Replies

1. 
   Rooms | Mar 03, 2008 12:51am | #1

   Check to be very sure that there is no sawdust or other foreign material in the collet. If there is, you will not get a good grip in the router bit.  Check the shank of the router bit as well for any thin rust or other coatings.

   I occasionally clean my router collet with a small wad of fine steel wool. Just twist it up a bit and rotate it through the collet.

   Happy routing.

    

   Rooms

2. 
   jpat | Mar 03, 2008 12:56am | #2

   Hey Golfisher,

   Is the bit actually coming out of the collet, or is the router changing height settings ?

   If it is the bit coming out of the collet make sure you are not letting the tiny radius on the top of the shank slip into the collet before tightening. This will not allow the collet to tighten properly around the shank.  Also make sure the shanks of your bits and the inside of the collet are nice and clean. lock everything else down tight and you should be good!

   Good luck,

   John

1. 
   knuts | Mar 03, 2008 01:09am | #3

   Woodcraft sells a trio of brass brushes for cleaning collets.

3. 
   blewcrowe | Mar 04, 2008 07:29pm | #4

   If the bit is too far in, there is a curvature there and when you think you've got it tight, it comes off and moves. I went to the hardware store and bought a coupla feet of clear hose of a diameter to fit my shanks. This I sliced across into 1/4" bits, creating little rings that permanently stay slid all the way up the shank. Do you follow me?

1. 
   Henley | Mar 05, 2008 01:07am | #5

   I follow you. Good idea. I just slide bit all the way in, then back off a touch.

1. 
   blewcrowe | Mar 05, 2008 03:19pm | #8

   That's right. You got it. But it's kind of hard to hold it in the right place while you tighten the collet. The "washer" keeps it offset.

1. 
   golfisher | Mar 08, 2008 08:48pm | #9

   Thanks to all. I believe the issue was a little bit of rust and rust dust in collett. Got new collett, cleaned up opening in router with new wire brush used for cleaning guns. I always use the little rubber spacers I purchased from Sommerfeld tools to keep bit off bottom when tightening.

   Will give a go this weekend and find out for sure.

   Thanks

    Golfisher

4. 
   KeithNewton | Mar 05, 2008 06:39am | #6

   As you probably already know, the collet is usually a slit cone which tightens around the shank as the collet nut forces it deeper into the cone in the end of the shaft.

   The most common cause for bits loosening is for the bit to be bottomed out in the collet when you start to tighten the nut. It needs to be held up a little bit before tightening, so the cone can do its thing without the shank hitting the bottom before it gets all of the way in.

5. 
   Hastings | Mar 05, 2008 07:35am | #7

   Golf:

   I experienced the same thing with a straight bit. This was a router spindle in a shaper.

   The problem was that I had forgotten to increase the speed when I changed spindles and the bit would rise by as much as half an inch in two feet of travel. Once I increased the RPM's no more problems.

   I didn't figure this out straight away however. Changed the bit in case it was faulty and made sure it was not bottomed out in the collet and really really tightened it.

   Hastings

6. 
   [email protected] | Mar 09, 2008 05:41am | #10

   Take the collet out and use a brass brush to clean it.   I keep a pistol cleaning kit in the  shop with 25-caliber, 8-mm, and 50-caliber brushes just for cleaning collets.  Yes I have an 8-mm collet to fit the bits for the woodrat.  PC makes collets in 6, 8, and 10-mm, as well as 3/8-in  if anyone is inclined to ask for them. 

   I buy neoprene o-rings in half and quarter inch i.d. and slide them onto the shanks of my router bits.  To set the depth, I take the collet out of the router, and then use it to slide the o-ring up the shank.  The collet is the only thing that should touch the shank, so having it go in any deeper doesn't do any good. 

1. 
   golfisher | Mar 11, 2008 03:03am | #11

   thanks!Golfisher