I came across the following passage regarding a DIY router speed controller and I was wondering if anyone could verify the validity of the concept. "A tip for you router users. Royce i know you use quite a few routers on a steady basis. this is for the guys with routers that use brush assemblies. Run your routers on DC power. your router will run 40% cooler and 40% less screaming noise. your torque curve will increase and carry over a wider rpm range. my dewalts are old and on the original brushes. here is the parts list for a DC power supply. the three main parts are: 1. 1500 watt AC rotory dial dimmer switch.-any home depot 2. 200 volt 25 amp bridge rectifier -- nothing less 3. 200 volt 10,000 ufd DC capacitor -- the voltage can be higher but not lower. you will blow it up. this is how you wire it up. 120 ac line volt to on/off switch -to- dimmer -to- rectifier -to- capacitor --to- on/off switch -to- router. this setup also gives you variable speed control. my box has double outlets . you can plug any extension cord in and run a router 25 feet away . i run two routers off one power supply no problem. bill forgot to mention the the output will be 20vdc to 185vdc variable. this depends on the makers of the dimmer and rectifier. you can use the 185 too, it wont hurt the router. bill" <source> The goal behind asking is in regards to turning one of the little 30,000 rpm screamers into something more usable. Any help appreciated. Thx.
Hi Rick, I think the concept is valid, however, it is certainly not something I would recommend doing. Tweakie.
Tweakie, Thank you for your response. I've been reading up a bit more on the subject and it seems to follow along similar lines as the diagram you have in the electronics 101 for the unregulated power supply. Ultimately however I have no idea just what it will do to the router. I've seen a number of reports of overheating as the airflow reduction has been greater than the overall heat reduction but these have all been based on the typical AC speed reducers. I have been considering tracking down the guy who posted and asking how his experiment is going now 5 years on.
I think you'll loose a lot of torque reducing the voltage... normally to slow down a router you reduce the frequency. You can buy this harbor freight tool if you want: http://www.harborfreight.com/router-speed-control-43060.html
