Once more into the Freud router, my friend ...

[Larry Levinson]

The new Freud 2000 3 1/4 hp showed up today, and it leaves me with a few questions.

While its intended home is the new nahm router station, and I have two others for the occassional 1/4 bit I may use, how exactly does one get the Freud 1/4 split(?), collet(?)... whatever they call it -- into the machine. The directions seem to imply one slips it into the regular collet, but it does not want to go.

also, it would appear there is a piece of plastic for dust collection, but the book is silent on it.

Wing nuts. Wing nuts? Two wing nuts? Pray, tell, father, what are the wing nuts for?

The instructions are also silent on the plastic shield for the bit, though I suspect Freud realizes this machine is destined for table use and hence the shield itself is of little use. After all, the screw that holds it in place has a 'star' cut, and how many of us have those tools lying around.

I look forward to the responses ..

If I had a really good sig file, this is where it would go ....

[bridger]

it's a kick ass table router.

I have the early model. on mine the collet adapter fits nicely in the collet and runs true.

make sure the collet nut isn't tightened before you try to put it in.

must be something from the newer model. mine didn't have anything like that.

I'd prolly leave it off.

I made a crank handle that fits over the depth adjuster knob. makes under the table adjustment a lot easier.

[Larry Levinson]

If I had a really good sig file, this is where it would go ....

[patriarch]

[e-mail] (Larry Levinson) wrote in news: [e-mail]:

After I got my Freud router, and used it to cut dados in some 3/4 cabinet grade plywood, I took a shower, washed my clothing, and ordered a PC 690 to use by hand. And built a table for the Freud, where it resides today. I have no intention of using that beast handheld again.

But I use it in the table all of the time, and gladly so.

I threw the 1/4" sleeve thingie in a box in the back of a dusty shelf somewhere, and turn small shank bits with a smaller router. The power of the Freud encourages the agressive cutting that small shanks really aren't up to, when working as I often do, with oak and maple.

You needs may vary. Enjoy your new tool. Make haste slowly.

Patriarch

[Noel Hegan]

The 1/4" collet reducer sleeve slips into the normal 1/2" collet. Drop a cutter in and tighten. The shield is a chip deflector for hand held use. The dust extraction cowl can be used in the table and does work. Bit awkward to fit although. Mail me if you want pictures.

Rgds

Noel

noel dot hegan at virgin dot net

[Andy Dingley]

If you're going to use it freehand, first job is to find some clear Perspex and make up a new baseplate. It's a big router, so the standard baseplate has a huge hole in it, to swing big cutters. This also makes it hard to use on small workpieces, because they tend to "topple into the hole". Make yourself a new baseplate with a hole just big enough for the cutters you use (plunge them down through it).

Watch out for cross-threading and stripping the baseplate screws that also hold it into the table insert. Mine has bigger thread steel insert bushes fitted.

You don't. If you look around (maybe Freud themselves) you can get

1/4" collets that fit directly. Height adjustment with the separate adapter sleeve is a PITA.

If you still have an old Freud with the two-flat collet nut, ask their service dept. nicely and they'll send you a hex one. Makes bit changing much easier.

The collet nut has some funny arrangement that pulls the collet open (?) if you undo it far enough,. Anyway, the collet is impossibly tight unless you open the nut right up (it goes tight again near the top).

It works very well, but it makes access a pain. I only use it for freehand routing where I'm cutting a huge dado or something with lots of chips. I'd never needed it in the table, but then my fence has a vaccuum attachment.

Cant remember. Maybe a circle guide ?

Plugs into a slot in the alloy base. Works quite well, but superfluous with the dust collar.

Torx ?

[JMWEBER987]

once more, or fill the workshop up with our English oak sawdust.

Mike in Arkansas

[Larry Levinson]

In an effort to give you more for your money we started including an actually 1/4" collet in the box. This is a $30 value that we included at no extra charge. The manual does still feature the 1/4" adapter that we previously were including. If you would prefer this adapter we would be glad to exchange it with the collet. We choose not to wait for the new manual that they are working on to include this item. As for the dust collector it attaches with the template screws with the included wing nuts and the longer screws. This also will be covered in the new manual.

If I had a really good sig file, this is where it would go ....