Collet Extension

[Aaron Hamilton]

Does anyone know of a good quality collet extension for use in a 1/2" collet that allows the use of both 1/4" and 1/2" bits without buying an additional adaptor?

Or...if you can provide me with an alternate solution - I have a Jet Xacta lift (Jess'em mast'r lift) and it uses plate mounting instead of a motor capture style mounting. This puts the router way to low to do above the table bit changes. Thus, I figured a collet extension would do the trick. Let me know if you have any other options.

*I don't care for the one that tightens w/ an allen wrench set screw

[Jim Becker]

The issue you need to be careful about is run-out amplification with any kind of collet extension...

[Aaron Beaver]

I use something but for the life of me I can't remember what its called. I am not sure it an extension really, but it fits in the router and you tighten it like normal and it stays there. Then the bits fit into it and are tightened down by using an allen wrench. This saved me from the two wrench method, but to use 1/4 shank I still need a spacer. I think it was called the exactor or something like that, I will have to see if I can find it.


Edit:I found it http://www.woodpeck.com/quickchuck.html it was the Eliminator Chuck. Also I know CMT has a collet extension.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

The issue you need to be careful about is run-out amplification with any kind of collet extension...

Yipper and another issue is the moment arm created by any extension. It's hell on the bearings.
So if you use one don't make a habit of it.

[Brad Naylor]

I'm looking at getting a collet extension - so what is run-out amplification?

[Jim Becker]

I'm looking at getting a collet extension - so what is run-out amplification?

Making the cutter effectively longer (by using the extension) will make any runout in the collet or bit larger...ie, any microscopic (or worse) wobble will get bigger. Cliff also brings up the laws of physics relative to levers...if you push hard, the force is also amplified as it's transfered back to the collet. If you read the recent thread about choosing a new router for a table, you'll note that the OP damaged his collet and motor armature through the use of a collet extension that was not installed properly in the collet when in use.

Now...the Rout-R-Lift (no matter what the color...) does present a challenge relative to bit/collet height due to it's older design that doesn't get the router base as close to the table top as more current design lifts do. One solution for easy in-table installation and removal of the cutter is to get bent wrenches from Woodpeckers. (What I used with the Rout-R-Lift in my previous router table) Simple and relatively inexpensive. Another solution is one of the "quick bit installation" systems...the one that always caught my eye used an allen wrench and stayed in your normal 1/2" collet. It naturally provided a little bit of extension, but was pretty well-reviewed.

[glenn bradley]

I would look into the 'bent wrenches' first. Collet extension is my last choice (haven't done it). Despite the reviews, unless your bits are ALWAYS so sharp you could profile the board with a feather touch, you are putting more strain on the router bearings than I would like.

If your bits are ALWAYS that sharp . . . let me send you my address, I could use some help ;-).

Example of bent wrenches:

http://www.woodpeck.com/media/offsetwrenches.jpg

[Derrell W Sloan]

Check out this one:

http://www.woodpeck.com/xtremextension.html

It is a pit pricey but it is fantastic. I use it on a DW625 in my router table and it has no measurable run out (and I checked it carefully).