# can't tighten craftsman 315.1747



## conscientia (Mar 24, 2010)

Hi

I have a Craftsman 315.174700 I got from a friend. I can't tighten the depth adjustment. The red collar piece moves freely so that the depth increases/decreases and there is a black plastic knob that appears to be the locking knob. When I tighten the black knob to very hand tight it increases the friction so that the red collar is hard to turn, but I can't get it to lock it in place. When the black knob is loose the red collar turns very freely.

How do I get it to hold its depth adjustment?

Thanks for your help.


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## conscientia (Mar 24, 2010)

Further research: 

I took apart the mechanism of my router. The locking knob is supposed to force the two ends of the red adjustment collar together, tightening it around the main body of the motor housing so it can't slip. When it's at its tightest it still can slip. Seems like a design problem. What can I do to make it work?

I found the manual for 174710, which has a different locking mechanism, indicating to me that they realized the 1747 was a bad design and changed it. 

Thanks


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

Greetings and welcome to the router forum. We are pleased you have chosen to join with us. I have had only slight experiance with that model, or one like it, very frustrating!!! Someone should be along to help you out.


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## dutchman 46 (May 23, 2007)

Hello, and welcome! I have been looking for that manual, and cannot fine that feature. I can imagine an eye bolt type of adjustment clip Possibly the threaded piece is bent so the thread is on both ends, and the nut tightens that piece around the eye part; Can You slide that bar out, and check the thread. or, if You have a thread chaser, thread the eye threads a little bit. If You can take the wear out of the eye part a little it might help?


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## conscientia (Mar 24, 2010)

The tightening knob screws into a threaded piece that is held in place against the red plastic collar by a t-bar at the end of the threaded piece. The threads on that piece and on the tightening knob are good.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Mac

That's a real down fall with the older Craftsman routers, here's a simple work around pickup some hose clamps, the ones you see on dryer vent hoses , about 30 cents each at just about any HD/Lowers ,Ace hardware,also auto parts outlets ,the metal type.

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## conscientia (Mar 24, 2010)

*Quick fix*

I had a project I needed to get done, so here's what I did.

I had thought of putting a hose clamp on it, but that would have meant breaking off a projecting piece of plastic that is used to move the collar around, and I didn't want to do that.

I tried putting folded paper between the collar and the body in various thicknesses and places, and tightening it. That didn't work.

So I used duct tape. I put the collar in position and tightened the knob as far as I could, then just wrapped the sucker in duct tape so it couldn't move. That worked. Project done. I'll think of more elegant solutions some other time.

Conscientia


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