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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Location
    brisbane
    Age
    47
    Posts
    23

    Default router bits stuck in collet

    is this normall or common.

    i cannot for the lift of me get the current bit out.

    i have recently bought this router table second hand
    cant remember the router brand.

    but i put a flush trim bit in first it was tight
    had to use pliers to get it out

    the round over bit thats in it now was tight also
    but i cant get it out.

    any ideas

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Albury
    Posts
    3,019

    Default

    Can you undo the nut and extract the nut, collet and bit as a unit? If so you can possibly mount the unit on the top of a vice or similar and drive the bit out of the collet. once you've got it apart you can remove the collet from the nut and inspect both the nut and collet for damage; does the collet clip into and seat in the nut correctly; do both parts, and the seat in the router shaft, need a good clean. It's likely that your best bet is to replace the collet and nut as these parts can be easily damaged by tightening the unit with no bit installed, cross threading etc.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Sunbury, Vic
    Age
    84
    Posts
    2,713

    Default

    A rubber "O" ring in the collet stops the bit from bottoming out and helps prevent this problem but do as Aldav says.

    I should have added that this was not my idea but was posted on the Forum several years ago.
    Last edited by Chesand; 7th April 2020 at 08:12 AM. Reason: Added something
    Tom

    "It's good enough" is low aim

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Helensburgh
    Posts
    7,696

    Default

    Do up the collet nut finger tight and no more, put a spacer of some description between the nut and the bit and undo the nut which will in pull the router bit out....I think....maybe....give it a go and see what happens.
    CHRIS

  6. #5
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Roleystone Perth WA
    Posts
    54

    Default

    Its happened to me and I ended up buying a new collet. Make sure the bit doesn't bottom out when you insert it.
    Cheers

  7. #6
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Gold Coast
    Age
    70
    Posts
    2,730

    Default

    Something to consider.

    I bought a 3/8th Diablo bit from the green shed today. After fighting the packaging to get it out without slashing my fingers I made the mistake of putting the bit straight in my router. When I came to take it out it wouldn't budge. Part of the reason it was hard to get out of the packaging was that it had a been coated in some sticky preservative muck. The muck had clearly glued it to the collet.

    Even after taking the nut off, the collet and bit still wouldn't come out. I eventually had to pull the collet out with pliers. After taking all the pieces apart and cleaning with metho, steel wool and rags I reassembled things and the bit subsequently loaded and unloaded easily.
    Franklin

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Location
    brisbane
    Age
    47
    Posts
    23

    Default

    i got it out.

    i read somewhere some collets have a secondary lock?
    the suggestion was to loosen it more.

    previous i thought it was loose to its full
    i turn it more and it loosened up more and bit slid out.

    thanks everyone for the replies.

    daniel

  9. #8
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Albury
    Posts
    3,019

    Default

    When you first loosen a collet nut that's all you're loosening, the nut. If you then turn the nut by hand you will get to another tight point. You need to loosen again with the spanner to break the grip of the collet on the bit shaft.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Bundaberg
    Age
    54
    Posts
    3,402

    Default

    Depends on the collet design. Cheaper systems just need the nut to be loosened off to remove the bit. Better ones where the collet is captive into the nut require loosening twice; first loosen the nut as normal then continue undoing it by hand until it tightens up again, this usually only takes about one turn. Put the spanner to it again to finish releasing the bit.

    Cheaper systems have a rather coarse taper on the collet so they grab very quickly, but when the hut is released they push themselves out of the shaft. These are cheap to make but the downside is that a fair amount of torque is required to hold the bit and only the small tapered section of the collet is actually gripping the bit.

    The higher end collets have a more gradual taper over their full length so all the shaft is gripped and because the more acute taper has a smaller wedge angle less force is needed to close it up. The downside is that the collet is no longer self ejecting, it has to be hauled out of the shaft. This is done by making it captive inside the nut. So the first undoing of the nut simply releases the pressure on the collet; as you continue to unwind it takes up the clearances/backlash until the nut engages on a groove in the back of the collet and jacks the collet out.

    The o-ring in the bottom of the collet trick works, but so does just remembering that if the shaft is fully seated in the collet seat then only finger tighten it before pulling the bit out a couple of mil before final tightening.
    Nothing succeeds like a budgie without a beak.

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