HI All,

I have built myself a router table and have my Maktek MT360 router mounted underneath.

To switch the unit on and off, I an constantly reaching under the table to activate the switch so I am in the market for a speed control / on/off switch combined.

There seem to be a number of cheap options on Ebay such as this but I am not sure if this would work correctly with my router.

My router is 1650 watts and 7.2 amps.

Any thoughts if this cheap option should work ?

Cheers

Dave

No. It's only good for 120w.

You will need a controller for universal motors.

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Dan

Cat No KC5478 from jaycar would work.

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Dan

Thanks for your quick response Dan.

That's a pity, I thought I was on to a cheap solution

Ah, nice !

Thanks very much, I shall check, that out now

Cheers

Dave

I'll be up for doing a router table sometime, and had a quick look on ebay too, and couldn't find anything at all suitable. That Jaycar kit looks like the thing though.

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The other day I described to my daughter how to find something in the garage by saying "It's right near my big saw". A few minutes later she came back to ask: "Do you mean the black one, the green one, or the blue one?".

Hi Fletch123,
Probably not the best Idea, but it is what I have done in the past. You have just got to be a bit careful, & saves quite a bit of money.
If you turn the Router Switch On, making sure the Power Point is in the OFF position.
Plug the lead in to the P / Point, & just Switch the POWER ON, & OFF when Finished.
You have of course to keep your wits about you, but, it does work & Safely as well.

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Regards,
issatree.
Have Lathe, Wood Travel.

Actually, something I have just wondered about. Most routers have an electronic speed controller built in. Is it safe then to use an external one as well? I mean, the external one isn't acting directly on the motor, but on the internal controller. Is there is risk of damaging the internal one, or just that it won't actually work?

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The other day I described to my daughter how to find something in the garage by saying "It's right near my big saw". A few minutes later she came back to ask: "Do you mean the black one, the green one, or the blue one?".

No, there`s no risk. Only if router has super-duper advanced electronic regulator(no simple transistor)(most of them when set to highest speed connects engine directly to source). I would suggest to use auto transformer. Works great for me.

Do not use an external speed control if your router already has a built in electronic one. (it will not function properly).

There are a couple of threads here about speed controllers. Watson and myself have built a few over the years. Some more successful than others.

The Jaycar kit KC5478 is about the best one so far. (there was an earlier one 10+ years ago that was fantastic but parts no longer available) I use the KC5478 with my big 3612 Mak.

The Jaycar kit is relatively easy to build. But a note of warning and it says it in the instructions you are playing with 240V . It provides reasonable speed control.

I have the external controller mounted after a 'no voltage release' switch. This help avoids mishaps should power be lost.

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Steve

Live while you're alive and sleep when you're dead

OK, well I solved my power problem at least by adding a switch to the front of the table. Not pretty but it works..

I've rang an electrician mate of mine, he's looking into something that will work as a speed control for me. I'll update with pics ASAP

I decided to get the Jaycar motor speed controller, instead of getting a new router. I know it says "kit" on the box, and the guy at Jaycar did say to me "it's a kit", but I still was surprised to see that it was a 200 piece kit when I opened the box!

A long-awaited electronics project has now presented itself to me, unexpectedly...

Poit,

Don't be misled that is is a 'kit'. It's in a kit form to keep the cost down. It is a very reliable and functional piece of electronics. It can be used with any universal motor upto 2400 watts.

Be carefull when assembling it as when you first turn it on you don't want the 'majic blue smoke' to escape.

If all works out you will be pleasantly suprised with it.

Any questions you have just post here and we will try and help.

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Steve

Live while you're alive and sleep when you're dead

Thanks for the offer of help, but I've already copped out - my brother is an electrical engineer, and he happened to call last night, so I'm off to the post office today to send the kit to him for him to put it together. How weak is that?

I'm a bit disappointed actually - I'd like to have had a go at it myself, but it'd probably take me two weeks and at least two kits to build it successfully. Maybe I'll buy a second kit later on and copy what my brother does - that way I may even end up with two working speed controllers.

Started out I just wanted to test out my new rail and style router bit set on a bit of tassie oak, to see if I'm confident to go ahead and start making a kitchen's worth of cupboard doors for my other brother. Then it turns out my router table isn't flat anymore and my router is too fast, so it's looking like I'm up for a new router and router table. Then, $12 for a new table top (two layers of melamine chipboard this time around!) and $100 for a speed controller, I thought I'd have the problems solved...