Yeah, you need to try and get that cleaned out. But you also need to check the plastic thread of the spindle lock too
What does the pin on the router body that engages the slot look like?
ok how do check that orange piece, load with pressure by meā¦or maybe try to bury router in an old hole?
you should be able to grab the paul from inside the router base body on onside and the spindle lock body from teh outside and just give an easy tug and push, up and down
ok let me try thatā¦with the orange pieceā¦
Go to the SETTINGS ā MASLOW SETTINGS menu and tell me what your Z-Axis Safe Travel Height is set to.
ok will check the settings When I grab from the inside and outside, with that orange piece enganged on the screw, she is solidā¦the pin it self goes up and down ever so slightly, but that is itā¦staying locked on. Ok off to Maslow settingsā¦
The pin will wiggle a little, thats normal
ok good, and we have router so yours does the same thing. Awesome. I checked setting, 5ā¦the default it says.
ok, i have another idea
ok shootā¦up for any test at this point! Destroying parts, so canāt get worse right 
I am like a pro at setting Z back to top of wood I have done it so many times You know the wear on the inside of that router base, the dark spots for someone who bought it new, and only used for this machineā¦but only ran tests, tells me too tight or getting bound up and pushing on other sides of base to try and get upā¦but just a theory, and we know I loosened it so is that really solved now you know what I mean?
while you reply, I want to run a test myself. I have no play or wiggle the way it is set nowā¦running the sled over to a square I made, going to bury the bit a bit, try to rise and see if gets hung up or motor sounds under strainā¦
Also check out this on the router itself. I can feel the grooves in those marks like something was gouging into themā¦
My router body has lots of wear from rubbing and even some deep scratches but its usualy not a problem.
Actualy I have another you should perform of the spindle lock. while pushing the orange plastic release pin in, slide the spindle lock body up and down along the screw. see if it binds anywhere.
Jon I got it!!
really? what did you do?
ok here we go. I ran the sled over to a test square void. I set to go down exactly 1 inch, more than the 3/4 we would ever needā¦ It went down fine, on return up it was slowerā¦then eventually the router stopped moving. The more stopped spinning, I looked behind, check out where the bit isā¦It started at the top of the wood, the last saved Z.
