Dewalt 621 Plunge Router - Tightening the Collet?

[Michael Peet]

Do any of you have the Dewalt 621 plunge router? I got one because they seemed to have a good reputation, but I got burned twice with my 3/4" pattern bit creeping out of the collect and cutting too deep, thereby ruining the cut.

If I understand the instructions correctly, you're supposed to press a button to lock the shaft and use a wrench to tighten the collet. Problem is, it takes very little torque from the wrench to overpower the force I can apply to the button.

Any thoughts?

Mike

[John Gregory]

I have owned that router for 7 years with no issues at all. The button pushes a pin in to the shaft to lock it. Make sure the pin hits the hole and totally depresses.

[Jacob Mac]

I have the same router, and experienced the same problem. What I found was that sometimes, the button does not always engage properly. When it does engage, it is easy to tighten, I always have to push my button several times before it properly engages.

[pat warner]

You have to lay the tool on its side to apply leverage.
Hold button and stabilize router, apply 10-20 footpounds. (~what you'd apply to 1 foot long wrench). Unwind essentially the same way.
All armature locks invite this under-tightened condition.
Not surprised you're losing depth.
Moreover, I'd scrap the current collet!
The cutter has spun inside the thing and compromised its grip.

[glenn bradley]

Never been big on collet locks. The two routers I have that use them I bought a second wrench for and so don't use the button. As Pat said, tank that collet. I think if you look at the price of a replacement, for not much more you could get an Eliminator (http://www.woodcraft.com/Catalog/ProductPage.aspx?prodid=10708&ss=98d8b36e-0089-45e9-bf29-726b2b16811e). I have never used one but would if my current collets would not accept two wrenches. Just my .02.

[Michael Peet]

Never been big on collet locks. The two routers I have that use them I bought a second wrench for and so don't use the button. As Pat said, tank that collet. I think if you look at the price of a replacement, for not much more you could get an Eliminator (http://www.woodcraft.com/Catalog/ProductPage.aspx?prodid=10708&ss=98d8b36e-0089-45e9-bf29-726b2b16811e). I have never used one but would if my current collets would not accept two wrenches. Just my .02.

Thanks for the responses, guys. Glenn, stupid question: how would you use a second wrench in this case?

Yeah, I was a little surprised at the price of replacement collets.

Mike

[michael case]

I thought this may be of interest to many of us.


installingrouterbits.pdf (application/pdf Object) (http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/library/installingrouterbits.pdf)

[John M Wilson]

Excellent article -- should be tossed in with every router purchase.

Always read, understand, and follow the instructions on your power tools -- Norm the Great

[Simon Dupay]

Make sure your not bottoming out the bit in the collet, leave at least 1/16-1/8" of space at the bottom of the collet for the bit to move as you tighten the collet.

[Darnell Hagen]

What Simon said.

[Pat Moy]

I insert a rubber plumbing washer into the collet, pushing it all the way to the bottom, before inserting the bit (per recommendation by Marc Sommerfeld). This allows me to bottom out my bits. As the collet is tightened, the washer will compress to allow for the pulling-down effect mentioned in the article. This technique is especially convenient when you're using rail-and-stile sets where the two bits have to be at a certain depth in relation to each other. I can swap bits without measuring just by bottoming out each bit during insertion.

I leave the washer in the collet of my table-mounted router permanently.