broken router

[james butler]

i got my hands on a second hand router with all the bits and was quite pleased with it until i thought it was a good idea to take it apart with a hammer
I've managed to break the cast alloy base and was thinking of making a new one somehow maybe out of some billet alloy?
i was even thinking of permanently mounting it into a table of some kind.
has anyone got any good ideas on how they would do this?

either way it could just end up going in the bin but that seems a waste being as its had so little use.

 

[the snooper]

hmm why did you do it

 

[brightspark]

repair allybase with technoweld rods

 

[mike 109444]

There are (were?) universal replacement bases available brand I think was Trent and I think Screwfix did them.

 

[Seadog]

I think you're thinking of sub bases. These fix to the regular base and are generally larger in diameter.

 

[mike 109444]

You might be right ref the sub base but I do recall seeing something referred to as a universal base when I was looking for a base for a 1/2 heavy duty router I got given but ended up making my own with not much more than a pillar drill and some time !

 

[mike 109444]

i got my hands on a second hand router with all the bits and was quite pleased with it until i thought it was a good idea to take it apart with a hammer
I've managed to break the cast alloy base and was thinking of making a new one somehow maybe out of some billet alloy?
i was even thinking of permanently mounting it into a table of some kind.
has anyone got any good ideas on how they would do this?

either way it could just end up going in the bin but that seems a waste being as its had so little use.

If you post a pic of it inc broken area it may be that a round billet with some counter bored holes (for pillars) would work

 

[james butler]

sorry for the late reply ive been mega busy all week i will try and get a piccy up ASAP

 

[armalites]

If it's a known top brand then you should be able to a get a base no problem, if not then you will probably be scrapping it unless it's weldable

 

[slim_boy_fat]

JBWeld? If it spends all it's life on a flat plane [with it will in a router, won't it?#] it might work..........

 

[james butler]

sorry its taken so long its been a rough week.
I've put it back together and as you can see in the first pic the collar has snapped off the base taking some of the metal with it.
it seems to hold but theres a crack in the base going to between the hole in the centre for the cutter to stick through up to the hole the larger leg goes into.
not sure how to fix it or even if i left it would it be ok to use? theres 2 grub screws securing the base onto the machines legs.

 

[james butler]

cheapy aldi one i paid £20 for.
just really annoying because its nearly new and hardly used.

 

[james butler]

actually thinking about it if i make a plastic base to screw into the cast base that should hold it together should it break up.
what do you think?

 

[Wendelspanswick]

I think the Aldi router was only about £30 new! I would scrap that one* and buy a new one.

*Use it as a tool post grinder or a die grinder.

 

[Woody.v8]

+1

 

[norlander]

probably bin it to be on the safe side , you could think about mounting to a plate and underslinging it in a router table, bound to be xamples on you tube.

Not a bit of kit you want letting go and winging about out of control though so for me, if I was not sure I'd maybe do what Wendel suggests, if it has variable speed.

 

[Wallace]

Turn a top hat shaped spacer, mill the broken face flat and bolt the spacer flange to the base by drilling and tapping.

Edit: Add a Loctite product as belt and braces, that should exceed the original machine purchase price nicely!

 

[Seadog]

It depends what you wan to use it for. If you're doing worktops, for example, you don't want a base that going to move and allow the cutter to go out of vertical. At least not if you want a decent joint.

 

[norlander]

If the baseplate cracks out in use it's not exactly going to go winging off...

The handles are on the body, not the base. In proper use there shouldn't be a lot of force through the baseplate.

If the base plate is bolted to a plate for inverted use and it lets go, it can shift I wasn't talking about its normal handheld use

 

[james butler]

all fair comments thanks for all your input.
to be honest Ive never used a router before and probably not going to in the future which is why i can't really justify buying another one till i need to have one. this one came as part of a job lot of tools.
wallaces idea sounds good i might try that'd if it dont work i will probably keep it for another project

thanks every one for your help