Trouble with router collet

**Cruzi** · 26th January 2009, 12:06 PM

Here's a stuck collect question for you.

They way my router lifts the collect out is a circlip (sp?) above the nut.
As it unscrews it lifts the collet out and you can remove the bit.

The circlip came out of its groove and does not lift the collet any more.

By process of elimination is has been determined that the groove the (external) circlip goes into must have deformed, it could also be that the bit is in to tight for the circlip to hold. This was determined by both replacing the clip on the stuck bit and using the offending clip on another router.

I have tried breaking the seal by trying to force down the bit a little (it is not bottomed out), but since the collet is effectively still tight it has not been possible so far.
Various forms of leverage have been tried, trying to rotate the bit has also failed.

The bit in the currently table mounted router is not cheap, its a Freud, so damage limitation is name of the game.

Suggestions?

**Bob38S** · 26th January 2009, 12:55 PM

Not sure if I've got the problem sussed correctly but the only way I could suggest is better/longer spanners as, from what I can gather, it is well and truly stuck and the only way to loosen it is to get it undone with a spanner[s]. Not sure if you could effectively apply heat or cold in such a confined space but perhaps there are others more knowledgeable.

A picture could be useful to see the problem.

As to the Freud bit - of course this would happen with an expensive bit not a cheapie - remember Murphy.

rrich · 29th January 2009, 02:30 PM

There is a trick to loosening a bit in a Collet. A bit of dry lubrication BUT NOT on the shank of the bit. The Collet slides into a compression device. (Looks like a counter sink hole.) This causes the Collet to squeeze and hold the router bit.

What is happening is that the Collet is not slipping out of the compression device when the Collet nut is loosened. (Should be at least 1-1/2 turns.) Usually a slight tap to the side of the bit with a piece of scrap is all that is needed to loosen the bit. To prevent the Collet from freezing and sticking in the compression device, apply a bit of paraffin to the compression device. It doesn't take much candle or canning wax to fix the problem.

**Rhys Cooper** · 29th January 2009, 09:54 PM

Originally Posted by bunchan

Yes, I did, Steve. In the end I just used a pair of metal tubes (pipe clamps, actually) to put over the ends of the spanners to increase leverage. Of course, it released easily but I still don't know why it tightens so much. Everything looks clean so I don't know what's causing it. Anyway, as long as I have the power of leverage, everything is ok. Thanks for the help.

Steve

The term for the piping over the spanner is called a breaker bar, they use them in the Automotive Industry all the time...just though you might like to know...

Thread: Trouble with router collet

Thread Tools

Search Thread

Similar Threads

12 mm router bit in 12.7mm (1/2'') collet?

router collet

Router Nut and Collet for Radial Arm Saw

Help Stuck router collet nut

router collet

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions