Replies

1. 
   BruceS | Dec 20, 2008 07:37pm | #1

   To save a lot of time writing,  check this out.

   http://www.saskforestcentre.ca/uploaded/Router_Collet_Maintenance.pdf

   The collet is often too neglected.  Actually a good read/reminder  for ALL.

   Work Safe,  Count to 10 when your done for the day !!

   Bruce S. 

    

1. 
   Dave45 | Dec 22, 2008 06:32am | #7

   Thanks for that link, Bruce. I've had router and shaper bits move on me a few times and just tightened them up some more. I cleaned the collet on my Delta shaper this morning and will give my routers the once-over later this week. (The other tools had to wait 'cause I had a bet on the Rams-Niners game and had to watch it - lol)I was amazed at the amount of "crud" that came out of the shaper collet. A good soak in Simple Green and a scrubbing with one of my brass gun cleaning brushes left the innards looking like new.

1. 
   BruceS | Dec 22, 2008 06:48am | #8

   We all need a reminder every now and then!

   ESPECIALLY ME.

   Refreshing the memory is a good thing, and so is counting 10 fingers at the end of the day.

   Work Safe,  Count to 10 when your done for the day !!

   Bruce S. 

    

   Edited 12/21/2008 10:50 pm ET by BruceS

1. 
   RalphBarker | Dec 23, 2008 08:14pm | #9

   I only got to 9. Am I missing something? ;-)

1. 
   BruceS | Dec 24, 2008 03:26am | #10

   Sometimes my advise becomes embarrassing.  I sell sharp & pointy things,  Router bits, saw blades etc. etc.   and tell my customers to keep their fingers out of the way.  Well, one time I gave that advise and the customer came up with a three fingered hand.  I felt bad about what I said.   But then I was relieved when he said.  "Keep telling everybody that!" 

   Work Safe,  Count to 10 when your done for the day !!

   Bruce S. 

    

   Edited 12/23/2008 7:27 pm ET by BruceS

2. 
   RalphBarker | Dec 24, 2008 04:09am | #11

   Great story. I still have all ten, but did take a 1/8"x3/8" groove out of the end of one a few years back. Nice clean cut through the fingernail from the carbide-tipped TS blade, but the rest was pretty much hamburger (or, fingburger, as the case may be). The flesh and the nail grew back, but the nerves didn't.

3. 
   BruceS | Dec 24, 2008 05:33am | #12

   At my own fault of being in a hurry and not clamping.  I tangled with a forstner bit in a drill press.  And those sharp little saw teeth ate out the corner of my thumb and nail.  Now, even more than ever,  I stress safety. Work Safe,  Count to 10 when your done for the day !!

   Bruce S. 

    

4. 
   Biscardi | Dec 24, 2008 05:45am | #13

   All,

   I had a crapola Sears router years ago that was my first WW power tool. I used it until  you could shake it and hear things (?bearings) rattle inside of it.

   One day I was looking at a piece of moulding I just ran through it and noticed the profile had moved up the wood. The router was still spinning.

   I threw myself on the floor and yanked the cord out. Sure enough the bit had  risen about 1/2 way up the worn out  collet. I took the thing out of the router table and pitched it in the trash. A router bit flying out of a 20,000 rpm router is an ugly thing.

   Be safe

   Frank

    

5. 
   BruceS | Dec 24, 2008 05:59am | #14

   I've had many customers complain about bits working their way out of their routers.  And when I ask if it is a Craftsman.  They say, "How did you know?" It's common on those older sears routers.  Look for Multi "fingered" collets that have splits on the tops and as well on the bottoms of the collets ( like the DeWalts and Festools)  The double locking system on the DeWalt router collets is great.

   Work Safe,  Count to 10 when your done for the day !!

   Bruce S. 

    

   Edited 12/23/2008 10:01 pm ET by BruceS

2. 
   ring | Dec 20, 2008 09:41pm | #2

   1. Replace your collet

   2. First aid only - use some very fine grit paper (like #800 or finer) to roughen the inside of the collet and/or the shank of the bit.

   David Ring

   http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e

3. 
   Jimurock | Dec 20, 2008 10:55pm | #3

   I've had this happen with a brand new router using a 1/4 upcut spiral bit in hard maple.  I learned to take very gradual increments in height and work at a frustratingly slow pace.

   Jim

4. 
   Routerman | Dec 21, 2008 07:10pm | #4

   Not uncommon, see no. 12.

1. 
   knuts | Dec 21, 2008 07:58pm | #5

   Pat, I've had bits pulling out of the old style split sleeve but never a Milwaukee collet. Monday, I'll order new collets as both of these show some 'shine'.

5. 
   rdasilva | Dec 22, 2008 05:32am | #6

   I've had an up-cut spiral pull completely from the collet in my router table and fly across the room and lodge in the edge of my counter bench. I too was routing hard maple like Jim. Scared the living daylights out of me! Up-cut spirals have a tendency to do that since it's like a screw and pulls away from the router. Take it slow!

6. 
   DwayneRichelieu | Dec 25, 2008 02:39am | #15

   Collets and bit shanks both get wear on them. If there is a burr on something, it will not tighten adequately (don't sand it, throw it away). If it gets out of round because of improper compression, be it too tight or some grit in the way when tightened, it will fail, collets or shanks. If the router bit is placed into the collet too far and tightens on the curved fillet, it will loosen. Metals fatigue with use and need to be replaced.

   If your router bit is in a collet that is slightly defective...out of round due to wear or over compression, the bit will rotate in an oval pattern. The vibration will loosen the lock nut. It will also generate heat and a bad cut. I once told a shop superintendant that we would cease to warranty his broken spiral carbide routerbits, due to overtightening. I actually saw the operator use a hammer on the wrench to tighten and loosen lock nuts on the cnc router tooling.