HELP! Stuck DW625 router collet and bit

[Ed Bamba]

As the subject implies, I've gotten myself into a jamb, along with the 1/4" collet and pattern bit. I can't remove either from the router. I guess I got over cautious and down right stupid and probably over tightened the collet nut. The nut comes off but the bit and collet won't budge.

Any ideas on how to remove them from the router. We have a Dewalt service center (I think) in town, so I can probably take it to them if all else fails.

Hopefully some one here will chime in with a way to remove the stuck parts.

Thanks,
Ed

[Mark Rios]

The nut comes off but the bit and collet won't budge.



Do you mean to say that the collet and bit won't budge apart from each other or that they won't come out of the router?

If it's the latter then I'd get a thin(ner) wrench of some sort, a little bigger that the bit shaft, and slide it between the collet and the bit. Then tap the the wrench to loosen. If the former is the case I guess you could do something similar, you just have to be able to hold the collet/nut somehow and tap the bit out/off the collet.

hth

[Corey Hallagan]

Hmmmm.... haven't had that problem with my 625. Normally, you loosen the nut and it tightens again...by design... then turns again..loosens and gives up the bit. I don't think you overtightened it... I think you got it too far into the collet and bottomed out and it is froze in there. Can you take it into the house with the air conditioning or some how get it cold making it shrink a bit possibly?

Corey

[Ed Bamba]

Do you mean to say that the collet and bit won't budge apart from each other or that they won't come out of the router?

If it's the latter then I'd get a thin(ner) wrench of some sort, a little bigger that the bit shaft, and slide it between the collet and the bit. Then tap the the wrench to loosen. If the former is the case I guess you could do something similar, you just have to be able to hold the collet/nut somehow and tap the bit out/off the collet.

hth

Mark, it's the latter. I'll see if I have a wrench that is thin enough to fit between the collet and the bit.

Thanks for the suggestion

Take care,
Ed

[Ed Bamba]

Hmmmm.... haven't had that problem with my 625. Normally, you loosen the nut and it tightens again...by design... then turns again..loosens and gives up the bit. I don't think you overtightened it... I think you got it too far into the collet and bottomed out and it is froze in there. Can you take it into the house with the air conditioning or some how get it cold making it shrink a bit possibly?

Corey

Corey,
I've read where the collet is supposed to do just that, but for some reason mine didn't do that. Not sure if it is too far into the collet, there is about 1/8" gap between the top of the collet and the bottom of the bearing collar. I'll give the cold treatment a try.

Thanks for your suggestion.

Take care,
Ed

[Corey Hallagan]

No problem Ed. If that doesn't work, you may want to contact Pat Warner (the router guru) thru his website: http://www.patwarner.com
He has alot of time on the DW 621 and 625 routers. I bet he would know what yah did and how to fix it. Worth a shot.

corey

[Norman Hitt]

I've never had one stick in my 625, but you might try what I have always done on other routers. I lay the router on it's side (either on a bench or my lap), and take a short piece of wood and place it against the bit and rap it sharply with a hammer, then rotate the collet a half turn and do it again. If it is still tight, I rotate the collet 1/4 turn, rap it and then rotate it again 1/2 turn rap it and repeat until it pops loose. Normally it only takes one to three raps.

Good Luck.

PS: It sounds like the collet wasn't snapped firmly into the collet nut before you installed it and the nut pushed it too far into the tapered collet shaft causing it to bind. My 625 came with the 1/2 & 1/4 collets but only one nut, so I ordered an extra nut to eliminate having to change them out in the nut every time, since they are hard to get out of the nut if they are properly installed, and not very easy to press into the nut either. When you get it out, be sure to carefully inspect the ridge around the top of he collet, AND the edges of the groove inside the collet nut, because if either is damaged, you may have this problem again.

[Brian Hale]

Try warming it up with a propane torch; don't get it red hot just real warm. Steel expands when warm. Then do the "Norman Hitt Rap"

Brian :)

[Peter Mc Mahon]

Hi Ed. THis happens all the time on my Hitatchi M12V. Just take your wrench and tap the side of the collet several times all the way around it. Should loosen it right up. Do not apply any oils. Peter

[Dan Cameron]

I have an older Elu router which has, I believe, the same nut/collet. This happened to me a couple of times. I have since then been VERY careful when changing collets to ensure that the collet is snapped fully into the ring inside of the nut and bingo....no more stuck bits.

[Ed Bamba]

Thanks to all who replied with suggestions. I contacted Pat Warner and he suggested that I secure the router in a vise, clamp the bit with a wood hand screw, and use a wrench on the flat spot of the armature. It took a few twists of the clamp along with some pulling force and the bit came out along with the collet.

Re. the collet-to-nut installation, well I failed to snap the collet onto the nut prior to placing it into the armature:o . Sure enough, the nut pushed the collet a bit too far in causing it to bind. Lesson learned I guess. I'll have to download the user's manual and read up just in case there is something Dewalt router-specific that I need to know about.

Take care and thanks again,
Ed