I have never been able to tram my machine. even though I have gone through the procedures and it looks like it should be correct I still get lines that are visual as well as can be felt when surfacing a project.
Today I chucked 2 different 1/4 straight bits and 2 types of collets (compression and muscle chuck) , put a dial indicator on the bits and fount the runout of the router shaft is .017.
Is this a common problem with the Makita?
Forgive my ignorance but what do mean by ‘and found the runout of the router shaft is .017.’ I think I know but want to be sure.
I’ve experienced those lines as well. Now, I avoid using an area clearance toolpath unless I follow it with a finishing pass on 3D carvings.
There are wider tolerances for consumer grade rotary tools like the small routers than with CNC spindles. I checked both of my my Makita routers and on #1, the runout is 0.0015" with the aftermarket 1/4" precision collet. The other is 0.0025 with the same collet. If you have checked the bits themselves on a level plate and they are very true and you are seeing 0.017" runout in the router, the end of shaft router collet threads may be miss-cut or the collet itself may be off. With most of the offshore produced tools, it is the luck of the draw based upon their tolerance stack ups calculated to be acceptable from the manufacturing cost and consumer acceptance. I could not find where Makita publishes their runout specifications for the routers. The runout on dedicated CNC spindle shafts and collets probably have tighter tolerances and specifications for runout and thus the higher end-user cost. When I bought my bench drill press, I took my dial indicator to the tool vendor and, after some discussion, I measured the runout of each stocked unit for runout and the ability to adjust the table to 90 degrees to the table using a length of precision ground drill rod. I doubt if most retail places would let you do that since the runout specifications are not advertised.