[jsearles]

I love the PB690 router. I hate the wrenches. My Super PID speed sensor is mounted at the bottom near the collet nut. It's a pain to use the wrenches near it when changing bits because of the risk of moving it.. The SPID manual forewarned of this possibility. Has anyone done a top mount on the PB890. It looks not so easy to me.

I guess I could mount the sensor more sturdily, but I would rather just move it altogether to the top.

[jsearles]

Sorry for Typo. I meant, "has anybody done a top mount on the PB690" , not 890.

[ger21]

Do you mean Porter Cable 690? If so, I have, and there's a pic of it in the Super PID manual (first one on page14). There are also many more pics in the Super-PID thread.

[jsearles]

Thanks Ger. Indeed I did mean the "PC" (Porter cable) 690. I'll check the manual. I'm sure I overlooked it.

[ger21]

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/849835-post181.html

[jsearles]

This is so easy, I thought it might be of value to others. I meant to do this a few months back, but I kept telling myself to wait until I had the time to get some good pictures. Well, it's been a few months and no pics yet so here's the idea. I haven't found anything better for top mounting a Super PID speed sensor on PC690s or any other router.

I used "Great Stuff" foam insulator from Home Depot to secure the speed sensor in place at the top of the router. Here's how I did it:

Under the cap there is an obvious place on the armature shaft to make your white mark. Mine was done with whiteout. Once done, I use a narrow tube about an inch and a half long (40 mm), just large enough to hold the sensor head. Unwrap a wire hanger so that you can use it to support the tube in position pointing directly at your shaft mark. I wrapped one end of the hangar around the router and then bent the loose end of the hanger in place and slid the tube over the end so that now the tube is pointing right at the shaft mark.

Now that everything is suspended in the correct place for sensing, run a small sheet of flexible plastic in behind the tube. You can bend it out of the way temporarily. Make sure that the sheet covers and protects the internals of the router. You can secure the plastic around the shaft supports or just tape it in position.

Now push the tube back into place making a hole through the plastic sheet so that it is back in the sensing position. Obviously, you can put the sheet in first, then poke the tube through it.

Finish by spraying "Great Stuff" foam over the plastic and around the tube. Don't spray a lot because this stuff swells considerably upon drying.

It may take as much as 12-24 hours to get it dry enough for the next step.

Once dry, the tube will be rigidly set into the foam. Just undo the hanger wire that is wrapped around the router and remove the loose end of the hangar from the tube.

Next, insert your sensor head through the tube and make sure it is properly positioned close enough to read your shaft mark. If you will now spray a tiny bit more Great Stuff around the tube opening and make sure to push some up into the tube against the sensor wire, you will have a very secure hold when it dries.

As the GS will swell and look really ugly preventing you from replacing the router head cover, you should consider using a Dremel and sanding drum tool to remove and shape the excess foam.

I omitted some minor steps, but they should be self explanatory.

This Great Stuff is realllllly Great Stuff (NO, I don't work for them).

This has worked flawlessly for me and was extremely simple. I'm sure it will work for other routers as well.

Don't forget to peel the excess plastic sheet out once the foam is dry. And although I used regular GS, there is also one for anti-flammable use if you are concerned about the sparks so visible in the router.

I hope the guys from Super PID read this. I hope this helps someone and I thank all those who have helped me get through my birthing pains with my cnc router build.

[RomanLini]

I'm a "guy from SuperPID" and thank you for posting your solution.

It's probably also wise to mention that the PC690 uses through-ventilation (like most routers) so any foam or structure added to the top of the motor should not block the airflow that goes in the top of the motor.