How to grip the shaft of a router bit (to loosen a nut)

[Mike Sandman]

I have a new Freud Adjsutable Tongue & Groove” router bit set. There rare two bits, both with 1/2” shafts. It’s possible to adjust the width of the tongue and the grove by inserting spacers that come with the bit, so you can work with thicknesses from 7/32” to 3/8”. To do this, you have to loosen a nut that holds the spaces onto the top of the shaft. It looks like a very flexible design but...

When it comes out of the packages, the nut at the top of the shaft is very tight — so tight that I can’t get it off by gripping the shaft with anything I can figure out short of applying something like a vice grip. But that would risk scoring the shaft. Any ideas about how to grip a 1/2” shaft very firmly without damaging the metal?

[Lee Schierer]

I put the bit that needs adjusted in my router and use the locking device on the router to hold the bit and motor shaft while I loosen the nut on the bit to make adjustments.

[Ron Selzer]

is this what you are looking for?
https://www.infinitytools.com/router-bit-vise
Ron

[Warren Lake]

I put them in the vise, it has wood jaws, the cutters cannot rotate and its simple to loosen the nut

[Mike Sandman]

Three good solutions, each worth a try (with the two free ones first).. Thanks!

[Bruce Wrenn]

Leave bit in router. Using wrench, grip collet nut, then loosen nut on end of bit. Easy peasy!

[Bill Dufour]

C5 collet and collet block. Collet chuck in your lathe or milling machine.
Bill D

[David Buchhauser]

C5 collet and collet block. Collet chuck in your lathe or milling machine.
Bill D

Yes - but not everyone has a lathe or milling machine.
David

[Curt Harms]

I put them in the vise, it has wood jaws, the cutters cannot rotate and its simple to loosen the nut

That's what I've done and no problems.