Thread: Router bits sticking

Easy fix.

Your instructions should state not to bottom out the bit when tightening the collet, a little difficult unless you have 3 hands. When a collet tightens it actually slightly pulls the bit down, if you have the bit fully inserted and touching the bottom it will jam.

Get a thickish "O" ring and drop it down the hole, this then allows the bit to bottom out on the ring and avoids the jamming issue.

At all costs, avoid hammers/pliers on router bits, especially carbide bits as they are strong but brittle.

As an extra, avoid el cheapo router bits, buy the best you can afford, they last longer, stay sharper, cut better and "the good bits" will have been properly balanced and are kinder to your machine.

To clarify the o-ring technique, when removing the bit loosen the collet and gently rap the bit INTO the router, slightly compressing the o-ring. This releases the clamping effect and allows removal. On smaller tools such as Dremel, just make sure to not bottom the bit; they also use collets. Same process for removal

Cheers,
Joe

I would say this is extremely common, after loosening the chuck nut tap the chuck (not the cutter) lightly with the end of the spanner and the cutter will come loose.

Originally Posted by joe greiner

To clarify the o-ring technique, when removing the bit loosen the collet and gently rap the bit INTO the router, slightly compressing the o-ring. This releases the clamping effect and allows removal. On smaller tools such as Dremel, just make sure to not bottom the bit; they also use collets. Same process for removal

Cheers,
Joe

Sorry Joe, never had to do this. Am having difficulty imagining this as to how you can keep the ring compressed while you tighten the collet, unless, you are suggesting to tighten first and the rap bit into it. IMHO any hitting etc is entirely unnecessary and is something I would be very reluctant to do, nor recommend.

Just "sitting" the bit on the "O" ring is easily sufficient. As the collet is tightened the bit will naturally be pulled in slightly, this is how the collet works, compressing the ring slightly but sufficiently enough so that when the collet is loosened the collet releases and the bit will not get stick to the bottom of the shaft.

Apologies Joe, I missed the removing bit, I need to read more carefully.

Hi,
You do not mention what router you are referring to. With my new Triton when the nut is loosened the collet is still tight on the bit although the nut can be turned by hand and turning the bit does not turn the motor, but loosing the nut a farther turn and a half it tighten up and the spanner is needed for half a turn and the bit is free. My.older Triton and other routers are not like that.
Do not know if this helps.
Regards

Thanks everyone.

I have a very inexpensive router (Westco). My main concern when I stumped out the money for it was being able to squeeze optional extras like food into my budget, so it pretty much came down to price. The router came with about a dozen bits, which are no doubt "el cheapo".

When I push the bit into the collet chamber there is clearly a spring in there. The instructions didn't make it clear whether the bit should be pushed all the way in or should be tightened where it sits without having to push against the spring to get it in further. I did some routing last night with the bit NOT pushed in as far as I could manage, and it seemed to work fine. It also came out fairly easily.

As A Duke says, the answer to this depends entirely upon the type of collet nut fitted to the router. It can only be one of two types, the original "Hitachi-style" which is a male nut fitting INTO a female chuck, or the later "self-releasing" style, which has a female nut fitting OVER a male shaft. If it's the latter, release the collet nut until it feels loose, then continue to undo and you will feel further resistance. Continue another half-turn and the bit will be released.

If it's the former design, remove the nut completely and examine both nut and bit shafts for signs of wear. Clean with a resin-removing product (such as Trend's Router Bit Cleaner) and - if necessary - replace the collet nut.

Ray

Originally Posted by MrSunny

Thanks everyone.

I have a very inexpensive router (Westco). My main concern when I stumped out the money for it was being able to squeeze optional extras like food into my budget, so it pretty much came down to price. The router came with about a dozen bits, which are no doubt "el cheapo".

When I push the bit into the collet chamber there is clearly a spring in there. The instructions didn't make it clear whether the bit should be pushed all the way in or should be tightened where it sits without having to push against the spring to get it in further. I did some routing last night with the bit NOT pushed in as far as I could manage, and it seemed to work fine. It also came out fairly easily.

I too have an inexpensive router which I think came out of the same factory as yours. They seem to be sold under many different brand names and in many different colours. Mine has EXACTLY the same problem as yours. I ended up stripping away all the redundant bits and am now using it permanently mounted in a slot mortising jig where it does an OK job. I never have to change the bit. I also have two Makita routers which have never suffered this problem so it's not my technique .

My advice (and you won't like hearing this) is to ditch it and buy a quality router second hand. My second Makita was $100 off Gumtree and I think I paid $58 for the cheapie new. If you purchased it from somewhere with a good return policy see if you can get a refund. Apart from the issue you're describing you can also expect to have problems with the plunge lock lever (if my experience is anything to go by) which will eventually stop locking.

Tony

I'm an infrequent user of a router (smallish Makita 3620). I used to leave the bit I had used last in the router until the next time I picked it up and ALWAYS had a problem getting the bit out if I needed to change it the next use. Eventually I switched to removing the bit at the end of a days use and all my bit changing dramas went away.

Originally Posted by A Duke

Hi,
You do not mention what router you are referring to. With my new Triton when the nut is loosened the collet is still tight on the bit although the nut can be turned by hand and turning the bit does not turn the motor, but loosing the nut a farther turn and a half it tighten up and the spanner is needed for half a turn and the bit is free. My.older Triton and other routers are not like that.
Do not know if this helps.
Regards

Exactly what [A Duke] said ! Quite a few lower cost Asian built routers use a router collet whereby, when loosening the collet nut to remove a router bit, the collet nut will turn about 3/4 of a turn, some brands up to one turn. The router bit will still be tight in the collett. Continue unwinding the collet nut, and the nut will get tightish again. Continue to turn the collet nut through the tightish section, maybe another quarter of a turn, and the router bit will be ejected (or loosened) as the collet nut is turned past that tightish section. This is a feature of the particular design of collet chuck that the manufacturers use. I have two routers with this type of collet - the Hitachi Router's manuals mentions the feature, but the cheaper Worxx brand router does not mention the feature in the owner's manual.

RoyG

Originally Posted by RoyG

Exactly what [A Duke] said ! Quite a few lower cost Asian built routers use a router collet whereby, when loosening the collet nut to remove a router bit, the collet nut will turn about 3/4 of a turn, some brands up to one turn. The router bit will still be tight in the collett. Continue unwinding the collet nut, and the nut will get tightish again. Continue to turn the collet nut through the tightish section, maybe another quarter of a turn, and the router bit will be ejected (or loosened) as the collet nut is turned past that tightish section. This is a feature of the particular design of collet chuck that the manufacturers use. I have two routers with this type of collet - the Hitachi Router's manuals mentions the feature, but the cheaper Worxx brand router does not mention the feature in the owner's manual.

RoyG

I don't doubt that what you're saying is true in your case but I don't think that's the OP's problem. I have a router exactly the same as his and I just went and tried what you suggested. I found that when you released the initial tension of the collet nut you could wind the nut off with your fingers. At no stage was there a second tight point, and in fact the nut was able to be unscrewed completely using only your fingers. And still the bit was unable to be removed without the use of pliers etc.

I maintain it's the s-h-i-t-t-y quality of the router (or more likely the s-h-i-t-t-y quality of the steel it's made from), and the best strategy is just to get rid of it and replace it with a quality router; there's plenty of them out there on eBay and Gumtree.

With the type of collet nut that releases the collet it is important that the nut and collet be assembled without a cutter. If you remove the nut, insert a cutter and then fit the nut it will not engage the releasing lip on the collet and won't release the cutter.