Uninjured accident.....

3422 Views 19 Replies 11 Participants Last post by sreilly, Nov 5, 2021

diego fabbri

Discussion Starter · Aug 21, 2021

Hello........
I am new here.......just want to say thanks to everybody here for sharing....
I simply love woodworking......
and my english is a little rusty this days.....

I have a makita rp2301 plunge router.......and mostly use whiteside router bits.......

A few days ago while I was doing the joinery of an octagon to make a round table top......I had an accident and broke an expensive whiteside upcut spiral bit (ru5200)......it is a 2.5 long.....1/2 diameter Carbide Bit ......

It was my mistake.......
I was making a complementary curved joinery following a template with a guide bushing.......
but instead of cutting with a bandsaw the excess wood and routing a lighter cut following the template..........
I did the full deep cut thinking that the router would be more stable ......(routing 1/8 deep passes and cleaning the sawdust between passes).......cutting a groove with a W shape....
and in one of those deep curved cuts.......the bit grabbed the side and snapped badly......and loudly....

The problem now is.......that after the accident........
when using another very long (5.5 overall lenght) whiteside 1073-01 bit....
the bit tip´wobbles a little......and the router vibrates.....
the collet seems ok......

my question is.....
should I buy another router........and learn the lesson?

l

thank you

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jw2170

· #2 · Aug 21, 2021

Welcome to the forum , Diego.

Always good therapy to buy a new router......However I would check first to ensure that the new cutter has been inserted correctly. Does the wobble exist with a much shorter cutter?

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old55

· #3 · Aug 21, 2021

Welcome to the forum.

sreilly

· #4 · Aug 21, 2021

Welcome to the forum Diego. I had a similar accident with the router except mine hit a hidden screw in the workbench that I was routing dog holes in. It snapped that bit easily and the resulting shock broke the base plate. I learned a few lessons with that experience. I now use a dead man's switch and do an extreme inspection of the workpiece. This was also a non injury incident but could have been bad.

diego fabbri

Discussion Starter · #5 · Aug 21, 2021

jw2170 said:
Welcome to the forum , Diego.

Always good therapy to buy a new router......However I would check first to ensure that the new cutter has been inserted correctly. Does the wobble exist with a much shorter cutter?

HI James......
the wobble is minimal with a shorter cutter.....
but I often use a very long straight bit (5.5 inches 14 cm) with an angled jig to make the mortises of a 3 legged stool with 17 degree splayed legs.......and when I use that bit at full lenght......now it wobbles and vibrates......
Yesterday I tried a new milescraft bushing.......and it started shaving the inside of the bushing....
I am thinking the cause is the collet......the retaining Nut......or the bearing?
thank you

Reactions: 1

bcfunburst

· #6 · Aug 21, 2021

I've been using a TRA001 Table mounted Router for a long time, having used up one such Router already. I have had the same "accident" a long time ago with a lesser quality router, resulting in destroying the router because of the wobble. It turned out to be the main router shaft being slightly bent! My advice is to check the wobble without a collet on the router. If the wobble is still there, you need to disguard that router and get a new one!
Always treat power tools as if they are a loaded gun! Safety First! Best of luck to you.

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jw2170

· #7 · Aug 22, 2021

Hi @diego fabbri .

That is an interesting joint , how do you cut that?

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swarfmaker

· #8 · Aug 22, 2021 (Edited)

Hi @diego fabbri
I would also like to know how you cut that joint. I see you call it complementary curved joinery following a template with a guide bushing. I need more info. Do you use 2 templates, and do you first do cutouts with a bandsaw?

diego fabbri

Discussion Starter · #9 · Aug 22, 2021

Hello......
it is a W splice joint used in bowmaking.......
modified for an octagon with 45 degrees joinery.......to make a round table 170 cm in diameter......

when making this joint for a bow......you first draw the lines of the joinery in the wood....
use a bandsaw with a jig to angle the cut....the jig goes against the bandsaw fence......do 1 cut.....move the fence.....and do the other cut parallel.........then you reposition the piece of wood and do the other side.......
and then you do the same with the other piece of wood......

For this octagon........
I used a pair of templates and the router........
because I needed them to be precise to make an octagon....

this is the hard way to do it.........but this is how I did it....

Started drawing the octagon and the joinery with the computer (illustrator) to know the exact lenght of the sides of the octagon........then I printed in paper the 2 parts of the joinery with the offset for the bushing.....
did the 2 templates in mdf from the drawing.......and made some cut tests in wood with the bushing......
but they did not fit perfectly at the first test.....
so.....I left the female side of the template untouched.....and modified the male part of the template....
adding some aluminum adhesive tape where I needed.....to make a new male template (using a template bit).....
until the 2 test pieces cut from the new template fit well.......
and then the real test.......doing cutouts with the bandsaw.....so you dont break your bit as I did

anyway........I am adding a loose tenon to reinforce each joinery......

Called it complimentary curved joinery......but it is mostly straight cuts and some little curves....

Diego...

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Biagio

· #10 · Aug 23, 2021

@sreilly
Steve, when using the footswitch, what do you do about the router's own switch? Do you lock it down, or does it remain active?
Also, how would the footswitch have helped in the scenario you described? Did you struggle to switch off the router after the bit broke? I acquired a footswitch after reading about your experience in a previous post by you, but have not quite worked out the use case.

swarfmaker

· #11 · Aug 23, 2021

@diego fabbri Hi Diego, thanks for the explanation. I like the concept. It would seem that using a short and a longer top bearing flush cut bits would be better than a very long bit with guide bushing, as you would not need to adjust the templates for the bushing offset.

diego fabbri

Discussion Starter · #12 · Aug 23, 2021

@swarfmaker........I am using a 1/2 in. bit........cant find a top bearing flush cut 1/2 in. bit long enough for this deep cut...

I disassembled the router........and didnt find anything wrong inside......bearings seemed perfect......
the shaft didnt appeared bent..........with the naked eye.....

So I continued routing today with the 5.5 in. long whiteside straight bit........
and worked almost ok with little vibration when plunging......
improved slowing the speed from 22000 to 20000 rpm.........
but the problem starts when I tighten the Lock lever!!!......specially at max plunging depth .......it vibrated much more......

Tried the shorter bits......and they work better with less vibration.....

what I found.......with the guide bushings centered.....is that when checking the distance between the bit flutes to the inside of the guide bushing......the distance is different from each flute (taken from a fixed point in the guide bushing and rotating the bit to measure the minimal distance to each flute)
Tried other whiteside bits and found the same.....

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old55

· #13 · Aug 25, 2021

Welcome to the forum @diego fabbri

aldav

· #14 · Aug 26, 2021

If you're fairly confident that the router shaft isn't bent and there's no play or damage in the bearing mounts within the router it's probably worth getting a new collet and nut. It could also be the spigot that the nut locates on that is damaged. The RP2301 is a nice router.

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RiovistaAndy

· #15 · Aug 26, 2021

diego fabbri said:
Hello........
I am new here.......just want to say thanks to everybody here for sharing....
I simply love woodworking......
and my english is a little rusty this days.....

I have a makita rp2301 plunge router.......and mostly use whiteside router bits.......

A few days ago while I was doing the joinery of an octagon to make a round table top......I had an accident and broke an expensive whiteside upcut spiral bit (ru5200)......it is a 2.5 long.....1/2 diameter Carbide Bit ......

It was my mistake.......
I was making a complementary curved joinery following a template with a guide bushing.......
but instead of cutting with a bandsaw the excess wood and routing a lighter cut following the template..........
I did the full deep cut thinking that the router would be more stable ......(routing 1/8 deep passes and cleaning the sawdust between passes).......cutting a groove with a W shape....
and in one of those deep curved cuts.......the bit grabbed the side and snapped badly......and loudly....

The problem now is.......that after the accident........
when using another very long (5.5 overall lenght) whiteside 1073-01 bit....
the bit tip´wobbles a little......and the router vibrates.....
the collet seems ok......

my question is.....
should I buy another router........and learn the lesson? View attachment 399329 View attachment 399328 l

thank you

It sounds to me you have either bent the shaft or wrecked a bearing.
I would contact the manufacturer's Help Line and ask if there is a factory authorized repair facility you could send it. Or if you think you can do it, tear it down, inspect and order new parts and reassemble it. This should cost you no more than $20 to $30.
Good luck

diego fabbri

Discussion Starter · #16 · Aug 26, 2021

Thank you for the replies.....and welcomes....

I did tear it down and inspect......and didnt see anything wrong......
but what do I know?......
I dont know if repair facilities around here know much about routers......maybe I should try.....

I checked for replacements parts just in case from mmtoolparts.com.....
a new shaft costs 86 U$......a new collet and nut 30$.......both bearings 17$.......plus shipping

will probably end up buying a RP1801
and then see if I can fix the RP2301......

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RiovistaAndy

· #17 · Aug 26, 2021

diego fabbri said:
Thank you for the replies.....and welcomes....

I did tear it down and inspect......and didnt see anything wrong......
but what do I know?......
I dont know if repair facilities around here know much about routers......maybe I should try.....

I checked for replacements parts just in case from mmtoolparts.com.....
a new shaft costs 86 U$......a new collet and nut 30$.......both bearings 17$.......plus shipping

will probably end up buying a RP1801
and then see if I can fix the RP2301......

Wow, I was way off regarding the parts prices. I would still check with the manufacturer regarding approved repair stations. May times the parts are cheap enough to cover the labor and shipping. At least that was the case with my Bosch router.

MarkJonesRanger

· #18 · Aug 27, 2021

I made a table very similar to yours out of red oak 40 years ago. I just used half lap joints on the segments. I made a 4 foot long router jig as a big circle cutter jig to cut it out and put a rabbit in for some smoked glass. The segments lapped over each other by 1.5" and I think I put screws in from the bottom can't remember.... it's in my mom's house or I would go and look. I used a quarter inch bit and just cut down about 1/8" like you were doing and it did fine. I have broken 8 different bits in my CNC but they were solid carbide. I don't think I have broken a carbide tipped bit to my best memory. I have thrown them away after being too dull even after sharpening them. Maybe you just got a bad bit.

riverbuilder

· #19 · Nov 5, 2021

Change the collet, it’s extremely difficult to bend a router shaft or damage a bearing, but I’ve seen plenty of damaged and out of true collets, they are an expendable part, designed to fail to protect the machine.

sreilly

· #20 · Nov 5, 2021

Biagio said:
@sreilly
Steve, when using the footswitch, what do you do about the router's own switch? Do you lock it down, or does it remain active?
Also, how would the footswitch have helped in the scenario you described? Did you struggle to switch off the router after the bit broke? I acquired a footswitch after reading about your experience in a previous post by you, but have not quite worked out the use case.

Biagio, to answer your question, my Bosch 1617EVS has an on/off switch which toggles and stays at that position (either on/off). After the bit broke the router was still running full speed and wobbling so bad that it took both hands to secure it. I don't exactly remember now but I think I ended up pulling the cord from the socket by backing away until it came out of the wall socket. I was taken by surprise at the amount of wobble the router had and had I had the foot switch at the time I could have simply lifted my foot off of it. My switch works where power is supplied only when you depress the switch with your foot and powers off when you release your foot pressure. Some work as a step on/step off, no need to maintain the foot on the switch. You also need to be able to lock the router switch in the on position. If your router has a switch where you squeeze the switch to activate then it's virtually the same except your finger in now the switch.

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