# router speed control



## redoakwood (Apr 9, 2011)

Hello fellow splinterfreaks,

Been a while since I was on a WW forum, the last one was the Oak or something like that. But I have a problem someone out there has probably solved. My Hitachi M12V dedicated table router speed control went out and the router won't run. I can bypass the control and hook it up direct but only get full speed. Question is will a speed control you plug in to slow this 15A router down so I can use raised panel bits? New hitachi part $110+, motor speed control from Harbor Freight $18+. Rockler wants $35.

Thanks in advance for any reply.

Gary


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Yup*

The router speed control is meant for use on fixed/single speed routers as far as I know. Yours would become a single speed if you bypass the factory control so I don't see a problem. I have used them on drills and routers with good results.  bill


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Router speed controllers don't work with soft start routers.












 







.


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## redoakwood (Apr 9, 2011)

Thanks for the replies. Got a yea, a nay, and a ?. Nice scrollwork, cabinetman.

When I bypassed the speed control, the router came on hard full speed. Is the soft start in the speed control module?

Guess I'll buy one and try it, probably can use it for something else.:thumbsup::thumbdown::blink:


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## jharris (Jan 8, 2011)

woodnthings said:


> The router speed control is meant for use on fixed/single speed routers as far as I know. Yours would become a single speed if you bypass the factory control so I don't see a problem. I have used them on drills and routers with good results.  bill


Hello Bill,

Your post raised a question.

I have a Delta DP. The only issue I have with it is the limited range of speed control.

So far this has only been an issue when using a rossette cutter.

The slowest speed I can get by repositioning the drive belt is 600 rpm, about twice the speed recommended for cutting rosettes.

Can I use the speed control device to reduce my cutting speed to within a more acceptable range?

Could the speed control potentially damage my DP motor?

Jeff


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*universal motors and speed controls*

The router speed controls I have are meant to be used with universal type motors, those that use brushes, AC/DC types.
Induction motors run only on single phase AC like those in major stationary power tools, fractional HP motors and those up to 3 HP. 
Three phase motors can be speed controlled much easier.
Your drill press may have the newer thin belt pulleys, and therefore more speeds, if not you are pretty much limited to what it came with. Some drill presses have an intermediate center pulley that allows for additional speeds. :smile: bill

Like this from HF:
http://www.harborfreight.com/router-speed-control-43060.html

and this from MLCS:
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/speed_control.html


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## jharris (Jan 8, 2011)

Thanks Bill,

Your input is always appreciated.

Jeff


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## jharris (Jan 8, 2011)

Hello Bill,

Even after your tutorial I'm not clrar on whether or not to use a speed control with my DP.

This doesn't have anything to do with the info you gave. Truthfully, I'm intimidated by things electrical.

While I have materials to study on this subject I haven't made the time to go over it.

I've attached a photo of the label on my DP hoping you'll take a gander and tell me if I can use a speed control on it.

Please let me know what you think.

Thanks again Bill,

Jeff


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Not that motor*

That's an induction motor and runs on AC only and has no brushes.
Universal motors are described like this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_motor#Universal_motors
*Universal motors*

 
Modern cheap universal motor, from a vacuum cleaner


A series-wound motor is referred to as a *universal motor* when it has been designed to operate on either AC or DC power. The ability to operate on AC is because the current in both the field and the armature (and hence the resultant magnetic fields) will alternate (reverse polarity) in synchronism, and hence the resulting mechanical force will occur in a constant direction.
Operating at normal power line frequencies, universal motors are often found in a range rarely larger than 1000 watt. Universal motors also form the basis of the traditional railway traction motor in electric railways. In this application, the use of AC to power a motor originally designed to run on DC would lead to efficiency losses due to eddy current heating of their magnetic components, particularly the motor field pole-pieces that, for DC, would have used solid (un-laminated) iron. Although the heating effects are reduced by using laminated pole-pieces, as used for the cores of transformers and by the use of laminations of high permeability electrical steel, one solution available at start of the 20th century was for the motors to be operated from very low frequency AC supplies, with 25 and 16.7 Hz operation being common. Because they used universal motors, locomotives using this design were also commonly capable of operating from a third rail powered by DC.
An advantage of the universal motor is that AC supplies may be used on motors which have some characteristics more common in DC motors, specifically high starting torque and very compact design if high running speeds are used. The negative aspect is the maintenance and short life problems caused by the commutator. Such motors are used in devices such as food mixers and power tools which are used only intermittently, and often have high starting-torque demands. Continuous speed control of a universal motor running on AC is easily obtained by use of a thyristor circuit, while multiple taps on the field coil provide (imprecise) stepped speed control. Household blenders that advertise many speeds frequently combine a field coil with several taps and a diode that can be inserted in series with the motor (causing the motor to run on half-wave rectified AC).
Induction motors can't turn a shaft faster than allowed by the power line frequency. By contrast, universal motors generally run at high speeds, making them useful for appliances such as blenders, vacuum cleaners, and hair dryers where high speed and light weight is desirable. They are also commonly used in portable power tools, such as drills, sanders, circular and jig saws, where the motor's characteristics work well. Many vacuum cleaner and weed trimmer motors exceed 10,000 RPM, while Dremel and other similar miniature grinders will often exceed 30,000 RPM.


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## redoakwood (Apr 9, 2011)

Got that router speed control from Harbor Freight and hooked it up today. Works great. It must have a built in soft start. $18 sure beats $110 from Hitachi.

Thanks to all that participated.


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