much, you might be happier just buying a new or at least, a newer model. Hard to go wrong in the USA with Bosch 1617s. Bosch is very good at keeping parts in stock and that model is easily their top seller. You can get them refurbished, like new really, reworked to meet specs. Can't recall where you used to get them this way, but you only need the motor and a fixed base to make it work in a table. If you look at their site, you can get a base that makes it easier to adjust height from the top of the table. You slide the motor into the mount to roughly the bit height you want, then use a key to find tune the height.

I bought a motor-only on special order from Home Depot. I think Amazon has the base. Here's a picture of the base, model1165. Easy to find a mounting plate for it as well. Make sure you get screws for attaching this to the plate.
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#24 ·
Thank you, Tom. Perhaps my position is unrealistic; I've been saying all along that I don't know how much I may use a router...and/or a table-mounted unit. This one languished in storage for 20 years before it saw the sun for the first time under my ownership! Additionally--while I acknowledge that it's not a table-mounted unit--I did just lay down a good buck for the Milwaukee cordless...and the optional plunge base accessory. Maybe my impending retirement will change things, but for now I'm hhappy to have this one; it seems to be in perfect working order, and so far has cost me peanuts.
 
#25 ·
I've made adapters for sanders. I found some plastic pipe and changed the size using a heat gun and hose clamps, using long sockets for a form. In your pic it looks like that screw hole could be in an inconvenient place though. On my sanders they just had to fit in/on pipes.
 
#26 ·
Understood. I’m not too worried - I’m somewhat handy when it comes to stuff like this. But it has me wondering:

Maybe if I connect my vacuum to the port on the fence it will be sufficient(?) My very limited experience suggests that routing produces a fair amount of sawdust, but I have no way of knowing how much the vac at the fence might pull away compared to the vac at the lower router port. I guess since the fence connection looks easier I’ll try that first and see how it goes. (But I am keen to hear any & all opinions, gentlemen!)
 
#27 ·
I'm guessing your router is sucking through that accordion pipe and blowing out that hole. A lot of dust will be coming out of that hole. Imagine cutting a slot in your work - the fence suction won't collect anything. Typically in a table you'd like suction both places. You don't want to fight the routers own fan flow though. A 'Y' in the suction maybe. One side to the fence the other to a box surrounding the router (if you can't add it directly to the bit area). You'll still get sawdust in the box area but most of the fine, floating dust (dangerous) should get sucked up.
 
#29 ·
Sawdust is nasty stuff. If you use this without dust collection, wear a mask and eye protection. Lots of old carpenters die with COPD. Do your routing outdoors. A vacuum isn't the best bet for sawdust collection because the filter gets clogged very fast. There are some relatively inexpensive dust collection setups that work on air flow carrying the sawdust rather than vacuum.

Here's a picture of a setup that works. If you can find, or have a shop vac, the rest is just a Dust Deputy on a closed bucket. The shop vac pulls the air from your router into the cone. The dust swirls around and falls down into the bucket, removing almost all the sawdust so the filter runs clean. Getting hoses to fit is just an ordinary problem. You can order from the maker, or measure and check the hoses where they sell shop vacs. This is why the good lord gave us duct tape (the aluminum type).

Notice the route of the orange hose to the router. You can use this same setup on sanders and some power tools.
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#32 ·
Good, good luck. Craftsman had the reputation for changing a few parts that were different than the OEM part. Had a customer who was a Craftsman contractor for C'man power tools. Now, looking at them at Lowe's...Made in Guess Where?
 
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