Routing questions (Hitachi M12V and using a Dremel)

[Trakehner]

Hello fellows,

I hope you don`t mind a newcomer from Bulgaria joining here.

I build loudspeakers and recently sold my Skil router and went for a barely used Hitachi M12V which I bought off ebay as I need to use large roundover bits, like 1" radius and bigger. I read lots of comments on the speed control unit giving up on these. Is this really that common? I have electronics knowledge (I also build my own amps) and am seriously considering to take the router apart as its speed control is in fully working order, spend a few days to remove the conformal coating and plot its schematic. Then order a thick 70um PCB and build a replica of it using very overrated components and adding a 12-15A fuse to protect the armature and field coil should voltage drop too much (the motor will suck more amps until it gives the ghost). Then will seal it in a box similar to the original one with a gasket and hope to have an easily repairable machine. Has anyone tried this here? How possible would it be to buy on here a failed speed control unit to experiment with it before to take on the working one? All this hassle is due to these being somewhat really hard to source and I`m sure many others may benefit from a solution.

Second question would be, how well would a Dremel 3000 do if I convert it to a laminate trimmer? I will use it for excess veneer removal (0.6mm). The Makita laminate trimmers are cheap here, around £55 but I have the Dremel and thought if its possible to use it that way.

Cheers,
Mario

 

[Racers]

Hi Mario

Sounds like a lot of work and expense for an £80 part, assuming you could get all the potting off and they haven't sanded the part numbers off or used custom parts.

I have 3 Hitachi variable speed routers and they all run fine, you can also bypass the speed controller to get a dead one working.

The Katsu trimmers are very good and cheap they will do a better job than a Dremel.


Pete

 

[MikeJhn]

Have a Hitachi M12V in my router table for the last seven years without any problems, and its been used and abused a lot profiling oak using this bit: https://www.wealdentool.com/acatalog/On ... a_702.html probably made over 100 picture frames with it so far plus all the other things you use a router table for, does seem you are trying to get over a problem that does not exist.

Mike

 

[Trakehner]

Hi Pete,

its not that much for the cost, although I do not like someone selling a £80 unit with very limited design input (such schematics are widely available, even from chip manufacturers for free) and parts that woud cost £5 in total. Problem is, here in Bulgaria its hard to source parts, I`d be better off ordering them from the UK or Germany but this still means waiting time. And you know, if the tool goes, it would be in a project...I like the flexiblity to be able to fix it in a matter of hours (I stock lots of parts and have many leftovers so repair may take even 20 minutes or so in my case).

 

[Droogs]

Hi Pete,
Don't know about the Makita M12V but I use both a dremel and a katsu in the marquetry, veneer and inlay work I do. The Katsu clone of the makita 700 is great for edge trimming and the larger inlay work. The Dremmel is good for use in some of the more complex curves & shapes for the inlay that I do that includes inlaying wood metal and semi-precious stone. There are two things that are paramount in order to get great results using the Dremmel. First is the bits used. you really do need the highest quality micro bits you can get. The second is DON'T use the dremmel plunge base ever, buy the Veritas version instead. I've had both and the Veritas knocks the Dremmel one out of the park, mainly due to the Dremmel being made of pretty crap plastic that flexes a lot.

hth

 

[MikeJhn]

Now he tells me, I just bought the Dremmel plunge base, mind you it was from Axminster, now where did I put that receipt.

Just looked at the Veritas version and I don't think it will meet my needs, looks like it does not have the facility to take guide bush's.

Mike

 

[Droogs]

Hi MikeJhn,
I've never had to use guides with the dremel. Most micro bit shapes are available in versions with a bearing on the bottom of the bit so negating the need for a guide bush most of the time. Besides as I use the dremel mostly freehand for creating grooves for wire/stone inlay on marquetry already fixed to the substrate. The setup is so light and I have a HDMW low friction plastic sub-base that it's almost no different to using a pencil in feel. ou could use a sheet of the same to make mounts for guide bushes if you wanted/need, but saying that I haven't seen any guide bushes available for rotaty tools.

 

[MikeJhn]

The main reason for the guide bush's is to precision drill through a jig into delicate mitre joints to make a dowel hole for reinforcing the joint, at the moment I am using a Katsu router fitted with a Triton guide bush plate, due to the delicacy of the process I thought the Dremel plunge base would make the job a lot easier.

In case someone reads this and thinks the Triton guide bush plate fits the Katsu as standard, it doesn't without centring and drilling the plate for the fixings.

Mike

 

[Droogs]

The katsu takes standard 68mm makita guides if I remember rightly

 

[MikeJhn]

I had the Triton guide bush set already so wanted to use it to save buying again, left over when I upgraded from the Triton gear.

Mike

 

[Trakehner]

Thanks a lot for all input. So a Dremel might do the job. I will try it and will post results in a week or so. Already got bits with a bearing. I also had a look at the base at local shop (plunge one) - didn`t like it. Now I would either get the 565 attachment and use a cutter with bearing or would go the diy route and design my own attachment.

On the Katsu - yes, I have read lots of positive comments on these but I can get a Makita for around 50 sterling locally. Problem with it is, many loudspeaker chassis need 4-5mm of routing depth only and I`m not sure if even a palm router can do what I need well - when I take them from paint, there is a laquer build up that prevents the chassis from fitting properly so I thought a mini router baed on a Dremel could do. The cutter must be really compact and the bearing not wider than 2-3mm at most, not sure if the 1/4" types are like that.

 

[Trakehner]

I bought a Dremel 3000. Well, it can replace a trimmer but is an expensive route to go and not the best in terms of final result. The dremel needs a router base or at least something to be built for it to act as a plane. The genuine one costs half of what the Katsu trimmers do. Then comes the bigger problem, I couldn`t find any router bit, except one made my Dremel which comes in a pack of three different. The pack is expensive and you have ot buy a whole new one every time when it gets dull. So, while possible, I now know it is not worth the hassle.

On the M12V, it appears hard to source parts for these so I decided to sell it and get a new tool which would have parts available for at least 7-10 years ahead. I use them a lot and expect a failure now or later.

I think I will either get a Makita 1/2" or the new Hitachi M12VE.