[DaleMurray]

I don't do not use routers extensively so I suppose I am a bit of a newbie to routers but not to woodworking.

I will search the forums but the following is why I signed up for the forum.

Issue with my table mounted Triton Router.
1 Year old TRA001.
Incra aluminum router plate.
1/2" flush cutting bit.

I cut 13 1" thick shapes that are meant to be stacked on top of each other from the same template and learned, the hard way, the bit is not square to the table.
The pieces are all curves minus one straight edge.
When I align the bottom edge of one piece with the top edge of the next I am multiplying the error over distance.
Ultimately, I ended up about 1/10" out of square over 13".

Anybody have any experience with the TRA001 being out of true?
Any advice in shimming/correcting this?
I have me idea on resolution but open to suggestions.

 

[difalkner]

Welcome to the forum, Dale! When you get a minute add your first name to your profile to clear the N/a in the side panel. You can add your location, too, as that often helps us to help you. We won't remember you're in Chicago but if it's in your profile we can look it up.

Photos always help in troubleshooting problems like you've experienced. Do you have any you can post?

David

 

[Cherryville Chuck]

Welcome to the forum Dale. You can check the router by chucking a 1/4" or 1/2" rod or drill in the collet and rotating 90* at a time and checking with a square. It may be that the motor is cocked slightly on the plunge base. One short term solution would be to rout one piece on one side of the bit and the next on the opposite side. This wouldn't leave a perfectly smooth edge but it would eliminate the compounding errors maybe.

 

[Semipro]

Hello and welcome to the router forum, Dale

 

[DesertRatTom]

Hard to imagine a Triton being out like that. Have you double checked to make sure there's nothing stuck between the plate and the router? Is it possible you have a metric collet and an imperial bit?

If it's the motor that's out of alignment, that's a serious flaw and you might contact Triton to see what they have to say. A rod or bit, preferably tall, in the collet and rotated as described while using an engineer's square will tell you if it's out of alignment. A light behind the test setup will highlight any gaps caused by misalignment.

I would also be cheking to see if the collet is a problem. They do wear out, and it's a matter of a couple of thousandths--collets are precision devices.

And welcome. That was a good kickoff post.

 

[Stick486]

I don't do not use routers extensively so I suppose I am a bit of a newbie to routers but not to woodworking.

Hello and welcome to the router forum, Dale...
I can't help you w/ your Triton but we can help you w/ you router learning curve at this link...

 

[JOAT]

I stack things I rout, on occasion. Can never get them 100%, but make them just a hair larger than wanted/needed, touch them up with my ROS, good to go. Works for me.

 

[old55]

Welcome to the forum Dale.

 

[DaleMurray]

Wow, this is quite a response and much appreciated.

Let me preface this response by noting I am more concerned about moving on with my current project thus have not give more than 1-2 hours to trying to solve this issue. My shop is our two car garage and currently my wife is barred from using it while I complete this project. I will circle back to it when this project is done.

I am 100% sure it has nothing to do with worn out collet, etc. I've had the triton for just over a year and maybe used it 10-15 times in that period. So, about 2-3 hours of total use.

I laid my Starret machinists square over the router plate, it appears flat.

Using a flush trim bit I would put the square against the bearing and rotate by hand noting if the bit hit the square. I found it would over the 90* area. I tried shiming the router plate from the router base using some magazine paper (the thinnest paper I had nearby). After a few attempts I realized this is going to be a scientific endeavor, not a shade tree fix and decided I would complete my project using a different construction method.

The TRA001 was a gift from my wife - she is the best, I know. I asked for it because it seems to be EVERYWHERE when looking at the various woodworking magazines and youtube videos. I figured if it is seen so many places it must not be trash - so I have full confidence in the triton.

Tonight I worked on my alternate plan for this part of the project, it is working out much better than I imagined.
Instead of routing a template and stacking the parts to be 13" tall, I am ripping 1" thick pieces of material at the table saw and gradually changing the blade angle to make a segmented curve. I will follow up with some sanding to smooth it all together.

In the end it will be covered in filler, sanded smooth, then covered in veneer.

I look forward to seeing what happens on this forum. The only other woodworking forum I check out is SawmillCreek.

 

[sreilly]

First off welcome to the forum Dale. Now, have you tried any other straight bit just to measure as you did with the flush bit? Just trying to see if the error is consistent with each bit or just this one. There is always a slight possibility that the motor is slightly off angle in the base and if so should be consistent with anything you try. Of course when stacking these pieces the higher (thicker) you go the more pronounced as you found out. While I don't use this particular router but rather my Bosch motor and a lift I can see where this is perfectly possible as you're placing the motor in the lift and then tightening the lift to the motor. Now if the lift makes a large contact with the motor at multiple points I could see where it would likely square the motor but there is always the possibility it won't be exactly square. I suspect you could use a long drill bit or perfectly straight 1/2" dowel and test this, the longer the better. Then you'll need to track down the cause. Could the router not be exactly square all the way around the plate? I don't know how many screws/bolts are used to mount the router to the plate but each might cause a problem if not perfect. Check if the motor comes off the base and inspect for sawdust or other debris, check the router plate it self. I'm trying to envision all this but it's about all I can think of. Not having this router in front of me makes a big difference and I could be completely off base here.

 

[Danman1957]

Welcome Dale

 

[roxanne562001]

Welcome to the forum Dale

 

[Nickp]

Welcome to the Forum, Dale...

My apologies in advance if I'm getting too basic... Assuming you are using the above table for height adjustment, are you locking the motor from underneath after adjusting the bit height...?

 

[DaleMurray]

Assuming you are using the above table for height adjustment, are you locking the motor from underneath after adjusting the bit height...?

I checked with and without lockout, same result.

This morning I realized all the struggles I've had with this project started with the router table because EVERYTHING was shaped via templates there. This project will function as desired but be a fight all the way.

 

[DaleMurray]

Since I have been vague about why/how this project has been so difficult, here is my design.

It is a subwoofer cabinet with curved sides via bent lamination.

 

[sreilly]

This may end up being a waste of time but I just replaced my Bosch router motor with the JessEm Pow-R-Tek mounted in their Mast-R-Lift and found that the pattern bit I was using, about 1-1/2" tall (Infinity Double Bearing Pattern Router Bits 06-690B) to put 1" diameter radiuses on the boards, from 1/4" to 1-1/2", when the bit was as close to the top as possible the bit was leaning forward instead of being centered in the lock plate. Raise the bit 1/8" and it was centered again all the way to near the top where the bit would again lean. In between it was fine. I have a call into JeeeEm but have PT this morning and chores with the wife in town so I may not have the chance to talk to them today but I need to see what is going on. This is my 1st time using a pattern bit.

So I'm wondering if this is the same thing with your Triton? Everything I see seems to point to the lift but only at the extremes. I checked in these positions and there doesn't seem to be any binding conflicts with the table. It seems to me that travel is fine but at the extremes maybe one side arrives just ahead of the other causing a tilt, like a binding on one side and not the other which should cause it to tilt. I'll post whatever I find when I get there as this could be the same issue wit the Triton even though yours in in the plunge base.

 

[DaleMurray]

You make a very interesting point and definitely something I will investigate very closely.

The Triton router is mounted to an aluminum incra plate, which orients the router diagonally to the plate.
I have the plate installed so that the above table adjustment is forward (toward me between 7-8 oclock).
In all my checks the bit seems to be leaning opposite of the above table adjustment.
As I recall, when checking using a bottom bearing bit:
- base of the square is over the above table adjustment hole.
- blade of square resting against the bearing.
- when twisting the bit makes contact with the blade of the square.
- when the square is oriented opposite the above table adjustment I have no contact with the blade.

So, the culprit may be slop in the plunge action of the Triton?
I will not have time to really look into this until later this week.

 

[DaninVan]

Hey, Dale; welcome!
I'm saving your last comment re the plunge aspect. There's been an ongoing, on and off discussion here over the years as to whether a plunge router is or isn't the best choice for a table mount application.
I think you hit on a major vulnerability. The plunge base adds a whole 'nuther aspect to the accuracy or potential of variability.
A fixed base doesn't have that issue; if it's accurate it's always accurate.