# Craftsman Router wiring



## PETEPA (Feb 16, 2009)

I have a Craftsman Router Model 315.174921...It is an older model that I am rebuilding. It needed a now lower bearing and housing which I was able to buy from sears.

I was also able to download the parts listing from sears.

What I need to know is how the motor and the trigger (in the handle) connect together at the top of the router. 
I should have made note of it as I pulled it apart...Silly Me!

Thanks in advance for anyones advice !!


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## Mark (Aug 4, 2004)

Welcome to the community


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

Welcome to the forums Paul


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## Gerard_sr (Dec 7, 2008)

Hi Paul,
*IMHO:* the field and armature seem to be wired in series, the switch should be in series with that. The only other question is the lamp.
Should it be on as long as the router is plugged in or should it be on with the switch.

*Your call on that.*
I'll do up a diagram for you if you'd like, only I need to know when the light should be lit.

Cordially,
Gerry


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Gerry

Most all have the light lit when the router is plugged in,, it's a safety item showing the router is hot and ready to run or telling you to unplug it b/4 working on the bit..

===


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## Gerard_sr (Dec 7, 2008)

Thanks BJ! I'll start on his diagram in a few min. Gerry

Paul,
look over this sketch and verify/answer the questions...
Thanks,
Gerry


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## BrianS (Nov 7, 2004)

bobj3 said:


> Hi Gerry
> 
> Most all have the light lit when the router is plugged in,, it's a safety item showing the router is hot and ready to run or telling you to unplug it b/4 working on the bit..
> 
> ===


I have one, not sure what model right now, with a light that only lights when the router spins up. It's got an automotive bulb in it and is powered by a secondary winding in the field coil.

Brian


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## BrianS (Nov 7, 2004)

*Manual*

Just checked and I have the manual for this. If it's the same as mine, I also have(had?) some pics of when I had mine apart.. I will try and find them. In the meantime, here's the manual.


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## Gerard_sr (Dec 7, 2008)

*Thanks Brian,*



BrianS said:


> Just checked and I have the manual for this. If it's the same as mine, I also have(had?) some pics of when I had mine apart.. I will try and find them. In the meantime, here's the manual.


Thanks Brian, I think I was working from that manual and the attached, (I think it was the prototype or a later version) manual.
If you could find them it would be a *POSITIVE* help for Paul rather than my educated guess.

I was speculating that the Black wire from the line cord should be attached to the Black wire to the switch assembly. Then the lighter colored wire from the field winding should be attached to the White wire from the switch assembly. Finally the Red colored wire from the switch assembly should be attached to the darker colored wire from the field winding.

I hope you can get back to verify or correct my educated guess based on your photos or even popping the top on your router to help Paul out with this.

Cordially,
Gerry


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## PETEPA (Feb 16, 2009)

Brian:
If you do have some digital pictures with the top off of your router this would be perfect!!
Thanks in advance for your help!

Paul P.


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## Ross72 (Jan 1, 2009)

Hey Gerry are you some sort of electrical guru? I've been following a couple of threads with your diagrams and they are outstanding. I have done some wiring but could never create such easy to follow diagrams. Thanks for doing all the work. It makes everything easier for all us novices.

Ross


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## Gerard_sr (Dec 7, 2008)

*Ha! 
Thanks, just wait till I have router questions!*
LOL!
Retired electronics technician and for a long time, part time electrician, I used to also be a web designer, had a web hosting company. I guess I'm handyman and jack of (quite a few, but not) all trades. Photo editor and model train designer.
(sum it all up and you get an old phart! LOL)

Seriously thanks, I just try to help in the best way I can. Others here help the way they can. That's what it's all about. Right?
Cordailly,
Gerry


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI Gerry

this may help , I think this is the one Brian was talking about .. 

http://www.routerforums.com/74275-post8.html

=========

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Gerard_sr said:


> *Ha!
> Thanks, just wait till I have router questions!*
> LOL!
> Retired electronics technician and for a long time, part time electrician, I used to also be a web designer, had a web hosting company. I guess I'm handyman and jack of (quite a few, but not) all trades. Photo editor and model train designer.
> ...


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## BrianS (Nov 7, 2004)

Thanks Bob... I looked for that the other day and couldn't find it in the quick search I did. I do need to go edit that one tho... it's not entirely correct.

Paul, and Gerry: There is no voltage reducer in the switch as I originally thought. There is a red wire from the field coil which supplies power to the light. The switch is a double pole type switch where one side feeds power to the brushs, and the other side feeds power from the field coil to the light. As it was explained to me, there is a secondary coil that generates low voltage for the light that is induced from the main coil. The bulb is actually an automotive bulb. If you need any more info, I can take mine apart to verify... only a few screws so no problem.

Brian


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI BrianS

You're welcome, I hope it's ok that I pulled it up,,it can be hard to find them on the forum,, here's a little trick I use to find the items that I have posted, I check my gallery for the pictures then when I find the one I'm looking for I can click on it and pop it up..


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BrianS said:


> Thanks Bob... I looked for that the other day and couldn't find it in the quick search I did. I do need to go edit that one tho... it's not entirely correct.
> 
> Paul, and Gerry: There is no voltage reducer in the switch as I originally thought. There is a red wire from the field coil which supplies power to the light. The switch is a double pole type switch where one side feeds power to the brushs, and the other side feeds power from the field coil to the light. As it was explained to me, there is a secondary coil that generates low voltage for the light that is induced from the main coil. The bulb is actually an automotive bulb. If you need any more info, I can take mine apart to verify... only a few screws so no problem.
> 
> Brian


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## Gerard_sr (Dec 7, 2008)

*Thanks Guys!*



bobj3 said:


> HI BrianS
> 
> You're welcome, I hope it's ok that I pulled it up,,it can be hard to find them on the forum,, here's a little trick I use to find the items that I have posted, I check my gallery for the pictures then when I find the one I'm looking for I can click on it and pop it up..
> 
> ...


*BobJ*, it's your photographic memory! LOL!

*BrianS*, the way it works is like an autotransformer, Based on a bunch of years, (I started playing with electronics at about seven years old), of electronics I would suspect that it is like the diagram below. Only as this one is in one color, except for the blue text, we have the same problem of telling what color goes to where at the wire nuts.










The principal of an autotransformer is that as the electricity flows through the coil, setting up a magnetic field like a transformer, a part of it is tapped or taken out at a proportion to the whole coil of wire. In this case I would think about 1/5th of the top field, (or 1/10th of the whole field because in reality the both are connected by a common iron core), so 1/5th of 1/2 of 120 volts is 12 volts applied to the bulb. (automotive bulb).

I hope this explanation helps.

Cordially,
Gerry


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## PETEPA (Feb 16, 2009)

*Craftsman Router Wiring...*

Brian , Gerald, Et all:

Thank you for all your advice...I got it back together fine...It also is now running fine...

Lesson learned... Make note of how the wires are tied together when dismantling !!!

I was so anxious to get at the bearings that i payed no attention...

By the way, If any of you are in need of new bearings for almost any router or power tool, check out Boca Bearings.

Paul P.


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## cowzz (Oct 16, 2009)

Hey Folks...
Thanks to Gerry's diagram. I wired my switch as in the diagram, but whenever I plug the router in, it startsd right up and bypasses the switch. Any ideas? Thanks..
Mike D.


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## BrianS (Nov 7, 2004)

cowzz said:


> Hey Folks...
> Thanks to Gerry's diagram. I wired my switch as in the diagram, but whenever I plug the router in, it startsd right up and bypasses the switch. Any ideas? Thanks..
> Mike D.


The only thing I can think of is 1)the switch is locked in the on position or 2)a defective switch, which you can check with a multi-meter for continuity, or 3) you've connected to the wrong part of the switch.

Double check everything... I'm sure it's something simple.


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## JPF9 (May 7, 2014)

Hey there,
Thank you for posting diagram! I foolishly borrowed my friends router on a table #315.1750400 & it worked for a second..my friend came upon this Forum and informed me the switch was a known issue..well took handle apart and in my fumbling disconnected wires to bulb ..(dexterity is shot) can i bypass bulb and replace switch with Ryobi replacement? Getting the wires back into the 'Nano' crimps in bulb plate will make me crazier..thank you from newbian


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Hi Jean-Pierre, welcome to the forum.


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