OF1000 Runout?

[John Stevens]

I've had my OF1000 about three years and it's a real gem.  However, when using it to bore 5mm holes for shelf pins, the pins always fit very loosely.  I thought it was because I was using cheap pins, but I just got some nice, brass pins and they also fit loosely.

I recently bought a 5mm drill bit, so I bored some holes with that, and the pins fit nice and snug in them.  So it doesn't seem like the pins are the problem.

Finally, I put a 1/4" Onsrud spiral bit in the OF1000, bored some holes and checked them with a 1/4" drill bit and a 1/4" transfer punch--a little loose, just like when using the 5mm bit.  So the problem doesn't seem to be in the bits.

As far as I can tell, the armature (or whatever you call the thing that the collet screws onto) has no play in it, and the collets are nice and clean and hold the bits securely.

Is there a problem with my router?  If so, is there anything I can do about it?

Regards,

John

 

[greg mann]

John,

If you have a dial indicator you can check the runout of the taper in which the collet rides. Check it at two levels, near the mouth and deeper in the cone. If that is good, and by good I mean less than .0005", then the problem is with your collet or tool. Make sure your collet is clean and damage free, install a tool and check the shank for runout. Unless you have had a real ugly incident you should not have runout in the spindle. Does the router vibrate at high speed?

 

[John Stevens]

Greg, thanks for the good tips.  The collets are clean and in good shape.  I've been meaning to pick up a dial indicator--this'll get me off the dime.

I'm glad you asked whether the router wobbles at high speed--it never does, even with bigger bits, like 16mm and 20mm.  Which reminds me of another thing:  I've used this router about half a dozen times for inlays.  If the bit was wobbling, the inlay would come out a hair too small, and the recess would come out a hair too large.  The error would be doubled, and that would show up in the end result.  But the inlays all came out nice and tight.

Now I really don't know what to think.  Time to get that dial indicator.