Thread: Router bit stuck, good!

Try knocking it down with a block of wood on the end of the bit and a mallet, use the end grain of the block . Be careful heating it you may damage the bearings.

That looks like a 3612, they're a great router. The collet shouldn't have come out of the nut when you released it. Although the router has a very deep recess the router bit appears to be very deeply embedded. I suspect that the only way you'll beable to remove it is by brute force. If you engineer something to generate a consistent upward force on the bit and then tap the tip of the bit on opposite sides it should release.

Run the router for a while so that it warms up the shaft and then try spraying the cutter with this to try and break the grip on the shaft. Then tap it from side to side with a piece of wood and pull.

I should have added that when you do get the collet out do not reinsert it into the shaft until you have joined the collet into the nut, so that next time the nut will pull the collet out, releasing the cutter.

You may need to press them together using a clamp or the vice.

Try using a soft metal drift on the edge of the collet; a piece of brass or bronze would be ideal, or some copper pipe. Aluminium is probably too soft. The motor casing is rather wide so you will be trying to punch the collet out at an oblique angle but if you keep rotating it a bit after each blow it should come good. If you can only use a steel drift you’ll more than likely have to replace the collet.

As a last resort you can plunge the base all the way up and lock it very tightly then clamp the bit in a vise as hard as you can. At which point you can use a mallet on the router base, or jam wedges between the baseplate and the vise.

The design of these collets and nuts are so the collet is always held captive in the nut; what has happened in your case is that the bit was inserted into the collet before the nut was fitted. When you eventually get it out you need to press the collet back into the nut until you hear a definitive “click”; the collet should be free to rotate in the nut but can’t be pulled out again without some considerable force. In use; when you need to undo the collet you loosen it off with the spanner then continue to undo it by hand further until it tightens up again; then you put the spanner onto it a second time.

Originally Posted by Chief Tiff

The design of these collets and nuts are so the collet is always held captive in the nut

Is the same true for the Makita trim router? I always have trouble getting the bits out of mine. Generally I use round over bits so the shoulders allow me to lever them out however I used a straight bit not long ago and it certainly gave me a hard time.

Unfortunately in your case the trim router collet is a simpler, single-action type.

If yours is sticking closely examine the mating surfaces on the collet and the internal faces in the spindle; you are looking for burrs or high spots where a burr has been burnished. If you find any these will need to be removed by careful scraping.

Do you insert the bit all the way down into the spindle? If so you need to pull it back out slightly so there is a millimetre or two between the end of the cutter shank and the bottom of the hole.

Originally Posted by Chief Tiff

As a last resort you can plunge the base all the way up and lock it very tightly then clamp the bit in a vise as hard as you can. At which point you can use a mallet on the router base, or jam wedges between the baseplate and the vise.

While in this position you could try rotating the router body with the lock engaged and pulling away from the bit at the same time. This twisting action may cause the bit to rotate in the collet and if it does you should be able to slowly screw it out. If it starts to move it might just release all of a sudden.

Thank you all. There are some varied answers. I'll give them all a go till I get it out. I appreciate the advice.

Cheers

A timely reminder. When installing a router bit or circular saw there is no need to tighten it more than just firm. All sorts of damage can be done when trying to remove the cutting device. I was a Foreman in a white board cabinet workshop for 8 years. The blokes there were good cabinet makers but were certainly not "engineers".

Try squirting some WD into the collet and shaft while vertical let it soak. Grip the router bit with multigrips or similar and tap the router bit with a hammer. Short sharp hits while pulling on the multis. When you do get it out "polish" the collet outer surface with wet and dry

Thanks for all the great suggestions guys. I combined a couple. I gave it a few light raps with a brass hammer and then used vice-grips. I gripped the bit and used the weight of the router to jerk it till it came out. It was quite easy in the end.

Cheers
Lyndon

That's good news. Now you just need to get the collet locked back into the nut and you won't have the problem again

Now to the bit. Is 400 grit wet and dry ok? That's all I have on hand at the moment? Otherwise its down to the big green store with all that temptation. Not that I really mind.

Providing there are no gouges in the shank from the removal treatment a light rub over with 400 grit to remove rust is fine; but any bits of metal sticking up will need to be gently removed with a fine stone.