Thread: Stuck router bit.

Good news my ryobi is not all crap, like some forum member told me.lol

Take it back cuz it shouldn't be needing that much effort or brain power.


HJO

a few things come to mind :

you've overtightened it and or
the 1/4 inch collet and or the 1/2 inch shaft have burs or crap built up.

if you've overtightened it bad luck I suppose
if theres crap then get some fine emery cloth to sand it down a tad to clean up the metal surface.
a bit of light machine oil on bits and collets wont hurt either.

do i need to mention keep the contact surfaces clean ?

the collet could be fault and be binding - sometimes happens with cheaper collets make sure all surfaces are clean dn deburred...

if all this fails return to the shop .

cheers

A common fault with a number of routers is the users drop the bit to the bottom of the shaft. Try putting the bit in, then lifting it 1-2mm before tightening. Some people fit O-rings to the bit to avoid the problem.

I didnt know that one grog. ta

Originally Posted by Zed

I didnt know that one grog. ta

It is actually a more common fault with bits that come loose (I know, his was tight - it's good practice anyway) and more common with Makita routers. Essentially, the collet tightens on the shaft before it compresses its own threads. Other problems can come from cheap 1/4" bits that have a slight (or pronounced) radius just under the cutter head where it joins the shaft. What happens here is the radius is the only part that is clamped by the collet (or the radius gets the majority of the clamping force). Once you start the router and apply it to wood, the vibrations jars the radiused section free and weakens the hold on the bit. You then get the unwanted situation of the bit jumping free, scaring a week off your life, destroying your workpiece then screaming across the shop wreaking havoc at 22,000rpm. DAMHIKT please. As the pirate captain said "Bosun, get me my brown trousers".

This can also happen if you manage to torque a bit of grit in the collett, make sure everything is clean and not rusty.

For anyone not aware of it, Pat Warner's website is a valuable resource for routing information.

Now, back to the situation at hand, what I suspect may have happened is the bit was sitting on the floor of the shaft when the collett was tightened. Instead of just tightening around the shaft of the bit, the process of screwing the nut on the collet has done two tightening actions - tightened on the shaft AND pulled the bit down onto the base of the shaft, making it darn near impossible to remove. The solution is to lift the bit slightly before tightening so it can be clamped in one plane only.

Please note that this is theory only as I do not have a DW625, I just think it most likely.

I have a Dewalt 625 and also a Festo 2000. The collet on both these routers (plus others, I'm sure) needs to be clipped into the nut first. Hold the nut in one hand and push the collet into it. It should click into place. Then insert the nut+collett assembly into the router, start the screw thread, then insert the router bit and tighten properly. Overtightening is unlikely to be the issue.

When untightening, the first half-turn of the nut backs off the pressure but will not release the bit --- keep unturning (the nut goes loose for a half-turn or so then goes firm again) -- and this will then release the bit with no dramas.

Hope this helps

Qw

Originally Posted by Groggy

A common fault with a number of routers is the users drop the bit to the bottom of the shaft. Try putting the bit in, then lifting it 1-2mm before tightening. Some people fit O-rings to the bit to avoid the problem.

Groggy, my bit has quite a long shank so I had about 8mm or so protuding. It actually went it quite a long way so I'm sure I've not grounded it in the arbor.

Originally Posted by QldWoodie

I have a Dewalt 625 and also a Festo 2000. The collet on both these routers (plus others, I'm sure) needs to be clipped into the nut first. Hold the nut in one hand and push the collet into it. It should click into place. Then insert the nut+collett assembly into the router, start the screw thread, then insert the router bit and tighten properly. Overtightening is unlikely to be the issue.

I think this is the problem. I recall I just put the collet in first then the bit and then the nut on top. I should have remembered that as the collet was pressed into the nut before I promptly went about and messed it up. Put that down as a Homer Simpson Dork of the Month candidate. Duh.

Anyway, going forward, what's the best way to prepare a bit and the collet? Should I liberally grease it for example or is that too dangerous given the tight tolerances the bit requires in the collet?

I'm wondering if I might need to remove the base to get better access to the assembly? I'm loathe to want to muller it with a 5Kg hammer as I'm sure the motor bearings will not forgive me. Despite my self-inflicted snafu, the results of my first route were (too me at least) really superb. All I did was roundover the sharp edge of a top I made for my portable bench and I did some straight cuts on some scrap MDF and they were dead straight. Unfortunately at this time all I can route now are 1/4" square cuts.

I'll see what the shop have to say first.

You guys don't mind having a pommy ba*tard in the forum do you?

Naah, One more b@stard is like a drop in the ocean

Bit worried about Tosser City, though! Dare we ask?

Originally Posted by Knurl

Bit worried about Tosser City, though! Dare we ask?

And the winner is.....................

Manchester

Al

Originally Posted by Groggy

A common fault with a number of routers is the users drop the bit to the bottom of the shaft. Try putting the bit in, then lifting it 1-2mm before tightening. Some people fit O-rings to the bit to avoid the problem.

What would happen if you put a small o ring in the bottom of the collet - means the router bit can rest against it before starting, but will compress during tightening. ON release of the router bit, the oring will help bit extraction. Any thoughts?

Been posted a few times before, Stu. Been doing it a while, works well.

Originally Posted by stuart_lees

What would happen if you put a small o ring in the bottom of the collet - means the router bit can rest against it before starting, but will compress during tightening. ON release of the router bit, the oring will help bit extraction. Any thoughts?

It would also probably act as a spring under compression while the router is spinning. Not likely to affect the bit though. Whichever way would work I guess. Maybe a dab of hot glue would work too. If it was off centre I am not sure if there would be mild vibration, but I doubt it. So, yes, I guess it should work.

Took me a while to get there!

Originally Posted by Knurl

Bit worried about Tosser City, though! Dare we ask?

I'm ex Johannesburg but we now live in a tosstown called Crawley, just south of Gatwick Airport in the UK south east. I went to the local shop, a DeWalt dealer. It's a family run shop and they immediately got on the phone to DeWalt and explained the problem. The service engineer gave them a walkthrough of what to try and minutes later, both bit and collet were successfully extracted with no damage. You just don't get service like that from the big dealers.

BTW: the collet does indeed snap into the nut. I won't forget to do that again!