I have a Makita plunge router with a 1/2″ bit stuck in the collet. I saw a video where the craftsman removed the base plate.. supported the screw/collet assembly on a table.. and banged the collet nut with an open end wrench until it released the bit.
But the Makita plunge base doesn’t come off and I have no way to support the screw so that I can bang the collet nut.
I tried prying the bit out with channel locks but it wouldn’t budge.. and worse.. the channel locks began biting into the bit.
Any other ideas? Thanks in advance..
Bill
Replies
Hi bill,
Turn the router upside down, Try tapping on the collet nut not the bit. Maybe from the side opening use a blunt or flat ended piece of metal and tap it with a hammer , it will loosen up eventually, tap all around the nut.
good luck
Anyway to hold the armature and twist the bit?
Not sure how the Makita is configured. On my PC the collet comes out by unscrewing the collet nut. It also is an 'easy out' collet. After loosing the collet nut, you screw it a turn more and it will pop the bit out.
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)
PlaneWood
Bill,
First, stop with the Channel Locks, and if you have the video of some idiot beating on the chuck with a wrench throw the tape in the trash.
Like many routers, the collet on the Makita isn't self releasing. The slight taper of the collet wedges the collet into the tapered nose of the shaft so firmly that backing off the nut won't cause it to release, the collet has to be pulled out, but the mechanism to do that is built into the collet, and the technique requires no violence.
Using either two wrenches, or one wrench and a shaft lock if the router has one, loosen the collet nut in the usual manner, it's an ordinary right hand thread. Once the nut is loose, continue to turn it for another full revolution or two at which point the nut will again get hard to turn. What has happened is the nut is now up against a snap ring caught in a groove in the nose of the collet. Using the wrench, continue to turn the nut while holding the shaft with the second wrench or the shaft lock. Within a half turn or so the pressure of the nut against the snap ring will pull the collet out of the taper and the bit will then pull out easily.
If this doesn't work it is possible that the snap ring is missing for some reason, in which case you do have a problem.
John W.
I have an old Rockwell router that has a sticky collett. There is not snap ring nor any other mechanical way of loosening the bit. Therefore for at least fifteen years I have been using the collett wrench to "tap" (sometimes more than gently) the loosned nut . The collett has never gotten worse nor better. There is no damage to the router that I can see. If one chooses this process to get a bit out, then he/she is not necessarily an idiot. However, one who will assume that all chucks have a self-release mechanism may qualify as such.
In the video I referred to the craftsman has an old Stanley router that won't surrender the bit unless the collet nut is tapped.
He does stress that the maneuver requires supporting the shaft assembly on a table before tapping to prevent damaging the assembly.
Amen to that sophie ,
Seems like we have some of the same era sticky collet Rockwell routers.I have been tapping and using them for many many years with no damage or problems , just sticky collets. No need for any name calling each machine has it's own personality just like people , don't you think? dusty
if you didn't seat the bit all the way into the bottom of the collet when you put it in, then it may help to give it a sharp whack with a hammer and block of wood to push it in deeper. that should/may loosen it so you can pull it out. in any event, it won't make anything worse. good luck.
m
Sophie,
I apologize sincerely if I have offended you. If your router's collet was designed to be tapped on to free it up, then you are, of course, doing the right thing.
Your router was probably designed with a steeper taper on the collet that was meant to be self releasing when the nut was backed off, but self releasing collets can be tricky to get to work properly, that's why most routers have gone over to a locking taper and some mechanism for breaking the collet free.
If you very lightly file the outside of the collet to remove burrs and rough spots and then rub on a little wax, you may find that the collet frees up much easier.
Again, my apologies, John W.
Sophie, Try rubbing some paste wax or better yet, anti-seize compound from an auto store on the OUTSIDE of the collet. Worked wonders for my old Dewalt. Like you, I tapped it for years with the wrench, then read that tip somewhere.
John, yes I know what you're talking about having performed this procedure before.
But now, for some reason, the collet nut gets to the end of the screw and just spins. I have a 23/32 dado bit in the collet right now and it's been there for over a year. I'm wondering if the collet may have "frozen" in the shaft.
I'll call Makita tomorrow and see if they can walk me through the problem. Otherwise.. there's a Makita service center here in Houston.
Thanks for your help.
Bill
Bill,
What model router? I'll look up the parts sheet for it and see if it gives a clear enough breakdown of the collet to guess at what is going on. Current Makitas, that I've seen, use an external snap ring that should be visible right around the visible top edge of the collet. If you've got a 1/4 inch collet for the router, you can tell from it how the release is supposed to work. The bit having been in there for so long will probably make breaking the collet free a bit harder.
Some routers just put a groove around the top of the collet that snaps into a ridge in the nut, the groove or the ridge can wear off and eventually not work. Another possibility is that the limited number of threads that remain engaged when the nut is threaded forward may have stripped off.
If there isn't a snap ring, and if you consider the bit expendable at this point, you can try this: Run the nut back down as far as possible by hand, then firmly lock a pair of Vise Grips onto the bit with the edge of the vise grip's jaws firmly against the top face of the nut. Now try to thread the nut forward with the wrench, with luck it may pop the collet free.
John W.
Edited 2/16/2004 7:13:55 PM ET by JohnW
John, I appreciate your help with this.
I have a 3612 plunge (wish I'd know about the 3612C, variable speed, slow start etc) and the plywood dado bit that's stuck in it has seen very limited use and was a bit pricey.
While we're at it, I have a Craftsman 2 1/2 HP dedicated to my router table and I'm in the market for another fixed base 2 1/2 (11amp) router.
I want a var speed, slow start model that comes with or options a good straight edge guide and, preferably, a base with one straight edge for referencing.
What would you recommend?
Thanks,
Bill
Bill I have the 3612C router and the base does come off on mine. This would be a good time to clean up the slider and spring while you are trying to get your bit out. Never had a problem with mine. But now that I have ready your post I think I will be taking a look ate the collet.Scott C. Frankland
Scott's WOODWORKING Website"He who has the most tools may not win the race of life but he will sure make his wife look like a good catch when she goes to move on."
I wish I'd gotten the 3612C.. but I've looked at mine 12 ways from Sunday and can't see how the base would be removable.
Do you have a fixed base you're happy with? I'm in the market for one with all the bells and whistles.
Thanks,
Bill
My 3612C is the main router in my shop. I am looking at getting the new PC router setup once I start my next project. I like the fact that you can use both plunge and fixed bases and that it is designed to work in a router table. I was going to get the Bosch but I am edgeing towards the PC now for a few very picky reasons.Scott C. Frankland
Scott's WOODWORKING Website"He who has the most tools may not win the race of life but he will sure make his wife look like a good catch when she goes to move on."
Aside from PC.. don't Makita and Delta also offer plunge/fixed kits?
I'm just wondering if you've evaluated more than the PC kit.
I have looked at them all and Makita had a good setup but it was dated. I looked at the Bosch that was in the same price range as the Makita and PC ant it seem like the best deal for the amount of machine you are getting for the dollar. The PC seem to be right there with the Bosch as far as overall quality but it has a few extra fetures that I would like to have.Scott C. Frankland
Scott's WOODWORKING Website"He who has the most tools may not win the race of life but he will sure make his wife look like a good catch when she goes to move on."
Yesterday I bought a 15 amp router speed control. Last night I tested it using my Makita 3612 plunge router - worked just fine. I cut raised panels with a big horizontal bit with no problem. Don't exactly know what speed but I just turned it down to what seemed about half speed and all was smooth. For 30 bucks I now have a variable speed 3612. I can turn the knob and adjust from zero to full speed.
I have always had problems with stuck collets on the 3612. Sometimes I can back the nut off enough to push the bit out. Some bits are shaped such that this won't work or the nut would break the carbide and in these cases I usually put a screwdriver against the collet and tap with a hammer. May not be the best technique but I've got work to do and this is one tough router.
Now and then I put some fine valve grinding compound on the collet and rub it down with a rag to make it smooth - seems to help.
Has Makita come out with a better collet/nut for this router? I'll have to look at new 3612's next time I'm at the tool store to see if it's been improved.
It would be great to have a forum here at FWW where issue such as stuck collets could be addressed by the tool companies themselves. Anyone from Makita out there??
Another industry internet forum I watch often has the suppliers drop in to answer questions about their products - it's been a great success for both sides!!
PS - to remove the base from a Makita 3612 just back off the depth adjust knob until it comes off in your hand and then lift the router off the plunge rods. There's a little trick to getting the depth adjust knob back in place after assembly so watch closely as you remove it. The springs and a few parts will then fall out if you turn the base over. Leave the springs out if you are going to use it in a table. Clean and lube (lightly) the plunge rods before reassembly.
Edited 2/17/2004 10:45:36 AM ET by Corners
Where did you get the router speed control? I didn't even know there was such a thing. Is it something that goes between the cord and the wall plug?
And thanks loads for telling me how to remove the plunge base.. and for the heads up on watching closely how the depth knob comes off for reassembly.
I'm ordering a new collet and nut.. while I'm at it.. I may order two of each.
Thanks,
Bill
Bill,
I went to the parts sheet for the 3612 and there isn't a snap ring, it looks like the nose of the collet has a groove that is supposed to catch on the rim of the hole in the face of the nut. In my experience this is a weak design, eventually the groove and/or the nut wear to the point that they slip past each other and you lose the ability to extract the collet. Once you get the collet out you will need to replace both the nut and the collet to prevent a recurrence.
If you want to save the bit you can try a few things. The freezer trick can work, put the router in for at least eight hours to ensure that the parts are as cold as possible. An additional step would be to quickly heat the outside of the threaded area of the shaft with a torch while the collet and bit are still ice cold, then give the chuck a couple of raps to try to get the collet to break free.
You could also carefully split the nut into two halves with a reinforced cut off wheel on a Dremel tool. This will only work if you can thread the nut far enough forward that it is clear of the threads on the shaft. With the nut removed you could then see the tip of the collet and tap on it with a brass punch or try to pry up on it with a screwdriver blade caught in the slot. This is a risky maneuver both for the cutting and, with the nut gone, you lose any possibility of using the nut to pull the collet upward.
A third possibility, but this will wreck the bit, is to tighten the nut back down and then drill a 3/16 in. hole through the center of the bit shank right against the top of the nut. I'm presuming the bit isn't solid carbide. Put a steel pin through the hole and back off the nut, it should pull the collet free. This can be combined with the freezing method to further improve your chances.
John W.
John, good news, the bugger came out with a few taps on the nut. Following your advice, I'm going to order a new collet and nut from Makita.
I truly appreciate your help with this John. BTW, the bit shank had a nice ring of rust on it where I couldn't see it beneath the collet nut.
Bill
Put it in the freezer overnight. Worked for me once.
Bill, have you tried the freezer yet?? (CHASSTANFORD's suggestion, #13). I've read reports of this working for several people.
forestgirl Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Thankfully I didn't have to resort to the freezer trick what with all the game packed in there.
As I mentioned to John, a few taps on the nut proved to be sufficient.
Bill
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