I know there is a better solution. That is one reason I want to share my ‘partial’ success. I will see if I can post pictures if necessary but:
I managed to remove the spring and alter a zip tie head (hopefully there is a size that works without trimming with scissors) to wedge and prevent pivot. The tail of the zip tie comes out of the small margin (perpendicularly from router).
Another zip tie head slides on the tail. Then trim both tails off. This assembly hugs the lever and the ridge that makes the gap tight.
Finally, wrap one more zip tie around the whole thing (both zip ties and the nib on the lever that used to act as a stop when the thing pivoted). This prevents it from slipping out when sliding up & down.
Now the lever no longer pivots (which I find to be good since I found my collet doubling as a woodburner!) but still slides up and down. The problems are: This will have to be snipped and reassembled every time you need the spindle removed AND I believe a better solution could fix both this problem and the slop problem at the same time if something were to keep the entire assembly running parallel with that ridge I was talking about (like a track) instead of adding a bushing. The problem is that this is so detailed, small, and intricate. Could something be 3-d printed and be easy to remove/bypass for bit changes and whatnot? Please, someone “one up” me!
I think what TheMerryYeoman is talking about is removing the spring on the Z axis orange tab alltogether? I could modify my replica of the Z axis locking Tab (Think that’s its proper name anyway) to extend the bit that the spring is over, and remove the spring so its always engaged fully in the z-axis. I think it was designed this way though so that you could both quickly move the Z axis on the router up and down, and also a bit of a safety measure as if the Z axis moves enough to hit the top or bottom of the range and the screw is still rotated, rather then sheer off the half thread it would be able to retract.
Of course if you have access to a 3d printer, you could print out lots of spares of these so not really a big issue. I was thinking of trying to reduce the play in the part, and in my copy i did reduce it a fair bit. (The original has alot more play then my 3D printed replacement and the hole is bigger, I did mine to be as tight as possible, and I have had to sand it down a tiny bit to get it to slide into place. But taking it all out is an option too. Although the width of the part i am pretty sure only allows a single thread as there isnt room for 2, which you would really need to take out any more play. Although changing the hole from an oval type to a circle would perhaps allow a thread all the way around?
Perhaps you could post a pic of your Zip-tie modification so we could know better what you mean Yeoman?
And do you want a solid part with all the play taken out so its more of a permanent placement part? I could do this. Although I do like being able to take the spindle out to change bits, as its almost impossible to do it with the router attached to the sled I have found, so stopping the z-axis being able to dis-engage with the spindle at all I thing would cause more issues then it would solve.
To clarify: there are 2 springs on this assembly. I refer to the other spring. (If there were a way to improve the orange button to latch closed on the threads, that would be better than an easily overcome spring in that case as well!)
What I am saying is that there is a spring that “holds” this whole assembly in the recess on the router spindle. I feel that I would also rather snip and rebuild my zip tie “printed” part than to change bits when it is stuck in the sled. My solution, however, has thus far stopped the mechanism from popping out and causing the z-axis to lose control of the spindle. What I would like is for someone, hopefully you , to 1. Stop this from pivoting (which I managed with zip ties) 2. Make it easier to remove (clip or something) & 3. A bonus would be if it could also slide up and down that rail type ridge ( above zip tie assembly in photo) helping everything to stay perpendicular. Hopefully this explains the photo:
I managed to remove the spring and alter a zip tie head (hopefully there is a size that works without trimming with scissors) to wedge and prevent pivot. The tail of the zip tie comes out of the small margin (perpendicularly from router).
Another zip tie head slides on the tail. Then trim both tails off. This assembly hugs the lever and the ridge that makes the gap tight.
Finally, wrap one more zip tie around the whole thing (both zip ties and the nib on the lever that used to act as a stop when the thing pivoted). This prevents it from slipping out when sliding up & down.
Now the lever no longer pivots (which I find to be good since I found my collet doubling as a woodburner!) but still slides up and down. The problems are: This will have to be snipped and reassembled every time you need the spindle removed AND I believe a better solution could fix both this problem and the slop problem at the same time if something were to keep the entire assembly running parallel with that ridge I was talking about (like a track) instead of adding a bushing. The problem is that this is so detailed, small, and intricate. Could something be 3-d printed and be easy to remove/bypass for bit changes and whatnot? Please, someone “one up” me!
That’s kinda what i thought, its that silly L or V shaped metal bit. I’ll have to look at my router body when i get home, but i am thinking of like you said, a custom clip that could be inserted in the hole there and hold it tight, and simply popped out when you need to remove the spindle. I’ll take alook when i get home, take some measurements etc… see f i can come up with something. If I do do you have a 3d printer? If not i could print a couple of whatever I come up with and send them to you?
Also I put a brass bushing on my z-axis above the metal bit the orange tab sits inside. It reduces my travel a fair amount as i could only find a bigger one, bit it does take out alot of slop. for instance when i cut pockets now, there is no lines really between bit passes.
Nice. I am a bit apprehensive about the bushing because I could see me ruining the whole thing trying that modification. That’s why I was saying a bonus would be if the new part could track that ridge (to do the job of the bushing). As much as the bushing is said to help, I’d rather have a sub-par z-axis than no z-axis at all (based on my installation confidence) .
I do not have a 3d printer yet so I would very much like to try any design you think would help!
