Craftsman 315.175341 - Manual (Page 12)

OPERATION
REMOVING/INSERTING CUTTERS
S e e F ig u re 7 .
Follow these steps to remove or insert cutters.
1. Unplug the router.
^ WARNING: Failure to unplug the tool could result
in serious injury due to accidental starting.
CAUTION: To prevent damage to the spindle or
spindle lock, always allow motor to come to a
complete stop before engaging the spindle lock.
2. Lay the router down on a workbench in order to
gain easy access to collet nut.
3. Depress and hold the spindle lock button.
4. Loosen the collet nut by turning it counterclockwise
with the wrench provided.
^ WARNING: If you are changing a cutter
immediately after use, be careful not to touch the
cutter or collet with your hands or fingers. Always
use the wrench provided.
5. Choose one of these options:
■ T o re m o v e th e c u tte r: Remove the cutter from the
collet.
■ T o in s e rt th e c u tte r:
a) Insert the shank of the cutter until the shank
bottoms out, then pull it out 1/16 in. {1.6 mm)
to allow for expansion when the bit gets hot.
b) Tighten the collet nut securely by turning it
clockwise with the wrench provided.
c) Release the spindle lock button.
^ WARNING; If the collet nut is not securely
tightened, the cutter may detach during use
causing serious personal injury.
^ WARNING: Do not use cutters with undersized
shanks. Undersized shanks will not tighten properly
and could be thrown from the tool causing injury.
^ WARNING: Do not use cutters that are larger in
diameter than the opening in router base. Use of
such cutters will come in contact with the router
base and damage both the cutter and router base.
This situation could also cause possible loss of
control or create other hazardous conditions that
could cause possible serious personal injury.
TO
LOOSEN
SPINDLE
LOCK
BUTTON
Fig. 7
ADJUSTING DEPTH OF CUT
Proper depth of cut depends on several factors: the
horsepower of the router motor, the type of cutter, and
the type of wood. A lightweight, low horsepower router is
designed for making shallow cuts. A router with a high
horsepower rating can safely cut deeper. Small cutters,
such as vetning bits with 1/16 in. (1.6 mm) cutting
diameters, are designed to remove only small amounts
of wood. Large cutters, such as straight-flute bits, are
made to remove larger amounts of wood. You can make
deeper cuts in soft woods, such as white pine, than in
hardwoods, like oak or maple.
Based on these considerations, choose a depth of cut
that will not place excessive strain on the router motor. If
you find that extra force is needed or that the motor
speed slows down considerably, turn off the router and
reduce the depth of cut. Then, make the cut in two or
more passes.
When routing a groove that is too deep to safely cut in
one pass, it is best to make the cut in severai passes.
We recommend that cuts be made at a depth not
exceeding 1/8 in. (3.2 mm) and that several passes be
made to reach deeper cuts.
Adjusting the depth of cut for the plunge router is
different from adjusting the depth of cut for the fixed
router.
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