Looking for ideas on over arm pin router use

[Jim Bonnell]

I just picked up this Lobo 3 phase 3hp pin router today. They go for $2500.00 and I got it for $400.00. It's had very little use. The guy went out of business and wanted to get rid of it. I got very lucky when a machinist friend gave me a 3 phase converter he doesn't use anymore. Right now I'm trying to shoe horn it into my garage. It's about 500lbs so I'll need a little help getting it onto the stand. Anyhow, I'm looking for ideas on the best uses for it. I mostly build electrics so I think it will be very useful. I thought some of you might have one and be able to offer some good ideas on uses I haven't thought of or perhaps helpful websites. Thanks

[Jim Bonnell]

http://www.hingmy.com/showthread.php?1496-Review-RT-20

[Mark Swanson]

Score! I wish I had one of those. Great for routing out all of the stuff on an electric guitar body, just make all your templates and then go for it.

[Jim Bonnell]

This is the only one I've seen in this size range. They seem to either be the big behemoth or the Shop Fox bench top. I was looking at the latter but at around $600.00 + shipping + 3hp router it was getting kind of steep.

[Dave Gentner]

Great for "f" holes.

[julian gifford]

Big time SCORE!!!!!!

Make the right patterns and use it for the bulk of your routing. It will make it silly fast and easy.

Outside body shapes, truss rod slots, pickup/electronics cavities, neck pockets, even radius the edge of body, or like pointy guitars that have a 45 deg angle that tapers like a Randy Rhoads, that can be done with a template and a 45 deg cutter in no time at all.

I route by hand with normal hand held or router table. The right patterns, and the right bits, a pin router can be pretty close to the speed of a CNC production wise. For a one off, it may not save that much, but standard patterns like truss rod and pickups will really be handy.

If you make neck thru's, the neck angle places the neck above the body, thats an easy levelling/thicknessing operation.

And you can donate your safe t planer for the next mimf auction.... you dont need it anymore!

[Jim Bonnell]

Thanks Julian. That gave me some good ideas. I hadn't thought of using it to thickness things. I got it all wired up and running today.

[Clay Schaeffer]

That looks like a really nice machine.
If you don't have much experience using an over arm pin router, one caution I would offer is that it is much easier to bend or break router bits with one than with the typical table mounted router. 1/2 inch shank bits are preferred over 1/4 inch shank bits. When practical, Lexan (polycarbonate) shields are a good safety feature. Having the cutter completely unobstructed allows you to do a great many things that are difficult to accomplish with a table router, but also creates a greater hazard to your hands and body parts. If the router "grabs" the work it can pull your hands into the cutter.
That being said, I like pin routers, and would love to find a deal like yours. It looks like the perfect size for a small cabinet shop.

[Jim Bonnell]

Thanks for your input Clay. Good information to keep in mind.

[Jim Bonnell]

It took awhile, but I have it all up and running. The 3 phase converter I had was for a 4-8hp motor. The pin router has a 3hp motor so it didn't work right. The support team at Phase-A-Matic were great. First they told me to open it up and remove one of the capacitors. That go it running fine one high speed, but the low speed didn't work. When I called them back they told me to hook a 30mfd capacitor on the out put side of the converter and that did the trick. It runs like a champ. I'm waiting on a 1/2" collet and a manual to arrive now. I hooked up a "Big Gulp" dust scoop on it that hooks to my dust collector in hopes of catching most of the chips.

[Clay Schaeffer]

Hi Jim,
Another thing you might want to add is an auxiliary table made from plywood, particle board,or MDF - something that can be easily milled by a router bit that goes slightly too deep.

[Jim Bonnell]

Thanks Clay.

[Mike Sandor]

Nice score on that Jim. If you could find a low profile compound slide table (X/Y travel), you would really open up some options for a light duty milling machine. It appears that with a bit of machine work, you might be able to remove the existing table, attach the compound slide in its place and reattach the table to it, or just attach a small vise to the slide.