Anyone having a heating problem?

[Keith Hodges]

When I attach my dust boot to my router, with temperatures in the mid to high 90's, my router gets so hot I can barely touch it. The bit burnt my hand while changing it. Without the dust boot, the router gets warm, but not hot. I'm thinking it was instrumental in burning up the bearings in three routers the first year of operating the shark. I quit using the boot months ago because of the heat. I recently started using it again, and again the heat returned. You'd think the wind from the vacuum and router would provide enough cooling. Anyone else with this problem? Keith

[BillK]

That's really interesting Keith. I notice that larger diameter bits cause more heat generation that smaller ones. What sized bit were you using?

[milo30]

What type of router are you using? I notice that sometimes mine gets almost too hot to change the bit on the colt router. I haven't really paid much attention to with or without the dust boot. I can be throwing good chips too. I'm still on my first router for probably a little over a year.

[Keith Hodges]

I used 1/8" ball nose, up to 1/4" straight bit, doesn't seem to be bit related. I've burnt up bearings in two Bosch 1617EVS routers, and one DeWalt 618 router. All three new. The DeWalt was still under 90 days on its warranty, and have a service center just a couple miles from me. The bearings in the Bosch routers are so easy to replace that I don't mind doing myself, and kind of fun doing something different for a change. Most days my CNC is running 8 to 10 hours a day, and I know that no router was intended to run that much. Just seems odd that it would heat up so much, seems like plenty of air circulation. Not using the boot isn't a problem with three large doors and three fans blowing everything out the door. Last week I reinstalled the boot for the first time this summer, and immediately heated up. I removed the boot and it cooled back down, so I know it's not my imagination.

[SPH01]

I burned up two Bosch routers with a dust boot. I know that on another forum the user made his own boot that had the router sitting in a pocket so the bit came thru but the cool air for the router had it's own path via the pocket to get air. The dust part of the boot was limited to dust. Now I have to remember where I saw it. I went with water cooled and never looked back.
I do know that when I slowed the router down to about 80% the life of the router more than doubled.
My 2cents. Steve

[milo30]

Mine will run 6-8 hours on days that I am using it. I run at low speeds, usually between 2-3. I never run more than 3 and only bump it up to that when it needs it. I do vacuum out the vents pretty often trying to keep them clear. I really only use the dust boot when I am cutting MDF though. If I am making good chips on anything else, I'll just clean up afterwards. I probably need to look into getting some bearings for the colt because I know it is coming eventually.

Maybe if you made a larger dust boot and put a hole in the top, you'd pull in more fresh air for cooling. Just a thought, are you setting the dust boot all the way down on your project? Maybe leave a small gap. I know I get a gap when I use an endmill. It doesn't collect everything that way but keeps it to a minimum for cleanup and I have enough suction that I am pulling in the dust that is created.

[Keith Hodges]

Sounds like I'm doing pretty much what others are doing. Slow speed, brush raised a little off project. Don't really like the boot that much, I'd rather see what I'm cutting. I keep my air hose close by, plus the fans. I'll be building an enclosure pretty soon, and love the idea of PVC pipes as jets to blow the cutting area using the exhaust port on my vacuum, and suction at the back of the enclosure. There's a really nice example in, I believe the section under shark pro plus. Credit goes to that member, just don't have his name readily available. The magnets aren't really all that strong, and mine was pulled away from its mount, and into the bit. Needless to say, it's not in like new condition, but still usable. My router is used just about every day, all day, so I don't really expect them to last more than a few months, but a bonus if they do.

[milo30]

Well, you use yours more than I do. I did use it for about 3 hours today so I paid attention. I used the boot and with the end mill it was up above the table. I stuck my hand in there and could feel the vacuum sucking cooler air under the boot. When I stopped the router to change a tool, it was almost too hot to touch. I'll just live with it as so far I haven't found it to cause any issues for me. I'll probably go ahead and buy another one as I know it will fail at the worst possible time for me.

[Bob]

Sounds like I'm doing pretty much what others are doing. Slow speed, brush raised a little off project. Don't really like the boot that much, I'd rather see what I'm cutting. I keep my air hose close by, plus the fans. I'll be building an enclosure pretty soon, and love the idea of PVC pipes as jets to blow the cutting area using the exhaust port on my vacuum, and suction at the back of the enclosure. There's a really nice example in, I believe the section under shark pro plus. Credit goes to that member, just don't have his name readily available. The magnets aren't really all that strong, and mine was pulled away from its mount, and into the bit. Needless to say, it's not in like new condition, but still usable. My router is used just about every day, all day, so I don't really expect them to last more than a few months, but a bonus if they do.

I think it's this one:
http://www.cncsharktalk.com/viewtopic.p ... =10#p15250
Page two, and scroll down to it. It's by NYmedic1
Bob

[Keith Hodges]

Bob, yep, that's the one. Just couldn't remember the name. Everyone that has posted about the enclosures have some really good ideas. I just think the double use of the vacuum is really cool. Sucking and blowing. And Milo, rest assured, if and when it goes, it will be at a very inoppitune time, either having to wait for arrival of a new one, repair time for the old one, or travel time to pick up another. I now have two spares, so should be prepared for any disaster. But one will replace an ailing old Sears router mounted in my router table, only going into my router lift that I just made.