M4 Router Mounter Be-Gone (use any router with a side entry cord)

[md8n]

@Carson_Barry

Could potentially make it so only one needs undone and the other can just act as a hinge to swing it out of the way.

I thought about this right from the start.

But realised that a first version was needed, to use and get feedback, and from there get a better understanding of that part of the process.

Currently at issue is that some cables must always be disconnected to enable the PCB assembly to be moved sufficiently out of the way to enable the router to be lifted up and out.

So a pre-requisite is really identifying a way to extend and reroute a lot of the cables to make the process of moving the PCB assembly straight forward.

[md8n]

@Carson_Barry

I’d make those wing nuts or something that makes that easier to remove, would facilitate swapping out the router.

I seriously thought about wing nuts. But I don’t have any currently, but I do have lots of spare M3 nuts and bolts for some reason.

But again, I just wanted to make sure a first version was done that hit most of the marks. Then look towards better features.

[md8n]

Here’s the next set of changes that I will do:

1. Add the clearance to the upright so that the “top right” motor has full freedom of movement (i.e. that extra 3mm). Note that I won’t be printing this out and using it myself, because with my frame I don’t need to - so (at least) one of you will have to do this.
2. Come up with a new PCB mount that almost completely covers the PCB (rather than its current skeleton form), to which someone could then stick some foil for a limited amount of EMF shielding from the router motor. Again, I (probably) won’t be printing and testing this myself, because …
3. My actual goal - Give the router the flick and make a new adapter for the spindle that I have. That spindle has no way to mount a PCB to its top (that’s where its cooling fan is), and that situation/problem was the inspiration for this design.

[md8n]

@Carson_Barry

Takes me back to thinking it would be really cool if the router were not what the main assembly was anchored to.

My thoughts exactly.

@Carson_Barry

Being able to remove the router and still have a fully functional Maslow, other than the missing router, would mean things like swapping tools to make a plotter or a laser cutter, making adapters for other routers, tools, etc, could be standardized, too.

Absolutely.

Here I think part of the answer is to standardise a subframe that the router clamps clamp to, which then supports any other tool inside of it. Which ironically would also mean that it wouldn’t support the recommended Dewalt.
Or
Redesign the router clamps, to support a subframe that can support a Dewalt, but with some simple robust locking mechanism.

So it would be, unlatch the two router/subframe clamps, unlatch the PCB assembly, pivot the PCB assembly out of the way, remove current tool, put in new tool, relatch up everything.

[dlang]

Lee H wrote:

The red arms deliberately do not go completely underneath the PCB assembly.
They are just wide enough apart that once you remove the top PCB mount (and
disconnect enough cables that you can swivel it off out of the way), and
completely loosen the router clamps you can slide the router straight up and
out.

I was thinking in terms of removing the clamps, arms, and the router as one
unit.

I know from experience that it’s a pain to try and hold all the arms in place
while you feed the router in from the top.

David Lang

[md8n]

@dlang

I was thinking in terms of removing the clamps, arms, and the router as one
unit.

Oooh, sorry, yes just experienced that.

@dlang

I know from experience that it’s a pain to try and hold all the arms in place
while you feed the router in from the top.

For this install, where the top clamp needs to be unbolted from all of the supports, leaving the top clamp, plus the router, ‘floating’ above all of the arms. I then reversed that as follows.
Lift up the uppermost arm and slide it onto the router body, repeat for each arm, finally jiggle the whole lot into the (already loosened) bottom clamp. Handling each arm one at a time was super quick.

[md8n]

V2 of the Upright Adapter

M4_UprightAdapterv2.stp (200.8 KB)

[ronlawrence3]

@md8n

spare M3 nuts and bolts for some reason.

[dlang]

Lee H wrote:

@dlang

I know from experience that it¢s a pain to try and hold all the arms in place
while you feed the router in from the top.

For this install, where the top clamp needs to be unbolted from all of the supports, leaving the top clamp, plus the router, ‘floating’ above all of the arms. I then reversed that as follows.
Lift up the uppermost arm and slide it onto the router body, repeat for each arm, finally jiggle the whole lot into the (already loosened) bottom clamp. Handling each arm one at a time was super quick.

The problem is that this requires undoing the upper clamp from the vertical
arms, which is bunch of bolts to have to disconnect (especially if they all have
nylock nuts on them.

David Lang

[md8n]

@dlang

The problem is that this requires undoing the upper clamp from the vertical
arms, which is bunch of bolts to have to disconnect (especially if they all have
nylock nuts on them.

Which is exactly what I did. And it wasn’t that bad, and I had used nylock nuts.

[md8n]

@gazinux

What do you think about adding a shield plate at the base of the PCB mount legs… a flat plane where we could add RF shielding tape to help protect mainboard?

And here we have a PCB mount plate. The other side is completely flat. I left the ‘Skeleton’ in there because it provides direct support to the PCB. But it probably isn’t necessary, and if it was gone from (so using the three mounts only as contact points) there might be a chance of slightly better cooling (or just more space for sawdust to go)

So version 2
M4_PCB_Mountv2.stp (109.1 KB)

[Lin_Hao]

nice!!!

[gazinux]

Good to see! I will be printing it.

[NKT]

Nice work!
I’ll print this out and mod mine, I think. It’s a better option than my solution to using a different router.

(I’ve not had a chance to update firmware and get it set up yet though.)

[ronlawrence3]

Here is v2 in 3MF format for bambu studio with all 4 parts on it if anyone wants it.

M4_router-be-goneV2.3mf (1.2 MB)

[ronlawrence3]

I am going to tape the bottom of this with copper tape. Do any of you think it should be grounded to the board or earth ground? I was thinking of hanging a separate bare wire that wraps around one of the mounting arms of this, then down to my vacuum hose ground wire which goes down to earth ground (after I find a long enough flexible bare wire to go through the hose and out to ground)

[WFD]

I vote for earth ground but you can try it both ways.

[md8n]

Cool, thanks for that - I meant to do the same, I also have photos for installation instructions, so I’ll probably write up a new thread

[ronlawrence3]

Not insurmoutable, but I’m noticing that when I attach it all, the dewalt cord is pressing pretty hard against that support, I have to kind of bend it a bit to keep the router straight (which I need to have for the lock plug on the bottom to fit right)

My weekend clock just ran out so I’ll see if I can give this a test soon (also waiting for a ground wire to arrive)

[md8n]

@ronlawrence3

the dewalt cord is pressing pretty hard against that support

Could loosening both the top and bottom router clamps and then rotating the Dewalt slightly alleviate some of the pressure and still give access to the button needed for changing bits?