Foot Switches

[rrich]

Obviously there are different safety rules depending upon the country of use. It seems that you have some rather stringent safety requirements on your routers.

Yesterday, I was doing some fenceless routing on some curved pieces. The task was a simple round over on the piece.

This was a good time to use my foot switch for the router. The router in the table normally has the switch in the ON position and the router table itself has an external switch. With the fence in position I usually flip the external switch on and then start routing. This was a bit different and I used an adaptive foot switch. The router is plugged into the foot switch and the foot switch is then pluggend into the power point.

I had already routed a few pieces and was setting up to do a few more pieces. While away from the router table I stepped on the foot switch and the router started turning, obviously.

The lesson was learned. Foot switches are dangerous in this application. It is just too easy to step on the foot switch without intending to do so. In another situation I could be missing fingers because I accidently stepped on the foot switch.

I think that I'll be moving the foot switch to the dust collection shop vac. It will make turning the beast on and off much easier.

[journeyman Mick]

Rich,
I've worked in boat building yards where they had large guillotines and presses operated by foot switches. The foot switches were in a metal box which was open on one side. You just put your foot in the box to step on the switch. This made it impossible to accidently operate the switch. You could do similar with a heavy timber or ply box.

Mick

[Auld Bassoon]

Whilst still on topic, does anyone know where an Australian-spec footswitch can be had? I'd like one for my DC.

[Sturdee]

Whilst still on topic, does anyone know where an Australian-spec footswitch can be had? I'd like one for my DC.

Steve, I built my own using an old sewing machine footswitch but they are available from Jaycar for about $ 20.


Peter.

[Auld Bassoon]

Thanks for that Peter! I'll visit Jaycar in the city - just a short walk away, regrettably :)

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

The best footswitch I've ever used was a simple SPST. ie. you stepped on it to turn it off but to turn it on you had to hook your toe underneath the pedal and lift!

It makes for an easy off in case of emergency but you can only turn it on deliberately. I've seen similar where the treadle is pivoted in the middle, which means you can turn it on by depressing the back of the treadle but that removes the safety feature I like most.


Edit: Actually, come to think of it, 'twas a DPST. It broke both the neutral and the active when actuated. Not that it really made any difference to use/performance.

[rrich]

I use a shop vac as dust collection on the table saw. I thought this would be a great use for the foot switch.

Start the saw, step on the foot switch, make cut, etc.

I discovered that the foot switch is very distracting and it forces one foot to remain in place. Not good for the table saw dust collection. It was sort of like trying to drive and talk on the cell phone. (Not good.)

When the shop vac is connected to the ROS, the foot switch works rather well.