Thread: Big triton router - locking pin not locking

Geoff,

Did you turn the routers switch off first? This lets the router ro raise high enough for the pin to lock.

If you already know this then i can assume it is a problem with the interlock between the switch.


Regards
Steve

You've taken the spring out so it can be used for under the table? Then take the plunge spring cap (t in the attached pic) that covers the housing for the spring. I has this same problem and found that where the spring was was full of dust which was stopping the locking pin from engaging because I couldn't raise the router to it's full height. When it was removed I had no further problems.

Geoff I had the same problem recently. I found the pin wasn't fully entering the hole in the collet.

After blowing things out with compressed air and lightly lubricating the locking pin it came good again. Try that.

Kev

Hello everyone

The cover for the spring's hole was removed many months ago. I have removed the router from the table, and cleaned out any gunk. I have no problem raising the router to the maximum (power off - made that mistake before).

The problem is that when I raise it to the maximum, the pin is there in its correct position and ready to enter the hole but is not springing in. I have to hold the pin in the hole with my hand while I juggle the spanner in the other hand.

When I take my hand off the pin, it springs out from its hole In a nutshell, the pin will spring out, but will not spring in.

I know that "Ray in the UK" has instructions on the forum on how to dismantle the router but I would not be confident that I could do it and re-assemble it.

Any further thoughts? All the suggestions are very much appreciated.
Geoff

geof,


As per my previous post. Problem with the interlock. Will need to be stripped down to fix.

Steve

Originally Posted by geoffo

The problem is that when I raise it to the maximum, the pin is there in its correct position and ready to enter the hole but is not springing in. I have to hold the pin in the hole with my hand while I juggle the spanner in the other hand.

When I take my hand off the pin, it springs out from its hole In a nutshell, the pin will spring out, but will not spring in.

This is the part I don't understand. If you raise the collet to maximum height, it's furthest away from the base. Yes, you can press the locking pin in manually at that position - is that what you're doing?

OTOH, when the collet is plunged below the router base (with the power switch in the "Off" position), the sloping cam on the base engages with the locking pin and pushes it inwards, thereby locking the collet via on of three indents. At that point, the locking pin cannot be accessed by hand, as it is already recessed into the base. Therefore, if you can still reach the pin, the router has not fully plunged. If you have no spring retaining cap on, it can't be a cap-full of compacted dust that's the problem, but before suggesting other options, please confirm which of the two scenarios above you're actually experiencing, please.

Originally Posted by geoffo

I know that "Ray in the UK" has instructions on the forum on how to dismantle the router but I would not be confident that I could do it and re-assemble it.

Yes, I do - those were written for another member here, then added to as further requests arrived. They're intended for replacing parts, such as the worm shaft, but the locking pin can be easily detached (a single screw). The pin comprises four parts, shown below:



Make CERTAIN that you keep the springs in the correct orientation, as they're not identical. Clean thoroughly and reassemble, after cleaning the casing hole too. It may be that the plastic outer part of the assembly has swelled because of damp. If that's the case, a day or so in the airing cupboard (for the plastic part only) will sort that out - seriously!

That's as much help as I can offer right now and I'm off to bed. Let me know what one of the above applies and I'll have another look tomorrow (later on today, for you).

Ray.

geoffo, Rays instructions are very good and you will have no problem following them. If all else fails, dive in and follow Rays instructions. he's right about the pin, you can easily think you have it fully raised but it's not.

SB

Ray is absolutely right. I had a problem with the pin not moving freely. Popped it out, popped it in the airing cupboard (similar warm place will probably work) for 24 hours and it then worked as good as new.

I have never heard of plastic swelling with damp - but this solution absolutely works 100%

Originally Posted by sam8364

Ray is absolutely right. I had a problem with the pin not moving freely. Popped it out, popped it in the airing cupboard (similar warm place will probably work) for 24 hours and it then worked as good as new.

I have never heard of plastic swelling with damp - but this solution absolutely works 100%

Can you tell me what is an airing cupboard.Seems England has them.I have ask a few people in Aust and they don't know.Is it me ?
P.S. Sorry for the Hijack.I didn't think of it at the time

Airing cupboard = clothes dryer. No blower, basically a set of shelves in a warm place, they used to be built around water heaters. Before 'tumble dryers' became common you used to be able to buy a hanging clothes dryer that looked like a small 'frige - it had a heating element & fan inside the base that slowly circulated warm air.

I too had problems with a sticky pin in my Triton - there was a tiny ridge raised on the plastic bit that caught and made the pin go off-line & miss the hole. A quick rub with some 'Crocus' paper fixed that without tearing up the surface - think super fine emery paper.

An airing cupboard is about 3' square and full height usually containing the hot water storage cylinder for the central heating and hot water systems. There are then shelves above used to "air" clothing - basically a nice warm room. Not used to dry clothing - they are usually without ventilation and would quickly become damp if used to dry clothes.

A lot of modern or small housing do not have conventional hot water systems but rather had combination boilers that heat water on demand. Some houses are still built with an 'airing' cupboard with a small tubular heater fitting to produce the same effect.

I think they are peculiar to the UK- I have not come across them in Europe and in hot climates there would be no need nor a UK style central heating system.

As well as air clothes they are particularly useful for drying out mobile phones etc that have fallen in water and mending triton tools!!

I had this a few years ago - the problem was over time the edges of the hole in the collet had become dented (just a bit). I took a file and gently dressed off the raised edges and that worked perfectly. This in no way will compromise the collet, or its strength etc. The metal of the collet is just a little softer than perhaps it should have been.

To add to that, I undid the screw and removed the locking pin and spring and gave it all a good clean and lube and reassemble.

Worked perfectly from that point on (until I replaced the collet with the US version, and have had no problem with that one ever).

Just a quick thank you to Waldo. I had problem with not being able to raise collect above table and couldn't figure out why, came looking for guidance and what do you know I found it, straight away!!!! Spring cap full of fine dust compacted in to a solid mass that stopped last 1/2" of travel, cleaned that out and all now working fine, I am a very happy "wood butcher".

Hope you find a fix Geoffo.