Hi all, I have one of the standard Openbuilds router mounts - ie: Router / Spindle Mounts! And the mount itself is great, however I've always considered the hex head as the devil's gift to engineering.... Always the first thing to shear, and I know I shouldn't overtighten, but it's a silly choice between a tightly mounted router head and a sheared hex head...! Anyhoo, it's sheared (again) and so I'm pondering better screws to mount it - does anyone have any smart options they use? Obviously I'd want to be able to quickly tighten and untighten it, tool-less would be fantastic (and again faster) and something that doesn't soften and weaken over time would be perfect! Thanks for any tips!
A regular scoket head screw would stick out a bit, but it has a larger and deeper hex. That would be a bit better in some ways. You might find better quality hardend screws at some place like Mcmaster.com.
Sheared? the bolts broke? or you mean you stripped the head out? aka the 3mm tool just spins.. if it's stripping then you can use a standard head M5 bolt which would have a 4mm hex head on it. Another tip is to use grease on the threads, this will let you get more clamping force at lower torque and hopefully prevent the threads from galling which steel to aluminum is so fond of doing. Also, be sure to use the non-ball end to do the un-tightening, the ball end strips much easier. Cheers Gary
Sorry, just meant the head stripped out. I've found some M5 knobs online, so have them on order and hopefully this will allow much quicker and tool-less changing, worst case I agree some better quality and hardened steel screws will help (with some grease!) Thanks for help!
Replace with Torx head or full-size flanged hex head? It's not a clearance location, so low profile screws aren't necessary. I've generally found that knobs are harder to tighten enough (even though the M5 spec is only like 2-4ft.lb) and you end up using a pair of pliers or some other tool to cinch them up anyway. Grease to avoid galling is a good call, though I'd go with a high-solids anti-seize which is designed for static pressure applications, grease tends to want to move if it can. Why are you regularly adjusting these screws, though? Seems like a problem with the axis itself if you're constantly adjusting for reach vs clearance.
Yeah, it's more just a faff having to fit longer mill bits in sometimes, so it's quicker to remove the router, fit the bit and then remount. This is partly because of the annoying placement of the DeWalt 611 locking button which is a fiddle with the openbuilds mounting bracket. It'd be great if there was a quick change bit or something, but all seems to be spanners and fiddling!
I would suggest Amazon.com: uxcell M5 x 20mm Handle Adjustable Clamping Lever Thread Push Button Ratchet Male Threaded Stud 5 Pcs : Industrial & Scientific as a viable solution. They offer better leverage than a standard knob.
If you're using a double router mount you might even consider bicycle cam clamps. Those would be even quicker to manipulate. Just not sure I'd trust them on a single router mount.
