Yesterday was a Boo – Ray day! I have a commission to build some oak bookcases. To save on the hassle of finishing ‘inside’ the shelves, I applied my finish, buffed and polished the side pieces with OGEE tops and bottoms, then proceeded to rout for the tapered, stopped sliding dovetails for the shelves.
Routing shelf #5 seemed to stress the router more than the others. I checked and found the bit had loosened and dropped down. BOO!
I found that I had 1/16″ of material left – I had not penetrated all the way and ruined the piece. RAY!
I wonder if the collet is dirty. I really tightened the bit when I started. Any suggestions?
Jerry
Replies
The bit may have bottomed out when you first out it in the collet, then the vibration allowed the nut to loosen. It's fairly common when the bit is in this position. Since the waist of the shelf's dovetail will be material covering the narrowest part of the slot, you can make a piece that fits into the slot, glue it in and rerout a new one at the right depth.
Thanks for the quick response. I knew about the "bit bomming out" problem and th erfore always leave about 1/8" clearance - but, to be safe I bought a new collet today. After all, my lovable PC 100 router is about 40 years old. It deserves, at the least, a new collet.Jerry
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