Router bit question?

[jeffwholmes]

I have a question about router bits; I have very little experience with routers so any help would be appreciated.
I have two routers one is a Skill, plunge router, the other is a Craftsman, and I purchased a set of bits at Harbor Freight.
When I switch bits say from ¼ straight to a trim bit it is very difficult to get out of the collet, the collet on the skill broke witch is why I now own a craftsman router also, I thought it might have been just the skill that was the problem but the first time I used the ¼ straight bit in the craftsman I had to use channel-locks just to get the bit out and wound up breaking the bit. I then removed the collet and had to use a hammer and punch to get the bit the rest of the way out.

Could it be the bits being low quality or am I maybe doing some thing wrong?

[Denny Unfried]

Jeff,

You might look at the shank of the bit that you removed from the collet for clues. If it has circular grooves it might not have been tight and started spinning in the collet. The shank might look like that of a drill shank after spinning in a chuck. Of course collets are much different than chucks and can gall to the shank.

Denny

[toypusher]

Try tapping the bit after you loosen the collet and it should just drop out. Make sure to loosen it with the proper wrenches first. Then just tap the bit on the end with something - it should not take much.

[jeffwholmes]

Denny seems to me that the two bits I have used did have some marks on the shaft, as far as them being tight I am 100% sure of that.
And this occurred on two different routers.

Toypusher I tried tapping on them to see if they would loosen up, no luck like I said I had to use channel loc pliers on the ¼ straight bit to get it to even turn and in doing so broke it. I was using a lot of force on it prior to it braking, and had to take the collet apart and use a punch and hammer to drive the shank the rest of the way out.

I agree with you that the bit should just fall out after loosening the collet, but since that didn’t happen on two different routers I wasn’t sure if it was a problem with the bits or me.

Thanks for your replies.
Jeff

[Guest]

Jeff,
On both of my routers, when I remove a bit... The nut seems to loosen as soon I begin turning it with the wrench, but as I keep turning with the wrench it seems to get tighter for a moment and when I pass this "secondary" tightness the bit falls free. I think the internal part of the collet stays locked into the "pinched" position, but gives way when forced to move by the nut.

Give a few more turns on the wrench before you resort to whacking and grabbing onto the bit to see if that does the trick.

[jeffwholmes]

Dean thanks for the advice, I should have mentioned earlier that on the skill I can take the nut all the way off and it slides on the shaft but the bit is still as solid as it was prior to loosening the nut.

I have loosened the nut on the skill when the laminate trim bit was in it and pushed the bit out of the collet that way, but I am stumped as to why the bits would get stuck in both routers.

When I was in Jr. High school we used routers in shop class and as I remember the bits just fell out when you loosened the collet.

Thanks
Jeff

[Guest]

Jeff,
Do you store your routers in a nice dry place?
I had a dremmel do what you described, so I took the collet apart and noticed that some corrosion had built up on all the surfaces.
I cleaned them up and it worked like a champ again.
I hope you get the problem solved, because having a situation like that to deal with could get a bit annoying.

[BobR]

One thing I learned was not to bottom the bit in the collet. When installing the bit push it all the way in then pull it out about an 1/8 off an inch. When removing the bit...loosen the collet past the second tight point and then push the bit in a hair before pulling it out. It works for me...never had a stuck bit.

[jeffwholmes]

Dean thanks again for your suggestions, and to answer yes the routers are stored in a dry place. The craftsman router was purchased the day my skill routers collet broke, and I had the very same problem with it, except the collet hasn’t broke on the craftsman.

Bob I had read some where about that so I did exactly that backed the bit out about 1/8 and tightened the collet down.

I think I will try some bits from a different manufacture; I have to replace my ¼ straight bit any way.

Thanks again for everyone’s replies.
Jeff

[doug hodder]

Another tip on routers, If you have one that is mounted in a table, the collet can fill with lots of material making bit removal difficult. clean it out regularly. I have Porter Cables and they all seem to have a second spot that requires a wrench to break it loose, depends on what bit I am using, and needs it all the time in the table mounted unit. I have used lots of different bits, and now I swear by carbide. HSS are ok for a 1 shot or limited use bit, but for any of my straight cut bits that I know I will use forever, I get carbide. There are upcut and down cut spiral bits in carbide that work great on aluminum, they don't load up the cutting faces as they pull or push the chips out of the way leaving a clean cutting face. Carbide bits stay sharp a lot longer than the HSS and can be resharpened until you have no carbide left.