Router Collet Issue

[George Bokros]

I had dado's to rout in 24 pieces today using the router table. I had 22 pieces completed, I did the 23rd piece and did not realize the bit had climbed up in the collet. I ran the 24th and final piece and at the exit end the bit actually came up through the piece. Whoa, was that piece thinner than the other pieces, nope.I checked the 23rd piece and found that the depth had increased as the dado went the length of the piece.

Does this mean I need to clean the collet or does it mean the collet needs to be replaced? If it needs to be replaced do I have to buy a PC collet for a PC router??

Thanks

[Lee Schierer]

I would clean the collet and then develop the habit that I have when using my Craftsman router. I put in the bit, make a practice cut or two and then tighten the collet again.

If you do replace it, I believe you will need to buy PC parts.

[George Bokros]

Re-tightening the bit in the table will require re-setting the depth so it is not really practical.

[Lee Schierer]

Then at least turn the router on and run it for a few second and tighten the collet again before setting your depth of cut.

[Mel Fulks]

Push the bit all the way in,then pull it out about an eighth before tightening.

[pat warner]

A spiral cutter? Then not a surprise; that's their business. That is , to screw themselves out of the collet.
No helix, or down shear? Then maybe bad collet, bad shank and aggressive waste/pass.
Slow down.

[Tom M King]

Collets do wear to that point, and there's nothing I've found that will make them work again. You either have to buy a PC collet, or something like a Muscle Chuck, as far as I know. There are sellers on ebay that sell them with free shipping for about 18 bucks, if I'm remembering correctly.

[Robert Payne]

A common issue is seating a bit too deeply into the collet. This may result in the upper part of the collet grabbing the transition between the shaft and cutting head, with an insecure lock on the shaft. I add a space ball or a small grommet in the bottom of the collet so the bit is raised where only the shaft is captured by the collet.

[glenn bradley]

Routers can create a great amount of spoil that gets launched at a pretty decent speed. This means even with great dust collection, things get dusty. Buried cuts have an even harder time moving the spoil away from the business area. As mentioned; clean bit shafts, a clean collet and a snug grip on the wrenches should solve your trouble. No, just blowing things off is not always enough :). If your router uses two wrenches, the one-handed method assures a tight enough fit without over tightening for me.

301494

In the table this is done from above the plate but, the principle is the same. I do not know that the taper that a router collet fits into is portable across manufacturers (but, I bet Pat Warner does :)) so I would be tempted to replace with the makers part if it comes to that.

[George Bokros]

I have rubber grommets in the bottom of the collet so the bit is not bottomed. I was not using a spiral bit.

[Tom M King]

You can do everything you can to prevent it, but they do wear out. We milled the top 3/4" off of a couple of hundred square feet of 180 year old Heart Pine floors, in four passes to depth, with a 7539, one helper keeping it clear with a 4' compressed air wand, and Whiteside bits (kept some in the mail going, and coming from Whiteside for sharpening). In the process, we wore out three collets. I can come close to installing a bit correctly. You can see that job on the "woodwork" page on my website, if you like. Some of it was 20' long, and it was replaced with the same type of wood, grained matched even.

[Rich Engelhardt]

We milled the top 3/4" off of a couple of hundred square feet of 180 year old Heart Pine floors, in four passes to depth, with a 7539, one helper keeping it clear with a 4' compressed air wand, and Whiteside bits (kept some in the mail going, and coming from Whiteside for sharpening). In the process, we wore out three collets. I can come close to installing a bit correctly. You can see that job on the "woodwork" page on my website, if you like.That's amazing! Not to steer the thread away from the original topic, but, I really wish you were closer to where I live.
I'd make such a pest of myself hanging around begging to help out on those restore projects you'd want to chase me away with a broom! :D

[Ray DuBose]

I was having the same problem with my PC 7518. I ended up ordering a set of Precision collets from Percise Bits which have worked very well for me.

[Bill Huber]

I was having the same problem with my PC 7518. I ended up ordering a set of Precision collets from Percise Bits which have worked very well for me.

+1 on the Precision collet, it is a great collet and I love mine, I have it in my 7518 and it really works well. The collet that came with the router had 4 blades to tighten the bit, the Precision has 6 and is machined much much better.

http://www.precisebits.com/gateways/ColletsNutsHome.htm

[Chris Padilla]

Interesting and timely thread about router collets. I have a need for 3 and 5 mm router boring bits so I picked up some from Festool but of course, they are 8 mm shanks. I picked up a 8 mm to 1/2" collet for my router from Whiteside. I haven't used them yet but I guess we'll see. The Whiteside collet was the pricier of the few I found but went with them since their router bits are so nice.

[Thomas Hotchkin]

FYI
I use just a little thread lube with graphite, on the thread of all my PC routers collects has worked well for me.