Just wondering if someone could help me with this, hopefully it is adjustable and I won’t need a new router.
A week or so ago I ran into an issue when I was flattening a board with a surfacing bit. It burned the ever living hell out of the board - Even after adjusting the feeds/speeds and slowing it down a lot, it did the same thing. (I feel the bit must just be super dull now after that torture).
Anyway - When I took the bit out, it was stuck. Badly. Had to use some supreme force to get it to come loose. Afterwards, after I had to let the router cool down (It was scorching hot) - I couldn’t get a new bit in. With all my force, no luck. I ended up taking the router off and flipping it upside down, and slowly tapped a bit in with a rubber mallet. It seemed to do the trick, so I thought.
I notice now when I put bits in, I have to tighten the hell out of it or they come loose. And now every time I go to remove a bit, even with taking the nut fully off I have to use a pair of pliers and “wiggle” the bit until it pops out. It’s not pleasant watching my bits slam into the table.
Is there a way of adjusting how the bits are held in, or am I out of luck here?
Dunno if this is your issue, but some folks have trouble if the bit (mill) ‘bottoms out’ in the chuck. When tightened, they hit the bottom and prevent the collet from truly tightening. If you overcome that resistance, they can be hard to remove. Today I saw a neat “hack”: put a “space ball” beneath the shank of the bit. (“Space Balls” are 4mm rubber spheres, invented to make a panel float in a door frame despite seasonal changes in width. Available at Woodcraft and online).
Thanks guys, I’m about 15 days past “90 day return” at Home Depot - I’ll try my luck with that, otherwise i’ll order a new collet.
I’ll definitly try the space balls idea out - Or at very least stop “bottoming out” my bits. Every time i’ve used it i’ve kept the end snug up against where it won’t go any further.
I think today will be “maintenance day” for my little shop. I need to figure out how to tram as well.
+1 on grabbing a new collet. As far as the bits hitting the spoilboard, I used the box gizmo in vcarve to make a small drop box that I placed a thick foam pad in. I place that under my router at tool changes and just let bits drop into that. Works great!
I would highly suggest to avoid bottoming out the bit and then tightening. Use the one hand method of tightening; bottom the bit out, and then allow it to drop 1/8-1/4" down, to allow for your tighting motion, one hand torque, then your good. You’ll find the collet re-tightens to nearly the same position each time when the wrenches are oriented a specific way. Try to keep that motion and position in mind, each time.
Also, make sure the flutes are not up inside the collet. That can result is chips and sawdust being jammed up into the router and preventing you from tightening it properly the next bit change.
