Thread: Unhappy with Triton router height adjustment

Hennie,

This will solve the "Jumpiness"

If you are using the Trton Router in the Router Table..you have to remove the plunge spring...

Have a look at page 8 of your manual that came with the router.


When you remove the spring ..BE CAREFUL..it can shoot out fairly quickly

Store the spring away somewhere safe as you need to put it back if the router is required to be hand held.


Hope this helps

PS

The spring is for tension when Plunge Routing

It's this "TENSION" that causes the jumping

Remove the spring..removing the tension..removes the jumping

I think this should also help maintain the Height adjustment as the Router in no longer "fighting" the sping tension.

Hennie
A boer maak n plan
Also blow out any dust in the winding mechanism and put a little WD40 if you have removed the spring. Removing the spring is a must.
Barry

Originally Posted by skot

Hennie,

This will solve the "Jumpiness"

If you are using the Trton Router in the Router Table..you have to remove the plunge spring...

Thanks Skot, but the spring was removed before I started working (abnormal, I know, but I DO read the instruction manuals ).

Originally Posted by BarryBurgess

A boer maak n plan
Also blow out any dust in the winding mechanism and put a little WD40 if you have removed the spring.

Wow, I did not expect to be addressed in Afrikaans on an Australian forum :eek: Are you from South Africa as well?

I will try lubricating the shafts and ratchet mechanism - I'm just concerned that doing so might cause dust to accumulate, exacerbating the problem. I suppose that I must avoid getting oil on the locking mechanism?

Thanks for the replies
Hennie Landman

No- the lubrication will not be a problem - depending on the type used of course! WD40 or CRC works well.

Mine was initially very smooth 'till I did a lot of MDF work - fine dust has really gotten into the gears. Lots of compressed air (and WD40) has return operation to normal.

I'm a bit concerned you are having this problem with a new router - particularly the height locking. This, from experience, has never caused a problem, and in fact, I would go as far as to say you are the first on the forum to mention it as a problem. I would be tempted to pursue the "faulty unit" option, and at least get your local Triton supply / repair to give it a good look over to ensure there isn't a problem there. If the unit was a few years old, yeah, dust, wear (unlikely) etc may cause this. But a new unit? Not usually.

Before I bought mine I checked several in stores and noticed stickiness in all of them, I wrote to Triton, they did not respond.

“Gumby” from this Forum suggested blowing out the spring tube and lubricating which I did (I was concerned like you that the lubricant would trap more dust and eventually make it worse still). It has improved the situation, its OK upright but still sticks in the table which is very annoying.

I reported this to “Woodworker101” (a Triton Demonstrator) on another thread in this Forum, no response yet.

I think its caused by the centre of gravity not being in alignment with the adjusting mechanism which causes a strain upside down.

I would be interested to here if it works smoothly for anyone.

I am looking into this problem, it's one I haven't come across again. Without seeing your router I can't tell what is wrong. If you can get to a demonstration and take your router maybe the demonstrator can help you.

Let me know what happens.

Woody

Woody
Get real - use the router with lots of MDF instead of your demo's and you will discover the problem. It is at its greatest if you are not using any dust extraction ( unless you have that special shed in Perth- so I am told and the wind is right)
This is a restrained reply.

Absolutely Barry.

I've gone one step further, to the point where dust penetration of the switch through a pin hole in the original design killed the switch. Triton replaced it (the switch), and fixed the hole, and it is no longer a problem in the routers since (about 2 years ago).

Graham makes an interesting point, however, I do remember a time when the router worked exactly as expected, so it may be a combination of design (as Graham points out), and dust.

Mine is better since the heavy cleaning, but I won't say that it has regained its former glory.

Originally Posted by BarryBurgess

... It is at its greatest if you are not using any dust extraction ( unless you have that special shed in Perth- so I am told and the wind is right)

Thanks for the input so far, guys

Barry, just to confirm, I do have a dust extraction system, with extraction both on the router (below the table) and on the fence (above the router bit), and this works quite well - although I did notice that dusts still accumulates on the plastic dust "cowling" on the section furthest away from the "port". I suppose that the plastic dust collection system was designed to work best with the router in the upright (freehand) position, rather than inverted below a table...

Originally Posted by Graham Sands

I think its caused by the centre of gravity not being in alignment with the adjusting mechanism which causes a strain upside down.

Graham, those were my thoughts as well. Since the adjustment ratchet and clamping lock only work on one of the sliding guides, this would leave some play on the other guide, which would then want to rotate around the "fixed" point of the ratchet or clamp, and with dirt/dust accumulating it could cause "stickiness".

Regards,
Hennie Landman

BarryBurgess,

Tell me how you really feel. Yes I am a demonstrator AND I am only human so I don't know everything and I don't claim that I do. I don't answer every thread posted here as I don't see the point in wasting my time if someone else has helped before me. Also, sometimes I can't help someone WITHOUT seeing their equipment for myself and as you'll see I live in Brisbane which is in QUEENSLAND especially if I haven't encounted the problem myself.

BarryBurgess,

I too will try and restrain myself here. I am an Apprentice Cabinetmaker where we use MDF and Particle Board rather than solid timber. I see enough MDF dust in the atmosphere at work and have probably filled my lungs with this dust a few times now and knowing the glue that makes MDF I don't want to use it at home, I'm sorry for "not getting real". Maybe you should "be a real man" and use solid timber rather than MDF which is predictable in its characteristics and behaviour oppesed to timber which is affected by both moisture and grain and can move with each new cut with the new tensions in the remaining pieces after cutting.

I didn't join this website to constantly find myself offering help, rather I joined as woodwork is a passion of mine so I became a member for self benefit. I don't get paid to help here so I think I will keep help offerings for my demos. I don't appreciate being told to "get real" or being told what sort of material I should be using. This is not a reflection on Triton as the comment was directed at me and not Triton.

And as you said, it's worse when not using dust extraction, so spend a little time(a few seconds) and connect the hose to your router - there is a dust port for this and turn your vacuum cleaner on.

Woody:mad:

25


(Ps - Woody, I think Barry's post was a bit harsh as well)

Woody
I own two Triton routers and I have Peters Cyclone dust bucket and use a 2000W vacuum and am converting the router table to use 100mm extraction above the table and the port below as is.
I have had the micro adjustment problem with both but past advice on the channel aided me in getting around the problem. I am surpriced as a demonstrator that you have not come across the problem as I have have only attended two demo's and the problem was raised at both. The problem gets worst if extraction is not used (Carpenters working on site)
I still love my Router warts and all
Barry

Originally Posted by BarryBurgess

Woody

I still love my Router warts and all
Barry

You should put cream on them , it will help.