Breakage

[pjblues]

I had a Shark user tell me he is constantly breaking the holder for the router. Is this possible? I see it is made out of plastic.

[Bob]

My personal experience...I'm using my Shark almost everyday for the past 5 years. I have not managed to break a router holder yet. Or anything else on the Shark. Except one bit...
Bob

[milo30]

Mine broke but not from using the machine. I've had the bit bind in the material and flex the gantry but the holder held. It is primarily there to keep the router from sliding up or down. The base that the router slides through really takes the pressure. It was from loosening and tightening it when removing the router. If you have one break, for about $50 you can have one made out of aluminum that I guarantee won't break. If you could break it running the machine, you'd be running it way too fast and would probably break the bit first.

[4DThinker]

I oversee two Sharks that get pretty heavy use. It took a couple of years but the plastic clamps on both eventually failed. I cut temporary replacements out of 3/4" baltic birch plywood and they have held up so far. Intending to get aluminum clamps made when/if these show any sign of failure.

[pjblues]

Excellent folks, thanks so much. You have taken away my fears.

[dmyers]

My Shark is down because the router clamp is cracked. It all started when my Bosch 1617 router started running hot and the rpm's kept going up and down during a carve.
So I looked for a week for a new router another Bosch 1617 I found one locally. Went to change out the routers and noticed that the plastic clamp was cracked. Tried to mount the new router but could not get it to tighten up enough to hold the router and I could still move it by hand. Called Next Wave but they are closed on weekends. Looked up the date I registered my machine and it's one year date was 11/18/2013.
I emailed Sam at Dixie Bill-it to inquire about a aluminum clamp and waiting for a reply going to call Next Wave when they open this morning to see if they can help. In the mean time I built a new scrap board out of MDF with T-slots every 4" and mounted it to the shark so when I get a new clamp the first carve will be to plane it down and I'll be back in business.

David

[dmyers]

Well I have read many good things about Next Wave on the forum about their customer service. I just got off the phone with tech-support and my warranty expired on 11/18/2013.
The tech said they would ship me a new clamp for me this week at no charge.
Thanks Next Wave Automation.

David

[dmyers]

Well Next Wave came thru! They sent me a new router clamp even tho my machine was 2 weeks out of warranty.
Thanks Next wave! Also, note that the new clamp had a few changes. First the front bolt area is about 2 times bigger with a longer bolt. Second one of the 4 mounting bolts in the front is oblong to allow better clamping pressure. Have not tried it out yet but I will this coming week. Still waiting for new brushes and speed control for Bosh 1617 router that started this whole exercise. When I pulled the router I noticed the clamp was cracked. I'm surprised it didn't slip during a carve. The first project I plan to work on, I built a new scrap board and need to plane it flat.

David

[Don3929]

Having a real problem seeing a Shark Pro in action.
If anyone knows of a machine close to the Outer Banks of North Carolina please let me know.
Don

[tonydude]

Don,

Have you looked at the map https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mi ... UTF8&msa=0 You can pm somebody close to you.

Tony