Router keeps making noise...

Re: Router keeps making noise...

Ray Mtn. Home Ar.

My router does the same thing. Needs new bearings.

bearings

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

They can be replaced. Be sure to get the grade of bearing that was used. It has to have the correct lubrication and seal to spin high rpm.

Re: bearings

JL

I would just order from Porter Cable.

There are two bearings - but they aren't expensive - so I might as well get both.

Re: Router keeps making noise...

JL

. Fun.

Re: Router keeps making noise...

Jack Dover

Really hard to tell whether we're talking the same type of noise, but I have a router that has under 50 hours of work on it and it begun making this weird noise when rpms go down to a certain low number after switching off.

Worn bearings would make a distinctive noise for the whole duration, not just on some rpms. Maybe it's a bit with some runout and it just resonates on some rpms? I don't have any other explanation.

Re: bearings

John in NM

I've only rarely found that new bearings help a router much. In modern manufacturing they make the bearing pockets with very thin walls and cast aluminum. Once the bearing has vibrated some as it fails, the pocket is often too loose and the new bearing spins and vibrates in it. In my Foredom too motor I was able to shim the bearing because there is no real side load on it, but a router might be a different story.

Not to discourage you - just to point out that you should pay close attention to how easily the bearing comes out of its pocket. Slip fit with no resistance is not so good, you want a bit of drag. Maybe disassemble and inspect before ordering bearings? If its not still pretty tight in the pocket you might as well get a new router instead.

Router bearings have a hard life. They spin too fast for rubber seals but are in an environment too dusty for metal shields. The last PC router I bought had rubber sealed bearings, which are still in good shape. Apparently PC concluded that the RPM vs dust equation was insolvable too.

I think I would go with rubber seals too, worst case you wear out the rubber and it then behaves more like the metal shield (basically fixed on one race, no contact on the other).

Re: bearings

Gordon

I had a similar problem with my older PC 690.

I purchased two new SK bearings from e-bay, the large one was about $ 11.00 and the other about $ 8.00.

Just type in the bearing numbers on e-bay and look for the SK bearings.

My first replacement set I had installed were from China and the quality was poor. I settled on the SK bearings and they are quiet. The press fit was tight.

Re: Router keeps making noise...

Ray Newman

Always a good idea to replace both bearing and while it is apart, check the brushes.

Re: How about this stuff?

Henry Higginbotham

I haven't used it, and there appear to be other similar products in Loctite's line, possibly with characteristics better suited to router bearings.

It was mentioned in a thread on restoration of a Walker-Turner band saw. W-T infamously used oddball bearing sizes which are no longer available, and the generally accepted practice (assuming you don't want to spray-weld and machine the shaft to fit today's bearings) seems to be using a slightly oversize bearing and making up the slop with something like this.

Re: Router keeps making noise...

Grant Smith

One other thing it could be is dust in the motor/armature. I have had noises on my PC routers and have found it to be just dust settling inside the motor/ armature. I blew it out with forced air and no more problem.

I also recall thinking I had a bad bearing once and turned out it was a bit causing the noise. it was out of true and therefore vibrated as the motor spun down. I think it was a dovetail bit.

So remove your collet and turn it on to see if that makes things change.

FWIW,

Grant in Iowa

Obvious answer...

John in NM

It works for a time. How long that time will be depends on the load dynamics experienced by the entirety of the system seeing the load. Loctite products like this are virtually permanent in lightly loaded situations, and might last a week or two in heavily loaded ones.

Disclaimer, I've never tried to glue in a bearing in system seeing heavy loads, so that part is a bit speculative. The old time machinist's trick, pre-loctite days, was to knurl or stipple the shaft if it was too loose. In some cases one could do the same with a pocket if it were too loose to last and too tight to shim. I would expect loctite to work similarly well as that method, probably slightly inferior to it, but that would just be my typical pessimism over wonder cures.

Now I have seen failures of the old time machinist's cure for loose stuff. It probably lasted ~10 years under light industrial use and a heavy side load like a router.

Re: Router keeps making noise...

John in NM

Another thing it could be is a loose fan on the armature, usually they are just pressed on. From the description I'm a little skeptical of a bearing problem, but just a little. Description of the noise is not consistent with the bearing failures I've seen myself, but I sure haven't seen everything by a long shot, so I'm only a little skeptical.

Ok...

John in NM

Looking at it again maybe not so obvious I'll try again.

The success of gluing in a bearing will depend on the gap to be filled, the properties of the glue, and the dynamics I mentioned. On my Foredom motor they were far too loose for glue to work - more than 0.001" since that was the shim I used and it went more than half way around. A quarter thousandth gap though? Might do fine.

If the choice is a new router, give it a shot! Worst case you still need a new router

This is assuming name brand bearings of course, something where you trust the manufacturer's QA. Getting them from Porter Cable (or a middle man if they are in PC packaging) or McMaster Carr, MSC Industrial, etc. You know, I've never mic'd a bearing to check I have some very cheap 608's down in the shop, maybe I'll go do that. Curious now.