Thread: Router problems - very slow to start

Originally Posted by TomH

Evening all,
My problem relates to starting. Sometimes it does not start when I turn it on. It does nothing. No electrical buzz like some power tools make when they are jammed. I can turn the shaft freely by hand. Eventually it does start (not sure why), and then gradually ramps up the speed to full.

Tom, no ideas but I hope you are not grabbing the bit and twisting it when the power is on I had to sit next to a guy in emergency a few weeks ago who had routed finger - not nice.

G'day Tom,
I reckon you might have some worn bushes (electrical not mechanical). They may be available for your model from Bosch............don't hold your breath though.

Originally Posted by Burnsy

Tom, no ideas but I hope you are not grabbing the bit and twisting it when the power is on I had to sit next to a guy in emergency a few weeks ago who had routed finger - not nice.

Hi Burnsy,

No. It was mounted upside down in my router table (as it often is). I thought about it, and then decided that this was unsafe. I did try to give it a prod but used some wood instead.

I have caught my finger in the router previously, but it was only a graze. I brushed the collet with my finger when trying to turn it off underneath.

Cheers,

Tom

Originally Posted by TomH

I did try to give it a prod but used some wood instead.

I have caught my finger in the router previously, but it was only a graze. I brushed the collet with my finger when trying to turn it off underneath.

I'm still sqirmin

I reckon Watson is right, same symptoms as my belt sander had, $12 for a new set of brushes and as good as new. Easy enough to do, unplug the machine, unscrew the plugs that hold the brushes in (usually a black plug about the size of a ten cent piece with a screw driver slot in it) there should be two. Slide the brushes out and take them with you to the dealer to make sure you have the right ones. reverse order with new brushed and wahla, hopefully a fully functioning router

G'day,
there's also a clue with electrical brushes,,,,,,,,that if you can find a larger brush with the same electrical connection....i.e. spring or whatever....the brushes can be shaped to fit the brush position with some riffler files. Takes about 2 minutes of careful shaping.

You should be able to buy a set of brushes easily enough.
While you are at it replace the bearings as well.

Could also be in the switch. Not sure about the slow start though - when my switch went, the router wouldn't start at all, and then would decide to, or viceversa, ran fine, but wouldn't stop. The other option is the speed control unit (if it is a variable speed router)

I'm with Stuart on this one. Would be interested to know if it's variable speed because that sounds like a short on the control board. If it is, blow it clean with a compressor and see if the problem has been solved.

If it has no variable speed, I would blow out the commutator on the arbour. If you find that the new brushes don't work - or that the old brushes have enough carbon - the next step is to turn up the commutator on a lathe. Be sure to clean out the copper chips from between the blocks to ensure no bridging. I find a Stanley knife as good as anything for doing this...

Damien