A while back, I picked up a nice little router at an estate auction. The guy had collected a garage full of tools, many of which were still new-in-the-box (I think he maxed out his Sears credit card!). The router I bought, for about $20, was a slick little router from probably the late 1950’s. Much more modern that the R2D2-looking things, but still had that 1950’s look to it.
Anwho, it’s a 1/4″ router, 1HP. Problem is, the darn thing has such a tight tolerance in the collet (the type that’s integral to the armature), that most of my 1/4″ bits won’t go in! The first bit I put in it was a Freud round-over bit, which was very snug, but it went in. Now, trying the other 1/4″ bits I have , no go! Is there some way to enlarge the opening slightly, or should I just chuck it (so to speak)? That means setting up a router table for the big Freud plunger that’s lurking in the background.
forestgirl — you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can’t take the forest out of the girl 😉
Replies
You can lap it with sandpaper on a dowel. Keeping the bore concentric shouldn't be too much of a problem. Keeping it cylindrical might be chancier.
Have you looked in the bore with a bright light? There might be a burr that you could knock off with a file.
You might take it with you to the hardware store and try to find bits that fit.
Could it possibly be a 6 millimeter chuck? (I don't know if such a thing even exists.)
You can buy a 1/4" spiral flute carbide reamer, probably not much more than twice what you paid for the router. Ditto with having it ground at a machine shop.
I think the sandpaper lapping would be as far as I'd want to go for this little router. I did look into the bore -- couldn't see anything that could be holding things up -- some of the bits just bump into the top (outside) part and don't even try to go inside. I'm surprised how much variation there is in a 1/4" shaft!
I thought about packing it off to the hardware store, but I already have 4 or 5 very nice bits that are 1/4", so don't want to buy extras duplicates.
Thanks for the ideas!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Jamie, is the chuck a compression type where there are two maybe three slits in the colet which is tapered ? If so you may be able to widen the opening by inserting a screwdriver into the slots and opening them up a bit. What has happened is the opening has closed up from either being overtightened or maybe someone tried to use one of those old odd ball 3/8" shaft bits. This is not a permanent fix because they will return to the previous state in a short period of time.
By the way, something is up with Freud... The local WoodCraft and my favorite Post Tools (Western Tool Supply) no longer seem to carry the router bits or saw blades. They've replaced them with Whiteside and Systimatic. No sign of the power tools either. I have no clue why and the sales people that worked this Memorial day weekend didn't have an answer either.
Steve - in Northern California
Hi Steve, how's the wrist? You working today?
The collet style you're describing is like the Freud, yes? This little dudette (pronounced "dude-ett") has the collet-contiguous-with-armature style, where there is just one small slit in the inside, and a larger threaded outside part that the collet nut tightens on. I tried levering (is that a verb?) it some, thinking it had gotten smushed somehow (didn't know about the 3/8" bits you mentioned), but it didn't seem to do any good.
Kinda silly I guess to pursue fixing it, but I really like to have a small router so that I'm not having to lug that huge Freud around if it's not really necessary. I don't have a table sturdy enough to handle it yet.
Weird stuff about Freud -- hope they're not pulling out of the US. I have their biscuit joiner too -- seems like a few of their tools are good buys with still-good quality. There are many, many people that have never heard of them though. When I was looking for parts for mine, I called Rockler about something, and the guys there didn't even know the name!
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 5/28/2002 2:19:37 PM ET by forest_girl
The wrist is much better today but its still in a temporary cast. As for the colet, sound like its one of the older types that. They say the best have 3 slits while the less expensive seem to have two. Although, my PC's only have two and they weren't cheap!.
I fear what has happened is that it has become crushed. This can happen if you turn the router on without a bit in it and it jambs the nut up tight. Oh, and those old 3/8" shaft bits will cause the same damage. I saw a bunch of them at a garage sale and I think they were Craftsman since everything else in the guys shop was also.
Funny thing about Freud... If you say Froid on the west coast they know what your talking about if you say Frewd on the east coast they know what your talking about. They are Italian I believe. Don't even get me started on Biesmeyer or my last name which is pronounced Shafer. LOL.Steve - in Northern California
Do I get Brownie Points because I knew how to pronounce your last name? :-)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Why yes you do.... Not that you needed any....Steve - in Northern California
Maybe I'm to late! Don't touch that collet. Don't oil it either. The tolerences are far tighter than what you can eyeball or do by hand. Take it to a machine shop or trash it. It was probably tightened without a bit in it. I tried to doctor a Crapsman integral collet once. You haven't seen scarry, until you've had a 1/2" core box bit come up through a piece of 4/4 redwood and go wizzin' past your nose! It did feel pretty good beating that router into a pile of pieces with a 3# hammer though.John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking
Life is tough. It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne
Well, the good news is I haven't used it yet, the bad news is that I've already done the 400-grit sandpaper thing. The bit will just go in now. SO, sounds like what happens when the nut is tightened without a bit in it, is that the collet gets squished to less than 1/4" (barely, barely, barely from what I can see), but if I sand it a bit (like I did about 15 minutes ago), then it may not hold the bit securely. Grrrrrrr.
There's a tool repair guy in the next town, I'll take it to him and see what he says. Don't really intend to spend $$$$$$ on it (well, maybe $ or $$) since it's a cheap little router anyway.
Oh well, I was looking forward to running a few rabbets tonight. Guess I'll try to get a zero-clearance plate made instead. Uphill work without a planer. But can't dado-blade a rabbet without one! Or, I could try to put the giant Freud router into the little whimply B&D router table. That should be fun.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Forest girl -
Get like a 7/32" drill bit and wrap a turn or two of 400 grit W/D silicon carbide paper around it and chuck it up in an electric drill. Apply a tad of contact cement to get the paper to stick. You can tighten the collet a little if necessary as a means of applying more pressure.
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy
PlaneWood
Wow, Mike, great idea! Should I put any lubricant on it? forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
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